Rev. Stargess
IHI
| Olympic Booster
1 Club Honors
Martin § Mrs. E.H. Tuck |
Story On Page 12A $ Story On Page 9A
Mrs.
-;
Dawn Gibson
.Project Aries president
Bawn Gibson Would Like
To Enter Business World
i , By Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
“I'd like to be high up in the
business world," confesses Dawn
Gibson, predicting where she’d like
to be 10 years from today. “I want to
learn everything about this country
and how I can be a part of it,” she
adds.
Dawn is currently «i senior at
North Mecklenburg High School and
she is getting a head start on being a
part of what’s happening through
her involvement in many school
activities. She is the secretary of the
senior class, a member of the Honor
Society and the Inter-Club Council
dent of Project Aries.
"These activities are interesting
They are a way to meet people and
get things done," Dawn relates
Through one program at her
school, the Close-Up Group, Dawn
recently spent a week in Washing
ton, D.C. During this time, she and
her peers participated in a face-to
face confrontation with U.S. sena
tors and congressmen. "We dis
cussed what is really going on in
Nicaragua and South Africa,” she
explains.
y "Washington," Dawn concludes,
"is an exciting city. Often we'd see
big black cars gathered and we
knew something significant was go
ing on. The trip was a learning
experience," she informs, "plus it
was fun."
At school, Dawn's most enjoyable
clasa is a business course. "I be
lieve business is a good field,’’ she
notea. Her plans are to enter the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel HU1 this fall and major in
accounting.
This attractive, 17 year-old beauty
describes herself as "friendly,
honest and versatile." “I Ilka to do
everything," she admits “That Is a
' tr "I'jjK?**’*' '
When you make two people
happy, one el them ia apt to be
you.
trait of my zodiac sign-Gemini,”
she tells.
However, when asked, Dawn
denies possessing the most infa
mous Gemini characteristic. “I
don't think I have a split personali
ty,” she laughs.
But with a little investigation, she
then reveals that she "kind of has
two selves which are revealed
through her ambitions: One side of
her wants to be the successful
business person, but the other is
considering the possibility of be
coming a famous entertainer.
i love u> sing: uawn enthuses.
“As a second career choice I’d want
-iahn a singer Knl there are mflny
out there success is primarily based
on luck. Business is definitely a
more stable occupation," she sur
mises. '
For now, Dawn satisfies her artis
tic side with singing and dancing in
talent shows. ‘Til sing wherever
there's an audience," she smiles.
She likes to sing pop and soul music.
Her favorite songs are by Michael
Jackson, Stacey Lattisaw and Chaka
Khan.
Dawn also loves to dance. She
informs that breakdancing is out.
The new dances are the Snake and
the Prep which are catching on fast.
At the time of this interview, Dawn
was eager to try out the new dance
routines at her prom which was to be
held the following night.
Whatever step* she’ll be doing,
Dawn's sure to be a hit in the lovely
dress she describes. ‘Til be wear
ing a tea-length, cream colored,
satin dress with lace overlay,’’ ahe
tsRe. “I hope to have a good tint*,”
Dawn aays. “We’re going to have a
rock band there called Sugar Creek
It's going to be wild!** ,
Then, following the senior prom,
Dawn is looking forward to gradua
tion. She'd like to be surprised with a
car as a present What type does she
want? ’’Realistically,” Dawn
voices, “a Toyota. Rut my fantaay is
to get s Porsche or," she con
siders, “a Mercedes."
Dawn next mentions that her
mother le her favorite person end we
wonder -if that has anything to do
with her desire for e car. (Just
kidding, Dawn.) Seriously, Dawn
says of her mother, Frances, “She’s
been a model to me throughout my
life If I ever have to face the
situations she has faced, I hope I'll
be able to handle them as well. ’'
The most sustaining lesson Dawn
says she has learned in bar life
time is "to do the best I can in
everything.’’ She expounds, “If you
do your best even if ya«‘ don’t
achieve your goai right then, at least
von’re on your way to It "
t > -- — ' ■ i pM
Mrs. Verona Vaughn Chosen
Post’s “Mother Of The Year”
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
“If there's one thing that stands
out in my mind about my mother,
it’s her strength and endurance.
She's a very strong-willed lady and I
don’t think that I could have gone
through with what she has. A lot of
things have hit her in her life, but
she never gives up. She’s warm
hearted and she loves to give, not
only to her family but to anyone,”
expressed Jennifer Mcllwain.
“She’s a wonderful mother. She
always has a listening ear. And
although she has done anything she
could for us. she has always kept us
straight. I feel like she is an
excellent Christian example and has
shown us the way to God through her
deeds. I wouldn’t take her for
another mother in the world,”
echoed Sharon Mcllwain.
With such glowing comments from
two of her children, it’s clear to see
why Mrs. Verona Vaughn was cho
sen as * JJie Charlotte Post.-s
“Mother of the Year!"
For Mrs. Vaughn, the rewards of
motherhood have been more than
fulfilling. “It's rewarding when you
can see your children grow up
without too many disciplinary pro
blems, to see them become in
volved with the church, get an
education and find careers that they
enjoy doing,” commented Mrs.
Vaughn.
But there has been more to rais
ing five children than the natural
growth process suggests. Her first
child, Brenda, who is now 39, was
born with cerebral palsy. Of course,
she demanded a lot of attention, but
giving plenty of attention and love
somehow came naturally for Mrs.
Vaughn Her youngest son, Louis,
MRS. VERONA VAUGHN
."Warmhearted and giving
died in 1977. He was 29 years old. To
this day. Mrs. Vaughn says that his
death continues to affect her
“Ix)uis' death wasn’t an immediate
shock, but every now and then it hits
me. For instance the first week of
this month, memories of his death
were just as fresh as if it hap
pened yesterday And then 1 re
membered that he died on May 2,"
explained Mrs Vaughn.
Perhaps more devastating than
the loss of a child and the caring of a
child with a physical impairment,
was the death of her husband. “My
husband died very early in the life of
my children.’’ For 20 years, Mrs.
Vaughn was mother, father and
provider of her children She does
not deny that times were difficult,
but she does credit that the sup
port she received from her hus
band’s family as well as her own
helped her make it through
Mrs. Vaughn brought up her chil
dren with an ample mixture of
discipline and love According to
her. today’s parents seem to be
more concerned that their children
have material things "Material
things aren’t as important as love
and moral support ft's important
that you're there for them at PTA
meetings, Sunday School and other
activities that they are involved in
Another difference that Mrs
Vaughn has detected that today's
parent suffers from is discipline I
insisted on things like them eating
together and they had a time frame
in which to perform certain tasks
To me, it just seems like parents ar«,
so involved with other things that
they forget what their children are
doing "
Having been the sole provider for
herself and her children for so many
years, Mrs Vaughn stated that she
does feel that it is possible to mix a
career with marriage, “Personally,
f think it gives children a better
outlook on life to see their mother
outside of the home "
Being career oriented Mrs
Vaughn has instilled in each of her
children the desire to better them
selves through education “Even
though I never said anything about
college, my children say that they
have always known that I wanted
them to go to college ” Her son,
Ronald, is presently studying at the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
At Gethsemane AME Zion Church,
where she is a member, Mrs
Vaughn is superintendent of the
Sunday School, chairperson of the
Senior Usher Board, the missionary
circle, the Charlotte District Lay
Council, and the secretary of the
Conference Board of Ushers. For
two consecutive terms she has re
presented her church at the general
council.
An employment technician at the
Charlotte Area Fund, where she has
worked for the past 30 years, Mrs.
Vaughn is the wife of Haywood
Vaughn. As she looks back at her
years of motherhood, she states with
sincerity that she would not change
ff^rthing If die could because «B
■ays. I did the best I could then and
I’d do fhy beet today
Local Ministers Commit To
Churchworker Of Year Contest
By Loretta Manago
Post Stafr Writer
fn the past, when ministers of
churches who have participated in
the “Churchworker of the Year"
contest, were asked their reasons for
becoming involved in the subscrip
tion campaign, the explanations
were varied.
While some ministers felt a deep
commitment to keep the ties be
tween the black church and the
black newspaper strong, others saw
the proceeds from the subscription
sales as an excellent way to finan
cially support some of the church’s
projects.
The ministers who have decided to
become involved in this year's
Pest's fifth annual contest have
based their decisions on the overall
good it will do for The Pott and their
own churches.
inree oi the 12 ministers who have
decided to participate in the
“Churchworker of the Year” con
test, Rev. Bernard Sullivan of East
Stonewall AME Zion Church, Rev.
Preston Pendergrass of Antioch
Baptist Church, and Rev. J. T. Whit#
of Wails Memorial AME Church, All
seem committed to giving the
Charlotte Post their suppopr
"I feel that without effective com
munication within the black com
munity. we can neysf have the unity
that’s necessary for our survival
We need to be well-informed on the
events that affect us. It seems only
fitting thatthere is no better place to
launch ' a drive than the black
church. For the church is still the
ittfltutlon In our community that is
attended by more people than any
other institution. The family paper
should be extended to the extended
black family, the church.” com
mented Rev Sullivan ,/
Rev Pendergrass also believes
very strongly about the survival of
Rev . .1 T . White
.yS..Walts Memorial pastor
Rev. Sullivan
...East Stonewall pastor
the . local black newspaper. “We
Jcongregation) mainly felt that we
needed to keep the newspaper
viable, as It expresses our
(Blacks’) opinion.'' stressed Rev
Pendergrass.
Antioch, the church Rev. Pender
grass pastors, has been involved
with The Pest’s contest for three
years. “We weren’t as effective last
year as we were in the previous two
years, but we think we will do better
this year. We have a contestant
who's real excited and will be get
ting a committee organized,
pointed out Rev. Pendergraaa. ,
Pleased with a couple of changes
in the contest. Rev Pendergrass
stated that he thought it was s good
idea that the minister and a com
panion received a trip, along with
the winning church worker and that
the dollar valua from the subscrip
tion sale has Increased 1
Participating in the "CWOY" con
test for Walls Memorial is business
as usual, according to its pastor,
Rev. J. T. White. "We have been
involved in The Post's contest ever
since it started." recalled Rev
White
Rev White feels confident that his
church will do well in the contest this
year and explained that because
Walls has participated In the con
test each year, the idea of support
ing The Pest is more accepted by
members In the congregation
Quite simply. Rev White’s In
volvement with The Poet's contest
stems from a humanitarian nature
rather than a selfish motivation
Personally. I have never been eft
cited by the gifts, I Just always
wanted to be of help and to keep the
paper afloat."
Presently nine other pastors have
8ee MINISTERS On Page ZSA