Get Behind
The Blackbirds
THE BLACKBIRD
Sell Magazines
Help Your Class
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Mouint Senior High School
VOLUME xxvn
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 27, 195S
NUMBER 1
Photolith Features
1955 Hi-Noc-Ar,
According to Fred Harris, editor,
of the Hi-Noc-Ar, last year’s an
nual has been submitted to three
different groups for judging and
is to be featured by Photolith, a
national magazine.
Copies of the Hi-Noc-Ar have
been sent to the Columbia Scho
lastic Press Association. New York,
N. Y.; the National Press Asso
ciation. Houston, Texas; and The
Southern Intercollegiate Pi’esa
Association, Lexington, Virginia;
for rating. The mark actually re
ceived Is yet to be known.
Last year’s accomplishments of
fer a chalenge to the present staff,
but Miss Alma Murchison and Miss
Frankie Sharpe, co-advisors, pre
dict that this year’s book will be
the best ever.
Fred said that this year’s an
nual will be priced the same asi
last year’s ($3.50) and that the
support of every student will be
needed of its quota is to be raised.
The class plans to use the same
printer. Delmar of Charlotte.
Staff members are Fred Harris,
editor; Charles Sanders, business
ruanager; Pay Batts, circulation
manager, other senior members
are Judy Kabo, Tony Turner,
Tommy Vaughn and Cathy At
kins. Junior members are Adam
Maples, Lan'y Warner, Lee Newby,
Bettie Ann Whitehurst, Jean Kd-
Vt'ards
' Black, Bruce Miller and E. M. Delamar admire new
uniforms^urchased by Band Boosters.
Mr.
Photo by Barringrer.
Boosters Secure Suits
Two-toned gold coats, gold hats, amount will be raised,
and black pants ... all trimmed in Uniforms From 1927
white make the new band unifonns
quite stylish and outstanding and
will give the band the “new look”
when they wear them for the first,
time at the Rocky Mount-Wil-
mington game this coming Friday,
September 30.
Apply Nowl
New Rules In Effect
Regulations regarding clubs for the new school year
have been announced by Mr. C. M. Edson, principal
and are now in effect. ’
Application blanks have been placed at the disposal
of ail students who desire to join the group heretofore
considered “closed clubs.” Unlike previous years any
student is now eligible for membership in these or
ganizations and thus he or she may have his name
placed on a list for consideration by applying.
Seventy-five uniforms were ord-
^Get Your Sweets'
Since homemade candy sold
so well last year, the Musettes
have picked this as a money
making project again this year.
Sales will begin in the mid-
le of October. Kathei-yn Batten
suggested that a .permanent
candy booth be set up, because
the cafeteria no longer sells
candy. However, the admini
stration will have to approve
this.
proximately fifty dollars each. Mr.
Ernest Black, band director, ask
ed school-spirited citizens of
Rocky Mount to help raise money
to obtain these uniforms. Civic-
minded groups formed the Band
Boosters and began their cam
paigning last spring. Though the
unifonns still are not completely
paid for, Mr. Black and everyone
who has helped him have done
a tremendous jab for RMSHS.
V\^ith the detei-mination and the
aggressiveness the feand Boosters
have already shown, it shouldn’t
be too long before the needed
A Wee Bit Of Scotland'
Here For Pd. Assembly
Ehiring half-time at the Rocky
Mount-Salisbury game, Mr. Black
displayed the different band uni
forms of the Rocky Mount bands
from 1927 until the present. The
first band uniform was merely
a black coat and a black hat. That
year Mr. Spud Parker was the
b8.nd leader For a'lnost twelve
J .si.- -rr ^
Two Changes Made
Twenty years after the firbt
uniforms were adopted another
cliange was made in 1947 by Mr.
H. T. Parry. This time the color of
the uniforms changed to the fami
liar solid black with gold trim.
Now in 1955, with Mr. Black as
director, the band again has a
change. Certainly these new band
uniforms place the local band
members among the well-dressed
group.
Trampoline acts, variety show,
pets on parade and a “wee bit ’o
Scotland” are the types of enter
tainment students may expect for
the quarters they brought for paid
assemblies this year.
Tihe Lenpatricks with little Pen
ney Sue are the trampoline per-
ifomers, and their program prom
ises a thrill a minute. Their acro
batics are the best and Penny
Sue, a darling little girl, will pre
sent clever tricks on the trampo
line.
Dorothy and Fred Smythe are
a piano duo who give a perfor
mance including popular music,
semi-classics, light opera, grand
opera, Latin American music, and
musical novelties. They mually
captivate their audience with their
^cellence, variety, and uniqueness.
Requests from the audience will
also be given. Reports say the per-1 according to Mr. C. M. Edsoh^
formances provide top flight
music, top-flight entertainment
and are definitely in a class by
themselves.
“A Wee Bit of Bonnie Scot
land” comes with Hamiah and
Catherine MacGregor. Their folk
songs, ballads, dances, and bag
pipes are direct from Scotland,
and these famous Scottish Artists
appear in their riative costume of
the Scottish Highlands They will
swing ontoHhe spirit of their
native land as the bagpipes add
a tangy ‘breadth o’ heather’ to
their unusual program.
Valentine’s Pet Parade,” the
greatest novelty performance of
em all, has already been seen
lu part on Ed Sullivan’s “Toast
of the Town” by those TV addicts
among the student body.
Exact dates for each of the above
performances will be set later.
C. H. Doak Urg es
Positivie Approach
“We should use a positive ap
proach and not leave out a single
angle if we hope to increase our
magazine campaign sales over
last year’s,” said Mr. C. H. Doak
to the student body in his speech
initating the magazine drive
Thursday.
The students listened with inter
est as he expressed his ideas for
the campaign. He refreshed their
minds with the proper approach
and explained how the money
would help the school.
Mr. Doak drew a loud cheer
from the audience as he spoke of
the football team in comparison to
the coming rival Goldsboro. As
he, a former coach of the “Earth
quake Eleven” put it. “Goldsboro
has lost a coach and Rocky Mount
should gain a victim.”
Goldsboro doubled the magazine
salec of Rocky Mount last year,
according to Mr. Doak, but he
olfered encouragement that the
school "would improve Leaving this
note he offered a prize of a hun
dred and fifty dollars if the school
would double last year’s sales. ]
Enrollment Of 654
Surpasses Record
With 654 names so far on the
rolls for this year, the school has
‘he largest membership in its
history.
Of course, the sophomores, with
an enrollment of 240 pupils, leada
the school with the junior class
and its 216 members running se
cond. The seniors have the smallest
number with a total membership
of 198 students.
If no one falis to meet the grad
uating requirements, however, the
•Class of ’56 will be the largest to
graduate in the history of Rocky
Mount Piigh School. Last year
there were 188 and untill then it
was the all-time ^largest class,
rtftr* eiiiiaumen»'’OBt;ii mam-
tained through the first ten days
of this session, the school would
have been able to secure an extra
teacher. However, due to the fall
ing attendance, the administration
was unable to do this. The new
instructor would have been placed
in the social sty dies, depaa'tmen,
of in othei'’ over-crowded courses
Due to membership limitations
the adviser and former memtoers
compose a committee to consider
the applications and vote on those
who have applied.
If applications for any one club
so far exceeds the number th«
club can accommodate, a similar
group may be organized to take
care of the overflow.
Students may be a member of
only one activity club. This is to
provide a greater distrltoution of
activities for more students. Mem
bership in honor groups, however,
is based on the individual achieve
ment.
1 here will oe no pledging or
initiating of any kind In any club
as was found in various groups
last year.
These regulations were set up
by the school board to provide a
more democratic system and to
eliminate social organizations.
Three Join RMSH Faculty
One New, Two Return Here
Three figures, one new and two
returning after a short absence,
are seen on the teaching staff,
replacing those who resigned after
last year’s work.
Mrs. Bettisue Hunt of Magnolia,
N. C„ DE coordinator, replaces
Miss Charlotte Reid who accept
ed a position at Averett Junior
College. Mrs. Hunt received her
education at RPI of William and
Mary, Richmond, Virginia; East
Carolina College, Greenville, N. C.;
and Woman’s College, Grensiboro,
N, C. With the exception of her
practice teaching at Princess Anne
High School, situated between
Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Mrs.
Hunt has had no actual teaching
experience. However, she has done
retail work at Miller and Rhodes,
Richmond, Virginia; Cramer’s
Dept. Store. Wallace, N C.; and
Hunt’s Dept. Store in Magnolia
N. C.
Mrs. Hunt Praises Department
“I am very pleased with the size
of the DE department and hope
to see it grow larger.” says Mrs.
Hunt. T like the school system
and admire the enthusiasm and
willingness to work that my stu
dents have shown thus far,” she
continues.
Coach Lundy Returns
After two years at Junior High
School, Mr. C. V. Lundy rejoins
the faculty, this time as Athletic
Director, assuming the duties of
Coach “Knocker” Adkins, who re
signed to accept a position with
the YMCA
Mr. Lundy is by no means a
stranger to students or faculty.
He is loved and well-known for his
affable manner and good basket
ball teams. His duties as Athletic
Director will take much of his
time, so he will not have a home
room. He has however, several gym
classes.
Mrs. Cuthrell’s Back
Mrs. Hiram Cuthrell, Spanish
and English teacher, returns to
classroom here after only one
year’s absence, during .which time
Mrs. Opal Ross taught these class
es. Mrs. Cuthrell is known to the
.‘.eniors but is new to sophomores
and juniors. However, her friend
ly manner and happy smile will
soon become familiar, and she will
then be a stranger no longer to
any student.