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THE BLACKBIRD
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Mount High School
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TENNIS TEAM
VOLUME XXII
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1951
NUMBER 12
Newsees
Is That Your Middle Name??
FHA CONVENTION HELD
Three RMHS girls attended the
State Future Homemakers of
America convention in High Point,
N. C., on April 21.
These girls — Dot Williams,
Jean Griffin, and Margie Will
iams— are members of the Rocky
Mount chapter of the FHA. Miss
'Josephine Grant, adviser to the
club, accompanied the girls.
, If you happen to be up on the
third floor any time soon, take
a peek at the Home Ec living
room. The FHA provided the
funds for the purchase of new
drapes w^hich students of second
year Home Ec made as a part of
their year’s study.
The drapes are peach and aqua
on a background of rich brown.
Officers of the club are Char
lotte Leonard, president; Margie
Williams, vice president; Kath
erine Parker, secretary; Julia Jor
don, treasurer.
The group is advised by Miss
Josephine Grant.
DANCE THEME SHOSEN
Circus time is coming around!
Yes, that’s right! It’s the theme
for the annual RMHS Spring
Dance to be held April 27. The
Social Committee, headed by Bar
bara Land, has completed the
are Katherine Speight, refresh
ments; Velna Motley, invitations;
Grace Dew, decorations;
Albert Rabil, Jr., entertainment.
Other members of the committee
are Betty Ann Cross, Janet Ful
cher, Edith Johnson, Edward Hal
ford, Albert Rabil, Bobby Grimes,
Vii-ginia Gray, Emily Ryals, Ed
ward Johnson, Frances Riddle,
and Dick Gregory.
Bids for distribution to the
students are to be given home
room teachers the day before the
dance.
Shown above are several seniors receiving calling cards. All are members of Miss Vauses’ homeroom.
Photo by Barringer
LOCAL TALENT FEATURED
Local talent is to be featured at
the May meeting of the Junior
Music club. Emily Baker, Sylvia
Pullen and Miss Beryl Joyner are
to take part on the program.
This is the one meeting of the
year which is open to the public.
Frances Dunn, president of the
club, has issued an invitation to
all interested RMHS students.
This meeting is to be held May 7
in the Episcopal Parish House at
8:15.
Garl Stough Presents
Musical Assembly
Friday the 13th, turned out to
.be a lucky day, for students and
teachers alike at RMHa lor in
assembly they were honored to
have Carl Stough and Mrs. Adam
Thorpe who entertained with a
musical program.
Carl Stough, director of music
at the First Presbyterian Church,
sang several selection, all about
love. The first was an early opera,
written in German. “Celia” and
“Drink to Me Only With Thine
Eyes” were sung also. Each song
was a little later dated than the
one preceding until he came to
the more modern “Surry with the
Fringe on Top” and the top hit
tune of the nation, “If.”
But that wasn’t all by any
means. A group of RMHS boys,
several of whom are very shy,
made their musical debut. They
thrilled the audience with their
version of “Nothing Like a
Dame”, directed by Stough.
FRENCH EXAMS GIVEN
National French exams were
given the first and second year
P’rench students during the week
of April 9-13.
This exam is sponsored by the
American Association of Teachers
of French. The best paper from
each class is to be turned into the
National Contest where they will
be judged along with prize win
ning papers of other high schools
throughout the Nation.
The winners from RMHS will
also receive a bronze medal for
achievement in French I and
French II.
Joyce McNeely was high scorer
in French J.
Committee Announces
Slate Of S 0 Officers;
Voting To Be May 2
Members of this year’s nom
inating committee composed of
Dick Gregory, Charlotte Leonard,
Jimmy Selby, Mary Wilkinson and
Ellen Williams, met on Monday
and Wednesday of last week and
drew up a slate of officers for the
next year’s Student Organization.
After much thought and con
sideration they chose for pres
ident, Gene Williams and Billy
Cooper; vice president, Donald
Rooker and Preston Bradshaw;
secretary, Emily Baker and Fay
Finch.
The nominations were announc
ed yesterday and petitions can be
circulated until four o’clock to
morrow. The campaigning will
last one week.
May 2 is scheduled for the day
of voting by the student body,
and then, if necessary, a revote
will be taken on May 3.
Seniors Choose Play
“Men are Like Streetcars” has
been chosen for this year's senior
play to be given in the high school
auditorium.
This selection is a new, farce
comedy. Its plot deals with the
affairs of a group of sub-debs.
Maudie, the sub-deb heroine, has
advice to offer all her friends; she
counsels them in affairs of the
heart and the techniques they de
velop give rise to many amusingly
complicated situations. Involved
In the plot are Sylvia, the older
sister whose affairs eventually
turn out very happily, Joy, the
unattractive cousin who finally
gets her man, three typical young
sub-debs, their mothers, and their
suiters. Maudie’s mother and
father, Mr. and Mrs. Mason, and
the maid also add flavor to the
solution of the plot.
Members of the senior class who
were interested in taking part in
this production tried out. Those
securing parts and their roles are
Margaret Boone, mother; Robert
Burgess, Dad; Fay Reynolds and
Barbara Rowland, daughters;
Carol Wiggins, a cousin; Blanche
Wilkins, Sarah Joyner, and Betsy
Carr, Maudie’s friends; Frances
Dunn, Mrs. White; Hazel Rawls,
Mrs. Allen; Barbara Land, Mrs.
Day; Joe Beard, Maudie’s part
time steady; Jimmy Carter and
Bobby Chandler, Sylvia’s friends;
Barbara Fulghum, the maid and
John Page, chi, any girl’s steady.
Rehearsals started Monday
night and committees have begun
their tasks. The profits of this
annual affair will go to the senior
class treasury.
RMHS Musette Club
Observes Grade Pupils
Musette members have been ob
serving teaching in grammar
schools" ariiF high schools for the
purpose of getting the reaction of
certain age groups and to see act
ual teaching in the age group of
their choice.
Each future teacher was ex
cused from a class for a day a
week. At the last meeting of the
club students reported on what
they learned.
The Musettes also went to the
first grades just before Easter
and played games with the child
ren and told them stories.
Each month a retired teacher
is visited by a Musette and carried
a gift. This gives the student con
tact with people who have gone
through a career they are plan
ning to enter. Also each week a
member visits Eleaijor Peele, and
George Newby is remembered by
the group.
The club members are Carolyn
Ellis, Emily Baker, Nancy Harp
er, Betty Anne Cross, Helen Wal
ters, Mary Jo McKinney, Anita
Williamson, Margaret' Moore
Eason, Joyce McNeely, Charlotte
Leonard, Sylvia Pullen, Sarah
Williamson, Margie Williams,
Shirley Anderson, Betty Jean
Pullen and Patsy Moore.
The adviser of the group is
Miss Jesse Johnson.
Jr.-Sr. Theme
Made Known
Spring has arrived in Rocky
Mount high school and with it
comes the annual Junior Senior.
This year a dinner dance, using
a Spanish fantasy theme, will be
held at the Benvenue Country
club, May 4.
The highlight of the program is
the announcement and coronation
of the beauty queen at approx
imately 10:15. The rest of the
program and figure follow.
The Blackbird is again sponsor
ing the beauty contest. This year
Harry Conover of Conover Model
ing agency acted as judge. The
candidates for queen are Ann
Bailey, Nancy Bartholomew, Anne
Bulluck, Bruce Carr, Alice Joy
ner, Sara Joyner, Faye Reynolds,
and Blanche Wilkins. The juniors
who are running for members of
the court or Maid of Honor are
Jane Allsbrook, Betty Lou Davis,
Jean Cooper, Becky Griffin, Ta
mara Holliday, Ann Page, Norma
Pittman and Dot Whitley.
Figure Presented
Immediately after the crown
ing a program will be J)resented
for the queen. Then the figure
will be presented in honor of the
queen. Approximately 75 people
will be in the figure. The dinner
dance will last from 7:30 to 1:00.
Co-hairi»iaii for the decorations
committee are Kay Finch and
Buddy Edmondson. Miss Riddle
is the adviser. The other,members
of the committee are George Rose,
Julia Robinson, Peggy Dietzel,
Billy Overton, Billy Powell, Ca-
velle Batchelor, Bernard Taylor,
Billy Littleton, Julia Jordon, and
Joyce McNeely. The co-chairmen
of the program committee are
Emily Baker and Preston Brad
shaw with Miss Bond the adviser.
Other members of the committee
are Virginia Gray, Charles Lundy,
Margaret Eason, Mary Jo Mc-
Kinny, Bobby Owen, Sylvia Pull
en, Edgar Bulluck, Tommy Avent,
and Billy Cooper. The co-chair
men of the invitations committee
are Peggy Ward and Rob Ned
Brannock with Mrs. Gorham the
adviser. Other members of the
committee are Billy Rawls, Jean
(Continued on page 4)
Frosh Present Frolic
Hay stack invitations announc
ed the annual Freshman Frolic
which was held last Friday night
in the gymnasium from 8 until 11.
The gym was decorated with
flowers and greenery and the
hill billy theme was carried out.
Pepsi-cola, doughnuts, peanuts,
potato chips, and cookies were
served to the guests. The pro
gram was presented by talented
freshmen.
A Tribute To A Friend
On the high school campus
the flag flew at half mast for
two days of last week and the
city schools closed from 10:30
until 1:30 on Thursday as a
tribute to Mr. J. C. Braswell, a
prominent banker and a man
6f varied interests, who served
as chairman of the city school
board for many years.
The vacancy made by the
death of Mr. Braswell leaves
his home, his community, his
church, and his school with a
feeling of deep loss and of
keener appreciation for the con
tributions he made to them. So
it is with humility that Rocky
Mount’s school system paused
in its daily schedule to pay a
tribute to this friend.