CONGRATULATIONS
CAST OF
“MISS STARLIGHT”
VOLUME XXII
THE BLACKBIRD
Published by Journalism Clast of Rocky Mount High School
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1951
BEST OF LUCK TO
CAST IN
CONTEST PLAYS
NUMBERIO
Nell Harris, Star In .‘Miss Starlight’
Photo by Barringer
en
“Miss Starlight,” a two - act
musical comedy, was presented to
a large audience in the high school
auditorium under the sponsorship
of the Student Organization of
Rocky Mount high school last Fri
day evening. This was the first
such production ever to be pre
sented by the high school.
The players in the cast were
Franklin Sanderson, Jimmy Car
ter; Bert Brown, Jimmy Richard
son; Snapper, Pete Winstead;
Carlotte Beard, Betsy Lockamy;
Mrs. Rhoda Fleming, ‘Boots’
Daughtridge; Drew Crane, Benny
Wrenn; Flo Randolph, Jean Eason;
Trixie Trimmer, Lillie Parker;
Miss Venus, Nell Harris; Rosetta,
Elizabeth Bateman; Sadie Sutton,
Ruth Riley; Mrs. Cora Sanderson,
Ann Dennis; Creston Clarke, Ver
non Huggins.
Some of the musicals in this
production were “The Apple of
My Eye,” “In Society,” “Follow
ing In Father’s Footsteps,” “Miss
Starlight,” and “It’s The Little
Things.”
The book, lyrics, and music,
were produced by Charles George,
author and composer of “Wild
Rose,” “Kentucky Sue,” and many
other best-seller musical hits.
The production was under the
direction of Miss Alma Murchin-
son, Mr. H. T. Parry, and Miss
Kate Parks Kitchin, business-
director.
Edsonians To Take Part
In Dramatics Festival
“Ashes of Roses” by Constance
D’Arcy Mackaye, and “Cracked
Ice,” by Guernsey Le Pelley, are
the two plays that have been
selected by the Edsonian Dra
matics Organization to be pre
sented at the annual Dramatics
Festival in Chapel Hill beginning
April 4.
Constance D’Arcy Mackaye’s
plays are well known for the
beauty that she places in them.
Her “Ashes of Roses” is supposed
to depict an incident in the life
of the famous English actress
Kitty Clive. The setting is laid
in London one spring night in
1741 in the theatre dressing room
of Kitty Clive.
The characters are Kitty Clive,
Barbara Rowland; Horace Wal
pole, Bruce Miller; Phyllis, Faye
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Bulletin Board Displays
Citizenship Decorations
Outside of room five there is a
bulletin board display made peri
odically. This was started last fall
under the direction of Mary Wil
kinson and her committee. Mary
was elected president of the sopho
more class for the second semester
and the duties had to be forwarded
to Margaret Daughtridge, and out
standing freshman.
The committee uses the weekly
campaigns in the school as a basis
for the decorations and clippings
on display. They also use any
topic to promote good citizenship.
Sid Hardesty also has a corner of
the board to point up the sports
events of the school as they take
place.
Those that serve on the commit
tee are Sylvia Pullen, Kay Congle-
ton, Nancy Parry, Mary Wilkinson
and Newsome Maples.
Fuller Speaks At Career Day
National Honor Society
Taps 14 New Members
In recognition of scholarship,
service to the school, character,
and leadership, the National Honor
Society in an impressive candle
light service tapped 14 students,
March 9.
Those receiving the recognition
were five seniors—Alva Wallace,
Grace Dew, Herbert Slater, Bar
bara Hartman, Hazel Rawls; and
nine juniors— Billy Cooper, Al
bert Rabil, Marian Harris, Sylvia
Pullen, Anita Williamson, Peggy
Ward, Tommy Slater, Margaret
Moore Eason, and Donald Rooker.
Rev. Jimmy Mattox, an or
dained minister, spoke to the
student body. As he spoke he gave
two challenges. First he challenged
those tapped to hold those quali
ties that enabled them to be
tapped and secondly he challenged
the other students to attain these
qualities.
The stage was decorated with a
huge basket of spring flowers on
each side of the enlarged Honor
Society emblem. Standing in the
emblem to speak for the four
qualities were Harold Harper,
Helen Wells, Alice Joyner, Jimmy
Thorton. Spring flowers were usiid
along footlights. The light was
given off by the candles of the
old and new members and those
in the candelabra.
The devotion was conducted by
Betty Ann Cross and Betty
Lockamy. Bill Phillips, presdent,
gave the welcome address.
History Students Tour
Historical Williamsburg
Forty-seven American history
students boarded a chartered bus
to begin the two day trip to the
historical Williamsburg, Virginia
last week.
After crossing the James River
on a ferry the group toured James
town. One of the most interesting
things seen there was the old
church where the first House of
Burgesses in America met in 1619.
The next stop was Williams
burg. There the students were
taken on a conducted tour of the
most interesting places and things
to be seen. Among these were
the Governor’s Palace, the Powder
Magazine, the Capital, and the
Bruton Parish Church, which is
the oldest Episcopal Church in
America now in use, and of which
Miss Craighill’s brother is the
Service Club Sponsors
Annual Sunrise Service
Following the tradition of the
past years the Service club has
charge of all Easter services and
bulletin board connection with
RMHS. Two of their programs
have already been presented.
There are to be two more, one
in assembly tomoorrow and the
sunrise service Thursday morning
which will be held in the Lutheran
Church.
Each year the club has charge
of all four services and invite
speakers for the first three. In the
last service, which is at 7:00
o'clock Thursday morning, a mem
ber of the service club delivers
the message.
For the past two services the
speakers have been Father Mc
Laughlin and Rev. Gray Temple
on Tuesday. The speaker for to
morrow will be Rev. Eslie Phillips.
Bobby Chandler will deliver the
message at the Sunrise Service on
Thursday.
Music For Services
The choir for the two assemblies
in school has been made up of the
remaining members of the service
club. The accopipainst has been
Emily Balgi^Oii Monday, Lillie
Parker introduced the speaker.
Tuesday Joyce McNeely was in
charge of the program and Bar
bara Land will have charge to
morrow.
The choir on Thursday morning
will be the RMHS choir. The
organist will be Peggy Ward. The
scripture will be given by Billy
Powell. The prayer and bene
diction will be given by Donald
Rooker and the welcome address
by Billy Cooper, president of the
Service Club. Ellen Williams and
Barbara Land are in charge of
decorations for all the services and
Shirley Robbins is publicity chair
man.
The entire student body is in
vited to attend the special Sun
rise Service on Thursday morning
at 7:00 o’clock, March 22.
rector. They also visited a few of
the craft shops.
When the tour was completed
the group returned to the Wil
liamsburg Lodge where they had
reservations.
Some of the things seen the
next day were the Wren Building
at William and Mary College, the
battlefields and forts at York-
town, and the Mariners Museum
near Newport News.
Representatives Lead
In Discussion Groups
Career Day, a day to help jun
iors and seniors to choose their
profession, was observed in Rocky
Mount high school last Tuesday.
Career Day got underway with
a talk by Dr. Frank Fuller, educa
tion guidance director at E C T C.
Dr. Fuller warned against rushing
into a profession without giving
the matter considerable thought.
Before selecting a career he stress
ed consideration of three things—
interest, ability, and personality.
Discussion groups began at 1-30
w hen the students met in sections
of the school with representatives
from various businesses and pro
fessions. They gave the teenagers
an ida of just what to expect from
the careers they have chosen to
follow upon the completion of
their formal schooling.
Panel Discussion Held
After these discussion groups
the auditorium for the panel dis
cussion. Dr. Frank Fuller, the
moderator, introduced the speak
ers. Mrs. Ruth Coley talked on
“What the Business World Ex
pects of You Socially;” Mr. Ted
Draper, “What The Business
V/orld Expects of You Intcllcctu
ally;” and Mr. Jack Bennett,
“What You Can Expect from the
Business World.” Dr. Fuller gavs
a summary of the talks. The busi
ness world expects one to have a
well-rounded personality and the
ability to reason. Jack Bennett
sumned up what one can expect
from the bu.siness world in one
word—opportunity.
Dr. Bender Speaks
Career day was highlighted with
a talk by Dr. James H. Bender,
noted author and educator. His
life’s work is the study of human
relations as they affect the person
al, social, and business affairs. He
covered a variety of subjects end
ing with a plea to the future par
ents of tomorrow to be sympathe
tic with tl eir children. His mes
sage was both inspiring and in
formative.
This program is designed to
familiarize local students with
every aspect of the jobs they have
expressed an interest in. Full cre
dit for the effective planning and
execution of Career Day must be
given to Dick Gregory and his
Career Day committee and to Miss
Kitchin, advisor of the Student Or
ganization and to the Junior
Chamber of Commerce for its par
ticipation in the program.
H. S. Staffs Have Fun In New York
“Bye, goodbye everybody, see
you when we get back.” Words
like these were heard from the six
teen students and their two chap
erons as they left for New York on
March 7.
Those going from the Hi-Noc-Ar
staff were Betsy Carr, Pete Win
stead, Nancy Barthoomew, Fay
Reynolds, Barbara Fulghum, John
Page, Bobby Grimes, Bill Phillips,
Benny Wrenn and their adviser
Miss Ala Murchinson. The students
representing the Blackbird staff
were Fred Patton, Johnnie Shelton,
Emly Baker, Shirley Robbins, Jean
Cooper, Carolyn Ellis, Margaret
Moore Eason and their adviser
Mrs. T. D. Young. The girls stayed
in the Hotel New Yorker, while the
boys stayed at the YMCA.
Going up, the RMHS group and
the group from Robinsonville had
a private coach. The group arrived
in New York about one and a half
hours late, but still took advantage
of the tickets to “Where’s Char
lie?”
The purpose of the trip was to
attend the Columbia Scholastic
Press Convention at Columbia
University. At this convention the
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