Ethelyn Baker
Named Teacher
Of Year
"Things That Matter"
by ImIn CiImm
IN DEFENSE OF A NAME
Not since the hideous suicide
massacre of Jim Jones' followers in
the jungle of Guyana four years ago
has the world seen anything so
brutal as the annihilation of hun
dreds of Palestinian refugees in
I Lebanon on September 19.
Associated Press photographs of
the mangled corpses were shocking
enough. But what really chilled my
blood were the headlines, "Hun
dreds Killed by Christians."
What could possibly be "Chris
tian" about this systematic
slaughtering of old men. middle
aged mothers, teenage girls, and
babes in diapers, all unarmed and
unable to defend themselves? The
depraved, machine-gun wielding
thugs who were responsible for the
human carnage in the Chatilla and
Sabra refugee camps certainly have
nothing in common with the Gali
lean from whom Christians get
their name.
He taught. "Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy." They burst into homes and
butchered whole families without
mercy. He said. "Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be
called the sons of God." They
fanned the smoldering embers of
old hostilities into flames of cruel
vengeance. He commanded his
followers. "Love your enemies." ,
They bulldozed the tangled corpses
of their enemies into common
graves.
The world has been sickened or
repeated occasions by the savagery
of Arafat's Palestinian Liberation
Organization. But none of the
atrocities committed by Palestinian
guerillas ever surpassed the bru
tality of this latest outrage against
the human race.
We all reaiize, of course, that the
name "Christian" has become
nothing more than a political label
in some quarters. The so-calledN
"Christian" militias in Lebanon
bear the name of Christ in utter
indifference to what the Prince of
Peace really stands for. So do those
Americans who put on white robes
or battle fatigues and tarnish the
name of Christ with hate-Filled
racist language as they posture and
strut about with automatic
weapons cradled in their arms.
An ancient story has it that
Alexander the Great once called a
young soldier to task for engaging
in drunken debauchery. The young
man, it seems, also bore the name,
"Alexander." The famous con
queror, so the story goes, slapped
the soldier with the back of his
hand, sending him sprawling
across the room. Then Alexander
said, in 3 menacing tone, "I won't
have my name disgraced any
longer. Either change your conduct
or change your name!"
One could wish that the ersatz
Christians filling the world today
would heed that advice.
D? ft Fwtrah
John Waiter Bishop
The funeral for John Walter
Bishop, 62, of Rt. 1, Raeford, who
died November 1, was conducted
Sunday afternoon in Silver Grove
Baptist Church by the Rev. W.K.
Mitchell. Burial was in the church
cemetery.
Buie Funeral Home was in
charge of the arrangements.
Robert W. McNeill
The funeral for Robert William
McNeill, 16, of Rt. 3, Raeford, who
died October 28 of complications
from injuries suffered in a traffic
accident October 16, was con
ducted at 4 p.m. November 3 in
Silver Grove Baptist Church by the
Rev. W.K. Mitchell.
Burial was in the church ceme
tery.
Ethelyn Baker, a West Hoke
School teacher, is the 1982-83 Hoke
County Teacher of the Year.
The announcement was made as
a surprise to Mrs. Baker by Raz
Autry, county schools superinten
dent, Monday afternoon as Mrs.
Baker stepped into West Hoke
Principal Milton Williams's office
in response to a call from the office.
In the office with Autry and
Williams were members of the
Teacher of the Year Selection
Committee of Hoke teachers.
Janice Worthy of McLauchlin
School, Pat Livingston of Scurlock,
Harold Livingston, an assistant
principal of Hoke County High
School, John K. McNeill of Up
church Junior High School, Mary
Thomas of West Hoke, Valerie
Bagley of J.W. Turlington, Choldia
Lyons of South Hoke and Gloria
Williams, representative of the
county school system's central
office, make up the committee, but
not all the members could attend.
Winning the County Teacher of
the Year title is the First step toward
the title of North Carolina Teacher
of the Year.
Carol Ronalter, a special educa
tion teacher at Hoke County Hgh
School, was last year's county
winner.
Mrs. Baker has been an elemen
tary school teacher for 20 years and
has had a Third Grade class at
West Hoke since the start of the
1981-82 school year. She has been
teaching in the Hoke County
schools since 1976 after serving in
Cumberland County and in Vir
ginia.
In Hoke County, she taught at
Raeford Elementary School from
1976 through 1979, then at J.W.
Turlington the following year.
In 1980-81 she taught an Alter
native Learning Class at Upchurch
Junior High School.
Ironically, only two years ago
while teaching at Turlington
School, the county school board
first granted her tenure, but later
reversed its decision, terminating
her, but the situation later was
resolved.
Mrs. Baker is a native of
Nashville, N.C., and was educated
in Fayetteville schools. She grad
uated from Fayetteville State Uni
versity with a Bachelor of Science
degree in elementary education,
then started her career at Arm
strong School in Cumberland
County. In 1963-64 she taught at
Farmville, Va., in the Free School
Association, when the public
schools were closed, then taught in
the Farmville public school from
1964-67 after it was reopened.
Mrs. Baker taught at Hopewell,
Va., from 1967 to 1974, then at the
Education Center at Ft. Bragg, at
the dependents' school, going to
Hoke County after two years there.
In Virginia, she took further
studies, at Virginia State University
in Petersburg.
Mrs. Baker has three children,
Tanya, 14, in the Ninth Grade of
Chestnutt Junior High School in
Fayetteville; Michael, a Campbell
University freshman; and Andrew,
a secretary at Wake Medical
Center in Raleigh. She also has a
4'/j-months-old grandson, Andre.
Mrs. Baker is a member of First
Baptist Church of Moore Street,
Fayetteville. She serves as a volun
teer in the American Red Cross and
is a Red Cross blood donor. She
also teaches Bible School, is a 4-H
Club counselor, and a Girl Scout
leader.
Mrs. Baker also does acting with
Fayetteville Showcase and Ft.
Bragg Playhouse and likes to write
poetry. She is now writing a book of
poetry.
9-9 Daily
I " 6 Sunday
ACKS
Edenborough
Cantar
Raeford, N.C.
20% OFF
ALL MODEL
CARS - PLANES - SHIPS
CHILD'S LITTLE RED
ROCKING CHAIR
Reg. s8"
$A66
SALE W
LIMIT 2
OFF
BIKES
20" AND LARGER
20%
O OFF
LADIES'
HANDBAGS
IN STOCK
NO DOWN
PA YMENT
Sunday, November 14th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., take ad
vantage of a whole day of NO DEPOSIT-LAY AWAY.
Now is the time to layaway toys and wearables lor
Christmas. There will be no 50' handling charge during
this very special day. No down payment with weekly or
monthly payments.
SHOP EVERY MACKS STORE SUNDAY FROM 1P.M. TO
6P.M. only!
LAY-AWAY SUN. 1-6