Message from the President In today’s competitive environment, the need to communicate with our peers, customers, vendors, employees and employers is more important than ever.  The act of communication comes in many forms.  It can be a simple nod of the head or a special wink of the eye, to a complex written document full of technical and specialized terminology.  Everything within this broad spectrum transmits one or more concepts from one party to another. The ability to understand this communication is what will make us successful in whatever we do.  In all manners of communication, one must understand the code it is sending in order to respond correctly.  As children we learn the basic body language code.  A nod of the head is an affirmative note, but the side to side shake sends a negative message to the receiver. As we grow and the interaction with society increases, the codes become more complex and involve language in both its forms, oral and written.  To further complicate the issue of communication, languages vary throughout the world and often have variations within a single country. With the assistance of the board members, the administrative staff, volunteers, teachers and the desire of the students that are seeking knowledge, it is the aim of GROWS to improve the communication ability of the community it serves.  From teaching the basic literacy concepts to both children and adults, to teaching English as a second language, to teaching English in the workplace, its is the goal at GROWS Literacy Council to bridge the communication gaps that exist in our community. Our success in achieving our mission is reflected in the success of our proud graduates.  This success does not go unnoticed.  This year GROWS is the proud recipient of the Governor’s Award for “Best Practices” in promoting literacy to the community, and we thank Governor Bush for this recognition and honor. Success does come at a cost, both in financial capital and in human resources.  We thank all our contributors and supporters, volunteers, board members, teachers, co-workers, staff for their efforts and financial support of our programs.  At the same time, we request and solicit that this volunteer and financial assistance continue into the future.  It is only with the help of our community that we will be able to continue to empower men and women of any race, color, creed, national origin to learn the basic skills in reading and writing, so that they can live a fuller life and be a greater asset in our community. Thank you,   George Richter, President