Headlines From The Meadowlark, May 4, 1951. Part 2.

This post picks up with page 3 of The Meadowlark. Most of this page is taken with ads and the continuation of Scrapbook Memories from page 1. However, there are two photographs identifying the winners in the lunchroom contest at Meadowbrook Elementary. One is for the First Grade, while the other is for the Second Grade. While I can’t identify First Grade teacher, Second Grade is another story. The teacher is Ruby Wenzel and the photograph is the same one I posted earlier of my Second Grade class.

If you’re wondering, as I did, just what the heck a Junior High School newspaper is doing running photos of First and Second grade contests, I can suggest a couple or three things. First, Meadowbrook Elementary and Meadowbrook Junior High were almost within sight of each other. Second, Charles Berry had been principal of Meadowbrook Elementary the previous year. And third, the student reporters were doing what all good reporters do. Finding news.

Moving on to page four, we find headlines that tell you about some of the activities going on at that time.

Senior Play Casts Selected lists the casts of the senior play “Just Ducky.” A point brought out by the report was the fact that both the fifth and sixth period classes were going to perform the play, making it twice as good as last year’s effort.

Then there’s The Class Will Of “51” which was essentially a vehicle to metaphorically pass the torch to those who will come after them.

Another report let you know that Meadowbrook Has First Garden Show. There is a complete list of awards.

Finally, an article (or actually announcement) headed Attention, High Nine! invites everyone to the senior banquet to be held in the school cafeteria on May 18, 1951 at 6:30 p.m. Decorations would have a circus theme and there would be special entertainment afterward.

Turning over to page five, there are photographs of the Third Grade Lunchroom Winners and Mrs. Graham’s Sixth Grade Lunchroom Winners. There’s also a Sixth Grade News Report given by Mrs. Dry, with the rest of the page containing ads and the continuation of The Class Will Of “51”.

Finally we work our way to page six, titled Sports On Parade. There are photos of the school’s Tennis Players, Boy’s Softball Team and Girl’s Volley Ball Team.

As for headlines, Tracksters Hit The Cinders At Track Meet April 24 details the performance of their track members, broken down by school grade.

T For Tennis describes the performance of the tennis team and Softball deals with the softball team. Another report describes the Volley Ball Team under the Volleyball heading.

Finally, the headline High Nine Tea To Be Given describes a tea to be given in honor of the high ninth grade and their mothers in the school cafeteria on May 17.

And that, folks, is the end of Meadowbrook Junior High School’s The Meadowlark student newspaper.

Before closing this post, I’ve said it before but it doesn’t hurt to say it again, don’t hesitate to post your own memories of Ft. Worth or send them to me by email. Photos are particularly welcome (even if all you have are negatives). Contact me for a snail mail address in order to send photos for use in Timeship. They will be handled carefully, scanned and the originals returned promptly.

Headlines From The Meadowlark, May 4, 1951

There was a lot more in The Meadowlark besides ads and a photo of the graduating class. It was a newspaper and the students took their job seriously. First, let’s see who’s listed on The Meadowlark Staff. After that, we’ll work our way thru the paper headline by headline. In line with that, the newspaper staff is as follows:

Editor: Cynthia Seacrest

Assistant Editor: Jackie Tackett

Make-Up Editors: Mary Lou Oliver, Charlene McBrayer, Richard Hollingsworth, Montie Mauldin

Circulation Managers: Jerre Jean Power, John Irby

Business Manager: Kay Spurlock

Advertising Manager: Bob Franks

Exchange Editor: Bill Oglesby

Advertising Staff And Special Reporters: Cecil Davis, Monell Holden, Madelon Mathieu, Jackie Simpson, Barbara Wellman, Alma Netherton, Cathryne Barnett, Charlene McBrayer, Xanthia Macy, Mabell Rainey, Carolyn Rice, Betty Tripp, Mary White, Nancy Fawver, Annelle Northcut, Eleanor Armstrong, Marian Bickle, Jean Hiett, Lanny Ham, Carmen Baltasar, Ella Jane Faris.

Sports Editors: Ted Stuart, Sandie Gordon

Principal: Mr. Charles M. Berry

Dean And Sponsor: Miss Flossie Green

In case the name of Charles Berry sounds familiar, it’s because he was the principal of Meadowbrook Elementary during the 1949 – 1950 school year. Apparently he was appointed principal of Meadowbrook Junior High for the 1950 – 1951 term. They were fortunate to have him. He was a good man.

Now to the headlines. The front page carried only one, once you got past the half page photo of the graduating class. That headline read:

Scrapbook Memories (Class Prophecy) and was written by Xanthia Macy, Mary Oliver & Nancy Fawver. Taking up the lower half of the front page and a third of page three, it was a fictionalized report of a chance meeting by Mary Oliver & Xanthia Macy in New York and their decision to take their vacation together by returning home to Ft. Worth. Along the way they run into all their old classmates with descriptions of what they are doing now.

On page two, the next headline reads Apologies In Order and is essentially a thank you to the teachers they’ve had in their time at Meadowbrook Junior High. DAR And American Legion Winners is self-explanatory, particularly when the box just below announces the Meadowbrook Junior High School Awards Day Program. Considering the atmosphere that exists in school today, along with all the rules, regulations and political correctness, just reading the program order is educational. To that end, here it is:

Processional........................Aida; Grand March
*”America”.........................Boston Pops Orchestra
* Invocation.........................Rev. W. Fred Swank
Pastor, Sagamore Hill Baptist Church
Platform Guest.....................Mrs. George M. Connor
President, Board Of Education
Vocal Solo – “Jerusalem”................Henry Parker
Roberta Murphy
Mrs. Strickland, Accompanist
Remarks........................................Mr. Joe P. Moore
Superintendent of Schools
Special Octet – “My Hero”...................Oscar Staus
Eight Ninth Grade Girls: Soprano, Jackie Simpson,
Ella Jane Faris, Mary Jo Einstein, Gene Fricke;
Alto, Montie Mauldin, Marilyn Swayze, Marian
Bickle, Jerre Jean Power.
D.A.R. Awards......................................Mrs. M.H. Crabb
American Legion Awards...............Mr. Buster Kirkpatrick
* School Song.......................................”Alma Mater”
Recessional..................................”War March of the Priests”
* Audience Will Please Stand May 4, 1951

The next headline on that page says Good Luck, Champs! and, as you’ve probably guessed, it deals with the annual Press Spelling Bee. Finally we have Student Council At Work which is simply a listing of the members of the student council and an accompanying photo of the group.

That’s it for this post. Next time around we’ll start with page three.