PUBLISHED EACH THURSDAY g" ' r*T *1
?THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOIC
"Building Communicative Bridges * L ' > -f ?
? PEMBROKE. W.C In A Tri-racial Setting." | ROBESON OOUNT " V
VOLUME lk NUMBER tk ^ PER COPY THURSDAY. JUT ~ ^
will mi go mo trot
map possiBiLing m boebbow copwtt
EDITOR'S NOTE i
This it the second in a i
series of articles about ]
school merger possibilities
m Robeson County. Will five
go into onef History shouts
"Nol" We hope history mill
be ptvvsn wrong. The series
of articles was written by
Bruce Barton, editor of this
newspaper.
ROBESON COUNTY'S
RECORD: FIVE SCHOOL
SYSTEMS
It is the enlightened re
sponsibility of a democra
tic government to provide an
education to its citizenry.
Hie North Carolina Consti
tution states: " Religion,
morality, and knowledge be
ing necessary to good gov
ernment and the happiness
of mankind, schools, libra
ries and means of education
shall forever be encourag
ed." It is interesting that the
consitution used the word
"encouraged" instead of a
more suitable word like
"enforced" that might have
been more adequate in reali- (
zing an education for all the
chiltu cu of North Carolina.
Hie State Department of ,
Public Instruction and the
State Board of Education
have also traditionally main
tained a hands off policy ,
concerning the question of (
merger. In a recent study, ,
uiey "...mainuuieu mat the
question of merger is a local
question and ourside (our)
purview." ?
Local control has always
been at the heart of the
educational issue in Robeson
County. Robeson County
holds the record for the most
school systems in North
Carolina, and most likely the
world. Records affirm that
Robeson County has five of
the 140 school systems in
North Carolina. There are
four city school systems
Lumberton, Red 9prings,
Fairmont, and St Pauls.
And there is one county
system- the Robeson County
Administrative School Unit
Lumberton was chartered
as a special school district in
1907; Red Springs followed
in 1913; Fairmont in 1939;
and St. Pauls in 1953.
Robeson County had six
school systems until
Maxton's special school dis
trict merged into the county
system in 1979.
Besides the five public
school systems, Robeson
County also offers "Flora
McDonald Academy" a pri
vate school, offering) Kin
dergarten through 12th
grade, and St Francis de
Sales Catholic School pro
viding) Kindergarten
through 6th grade. Funds to
>perate the public schools
rome from the State of North
taiuuiid ntf, uitr i cue
ral Government (18.6%) and
Robeson County (16.9%).
Hie lack of local support
seems to be an indictment of
a fragmented, educational
policy in Robeson County.
To understand the provinci
al, crazy-quilt nature of
education in Robeson Coun
ty though, it is necessary to
understand something about
the history and ethnic make
up therein.
Robeson County, th^ sec
ond largest of North Caro
lina's 100 counties, contains
approximately 944 square
miles. Hie county is rural,
sprawling, low coastal plain;
with a dependency on bright
-leaf tobacco and other agri
cultural crops, although
mechanization is rapidly
overtaking the county's tra
ditiona) agrarian dependen
cies.
It is difficult, indeed, to
drawt^jgciological conclusi
ons about sprawling Robe
son County, a tri- racial
isolate of 101,577 citizens
made up of 35,511 Lumbee
Indians, 39,989 whites, and
25,590 Blacks (according to
the 1980 U.S. Census Re
port;); but few would argue
that education is the key to
the future of the racially,
schizophrenic county. Hie
three racial winds blowing
create turbulent, sociological
storms sometimes More
next week.
Robeson bounty Retired
School Personnel Celebrates
Another Successful Year
Lmmberton- Hie Robeson
County Retired School Per
sonnel, a division of the
North Carolina Association
of Educators, recently gath
ered at the Ramada Inn in
Lumberton to note another
successful year, and to in
stall officers for the upcom
ing years 1986-1988.
The outgoing president,
Mr. James H. Brewington,
formerly the principal of
Piney Grove School, thanked
the large turnout for their
support, and asked them to
exhibit the same enthusiasm
and hard work for the
officers serving 1986-88.
The Robeson County Re
tired School Personnel is
made up of retired educators
from all five school systems
in the county, including
Robeson County, Lumber
ton, St Pauls, Fairmont and
Red Springs. Special guests
were the local superinten
dents of Robeson County's
five school systems.
Hie retired educators
heard from Dr. A.C. Daw
son, long time executive
director of the North Caro
lina Association of Educa
tors, now retired and devote
ing much of his time to the
effort of retired teachers as
lobbyist in Raleigh in the
North Carolina General
Assembly.
Dr. Dawson recounted
some of the legislative
battles in their behalf, and
reminded them that the
retired school personnel
have enjoyed many increas
ing benefits over the last few
years because of their con
tinuing interest and because
of their organizing efforts as
a group.
Another special guest was
Dr. Woody Suggs, former
director of the N.C. Retired
School Personnel, who had
the pleasure of installing the
new officers for 1986-88.
Both Dawson and Suggs
encouraged the retired edu
m afc. rmnm : m ? ?
cators to remain diligent,
and continue working for
educatonal concerns, inclu
ding their retirement bene
fits that seem to be a favorite
concern of politicians. In
ligfjt of that, the assemblage
passed a number of resolu
tions, at the behest of
Dawson and Suggs, asking
that their retirement fund
not be used for venture
purposes, and that the high
way patrol not be paid out of
the general fund- the source
of teacher retirement and
health benefits.
Providing special music
for the delightful meal and
occasion was a musical cho
rale from West Robeson
High School under the tute
lage of Ms. Cathy Thomas.
New officers for 1986-88
are: President- Mrs. Gladys
Bullock; Vice President- Mrs
Novella T. Whitted; Secre
tary-Mrs. Lois B. Arnette;
and Treasurer- Mrs. Toxie
Waters.
Dr. Woody 9ugg? addnuoc
tho attrmblag* of Robooon
County Rttind School For
tontuL Looking on [at A*
dim] Ioft to light on Dr.
A.C. Davjton, bangnot
ijudbij md Mr. Jmmti H.
BrwwmgUm, outgoing pnri
dont [Bruet Barton photo] -
| S/S^^A^ibjAN V01CB
Committee of 100 Kicks Off
Campaign in Pembroke
Interim Chairman Greg
Cummmgs recently brought
together a number of Pem
broke's movers and shakers
to kick off the Committee of
100 Campaign. Shour.i above
are |left to right] Dr. Richard
Pisano, representing PSU;
Dr. Adolph Dial, local en
trepreneur and educator;
Prank Daughtrey, city exec
utive of First Union National
Bank; Pembroke Mayor Mil
ton Hunt; Curtis Pierce,
president of Lumbee Bank
Greg Cummmgs, interim
chairman of the Robeson
County Committee of 100;
Rusty Livermore, C.E.O. o)
Pates Supply Co.; C.A.
Maynor, owner of Southern
Interiors; Lindsey Locklear,
representina Pembroke
Hardware; and McDuffie
Cummmgs, toum manager
for Pembroke.
These were the first to buy
$100 memberships in the
Committee of 100, a county
wide organization emerging
from efforts of the local
chambers of commerce in
the county. Their stated
purpose is to ".improve the
finality of life in Robeson
County by promoting eco
nomic growth and develop
ment. "
Members of the organiza
tion will consist of those
contributing $100 per year to
support the committee's
goals. Permanent officers
mill be chosen later in the
year after a concerted mem
bership drive. Any interest
ed Robesonian is eligible to
join.
Cummmgs kicked off the
membership drive on the
campus of PSU because, as
he noted, "PSU is one of
Robeson County's most val
uable assets and an appro
priate starting point for our
effort."
Similar membership driv
es are also underway in
other towns within Robeson
County. I Bruce Barton
photo)
Gospel Sing Planned For
Kayla Leigh Smith
A Benefit Gospel Sing is
planned for Kayla Leigh
Smith to help defray medical
expenses for her liver trans
plant The gospel sing is
planned for Friday night,
June 20, 1986 at 7:00 p.m. at
the PSU Performing Arts
Center.
Featured singers will be
the D & L Gospel Singers;
Mt. Sinai Young Adult
Choir, the Scott Sisters, East
Lumberton Church of God
Melody Four, the McNeill
Family, Sandy Grove Baptist
Church Choir of Lumberton,
Geoige Edwards of the
Robeson County Department
of Snciii Service, the Pierce
Fami'y, Debbie Williams
and others.
A love offering will be
taken upon entry.
Providing special music was
Robeton Senior High, wider
tk? direction of Met. C*ky
nomas [csnUr). [Braes
Barton photo]
'TIS WISE TO
ADTEKTIse
0* 521-38*
TNI CAROLINA INDIAN VOMS8
P.O. DOR 107? mOM8M?2i
Pwnbroto.' N.C. JW72
CwwefcyAey
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Happy Birthda ^
Mrs. Hattxe E. LockUar of
Route 3, Maxton, celebrated
her 90th birthday on Sunday,
June 1, with family and
friends
Mrs. Locklear it the
widow of Jamet L LockUar
and hvei in the home with
her daughter, Letha Mae
Locklear. She ie a member of
Baker'n Chapel
Church. She woe bom May
SO, 1896. Happy Birthday!
PSITS LARGEST SINGLE
GIFT EVER
Belk Foundation Makes
$100,000 Gift to PSU
by Gene Warren
Pembroke-In what was de
scribed as the largest single
gift ever made to PSU, the
Belh Foundation, Inc., of
Charlotte has given the
school a check for $100,000.
The money will go toward
establishing a Belk Chair of
Business and Economics at
PSU.
Chancellor Paul Givens,
who accepted the check on
behalf of PSU, acknowledg
ed that "it is the largest
single gift the Univeraity has '
ever received."
Givens praised the work of
Joe Sandlin, PSU Distin
guished Executive in Rasi
dence, for helping to make
the gift poaaible. "Mr. San
dlin deserves a lot of credit
for this," said Givens. "He
made the contact with the
Belk family."
John and Thomas Belk of
Charlotte made the recom
mendation that the gift be
made following a visit to
Charlotte by Givens, Sandlin
(former president of South
ern National Corporation
and Southern National
Bank), and Dr. Richard
Plsano, PSU vice chancellor
for institutional advance
ment
Presentation of the^eheck
to Givens was made bp Von
Autry Jir of FayetteVille,
executive vice president and
secretary-treasurer of Bell
Hensdale Stores who hai
been with the organisation
for 87 yean.' "litis gift is on
behalf of all 360 Belk stoma,
which an a family of corpo
rations," said Autif. "Wc
an extremely praud and
pleased to be part tf PSU."
Belk is making Ola apodal
effort to help PSU ifeee the
N.C. General Aseombiy.
through the UNO Board of
Governors, has provided a
ttotodi* sl^th*
for eeehJJNC BgwnjechocJ
thrw-yeir ctmpu^n to niM
$1 million through 1987, the
100th anniversary of the
founding of the school. This
gift from Belk, said Given*,
brings the total PSU has
?i**l to $860,000.
"We appreciate so much
Belk s assistance in helping
us become a stronger
institution. This is building a
stronger relationship be
tween PSU and the business
world." said Givens. "In my
seven years at our institu
? tion, r ve seen a# lot of
growth. I see PSU as being
in the focal point of the area
we primarily serve, helping
it grow socially, economic
ally and educationally."
Givens described the
$100,000 as "a milestone in
giving to PSU" and thanfcad
Sandlin and Plsano for coor
dinating the gift
Dr. Leon Bolich, chairman
of the PSU Department of
Business Administration and
Economics and himself hol
der of the Angus McLean
Chair of Business and Fi
nance, was at the presenta
tion. Bolich commented that
earnings from the Belk gift
will enable PSU "to hire an
outstanding professor'' in
bis department
Autry, in referring to "the
family of Belk stores," said
John Belk is chairman of the
board of most Belk stores,
whil* Thomas Belk is meai
dent of most BsOt ?tofsa.
We are a family of coroo
" said Antry to de?
ning the Balk o^Mtototon.
tJ^^r ^Bslk had had a
with ffcethem "Na
tional Bank and 8MB leaders
Maclean. chtof^LJtoTj
the corporation. "Between
Hector end Jas. they have
?a,"
iadebtod to peepto
fm, *?. And ?to
5SSSS