Flippin' flapjacks
Optimist Club prepares for Pancake Jubilee

By By Penny Randall / staff writer
Feb. 19, 2003
The menu remains the same as it was at the first Pancake Jubilee more than 55 years ago simple, but tasty, hot pancakes and sausages.
Dr. Tom Lawrence, one of the charter members of the Meridian Downtown Optimist Club, has worked at most of the Pancake Jubilees the last 50 years and said the event has surpassed his expectations.
Long day
This year's Pancake Jubilee is set for 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday. But the day will begin much earlier, about 5 a.m., for many of the Downtown Optimist Club members including Brenda Gough.
Gough, senior vice president of Great Southern National Bank in Meridian, will flip pancakes at her second Pancake Jubilee.
But Gough said she enjoyed her first experience and looks forward to this year's event.
Old friends
Ten-year Optimist Club member Paul Tarver said he thinks of the Pancake Jubilee as a way to catch up with old friends.
During the Pancake Jubilee, Tarver is known as "the batter man."
All the members of the club volunteer throughout the day. Even spouses of club members take their turn.
The event will take place in the Temple Theatre ballroom. Even though pancakes are served all day, the busiest time is before 9 a.m. when club members prepare more than 400 to-go plates.
Helping youths
Proceeds from the Pancake Jubilee benefit area youth.
The largest part of the proceeds will benefit the junior golf program, where club members take area children free of charge to golf clubs in Meridian for nine holes of golf on Tuesday mornings during the summer.
Other proceeds will benefit the Bill Herdon Scholarship Fund at Meridian Community College. Herdon was a member of the Downtown Optimist Club, who Tarver said was "a person very committed to youth."
Tarver, Gough and Lawrence agreed the best part of the Pancake Jubilee is the people who support the event.