Gibson, McLarty named king and queen of the 61st annual Chittlin' Supper

ARLEY - As the public entered the door for the 61st annual Chittlin' Supper at Meek High School Friday night, Feb. 28, they did something entirely new to the supper by voting, not for candidates in the upcoming March 3 primary, but rather for their choice of candidates that had been submitted for the coveted titles of Chittlin King and Chittlin Queen.
Those titles have been bestowed on deserving individuals in the past but this year, instead of being pre-selected, those attending the supper met Murrah and band parent Jessica Abbott at a table just inside the entrance door.
At the table were two Chromebooks or lap top computer devices on which Murrah had electrically set up a ballot for the public to cast their vote for king and queen.
Candidates for these honors had been selected by the community then placed on the ballot. 
“We have had so many community members through the years who have supported our school, and who have supported our band. The deserve to be recognized,” Murrah told the audience before the winners were announced.
Candidates for king included long time Arley Fire Chief George Gibson and current fire chief James Rickett.
Candidates for queen were Juanita Culler, Beth McLarty and Donna Taylor.
Putting strict election rules that are followed in the primary aside, candidates were allowed to campaign with signs and T-shirts at the voting table.
Culler, who organizes the process of displaying banners in honor of the military, wore a sign that said Banner Lady as she campaigned for queen.
Each person voting used the cursor to click on their choice of king and queen and then they would click submit on the screen.
Voting took place from the time the supper started at 4:30 p.m. until 6:15, when votes were tallied.
All candidates were then invited to the stage, as Murrah read the winners. Before announcing each winner, Murrah called for a drum roll, with people banging on tables and stomping their feet.
The honor of king went to Gibson and the honor of queen went to McLarty.
In all, 147 votes were cast, with Gibson having the highest percentage of votes for king at 56.4 percent compared to Rickett’s 43.6 percent.
During the supper, Rickett laughed that if he had won, he would have given the honor to Gibson anyway.
In the queen category, McLarty got the top percentage at 40.4 percent, compared to Culler’s 33.6 percent and Taylor’s 26 percent.
 “I’ve been in Arley all my life,” Gibson said. “I just didn’t want to go anywhere else.”
McLarty added, “I remember my first chittlin dinner. I didn’t know anybody. I appreciate the votes tonight, and I am just thankful and blessed that I have been a part of it.”
The voting of chittlin king and queen on Chromebook just shows how technology is being used in school, Murrah stated.
“We have Chromebooks in all of our classrooms now, and just as we’re using them tonight, we’re using them in our classrooms every day,” she said.
“This is just preparing (students) for what they need when they graduate,” Murrah added.