Peter Y. Turner, 33°
Personal Representative and President of Morgantown Language Center
PO Box 761
Morgantown, West Virginia  26507
By providing scholarships and service, a Childhood Language Disorders Center in West Virginia is growing in importance to its community.

Photo: Dr. Isaiah A. "Ike" Wiles, 32°, K.C.C.H., welcomes a young client to the Morgantown Childhood Language Disorders Center. 
What is our most valuable commodity? If you live in the state of West Virginia, your first guess might be coal. However, if you are a member of the West Virginia Scottish Rite Masons, you will know the answer is children. Even though West Virginia is one of the smaller states in the U.S., we are proud to boast of being the home of two Childhood Language Disorder Centers sponsored by the Scottish Rite. The most recently established center is located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Morgantown Childhood Language Disorder Center was established in 1992 by the hard work and dedication of the members of the Morgantown Valley Lodge of Perfection and the valuable assistance of Dr. Isaiah A. "Ike" Wiles, 32°, K.C.C.H., a 50-year member of the Valley of Morgantown.

The center has grown rapidly assisting children who sometimes get lost in the system. It is now serving approximately 15 students, identifying the special problems of each, and designing the appropriate training program to advance their skills in the challenged areas confirmed through their evaluations. The center is staffed by a teaching clinician and graduate student interns from West Virginia University along with an office manager to provide clerical support.

Dr. Wiles has been an integral part of the Morgantown Center's success. After spending the winter in Florida and becoming familiar with the Childhood Language Disorders Centers located there, he felt a facility in our area would be extremely valuable in assisting children in need of solutions to specific speech problems not otherwise being addressed by present programs within the area. With his backing, a grant from the Scottish Rite of the Valley of Morgantown and a grant from the H. L. Robinson Charitable Trust Fund, the center became a reality for the Morgantown area. Since receiving its first students in 1993, the center has continued to grow at a steady rate giving support and clinical training to at-risk children within the area.

In the beginning, a scholarship to assist the graduate interns who worked at the center was discussed; however, at that time the efforts of funding the center were very demanding, and the establishment of the scholarship could not be addressed until a later date. During that time, Dr. Wiles experienced a stroke, and the Scottish Rite Centers in Florida and West Virginia provided him with speech services, allowing him to make a full recovery. The experience with the centers provided him with both physical assistance and personal and emotional support.

In 1998, Dr. Wiles returned from Florida, again with a desire to establish a scholarship representing the Morgantown Learning Disorders Center and the Morgantown Valley of the Scottish Rite. Through his participation in the center and through his relationship with West Virginia University (WVU), he has become a charter member donating the first $1,000 to enable the creation of a scholarship through the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at WVU. The scholarship will be offered to residents of West Virginia in financial need, and students will be chosen by the Morgantown Valley of Scottish Rite Masons through the WVU Speech Pathology Department. The student awarded this scholarship will also serve her or his internship through the Morgantown Childhood Language Disorders Center.

Dr. Isaiah A. "Ike" Wiles is a leader not only in Masonry, but in all facets of his life. He is a highly respected contributor to the community, and his accomplishments in fraternal organizations are many. In addition to Scottish Rite, he is also a member of Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, Morgantown Commandery No. 18, Royal Arch Masons Chapter No. 30, the Shrine of Osiris Temple, Wheeling, West Virginia, and the Order of Eastern Star, Morgantown Chapter No. 35. However, his position held on the Board of Directors of the Morgantown Childhood Language Disorders Center, sponsored by the Morgantown Valley, is one of his most endearing and enduring works since it is through this realm he is able to help children grow and become viable members of their community.