Volume XXL—Number 6.
Town Councilmen,
School Board Agree
On Hicks Field Title
Lot Leased to Sponsor-!
ing Groups For Pene
lope Barker House
FOR 10 YEARS
Board of Public Works
Authorized to Pur
chase Property
With Eden ton school trustees meet
ing with Town Council Tuesday night,
the long disputed question of which
group holds title to Hicks Field was
apparently solved. For many years
Town Council took it for granted that
the Town held title and at the same
time the School Trustees took the
opposite view.
According to agreement, the Town
will relinquish title to all of Hicks
Field except the baseball park, the
armory property and that portion of
the plot on which the veneer mill and
Spedic Food Products are located.
The veneer mill property was leas
ed in 1919 to J. L. Wiggins and later
to B. W. Evans, and in 1936 a portion
of the land was allocated for the erec
tion of the armory. Also in 1936 an
other portion was leased to A. M.
Forehand, which since has been leased
by the Albemarle Peanut Company
and partially used by the Spedic con
cern. I
A committee from Town Council and
the School Trustees met Thursday of
last week and tentatively agreed to
the present arrangement and on Tues
day night both boards were in accord
with the proposition. Os course, men- j
tion is made that the Scout Cabin and
playground will continue as now op
erated.
Some complications, however, were
encountered in that the space agreed
upon for the armory does not coincide
with the lines drawn when it was
(Continued on Page Seven)
toman’s Club Plans i
Annual Art Exhibit
Affair Scheduled to Be
Held Some Time
In April
Plans for the annual Art Exhibit
sponsored by the Edenton Woman’s
Club are now getting underway, ac
cording to an announcement by Mrs.
John Kramer, chairman of the fine
arts committee.
The art show Will be held sometime;
in April at the Penelope Barker House, i
and it is hoped that a large number of)
school children in both the grammar
and high schools, as well as adults in
the town and county, will participate.
The exact date for the affair will be
announced later.
The following rules have been set I
up for the exhibit and work to be |
shown should be turned in one week j
in advance of the event.
All work must be original. Copies']
of other pictures are not acceptable. I
Any medium may be used (such as'
pencil, ink, charcoal, oils, crayon,}
etc.).
Any size paper or canvas may be‘
used.
Ribbons will be awarded in each
home room in each individual school.
First, second, third and fourth
prizes, in the form of cash awards,
will be given for over-all exhibits
from individual schools or school
groups.
Adult work will be in a separate
class and not placed in competition
with that of the school children.
A hobby corner will be set up where
unclassified entries, such as photo
graphs, ceramics, needlecraft, tinting
of photographs, handicrafts, etc., may
be exhibited.
For those desiring additional infor
mation concerning the art show, they
are asked to call Mrs. John Kramer,
phone 575-W.
Cub Scout Meeting Is |
Scheduled For Monday |
John Asbell, Cubmaster of the local I
Cub Scout Pack, announces that a
meeting of the Cub Scouts will be j
held Monday night, February 15, in
Presbyterian Church at 7:30
Cubmaster Asbell is appealing to j
more parents to attend the meeting.
Very few were present at previous |
meetings and Mr. Asbell says their!
presence is needed in order to func-!
tion efficiently. Boys from 8 through
10 years of age who are interested in
Cub Scouting are also invited to at
tend.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Founder Os Opera
Hi
,
I
1
A. J. FLETCHER
In 1948 A. J. Fletcher of Ra
leigh founded Grass Roots Opera,
which will present Carmen in
Edenton Thursday, March 4. The
opera is sponsored by the Edenton
Parent-Teacher Association.
PresbyteFiansPtoT
Revival For Youth
The Rev. Terrill Lytle
Will Preach For Ser
vices March 1-10
Something new in Edenton, an evan
gelistic service geared to young peo
ple, will be held in the Presbyterian
( Church March 1-10.
I The speaker for these unique ser
, vices will be the Rev. Terrill Lytle, a
| graduate of Moody Bible Institute in!
Chicago, and an outstanding evange- j
| lis'tic preacher. Though he is pastor,
iof the Manitou Beach Community 1
I Church, Manitou Beach, Michigan, Mr. j
I Lytle is much in demand not only as ,
a sneaker, hut as an accomplished mu
sician, a chalk artist, and a magician
who uses his magic to teach Bible
tmths. He has been active in Youth
For Christ work, and in the High ■
School Bible Club movement for many
years, and was one of the first men
in America to establish a Drive-In i
Church. !
All Christians in Edenton are re
j quested to remember these services in i
prayer.
Chowan Hijyh PTA To j
Observe Founders’ Dayi
The Chowan High School Parent- ]
Teacher Association will observe ,
Founder’s Day at a meeting to be held .
1 Tuesday night, February 16. A sea-
I ture of the meeting will be the playlet
jpresented by Mrs. Rufus Smithson’s
seventh grade pupils. ■
i The meeting will he hold in the i
I school auditorium beginning at 7:30 ]
'o’clock. The Rev. Mr. Chandler, pas- ,
} tor of the Center Hill Baptist Church,
| will lead the devotional. All parents
: are invited to attend.
Frank Hughes Leaving-
For Training As Pilot
Frank Hughes, Jr., is scheduled to
leave Raleigh Friday, February 12,
for Lackland Air Force Base at Waco,
Texas, where he will begin 18 months
of pilot training as an Air Force ca
det.
After this period of pilot training
he will receive his wings and be com- i
missioned a second lieutenant. ]
_ ,
Democratic Executive 1
Group Meets Monday '
<
E. W. Spires, secretary-treasurer of i
the Chowan County Democratic Exec- i
.utive Committee, announces that a 1
I meeting of the committee will be held |
in his office in the Court House Mon- (
day morning, February 15, at 8:50 i
I o’clock.
At this meeting the committee will ;
' recommend two Democratic members i
! on the Board of Elections, which will :
be sent to the State Board for approv- !
I al. The present members are L. S. i
' Byrum and Philip McMullan, Demo- 1
|crats and'M. A. Hughes, Republican.
.— i
SUNBEAMS TO MEET
The Sunbeams of the Edenton Bap- I
tist Church will meet at the church
Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock. Mrs. i
PefH, Manning, leader of the group, i
urges every member to attend :
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 11,1954.
Meeting Called For
Tonight In Effort
To Revive Baseball!
Palmer Tynch of Opin-j
ion Albemarle League
Can Be Operated
With a recent baseball meeting rain
ed out, Palmer Tynch, manager of last
year’s Rocky Hock baseball club, has
announced that another meeting has
been called to be held tonight (Thurs
day) at 8 o’clock in the Court House.
Mr. Tynch says he has talked to base
hall enthusiasts in nearby towns and
that he was favorably impressed with
the interest shown.
At tonight’s meeting he expects
representatives to be present from
Edenton, Plymouth, Windsor, Cole
rain, Hertford and Elizabeth City.
It is Mr. Tynch’s idea that the Albe
marle League can be revived, using
only local players, so that the ex
pense would not prohibit any town en
tering a team in the league. Many
fans recall the keen interest and large
attendance at old Albemarle League
games, and it is Mr. Tynch’s belie#
that teams of sufficient strength can
be fielded in each of the towns to
make the games interesting and at
tract many baseball fans.
All baseball fans are especially urg
ed to attend tonight’s meeting.
Mrs. R. H. Goodwin
Elected President Os
Local Woman’s Club
New Club Officers Elect
ed at Meeting Held
Last Week
Mrs. Richard Goodwin will head th°
F.denton Woman’s Club as president
for the 1954-55 year following election I
of officers held last week at a lunch-1
eon meeting of the organization in the
! Parish House.
j CPher officers elected for the new
term were: vice president, Mrs. W. J.
I P. Earnhardt: recording secretary, l
j Mrs. Ben Perry ; corresponding secre- i
tary, Mrs. 0. A. Phillips; treasurer, j
Miss Kathryn Brown; historian, Mrs.
! Richard Dixon. Jr. 1
Mrs. Frank Holmes presided at the
meeting and called for reports of all
standing committees. The club voted
to sponsor the Jilgrimage of Colonial
Edenton and Country-side, with thei
event being staged bi-annually begin- 1
ning in 1955.
After the business session the pro
gram committee introduced Mrs. Wm.
I Swets, wife of the Marine Station
I Chaplain, who gave an interesting talk
ion “Building a Beautiful Home.” Mrs.
| Swets discussed the subject from the
[standpoint of character building and
family happiness, which was thorough
ly enjoyed by those attending who ex
pressed hope they would hear the
speaker again.
ROTARY CLUB MEETS TODAY l
Edenton’s Rotary Club will meet ;
this (Thursday) afternoon at 1 o’clock
in the Parish House. President John
Kramer urges every Rotarian to be |;
present.
PROPOSAL OF USO CLUB IN EDENTON IS
NOW GRADUALLY NEARING REALIZATION
Local Group Very Optimistic That Rent For Quar
ters In Hotel Joseph Hewes Ball Room i
Will Be Underwritten
Plans for the establishing of an
Edenton USO in the ballroom of the
Hotel Joseph Hewes are progressing
rapidly with nearly half of the month
ly rental pledged by the merchants to
date.
Through the generosity and coop
eration of the local merchants by each ;
making a small monthly contribution j
it looks as if the proposed USO may i
become a reality. With the money)
pledged Edenton will he able to un- ]
derwrite the $75.00 per month rental j
of the Hotel Joseph Hewes ballroom.)
This figure includes heat, utilities
and panitor service. It is necessary
that the physical building be made |
available on a rent frpe basis to the
National Service Organizations, but
future operating cost will be paid by
the organization. With the assur
ance of obtaining the rental figure
immediate action can be initiated on
I the national level toward the estab
lishing of a USO here.
The campaign to complete the soli
citation of pledges will end this Sat
urday. Participating in the soliciting
are Parker Helms, Mrs. Arlene Fal-
Carmen Scheduled j
To Be Presented In
! Edenton March 4tb
j Opera Sponsored By the
Edenton Parent-Teach
er Association
Grass Roots Opera, the North Caro
lina institution that has developed an
international reputation, is to perform
in Edenton on Thursday, March 4, in
two performances of Carmen, it is an
nounced by Mrs. Roland Vaughan,
president of the Edenton Parent-
Teacher Association, sponsor of the
opera. .
This unique traveling group, was
formed in 1948 by A. J. Fletcher, Ra
leigh attorney and business man, to
give aspiring singers an opportunity
to perfect their art before the foot
lights and give the public a chance to
hear opera in English.
Grass Roots Opera, wh’ch is ad
ministered by the Extension Division
of the University of North Carolina
in cooperation with the North Carolina
Federation of Music Clubs, has pre
sented over two hundred perform
ances of opera in this state since the
first performance during the 1949-50
season. All performances are sung in
English. A plan to integrate the op
era movement in the music apprecia
tion courses in the public schools was
I introduced two years ago with the re
(Continued on Page Ten)
Contributions For
March Os Dimes In
Chowan 52,208.43
Report Still Incomplete
For County as a
Whole
Although the Chowan County March
I of Dimes is still incomplete, Bill Per-}
I rv. co-chairman of the 1954 campaign,,
reported Tuesday that Contributions up
to that time amounted to $2,208.43,
thus exceeding the $2,000 goal set by
William H. Coffield Post, No. 9280,,
‘Veterans of Foreign Wars and Cho
} wanoke Council, No. 54, Degree of Po
i cahontas, co-sponsors of this year’s
drive.
i Mr. Perry reported that the Eden
ton Junior-Senior High School report
was not complete and that no report
had been received from the county,
both white and colored. Just as soon
i as these reports are received the drive
| will be ended and reports sent in tc
i State headquarters at Chapel Hill.
One-half of the contributions, after
expenses for material has been de
ducted, will be retained in the coun
ty to be used in connection with polio
victims.
Mr. Perry and Mrs. J. Edwin Buff
lap, co-chairmen of the 1954 March of
Dimes, as well as VFW members, the
VFW Auxiliary and Degree of Poca
hontas are elated over the success of
the drive and the two chairmen ex
press their sincere thanks and appre
ciation to all who helped in soliciting
as well as those who made contribu
tions to the end that Chowan County
maintained its reputation for doing its
[share in the fight to blot out infan
tile paralysis.
lis, Mrs. Adelaide Chesson, Miss Es
ther Hobowsky, Mrs. Viola J. Quilty, ■
} Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Gentile and Mr. •
and Mrs. J. P. Ricks, Jr.
Tom Sharpe, vice chairman, an
nounced that there will be a meeting
of the colored representatives of the
; USO committee in the Brown-Carver
| Library tonight (Thursday) to com
' plete plans for obtaining pledges.
The Brown-Carver Library at the
i comer of Oakum and Gale Streets has!
, been made available rent free bv thei'
I library board for a colored USO pro- j
vided Miss Hattie Jerkin, librarian,;
i serves as USO hostess. .
| Both locations, the ballroom and the)
library have been approved by Tom :
Kunz, Associate Regional Director of!
USO. and Major M. I. McMahon, Nat-,
ional Field Supervisor of the Salvation i
Armv USO. They expressed the
opinion that Edenton desperately need
ed a USO and that they would person
ally do all possible in the securing of
the placement of a USO here.
Mr. Kunz visited Edenton early in
December and Major McMahon was
(Continued on Page Ter I
jJames NC State Library Back
At Charge Three R’s
Not Taught In School
Civic Calendai
Meeting scheduled tonight
(Thursday) at 8 o’clock in the
Court House to consider the pos
sibility of reviving the Albemarle
League.
Red Cross bloodmobile will be
in Edenton Friday, February 26.
Chowan County Republicans i
will hold a county convention in
the Court House Thursday night,
February 25, at 8 o’clock.
Chowanoke Council, No. 54, De
gree of Pocahontas, will meet Fri
day night at 8 o'clock in the Red
Men hall.
Edenton Chapter of the Eastern
Star will observe Friendship
Night at its meeting in the Court
House Monday night, February
15, at 8 o’clock.
Woman’s Auxiliary of St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church will meet this
(Thursday) afternoon at 4 o’clock
in the Parish House.
Auxiliary of the American Leg
ion meets Tuesday night, Febru
ary 16, at 8 o’clock at the home of
Mrs. W. O. Elliott, Jr.
PTA of Chowan High School
will observe Founders’ Day in the
school auditorium Tuesday night,
(Continued on Page Ten)
Mrs.¥glsneEheF i
Is Nowjn Scotland
Goes Overseas to Do Re
j search Work on An
other Book
Mrs. Inglis Fletcher recently sailed
'on the steamer “United States”, and
| arrived in London on her way to Scot
land last Sunday. She cahled her hus- ’
'band, John G. Fletcher, “Perfect pas
! sage.”
i Mrs. Fletcher is doing background
work for a new hook in way of re
search on Scottish immigrants before
| the Revolution. She expects to be
gone about six weeks, returning in
time to finish her hook for the pub
lishers around the first of May.
For some time Mrs. Fletcher has
been corresponding with libraries)
throughout Scotland and they are all:
prepared to help her in her research
efforts.
Father John Beshel
Serving As Rector
At Catholic Church!
Father F. J. McCourt to!
Serve In Rocking
ham County
The Most Reverend Vincent S. Wa
ters, Rishop of Raleigh has appoint
ed the Reverend Father Francis J.
McCourt, pastor of St. Joseph of the
Hills Parish, which embraces Spray,
where his church and rectory are lo
cated, I.eaksville, Reidsville and all
of Rockingham County, effective Fri
day, February 12.
Father McCourt for almost 13 years
has been rector of St. Ann’s Catholic
Missionary Parish, much of the time
Auxiliary Chaplain of the USMC Au
xiliary Landing Field, Edenton, and
also Diocesan Director of National
Organization for Decent Literature,
which he is continuing in the last nam
ed position. j
On Friday the Reverend Father
John A. Beshel. now pastor of St.
James’ Parish. Hamlet, N. C„ becomes
rector of St. Ann’s.
i
Chowan Renublicans
Meet February 25th
Republicans of Chowan County will;
hold their county convention in the
j Court House here at 8 o’clock on
tThursday night, February 25. accord-!
iing to an announcement by Miles S.J
! Elliott, county chairman.
I At this meeting, new officers will be |
I elected and plans made for the coming
' year.
I Precinct meetings are to be held in
. the various precincts prior to the
I county convention.
MASONS MEET TONIGHT
An emergent communication of Una
nimity Lodge, No. 7, A. F., & A. M.,
twill be held tonight (Thursday) at 8
o’clock in the Court House. W. M.
Rhoades, master of the lodge, requests'
a full attendance.
$2.00 Per Year.
- ■
Edenton School Princi
pal Speaker at PTA
Meeting
FOUNDERS’ DAY
I Says A. P. Godwin Made
! Unfair Attack Upon
School System
“To say that the public schools of
today are not teaching the three R’s;
that our children cannot spell, and
that a high school diploma means only
that a student has spent 12 years in
1 school, is an unfair attack on the pub
lic school system,” declared Gerald D.
James, principal of Edenton’s Junior-
Senior High School, as he addressed
the Parent-Teacher Association Tues
day night.
Speaking on social promotions and
school standards, or as he put it,
about “some issues that were raised in
our October PTA meeting and more
recently in several publications,”
James took issue with remarks made
Iby Senator A. P. Godwin, Jr., of
Gatesville, who told the local organi
zation that schools were failing to
teach the three R’s and that some
, schools promote every child every
year. Said James in referring to God
* win’s remarks: “The speaker was so
. busy degrading the very institution
, that gave him his start in life, that
[.he never did explain the reasons why
we have a teacher shortage ”
I In speaking of the unfair attack on
' | the public school system, James said,
“Every teacher within sound of mv
voice knows that there are large num
bers of students who have not and
. never will master the three R’s nor
will they be able to spell correctly.
Just because they cannot doesn’t mean
that teachers in general are doing a
poor job.” He added that the public
' asks the schools to set a mental stand
ard and say students shouldn’t be pro
moted until they have mastered the
three R’s or have met that standard.
“The student with the low I. Q. will
never be able to attain the standard
of the student with the I. Q. of 135.
But, if the student is encouraged and
does not have stigma attached to him
for life, by repeating every grade, he
or she will make a good student, and.
(Continued on Page Six)
Rov Remits Guests
Os Rotary Club
Program By Boys Tn
i eludes Inducting Four
I Tenderfoots
j Edenton’s Bov Scouts were guests
,of the Rotary Club at a meeting held
Thursday in the Parish House at 1
o’clock, when local Scout executives
and Raymond Heck, field Scout execu
tive were also guests.
Among the Scout loaders, present
were Norman Leonard. Robert Powell,
! the Rev. Earl Edwards and the Rev.
James MacKenzie.
The Scouts presented a very inter
esting program under the direction of
I Jack Habit, the new Scoutmaster of
the troop. He called upon Sidney
Campon, who told about activities at
Camp Darden and Clifford Overman
told about Camp Perry near Eliza
beth City.
i After the boys and Seout executives
were introduced Scoutmaster Habit
had charge of a ceremony on the Par
ish House stage when four boys were
l made Tenderfoots. The boys included
Gus Hughes. Dickie Pate, Bobby Hall
and Willard Hall.
. Other Scouts attending the meeting
iwere: Dallas Stallings, Jack Over
|man. Charles Hollowell, Eddie Hollo-
Iwell, Billy Harry. Willard Hall. Ray
George, David White, Billy Cook
Griffin, Robert White, Leon Thomas,
I Arthur White, Tommy Kehayes, Dick
iie Pate. Lloyd Mills and Bobby Hall,
jail of Troop 156; and Robert Earl Ed
• wards. Jerry Downum, Sid Campen,
1 Asa Dail, Lloyd Goodwin, Bobby Pratt,
'Clifford Overman, Miles Williams and
| Billy Moore of the Explorer Post.
Mrs. Williom Swe*s
Speaker For Auxiliary
The Woman’s Auxiliary of St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church will meet this
(Thursday) afternoon at 1 o’clock in
the Parish House. Mrs. William
Swets, wife of Chaplain Swets of the
Edenton Marine Corps Auxiliary Land
(ing Field, will be the principal speak
er and all members are especially urg
ed to attend.