N
THE MARY POTTER GA
VOLUME LXVI — NUMBER I
OXFORD, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1957
PRICE: 15 CENTS
PTA Tackles
Wide Range
Of Problems
The North Carolina Congress
of Colored Parent Teachers As
sociations concerned itself with
a wide range of problems at its
annual state convention in Ra
leigh, November 22-23, accord
ing to the report submitted by
Rev. C. A. Atkins, delegate from
the Oxford PTA.
Questions ranging through
voting, venereal diseases, race re
lations, family problems and al
coholism were discussed during
the two day convention.
First Goal For
Lights In Sight
Through members of the P. T.
A. the need was felt for the de
velopment of the high school
activity program. The great^t
need at present was the installa
tion of outdoor recreational
lights.
With careful planning of this
project by members of the F. T.
A., along with the principal, J.
H. Luc^s, the project got under
way early in September. To ac
complish such a project it would
naturally take the support of ev
ery citizens. Many citizens far
and near have given generously
to this worthwhile project.
According to Mrs. M. H. Scott,
treasurer, this organization has
collected to date $2,001.10 only
$1,500 short of the initial goal
set for the drive.
Mary Potter’s
New Principal
In First Year
We are indeed glad to have
Mr. J. H. Lucas as our new prin
cipal. He is the former principal
of Orange Street Elementary
School here in Oxford. Just be
fore coming to Oxford, Mr. Lucas
was a member of the Adkin High
School staff in Kinston, N. C.
Mr. Lucas is a native of Rocky
Mount, N. C., having completed
his early education in the public
schools of that city. He earned
' (See New Principal, page 6)
Library Club
Elects Officers,
Presents Program
The Library Club of Mary Pot
ter, we feel, will be among the
truly outstanding clubs of the
year. To make this possible, the
members were very careful in
selecting officers.
l
We disregarded fiiends and
thought only of the characteris
tics and abilities of the persons to
be officers ,and in so doing, we
feel that we have elected the
best.
Our officers are: president,
Arlene Harris; vice president,
Brenda Anderson; secretary,
Ethel Jeffers; and treasurer,
Joan Tyler.
On November 21, 1957 in ob
servance of National Children’s
Book Week, the Library Club
presented dxiring an assembly, a
program entitled, “What’s My
Title.’’ The program was patter
ed by the television program
“What’s My Line.”
This program featured De
costa Lindsay as moderator; El-
nora Belle, Brenda Anderson,
Larry Leatherberry and Rendall
Howell as members of the panel.
The contestants who represented
a title of some books were: De-
lores McGhee, The Yearling;
Charles Webb, Pinocchio; Delia
Hicks, Treasure Island; Vivian
Daye, Alice in Wonderland;
Mable Hicks, His Eyes Are On
The Spa/row.
Our commercials concerning
over-due books and care of • li
brary materials were presented
by Irene Downey and Joseph
Mitchiner.
The theme, “Explore With
Books” was used as the title of
an original song which was sung
by all the members of the club.
Our posters were done by our
club artists, Erma 'Thomas, Ruth
Asgill, Ethel Jeffers and Vivian
Daye. ,
Ruth Asgill, club pianist, fur
nished music. Presiding over the
entire program was our efficient
president, Arlene Harris.
RENDALL HOWELL
• Reporter
RAMS LOSE GRID CONTEST
Ninth, Sixth Grade Presidents Reign As
Queen, Princess Over Homecoming Fete
Miss Carolyn Bibby was crowned Queen of Mary Potter at the culmination of a School-wide mon
ey raising drive which saw contestants from each of the school’s 7 grades competing for the two high
est honors.
Top honors in the elementary department were won by Cheryl Lucas, who was crowned Prin
cess along with Queen Bibby at ceremonies during a Ball in honor of the winners.
The winners were selected on the basis of amounts of money raised by their respective home
room, nine-one, turned in some $459.88, largest amoimt reported in the high school division. Cheryl’s
six-one homeroom reported $380.96.
Cheryl, also an honor student,
contributed $186 to her class’
winning total.
Carolyn accounted for $356 of
her homeroom’s total. An honor
student, the nine-one president
was the only student in the high
school to maintain straight “A”
average for the l^st six weeks.
" ■ '^9
^'t
CAROLYN BIBBY
Put'\
CHERYL LUCAS
Bus Transportation Route Is Listed
By President Of Drivers’ Organization
The bus drivers club of Mary
Potter High School was organ
ized September 11, 1957 for the
1957-58 term. Since Yvonne
Hester was the only girl bus driv
er, she was voted president of the
Bus Drivers’ Club. William Free
man is the secretary.
We have twelve buses with
twelve regular bus drivers and
three substitute drivers. These
buses transport several hundred
pupils to and from school daily.
' The buses are now leaving the
parking lot according to their
numbers. The buses with the
smaller numbers leave the park
ing lot first.
Eugene Alston drives bus
number 2. Eugene’s route is the
Stovall section and the Kinston
Fork section. John Hunt drives
bus number 4. John’s route is the
Oak Grove section and Belltown
section.
Charles Bumpass drives bus
number 8. Charles’ route is the
Huntsboro section. James Jones
drives bus number 20. James’
route is the Kinston Fork section
and Belltown section.
Dock Royster drives bus nmn-
ber 23. Dock’s route is the Stov
all section and Lewis section.
Billy Tyler drives bus number
25. Billy’s route is the Clay’s
Station section and Knotts Grove
section.
Since Wesley Cates has been
suspended,' Elvin Hunter will
drive bus number 26. Elvin’s
route is the Antioch section.
Grant Peace drives bus number
27. Grant’s route is the Dicker-
son section.
James Long drives bus num
ber 28. James’ route is the Dur
ham Highway, Belltown, and
Shady Grove section. Robert
Long drives bus number 29.
Robert’s route is the Belltown,
Providence, and Olive Grove
sections.
Crawford Webb drives bus
number 30. Crawford's route is
the Kinston Fork and Cornwall
is sections. Yvonne Hester drives
bus number 80 and makes the
Fairport route.
The bus driver’s club meet ev
ery Wednesday at activity per
iod to discuss the rules and re
gulations of driving.
Other substitute bus drivers
are George Wright, William
Freeman, and Hayes Baskeville.
Since school opened a state
patrolman has visited the school
two times to check all- buses to
make sure they were clean and
in good condition. The mechanics
visit the school every day to
check the gas, oil and other min
or particulars of the buses.
The motto of the organization
is:
“We, the bus drivers of Mary
Potter High School, will obey
the laws of driving at all times,
for the safety of the pupils who
ride the buses and for the safety
of the other drivers.”
YVONNE HESTER,
President
The “red carpet” treatment
was reserved for the two rank
ing members of Mary Potter’s
royalty. They were crowned at
ceremonies during a Ball in their
honor, and a day was set aside
for them during which they re
ceived several gifts.
In addition, they will be given
free lunches, free admission to
extra-curricular activities at the
school and hold standing invita
tions to accompany the basket
ball and football teams on out-of-
town trips.
FoUowing their coronation,
principal J. H. Lucas comment
ed, “there will never be a queen
and Princes like these.”
Runners-up to Carolyn in the
high school section of the contest
were George Wright, second, and
Verline Thornton, third. Wright’s
12-1 class turned in $309. Thorn
ton’s class, 10-2, reported
$120.90.
In the elementary division,
rminers-up were Randolph Loc
kett, president of 8-4, and
Juanita Rogers of 8-2. Lockett’s
class had $174.73, while Rogers’
classmates turned in $84.55.
Advisors for the winning and
runners-up classes are Mrs. G. J.
Farmer, nine-one; Mrs. B. B.
Lucas, 12-1; Miss L. M. Jones,
Lucas, 12-1; Miss M. L. Jones,
10-2; C. C. PoweU, 8-4; and Mrs.
M. H.. Shepard, 8-2.
The drive was climaxed at the
school’s homecoming celebration
which saw the football Rams wilt
in the second half after playing
the invading Hillside high school
team on even terms in the first
half. The Durham team
25-6.
Joy Jeffers
To Pilot This
Year’s Paper
won
The Rams' only touchdown in
the football game was scored by
Edward Spencer, who caught a
pass from Henry 'Thorpe and
raced 45 yards. The Rams suc-
ceded in holding the Hillside
gridders to a 6-6 tie for the first
half of play, but were overpow
ered in the second half.
A street parade preceding the
game and which prominently
displayed Mary Potter’s newly
established royalty, was led by
principal Lucas. Other units fol
lowing in order were the Queen
and Princess and their attend
ants; the Toler high school float;
bands from the Oxford Colored
Orphanage, G. C. Hawley high
school and Henderson Institute;
the Cheering Squad; Boy Scouts;
Cafeteria workers; Homemakers;
the H. S. Davis Ensemble; the
NHA and NFA; Raleigh Road
Beauty shop; America Legions;
Safety Patrol; 'Tyler 'Trio; Soda
Shop; and Shepard Funeral
home.
Toler high school’s float, a car
decked with blue papier mache
with silver wings, won the pa
rade’s first prize trophy.
At the beginning of this school
term there were only two mem-
ben! on the GAZETTE staff from
last year. During the first meet
ing it was recommended that the
entire student body take an ac
tive part in the election of the
editor and associate editor of the
school paper. Plans were made;
registration was held for two
days; then the voting.
Joy Virginia Jeffers was
elected editor and received
298 votes and Mable Pauline
Hicks was elected associate edi
tor and received 112 votes. Joy
is secretary of the senior class,
member of the Dramatic Club,
member of the Crown and Scep
ter Honor Society, the school re
porter for the city paper, secre
tary for our school supervisor,
Mrs. Gant; an honor student for
the past two reporting periods
and was voted by her classmates
as being the most versatile and
dependable senior.
Mable, a prominent jvmior,
is president of the Glee Club,
member of the Cheering Squad,
member of the Y-Teens, member
of the Library club, pianist for
the First Baptist Simday School
and B. T. U., Olive Grove Bap
tist Church. pianist, assistant at
the Granville Cmmty Library
and is also an honor student.
Other members of the Gazette
staff are feature editor, Ethel
Jeffers, sports editor, James Mor
gan; copy editors, Maggie Thom
as and Mary McCormick; busi
ness manager, Ruth Warren; Cir
culation Managers, Polly Roberts
and Irma Harriston.
N. F, A. Officers
President, James Long, vice
president, James Hicks; secre
tary, Robert Long,; treasurer,
James EEarris; reporter, Andrew
Glover.
R. A. LEWIS, Advisor
* S
I f.