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LACKBIRD
Published by the Journalism Class of Rocky Mount High School
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Vol. VII No. 5
Friday, February 12, 1937
FROSHIES PLAN
PARTY FRIDAY
Informal Affair To Be Held By
Class at Recreation
Hall
The £reshma.n class will give an
inionnal pariy next Frid;.y at the Re-
creaiion Ballroom from §;30 to 11:30.
Entertainment will be varied. 'The
Proctor Sound system will provide mu
sic for dancing, while games and con
tests will be played.
Members of the eighth grade are
working together for the purpose of
celebrating the Valentine season. The
\ alentine motif will be carried out in
the decorations.
As the feature of the even^
' ing, a Grand March will be staged
Class officers will head this figure
with their ddnce partners. They are
Billy Arie, president; Margaret Jeff
reys, vice-president; Nancy Bean, se
cretary; and Jack Purvis, treasurer.
Virginia Lee Knight, Billy Arief Bet
tie Jane Oliver, and Jean Harper ar€
included in the slate of officials for
the past term. With their escorts,
the girls will assist the new executiv
es in leading the march.
Following the leaders will come offi
ctrs of the home rooms.. The outgo
iiig officers and newly-elected students
will participate in the figure and will
end the march.
Miss Xate Parks Kitchin and Mr
Marion Justice are the advisors for
the freshman class. Miss lola Park
er,. Miss Frances Ledbetter, Miss Eli
ii.beth Barp, Miss Gladys Rodgers
.\iiss Ruby Vause, Mr. C. E. Privott,
and Mr. Bob Eason will attend as
home i'oom teachers. Mr. Cyrus M.
Ed.Eon and Mr. R. Quillen Ward have
also been asked to be -present.
Invitations to chaperone the dence
have been issued to Mr. and Mrs. C
M. Arle, Mr. :.nd Mrs. R. n. Jeffreys
Mrs t’. Bean, Mr. and Mrs. J. W
inirvis, Mr. and Mrs J. V. Knight, Mr
and Mrs. T..T. Oliver, Mr. and Mrs
• P. N. Harper. Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Gar
land, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Park
er. Mr. and Mrs. O. N. Marshburn
Tdr and Mrs. J. Dillard Bulluck, and
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Liverman.
Details in connection with ' the af
fair are being completed by the com
mittee in charge. This is the first
social event for the present eighth
grade and freshmen are looking for
ward to it as a high-light .in the car
eer of the .class'.
5c Per Copy
THREE PLEDGE
FOR SOCIETY
Members of Staff Choseu for
Quill and Scroll For Out
standing Work
Pic'ured abov^^ are members of tlie Blackbird Staff. Reading from left to right, those seated are Georjine
Murphrey, 5t:irtha Longest, Doris Robbins, Mary Lee Daughtridge, editor; Elizabeth Low, Jane Spruill, and
Anni.} BraswiH. Those standing from left to righi are 0. D. Andrews, Frances Henry, Frank Lee Greathouse,
business manager; Halen Saunders, Bill Grea1h.o;ise„ Joseph Jones, and Bill Leloudis.
PLANS FOR DEBATING
SOCIETY BEING MADE
Interested Students to Cooperate
Forming Orgai-isaticu
hori
HONOR ROLL
Classes Elect Officers
For Second Semester
Officers of the various classes
have been elected recently to head
the class activities during the spring
term. These prove to be an unusual
ly fine group of officers and much
will be expected of them.
During the past semester many
class projects have been put under
way ; and it is hoped that under the
guidance of tiiese new officers, even
more progres.s will be made.
John Dozier was elected to head
the twelfth grade officers as presi
dent. Other officers include Pansy
Crowder. vice-president; Martha
Anne Speight, secretary; Jack Green,
treasurer.
For the eleventh grade Mickie
Bennett was chosen president. Work
ing with him are Dillard Bulluck,
\dce-president; Rose Carlton Dunn,
•secretary; Norman Harper, treasur-
. el*.
Treading the tenth- grade slate of
officers is Phyllis Perritt, president.
Other officers are Roy Thurmo;nd,
vice-president; Carolyn Perritt, sec
retary; Jean Lewis, treasurer.
Aubrey Walker was chosen as
presidt^Y.t cf the ninth grade. Mary
Womble, vice - president; ' Peggy
Speight, secretary: and Henry Owen,
treasurer, complete the list of- offi-
. cers for. the ninth, grade. ,
For the eighth .grade Billy Arie
was elected president. With' him are
Margaret Jeffreys. ’ vice-president;
Bette Jane Oliver, secretary, and
Jack Purvis, treasurer.
The debates held between
rooms and between classes have call
ed attention to the need for a debat
ing club in Rocky Mount high school.
Principal I. E, Ready, Miss F"rances
Ledbetter, and Mr. Cyrus M. Edsbn
have agreed to aid interested students i
in forming such an organization.
An oratorical and debating society
existed here four years ago, on the
ordei' of the successfui societies in
Chai'Iotte, in Greenville, and in other
high schools.
The public speaking class of Mr.
Ed.son last year started to revive this
society. A constitution'was drawn up,
which provided for two senates. Each
senate was to have a president, vice-
president, clerk, treasurer, and sear-
geant-at-arms. The senates never
functioned, because the public speak-
class was not continued,
new debating club would have
the same purpose: to create and ex
tend an interest throughout the high
school in debating, public speaking,
and oratory,' and to develop effective
speaking, clear thinking, and free ex-
pres.sion of ideas and opinions.
Any student in the tenth, eleventh,
or twelfth grade, who has a true in
terest in the speech arts, is eligible
for membership, according to qualifi
cations set forth in the constitution.
Pupils interested in forming the so
ciety may apply to Miss Ledbetter.
After it is organized, candidates for
membership must be nominated at the
beginning of each semester.
Witii tlie formation, officers with
regular duties will be elected for this
term.
The constitution says that the
meetings will be held on the first and
third Monday nights of each month
in the high school at 7:30. The consti
tution and. by-laws may be amended
by a three-fourths votes.
Meetings would be conducted by
parliamentary procedure, and the so
ciety u’ould have a faculty advisor.
It is expected that an oratorical and
debating .society shall be formed along
i.hesa lines soon.
averaged a straight A for the entire
semester of 1^36-37. This indicates
that 3 per cent c-! the student body
are of superior ,;;cholastic standing.
Eight e.ght of' .he students aver
aged a B on their terms work mak
ing a total of y per cent.
8th Grade—A Honor Roll—Frances
Keel; B Honor Roil—Billie Arie, Jack
Purvis, Jean Cl- rry, Laura Ann
Parker, Dorothy Slaton, Carolyn Bass,
Margaret Boyd, Evelyn Breedlove,
-Ka
WILLIAMS TO DIRECT
STUDENT BODY AGAIN
The Quill and Scroll, international
honorary society for high school
journalists, has approved Frances
Henry, Elizabeth Low, and Jane
Spruill for membership. Th^r names
have been added by the executive
secretary, Mr. Edward Nell of North
western university, to the roll of the
Josephus Daniels chapter of Rocky
Mount high school.
Prances has served as sports edi-
r of the Blackbird; Elizabeth as
news editor; and Jane, as ad'vertising
manager, for one term.
The responsible positions they
have held, their commendable pro
duction records, and the excellence
of the work samples submitted In
their behalf are proof that these stu
dents are capable and efficient news
paper workers, and deserve journal
istic recogfnition by induction ^to
the society.
In his letter approving the candi
dates recommended here, Mr. Nell
praised their efforts. “Colorful and
descriptive” were his words in praise
of the sports stories by Prances Hen-
ISucceeds Himself As Student Presi
dent for Second Semester
Scout Programs
Celsbrate Founding
Sunday, February 7, Boy Scouts
here and all over America began to
celebrate their twenty-seventh anni
versary. Sundiy afternoon at four
o’clock all Scouts and their -parents
and friends met in the high school
auditorium to hear Reverend Groves
I of the Raleigh Presbyterian church.
1 Monday at 5:30 p. m. scouts all over,
I the state turned on their radios to j perience
I hear President . Roosevelt,
Frances Lane, Sara Thorne, Anita
Wheeless, Zonabia Wheeless, Billy
Green, Elizabeth Fant, Edith Rae
Turner, John "Wilkins, Jack Qhad-
wick, William Lynn, Phyllis Bryan,
Lliivvood Roljards, W. L. Turner, De
wey Weaver, Marg’aret Jefferies,
Eagenia Marshburn, Tedd Poplin,
Elsie Jane Dorsett, Isla Gorham, Bes
sie Rollins, Stephen Bennett.
9th Grade—A Honor Roll —Mary
Louis Womble, Ida Harper, Elizabeth
King, Betty Knowles, Lila Mae Lane;
B Honor Roll—Louis Proctor, Clar
ence Lane, Catherine Beard, Carroll
Gardner, Garland Brantley, Delon
Kearney, Mildred Thorp, Adie Wilk
in, Earl Parker, Eleanor Nichols, Rae
Mangum, Irvin Staton, Elizabeth
Coleman, Mary E. Ezzelle, Mary
Scoggins.
10th Grade A Honor Roll—Edna
Erie Smith, Catherine Breland, Elaine
Rhodes; B Honor Roll—Charles Edge,
James Minter, Nelson O’Quinn, Vir
ginia Shearin, Anne Stinson, Gran
ville Willis, Sheldon Boone, Charlotte
Perritt..
11th Grade —A Honor Roll—Lottie
Beard, Reece Thomas, Norma Large,
Prances Henry, Eveline Looney, Lulu
Wyatt Wilkinson, Mary Lee Daught-
ridge, Ruth Harrell, Margaret Woot
en, Constance Sweeny, Catherine
Bryan, Dorothy Jackson, Sue Murchi
son; B Honor Roll—Helen Drum
mond, Kathleen ViVek, Tom Avera,
Betsy Powell, Joyce Powell, Paul
Mooring, Pete Strum, Norma Dozier.
eVrnell Elmore, Jack Gravely, Lyn
ette Mangum, Mildred Morris, Betty
Savage, Mickie Bennett, Billy Kear
ney, Audrey Boone^ Verna Bradley,
Corinne Green, Rodir Robbins, Rose
Wilson, Louis Aycock, Bettie Jacks,
(Continued On Page Four)
Recently the officers of the student
government organization were elect
ed. As the majority of votes for each
officer was received in the first elec
tion, no run-offs were held.
For the first time in the history of
the student government organization
of the Rocky Mount high school the
president was reelected. This is due
recognition to the services that Bill
Williams has renaered during the fall
semester; and throughout the spring
semester even more is going to be
pected of the governing officials. The
remaining candidates for the office of
president were Helen Saunders and
Prank Lee Greathouse.
Bill Leloudis won over Elizabeth
Low as vice-president. He succeeds
Martha Anne Speight.
As secretary, Betty Jane Oliver
as elected to succeed Bill Leloudis,
She has the distinction of being the
first freshman ever to hold an office
in the student government organiza
tion. Mildred Thorp was the other
candidate for secretary.
Succeeding Pete Dowdy as treasur-
is Snead Low, who won over Lulu
Wyatt Wilkinson.
Working with these officers is the
student assembly composed of a rep
resentative from each home room.
Members of the student assembly
ara as follows;
Charlotte Denny, Anne Stinson,
Joyce Powell, Leo Dew, Prances Hen
ry, Bill Greathouse, Edith Wood, Vir
ginia Tyree, Evelyn Starling, Joe Va-
den, Clarence Lane, Eddie Ryals, Sue
Murchison, Margie Price, Ca.rroll
Jones, Jean Harper, Charlie Harris,
Laura Ann Parker, Mary Virginia
Simeriy, Billy Looney, J. D. Johnson,
Caldwell Ward, Errol Warren, W. L.
Turne.*.
Durham Boxers
Here Tonight
The Broughton High of Raleigh
says in “The Hi Times” that they
are to have a radio receiving set in
every room to enable them to hear
.educational programs, announce
ments, etc. This addition is to take
place very soon.
Tonight the Blackbird leather sling-
ers will meet for the second time the
Durham Bulldogs. In their first meet
ing at Durham, the Rocky Mount boys
defeated them. By their increased ex-
ring since that meet-
honorary I ing, the Blackbirds will have better
[president of the scouts, and V/alter i form' and be in better condition,
jw.- Heax, -president cf the scouts.; xhe matches will start promptly at
j Tuesday morning in each grammar j eight o'clock at the Recreation Hall,
i school from 8:30 to 9:3) scout pro-1’2"iiere will be at least eight bouts
• grams were put on by scouts from the j rnached up and perhaps some exhibi-
different troops. This anniversary w:ll';tions to fiil the card out.
last through Saturday, February 13. i The Blackbirds will beat the Bull-
^ During this week all scouts aro wear-1 (jogs, but the point is to beat them
[ ing their uniforms. i VFors© than the first time.
ry.
“The work by Elizabeth Low,” he
wrote, “shows that she too has been
well trained in the fundamentals of
good vvriting.”
Jane Spruill gained approval for
her excellent use of an advertising
card system, and. for her cooperation
and success in working with the bus
iness staff of the Blackbird.
The newly-accepted members ■will
bo formally initiated into the Jose
phus Daniel’s chapter of Quill and
Scroll. A program will be held in the
auditorium before an assembly of
tha student body for this purpose.
i-iocal chapter activities have been
confined heretofore, because of the
small number of society members to
carry on projects. With the addition
of the three students and the nam
ing of the local chapter for Ambas
sador Daniels, the present members
are anticipating work of major Im
portance.
Mary L«5e Daughtridge is president
of the Daniels chapter; Annie Bras
well, vice-president; and Frank Lee
Greathouse, secretary and treasurer.
Miss Hazel Griffin is faculty ad-
sior and member and she is largely
responsible for the success of the
Josephus Daniels chapter of Quill
and Scroll.
Current Events Test
Held In High School
A National Current Events test
was recently held in the high school
to test the knowledge of the students
and to see how well high school pu
pils keep up with what is going on
in the world.
The test was composed of nation
al affairs, foreign affairs. Important
names in news, important words in
news, the United States Constitution
in the news, general current informa
tion, and speeches by spokesmen of
various governments.
100 questions were asked, each
counting one point. Of the 100 ques
tion Pete Dowdy had 95 correct, mak
ing the highest grade in the entire
school. Corinne Green, with a score
of 93, was second high scorer.
The number of pupils in the entire
school who took the test totaled to
893. 466 of these made a score of
50 or above, with 427 scoring belov
95 pupils took the test in the
twelfth grade, and 82 made a score
of 50 or above. 7 students made the
grade of 86-&0.
Group Committee
Chairmen Selected
Bill Williams, president- of the
student government! organlzatloin,
has completed his selection of the
members of the standing committees.
Joyce Powell heads the elections
committee as chairman. Working
with her are Charlotte Denny, Lau
ra Ann Parker, Bill Looney, and
Mary Virginia Simeriy.
Other committee chairmen are P.
G. Cobb, fire drills committee; Reece
Thomas, lost and found committee;
Prank Davis, house and grounds
committee: Doris Robbins, social
committee; Lula Wyatt .Wilkinson,
cafetria committee: Prances Daugh
tridge, program committee; and Nel
son O’Quinn, traffic.
The following boys were chosen by
their respective home rooms to be a
member of the traffic committee:
Haywood Taylor, o. D. Andrews,
Leslie Johnson, Franz Holcher, El-
wood Inscoe, William Glover, Charles
Brock, Buddy Hicks, Ben Winstead,
Dillard Bulluck, Linzy Mayberry, Jo
seph Bass.
. .Members of the auditorium, repre
senting their home rooms, are Jack
Greene, Charles Prady, Dewey Wea
ver, Thomas Kelley, Raymond
Thompson, L. J. Albertson, Edward
Fly, John Wilkins, and Jack Purvis.
President Williams, also appointed
a traffic committee to keep the halls
in order during the two lunch pe
riods. During the fifth period Nelson
O’Quinn, Richard Parrish, Van
Kennedy, Mike C^rr, Authur Grif
fin, and J. C. Cox are on duty. Dui--
ing the sixty period C. L. Moore,
Marcus Beard, William Glover, Ed
gar Carter, Carroll Gardner, Milton
Aycock, George Leloudid, and Mar
tin Baily are on duty.