The 2010 Mother of the Year program held at Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church earlier in May was an afternoon of affirmation and adoration for the Scotland County Branch of the NAACP and the Scotland County community. The Mother of the Year fundraising event has been show-cased across NC since 1955 and locally there were six contestants representing the following local churches: Felicia McRae of Franklin Chapel AME Zion Church, Mamie Everette of Bright Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, Rosie Terry Brown of Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church, Annie Smith of Laurel Hill First Baptist Church, Mary Helen Steele of Jones Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, and Ethel M. McNair of Spring Branch Missionary Baptist Church who was represented by her daughter Kimberly Davis. Each contestant received a gift bag assembled especially for the "Mother of the Year Court."

The gift bags were offered as a token of appreciation for their participation. The reigning queen, Dorothy McKoy, was present to preside and pass on her crown to her successor.

Annie Smith of Laurel Hill First Baptist Church was selected as the Scotland County NAACP Branch Mother of the Year and was bestowed the honor of representing the Scotland County NAACP Branch for the 2010-2011 year.

"We are proud to have the community participate in our Mother of the Year event and we are proud to have Annie Smith represent Scotland County and wear the crown for the 2010 year," said Evangelist Tracey D. Williams, program chairperson.

Annie Smith will represent our local branch at the NAACP Women of Excellence /Mother of the Year Conference in Winston-Salem, NC the weekend of May 22, 2010. The State Coronation in Winston-Salem, NC will feature, Epperson Jealous, a professor of constitutional law and former civil rights litigator with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as guest speaker. She is the wife of the NAACP National President and CEO, Ben Todd Jealous.

Recommendations of participants for the 2011 “Mother of the Year” should be made to The Scotland County NAACP Mother of the Year Committee, P.O. Box 545 Laurinburg, NC. 28353.