Page 5, The Cougar Cry, November -26, 1975
PHI BETA LAMBDA IN BUSINESS
Officers and sponsors of WCC’s
Phi Beta Lambda Club journeyed to
UNC-G at Greensboro November 7,
to participate in a “Workshop in
Leadership” presented by the State
Phi Beta Lambda organization.
Those attending included officers^
Naomi Smith, President; Frank
Perez, Vice-President: Charlene
Beshears, Secretary; and Sheree
Hamby, Treasurer; and sponsors,
Mr. Tom Toliver and Mrs. Jean
Miles, instructors in the Business
and Commercial Division at Wilkes
Community College.
Mrs. Jean Miles and Mr. Tom
Toliver joined the club as sponsors
this past fall and have been amazed
at the sudden and rapid success of
the club. From a very small core of
members has grown a club 70 strong,
membership, by the way, which ex
ceeds that of the Phi Beta Lambda
Qub at ASU and several other four-
year colleges and universities in
North Carolina as well as all of the
community colleges and technical
institutes in this state. Mrs. Miles
and Mr. Toliver attribute this grow
th to the enthusiasm and ability of
the club’s officers and to the variety
of exciting events planned this year
by the club.
Among others on the drawing
board, the Club has plans to hold
social gatherings, go on a camping
trip, enter a float in the Jaycee
Christmas Parade, put on a comedic
version of Don Juan, and establish a
social and service calendar for the
Qub. The first social event this year
is a party for Club members and
guests at Mr. Toliver’s house, fea
turing barbecued chicken and all
the trimmings.
The purpose of the Phi Beta
Lambda organization is to sponsor
and promote business-related act
ivities in business education and to
develop cooperation and leadership
skill among students. The Club, in
addition to engaging in various soc
ial activities, also is deeply involved
in service functions. The National
Phi Beta Lambda organization has
pledged one million dollars to the
March of Dimes. Local clubs will
support this pledge with funds earn
ed from a variety of fund-raising
events.
The response and work by each
of the Wilkes club members and of
ficers has been outstanding. Accord
ing to Mr. Toliver, “I am deriving
immense satisfaction from my work
with the Club. We have a group of
young people who have good ideas
and who know how to make them
work. I couldn’t ask for a more cap
able and enthusiastic group. We’re
going to do a lot this year and we
are all looking forward to it.”
Mrs. Miles feels one of the
strongest attractions of the club is
the fact that college students enjoy
their years of education more if
they are involved in a productive
organization capable of meeting
their need to be a part of something.
As explained by Mrs. Miles, “Our
business students come from high
schools where they were very active
in school activities and they are con
tinuing to be involved here at WCC.
They, apparently, feel that an im
portant part of their education is
belonging and serving their com
munity. We hope, during the com
ing year, to remain a strong and
active club.”
m.
A TRIP ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
In the four years this writer has
lived in Wilkes County, it remains a
constant surprise to realize how ma
ny people, born and raised amidst
such splendor, have never taken the
opportunity to inspect and mull
over the historical sights offered
along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If
history isn’t of interest, surely the
breathtaking scenery should have
lured even the most avid of T.V.
watchers to view the hazy blue
mountains, the fantastic cascades
and waterfalls, and such glimpses of
wildlife as the time of day and flow
of traffic allow, maybe a groundhog
along the side of the road, a snake
out sunning itself, or maybe a deer
grazing in the fields. I have never
seen a skunk, although the odor
permeates the air regularly.
After working in an elementary
school for a year, I realized that
many of the children don’t even
know where the Parkway is located,
much less had the opportunity to
ramble around the old homesteads,
watch local crafts being demonstrat
ed, or hike along specially cleared
trails. This summer my family and I
went on a photography trip which
covered 200 miles along what I feel
is the most beautiful and awe
inspiring scenic route in the world,
so that children might have the op
portunity to see, if only by pictures,
just how beautiful the country-side
is right where they live.
We started at Mabry Mill, which
is located in Virginia, where we
watched corn being ground, hides
being tanned, and the making of
molasses. The ringing of the black
smith’s hammer kept time with the
music of the banjo pickers which
the doggers were dancing to. Mean
dering along the crest of the moun
tains, we came to the tiny home
stead of Olean Puckett. “Aunt
Olean,” as she was called, travelled
miles and miles around the locality
welcoming into the world all the
new young’uns, yet of the twenty-
four children she herself gave birth
to, none lived past infancy.
Travelling south a few more
miles, we came to the homestead of
Martin and Caroline Brinegar. Here
we saw various crafts and a working
demonstration of the old four-pos
ter weaving loom that many house
holds used a hundred years ago. The
Jesse Brown cabin is another exam
ple of the hardships the people of
last century endured. Eleven child
ren were raised in this house, no
bigger than most modern day bed
rooms, and strangers were always
welcome.
Further along this twisting rib
bon of asphalt is the estate of
Moses H. Cone. The estate covers
about 33,000 acres, the house is a
fine example of the architecture of
the period, and a short ride on the
buckboard reveals a well-kept fami
ly cemetary which most people of
wealth preferred. Crafts are also
displayed here, and cloth of a finer
quality than is made on the Brinegar
loom is made here. On and on,
overlook after overlook the history
and scenery overpower even the
most speculative of observers.
Short walks along well-cleared
trails reveals myriad of wild flowers,
mushrooms in colors from purest
white through yellows and purples
to the deepest of reds, and when
the viewer least expects it, cascades .
and waterfalls rush over ledges of
sheer rocks.
The photographs I made have
been received with fantastic en
thusiasm by several classes of ele
mentary children.
—Eileen Lowe
MU ALPHA THETA
The Math Club started off on a
strong foot with more than thirty
members. Some of the members,
however, fell by the wayside at the
mention of “work”; but president,
John Norman was not easily dis
couraged. With backing by some of
his more active members, he recruit
ed ten additional members, who had
not attended the first meeting, they
said, due to the clashing school
class schedule.
The club, Mu Alpha Theta, is
looking forward to a good year with
an increasing membership. The mem
bers are working hard to get the
funds necessary to make them eli
gible for the state and national
associations.
Last year the club participated
in several events, including a talent
show, the Christmas parade, the
Pitch-in,and other activities. During
the last quarter, they were treated
to a luncheon at the Holiday Inn
and a club picnic at W. Kerr Scott
Dam. Club sponsor, Jo Hendrix,
says she has high hopes for this
year’s Mu Alpha Theta.
BICENTENNIAL