THE GRYPHON
Published by the Journalisin Qass of Rocky Mount Senior High School
VOLUME n, No. 5 ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. FRIDAY. DEC. 18, 1970
Betsy Strandberg flashes a smile in the Merchant's Association Christmas Parade.
Upbeat Generation Is
Interested In Society
wherever there Is work to be
done.
Merchant’s Association
Holds Christmas Parade
(Editor’s Note: The follow
ing editorial appeared in The
Campus Corral, the student
paper of San Angelo Central
High School, San Angelo, Texas.
It expresses the idea, as noted
in the lead article of this Edu
cation Report, that the destruc
tive few have tended to paint
an unrealistic, unfair picture of
todays younger generation.)
THE UPBEAT GENERATION
Subway stabbings, student
riots, high school dropouts, un
wed mothers, teen-age drug ad
dicts . . . Are we a genera
tion of delinquents?
There are 85 million Ameri
cans under 30.- Subtract the ju
venile delinquents and you have
the upbeat generation, well over
80,000,000 strong.
“Freedom lovers” scroung
ing for marijuana and decrying
the state of the world have
given a shabby reputation to
other young people by being
over-advertised to the world.
Meanwhile, the uncelebrated
“squares are hard at work--
Christmas is a time to share
with others.
The F.H.A., under the direc
tion of Mrs. Safy, have shared
their talents with area mental
patients by making toys for Ope
ration Santa Claus. Having no
funds, these girls used scraps
and odds and ends to create
about three dozen stuffed lions
and horses.
There are 15,000 patients
and students in the retarded
centers and state hospitals in
North Carolina. A large num
ber of these are housed at
Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro,
and Caswell Center in Kinston,
It is apparent that what
ever we are called or call our
selves because of our commer
cial force, we are the most
sought-after group in the pop
ulation. The estimated 25 mil
lion teen-agers have about $10
billion -- that’s billions -- to
spend every year, and compe
tition for this bonanza is keen
among the manufacturers of re
cords, chewing gum, cosmetics,
soft drinks and any other pro
duct in which young people might
be interested. The teen-age
market is growing constant
ly and the teen-ager is more in
dependent than ever. He earns
much of his own money and now
he decides what to do with it.
Perhaps some of the good
works of this new upbeat gene
ration seem insignificant and
even trivial. But when con
sidered in their entirety, they
provide a picture of industry
and enthusiasm that is indeed
more Impressive than the sub
way stabbings, student riots and
high school dropouts.
both serving our area.
Every Christmas the North
Carolina Mental Health Asso
ciation and its local chapters
like the Rocky Mount Mental
Health Association, conduct the
Operation Santa Claus pro
ject. It is an effort to obtain
at least one gift for each pa
tient and student so they can
enjoy their Yuletide as we do.
The Christmas spirit of good
will toward men is being kept
alive at RMSH by our F.H.A.
Their gifts, along with the pre
sents of many others, will bring
joy and happiness toothers less
gifted.
Semester Exams
Set For Jan. 20-22
First semester exams will,
start Wednesday, January 20,
and will go through Friday,
January 22. Wednesday, stu
dents will go to their first
and second period classes.
Thursday, third and fourth pe
riod exams will be held. Morn
ing exams will meet from 8 50-
1030, and students will report
at 8 25. Afternoon exams will
be held from 11:00-1:00, Stu
dents must remain for a mini
mum of one hour In each class.
Snacks will be served in the
Student Commons and cafeteria
from 9:30-until 10:50,
Students are asked to attend
only during exam periods and
not to visit other schools. No
students will be exempt until
second semester, when seniors
with an “A" average may be
exempt. All classes will meet
with the exception of study halls
and gym.
Monday, January 25 will be a
holiday for all students. This
is to allow teachers to grade
exams, and to post average se
mester grades.
The Merchant Association
sponsored their annual Christ
mas Parade through downtown
Rocky Mount, Saturday, Novem
ber 23 at 9 a.m.
The Parade covered Church,
Main, and Washington Streets.
It consisted of five bands, San
ta Claus, Sparky the Flredog
and twelve floats. None of the
floats were commercial, only
floats rented from Durham by
the Merchant Association were
used. The sunny, warm wea
ther was perfect for a parade.
A huge crowd took advantage to
the good weather to attend the
parade and perhaps to start
their Christmas shopping while
they were in the festive mood.
Over 600 people marched in the
bands from Rocky Mount High
School, R. M. Wilson Jr. High,
Elm City High, Wilson’s Pa
triots Dnim and Bugle Corps
and East Carteret High.
Children between the ages of
five and seven, girls in the
tenth, eleventh, and twelfth were
the ones selected by Mrs. H.
B. Thorp and Mrs. R. D. Arm
strong to ride on the floats.
Many girls from Rocky Mount
High ^hool rode on floats en
titled: Frosty the Snowman,
Toyland, T’was the Night Be-
PTO Meeting
The first meeting of the Pa
rent Teacher Organization
(PTO) for the current school
year was held Thursday night,
December 10.
A short devotional period was
held in the auditorium. Af
terwards, parents were invited
to follow their children’s sche
dules in order to meet the
teachers and see the new fac
ilities of the school.
Students worked hardallweek
fixing schedules and try ng to
make the school more at
tractive.
fore Christmas, Deck the Halls,
Little Drummer Boy, Silver
Bells, March of the Christmas
Toys, We Wish You the Mer
riest, Skaters Waltz, Winter
Wonderland and Rudolph the
Red Nose Reindeer. Girls from
Rocky Mount that rode on the
floats are Robin Bourne, Queen-
ie Watson, Lynn Rose, Winnie
Jo Bradley, Ennis Hicks, Cathy
Pullen, Jo Dorsett, Chris Wea
therly, Lavetta Joyner, Sally
Betts, Kathryn Morgan, Sharon
Barnes, Lynn Harris, Margie
Yenney, Dale Stilley, Gwen
Sanders, Carol Dickens, Pam
Longwell, Denise Morgan, Bil
lie Vaughn, Betty Johnson, Der-
bie Wllhalf, Loraine Sharpe,
Amanda Brantley, Becky She
ridan, Robin Bradley, Gary
Mackenzie, Laura Hinton, Ro
bin, Thorp, Sharon Henderson,
Laura Allabrook, Gloria Hollo
way, Linda Thorne, Ruth
Walker, Sherry Blaylock, Mil
lie Shields, Dottle Hannon, Ka
ren Denson, Nancy Ward, Nancy
Reierson, Stephanie Uicas, Ka
thy Dudley, Marsha Vick, Amie
Watkins, Kathy Wright, Susan
Pittman, Betsy Strandberg,
Jovce Weldon, Phyllis Parker,
Mary Whitaker, Laverne Dic
kens, Mary McWilliams, Norma
Petway, Eloise Walker, De
borah Bulluck, Valda Hines,
Shermayne Corbette, Thelma
Warner, Deborah Pender, Mary
Bryant, Leslu Williams,
Christine Beattie, Romaine
Sharpe, Jackie Shaw, Hilde-
gard Waston, Mary Grant.
Contest Sponsored
For Thanksgiving
During the week before
Thanksgiving, the Kudos Club
sponsored the Thanksgiving
Basket Contest. The purpose
of the contest was to provide
for the needy citizens of Rocky
Mount and to promote a feeling
of unity among the students as
they worked for a worthwhile
cause.
The baskets were judged by
Dr. Walter Parker, Mrs. Ho
ward Andrews, and several
members of the Kudos Club.
They were 'judged on decora
tions, overall appearance, food
content, and neatness.
First place ^yjnner was Mrs.
Bell’s Homeroom 014. This
homeroom had a mannequin
dressed as an Indian. The idea
was very original and the bas
ket contained a well balanced
diet. Mrs. Armstrong’s Home
room 006 was second place.
Third place went to the ^ture
Homemakers of America, under
the direction of Mrs. Jones and
Mrs. Safy.
The Kudos Club would like to
congratulate the winners and
thank all participants who help
ed make this a happy Thanks
giving for some of the needy
residents of Rocky Mount.
Mrs. Bell of Homeroom 014 with the winning Thanksgiving entry.
FHA Helps Mental Patients
In Operation Santa Claus