THE GRYPHON
Polished by the Jonrnalism Class of Rodqr Mount Seniw Hi^ Sdiool
VOLUME n, No. 4
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C.
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WEDNESDAY NOV. 25, 1970
Dr. Ciirrin Assumes Position
With RM City School System
Dr. Benjamin F. Currln,
busy with his new job.
our new Superintendent, already
Seniors Decide To Adopt
Needy Appalachian Chlid
Dr. Benjamin F. Currin, pre
viously an associate superin
tendent of the Halifax County
School System, replaced Dr.
W. O. Fields as superinten
dent of the Rocky Mount School
System November 1.
Dr. Fields, who announced his
resignation in September to go
into effect November 1, accept
ed an offer of the State De
partment of Public Instruction
concerning education.
After Dr. Currin was highly
recommended by the State Ski-
perintendent of Public Instruc
tion and the School of Public
Education of the University of
North Carolina, a special com
mittee, under Dr. Harry Fish,
advised the Rocky Mount School
Board to choose Dr. Currin as
the replacement for Dr. Fields.,
Dr. Currin was selected to this
position by a unanimous vote
Tuesday, October 6.
Along with his strong qual
ifications, Dr. Currin will be
able to understand the Rocky
Mount School System, since his
background in education has
been acquired here in Eastern
North Carolina.
For the last six years. Dr.
Currin has been the associate
superintendent of the Halifax
County School System.
After graduating from Ox
ford High School in Granville
Seniors recently decided to
discontinue supporting the Fil
ipino child because they felt
that needy children in the United
States should be taken care of
first.
Lee Snitzer suggested that the
Senior class adopt a needy Am-
erican child. After his sug
gestion, a vote was taken. The
first ballot consisted of three
choices, an American Indian,
an Appalachian, and the Fili
pino. Another ballot was pre
pared for a run off between
the Appalachian child and the
Filipino. The Appalachian child
won with a clear majority.
A committee was elected to
investigate procedures for
adopting the Appalachian child.
Bill Young was chosen as cor
respondent between the adopt
ing agency.
Since 1953 every Senior class
has adopted a foreign child
through Foster Parents Plan
Incorporated in New York City.
Eduardo Carpio, who is
twelve years old, was ad(H)ted
by the two previous Senior
classes. He has written every
month since his adoption two
years ago. His parents are un
able to take care of him pro
perly.
Food and clothing were pro
vided for him with the $181.00.
Since he received proper food
and clothing he could attend
school.
Two service clubs, the Boost
er and Good Sports Clubs, have
voted to contribute money to
support Eduardo for another
year. One club has rejected
the proposal and three are un
decided.
A group of Senior girls and
a teacher have agreed to con
tribute money if there is a
deficit.
Children Incorporated in
Richmond, Virginia is the agen
cy through which the Appala
chian child will be sponsored.
According to this agency
$144.00 a year will provide
a needy child with the neces
sities of life.
Bill Young, the correspond
ent, asked the agency to send
a critical case. He said “The
Appalachian situation is bad.
I’ve talked to people who were
there last summer and they said
that it is unreal ’. . . The wel
fare system is inefficient and
apparently can’t meet the needs
of the area. For that reason,
I think that we are justified in
taking care of our immediate
needs before the needs of for
eign people.”
Two Seniors Add
Honor To RMSH
DECA Qiib
Members of the RMSH Dis
tributive Education C lub travel
ed to Durham High School to
compete in the District Compe
tition. Two members of the
club won honors for the DECA
Club. Grey Burgess, a senior
and the daughter of Mrs. Ma
xine Burgess, won third place
in the Miss. DECA contest.
Dennis Eatman, also a sen
ior, and the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Elvin Eatman, won first
place in the Job Interview Divi
sion. Later this year, he will
compete for state honors. Grey
works after school for a local
drug firm. Dennis works for
a car rental agency. Congra
tulations to two well deserv
ing seniors.
RMSH Delegates Attend
Convention In Asheville
Asheville High School was
the scene of the annual North
Carolina Student Council Con
gress Convention which four
RMSH students and one faculty
advisor attended November 1-3.
Roland Valentine, Betsy
Strandberg, Rahn Barnes, Lynn
Carter, and Mr. John Woollen,
as their faculty advisor, left
early Sunday morning to attend
the convention.
Upon reaching Asheville
High, the delegates were re
gistered and briefed on the in
formation they would need to
know for the next two and one-
half days. After being situated
for the night in homes of Ashe
ville High parents, the dele
gates began to work.
The main purpose of the con
vention was to merge the N.
C. S. C. C. with the North
Carolina Association of Student
Councils into the North Carolina
Association of Student Councils.
This task was to be fiilfilled
by the ratification of a con
stitution by both groups while
they were in Asheville. Even
tually, the constitution was ac
cepted and the merger, for the
time being, completed.
While at the convention, the
delegates were entertained by
students from Asheville. Dur
ing portions of the day, the
delegates attended discussion
groups, two of which were led
by our own Betsy Strandberg
and Roland Valentine. The
groups covered a variety of sub
jects including human relations
and Inter-school activities.
Another main portion of the
convention was the election of
new officers. RMSH was re
presented in the elections by
Rahn Barnes who ran for first
Vice-President, but who, unfor
tunately for the new N.C.A.S.C.,
did not win. Last year’s N.C.
S.C.C. President, Don Hugh-
ston, a junior from Charlotte,
was elected president of the N.
C.A.S.C. In these same elec
tions.
County, North Carolina, Dr.
Currin attended the University
of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. There he worked to
ward his bachelor’s, master’s,
and doctor’s degrees in ed
ucation.
Prior to his job with the Hal
ifax County School System, Dr.
Currin taught at a junior high
In Durham County. He also
was the principal of elemen
tary schools in both Wayne
County and Thomasville.
Having previously served as
president of the Halifax County
unit of the North Carolina Ed
ucational Association, Dr. Cur
rin is currently the president
of District 12 of the NCEA's
Division of Superintendents.
Dr. Currin, a Methodist, is
a former member of the Roa
noke Rapids Lions Club and
until recently has been the di
rector of the Roanoke Rapids
United Fund.
He is married to the former
Betsy Bullock of Oxford, North
Carolina. They have two sons,
Ben Jr., 12, and George, 9.
Presently living in Roanoke
Rapids, Dr. Currin and his fam
ily hope to move to Rocky Mount
during the Thanksgiving holi
days. They plan to reside at
the Heritage Hills Apartments
on Sunset Avenue.
Although Dr. Currin has not
yet joined any clubs or or
ganizations in Rocky Mount,
he has been visiting various civ
ic clubs throughout the com
munity.
On behalf of RMSH, The GRY
PHON staff wishes to extend
its welcome to Dr. Currin, and
wish him a long and prosper
ous career as the Superinten
dent of the Rocky Mount
N. H. S. Chapter Taps
Twenty Senior Members
\
The new National Honor Society Students are first row left
to right, Karen Johnson, Cathy Bullard, Janice Joyner. Ginny
^ff, Margo Wiley, and Sterling Saunders. Second row. Pete
Thomson, Joy Bass, Donna Davidson, Amanda Brantley, Donna
Cederterg, :^tty McBride, and PhylUs Bryan. Third row.
Tim Bnnn, Andy Dorr, Thurman Tyson, David Hodges, Troy
Miller, Lee Vester, and Dennis Pittman.
The Wita A. Bond Chapter
of the National Honor Society
inducted twenty seniors from
RMSH, in an assembly held in
the school auditorium, Wednes
day 11.
Hie ceremony was opened
with Marian Davis giving the
devotion and Kathy Wright sing
ing “Walk Humbly With Thy
God” accompanied on the piano
by Sara West. Bill McCullen,
president of the Honor Society,
greeted the guests and gave the
torchlight speech. Gay Wll-
gus, Alfreda Hines, Bill
Daughtrldge, and James Har
grove read poems on the sub
jects of scholarship, leader
ship, character, and service
which is the foundation of the
National Honor Society. Short
talks were then given on each
of these fundamentals.
Members were chosen for
their ability shown in the fol
lowing four qualifications. The
students must maintain a high
scholastic average, render ser
vice to the school, display un
questionable charac^r, and
outstanding leadership qual
ities.
Members were inducted by
the lighting of the candles from
the torch. They were Joy Bass,
Amanda Brantley, Tim Brinn,
Phyllis Bryan, Cathy Bullard,
Donna Cedarberg, Donna David
son, Andy Dorr, Ginny Goff,
David Hodges, Karen Johnson,
Janice Joyner, Patricia Mc
Bride, Tony Miller, Dennis
Pittman, Sterling Saunders,
Pete Thompson, llHirman Ty
son, Lee Vester, and Margo
Wiley.
Bill McCullen, President, ad
ministered the oath of member
ship. Principal Vincent Col
ombo gave his congratulations
to the new members and ad
journed the assembly.
Following the ceremony, a tea
was given in the cafeteria for
the old and new members of
the society. Parents and guests
of the members were invited
to attend. Parents of the mem
bers who assisted in the tea
were IVIrs. S. L. Blaylock, Mrs.
J. R, Bourne, Mrs. T. C. Cobb,
Mrs. R. J. Sherdian, Mrs. H.
H. Strandberg, and advisors
Mrs. R K. Hardy and Mrs.
M. S. Hayworth.