The NEW BERN
PUBLISHiD WBIKLY
IN THI HIART OP
/ ■ASTERN NORTH
^•NA
rc 2.^*
560
' VOLUME 14
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1971
NUMBER 24
Yesterday was when Laura
Rhodes proved that Latin
wasn’t a dead language by
making it the liveliest subject
taught at New Bern High
Schrol.
When in Rome, do as the
Romans do, but it was a
mistake to expect crepe on the
door when you visited the
animated classes presided over
by this since retired teacher.
Although Gaul is divided'4nto
three parts, gloom played no
part in the cleverly concocted
clowning that blended with the
serious business of learning.
Caesar Augustus, in his grave
these many years, probably got
squirmish at times from the
ribbing he took, and he may
have disapproved of the flippant
manner displayed by teacher
and students alike.
This, of course, was of
secondary importance. What
really counted was the fact that
interest was maintained,
progress made, and proficiency
eventually achieved.
In kidding Latin and the
Roman Empire, teen agers
learned to kid themselves as
well. Not only did they master a
difRcult language, they became
happily aware of the great truth
that only the foolish set their
own image on a pedestal.
They recognized, these
students, the flaws in all
mortals, even so inflated a
personage as Caesar Augustus.
And in recognizing human
imperfection they became more
tolerant, and more cognizant of
the failings that were part and
parcel of their own character
and personality.
Little did they know it, but
mixed with their Latin was a
subtle, perhaps unintentional
course in philosophy, not to
mention a few pertinent point
ers on proper behavior. '
Laura, an able instructor and
then as now a thoroughly
charming person, didn’t knock
herself out trying to be funny.
As a matter of fact, her wit was
more or less subdued.
.She spoke softly, and when
she laughed it rippled like a
brisk brook, caressing pebbles
enroute to the distant sea. She
taught Latin good naturedly,
because she couldn’t teach it
any other way.
her knowlege of the subject
was little short of phenominal,
and her love for it was as
genuine as the colors in an old
fashioned flower garden. To
her, Latin showed no signs of
rigor mortis.
High spot of the year for her
New Bern High School students,
and for spectators as well, was
the Roman banquet in the
school’s gymnasium, with
more than 100 participants
dressed costumes of the period.
The vittles, served by slaves
to the sprawling dignitaries,
were real too, most especially
those hunks of Southern fried
chicken. Reclining on couches
at the festive board didn’t
hamper the youngsters in their
vigorous attention to the
luscious viands set before them.
Having paid for the meal out
of their own pockets, of the
pockets of their parents, they
made the most of it. The
(Continued on page H)
®frn-OIraiiTn CttHittitij
WAY BACK WHEN—Our thanks to Katherine
Matthews, who came up with this 48 year old photo
of Miss Betty Windley’s Pine Cone troop of Girl
Scouts. We invite you to have fun identifying Julia
Pugh, Mary Emma Hurst, Lucy Elliott, Helen
Cannon, Margaret Mclver, Lucy Hurst, Margaret
Royal, Elizabeth Davis, Annie ShepjMird, Captain
Betty, Mrs. George AUee, Josephine Str^t,
Rowena Lucas, Katherine Matthews, Lucy Ben
nett, Louise Patrick, Leonora Carawan, Anna
Lovelace, Virginia Gwaltney, Elsie Parker, Elinor
Lupton, Virginia Cason, Oj^ Gaskins, May Bell,
Edith AUee, Nancy Lhicoln, and Mary Louise
DeBruhl. After almost half a century, this picture
finally ends up in a newspaper. Little did these girl
scouts, or anyone else, visuaUze talking movies,
television in thousands of New Bern homes, and
repeated trips by humans to the moon. Lindbergh’s
flight from New York to Paris in his Spirit of St.
Louis was four years away, almost to the day. Four
years away too was Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home
runs in a single season. We b^ forgiveness if citing
these momentous events in connection with ibis
photo makes some of you wond^id gals feel just a
trifle ancient.