i
The NEW BERN
% K ’'O WEEKLY
**T OF
5 Per
VOLUME 6
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1963
NUMBER 31
At our house, whenever a
Mirror photo or story links
well known local names with a
long-ago date, a grim warning Is
issued to the editor. “You’re
going to make so and so mad,’’
is the admonition we can look
for.
Because many folks really
are touchy about their age,
bringing up the past probably
does arouse resentment In some
quarters. Why anyone should
be ashamed for having lived a
considerable number of years
is beyond us, but they certainly
are entitled to the privilege.
Whether you care to express
it or not, each of our readers
past 50 is apt to have his or
her definition of old age. Ours
is it’s the milestone where
a person would be perfectly
willing to look a little worse,
if they could only feel a little
better.
Being able to kid others about
your pretended youthfulness
isn’t much consolation, if your
joints creak when you get out
of bed in the morning and you
feel like you’ve been stomped
on by a herd of elephants. That’s
why elderly Individuals whore-
fuse to yield to grumpiness de
serve a special medal.
To tell the truth, there’s
only one way to hide your age,
even temporarily. You’ll have
to leave your home town. As
long as you remain where you
were born and grew up, your
friends (and enemies) can figure
it out for themselves.
“She is bound to be at least
62,’’ someone will say, when
idle but not necessarily malici
ous small-talk is being indulged
in at a social gathering. “My
sister Evelyn (or Margaret or
Elizabeth) is 60, and she was two
years ahead of her in school.’’
If there is one thing that’s
remembered for all time to
come, it’s who was in whose
grade, and when. Most of what
was learned in the classroom
has faded like the dreams you
had in your teens, but not your
recollections of the pigtailed
girl who sat in front of you, or
the freckle faced boy who gave
you a bloody nose at recess.
At this late stage, we can re
call every licking we ever got,
not just from the teacher but
from fellows who were harder
to deal with than we had antici
pated. Considering the number
of wild-swinging battles in
which we happened to be one
of the gladiators, that’s a lot
of remembering.
Perhaps we should be
ashamed of it, but so far as
this editor knows he holds the
distinction ofbeing the only first
grader ever expelled for a year
from New Bern’s public
schools. We’ve admitted it each
time we’ve made a speech
in anybody’s school auditorium
since then.
Superintendent H. B. Smith
sent us on your way, after we
overdid thrashing the class
bully during tiptoe recess in
the boys’ basement. Dunking
him apparently was the last
straw, from Mr. Smith’s view
point, but we would no doubt
repeat the performance under
similar circumstances if the
hands of the clock could be
turned back.
Two of the kindest and most
efficient teachers that Central
School ever knew obviously sub
scribed to the theory that spar
ing the rod could spoil a child.
(Continued on page 3)
WHOOPED IT UP—Winning has been a habit with of the sky. Midget football is an exciting sport in this
the Rams this year in New Bern’s midget football 253-year-old first state capital, and games have all the
league. Given something to really shout about, the Ram trimmings of a high school varsity contest.—Photo by
cheerleaders shown here almost shook the moon out John R. Baxter.
»\» f
i,®' .s ,
ROOTED FOR BRUINS—The Bears have had a success
ful season in New Bern’s midget footbal league, spon
sored by the City Recreation Department, and here are
the cheerleaders who always showed up to give the
team moral support. Along with the Rams, Golden
Knights and Lions, the Bears provided plenty of thrills
for local gridiron fans during recent weeks. There were
no dull moments in the battling.—Photo by John R.
Baxter.