A to Z April Challenge: X is for Xtra-Curricular Activities

Genealogists and family historians get a lot of satisfaction from chasing their ancestors’ stories. Finding a diary, a message on a postcard, or a photo with a name attached is like the sun coming out after a storm. One day we will be somebody’s ancestor. We need to leave our descendants a little bit of sunshine too. So here is my story told alphabetically, not chronologically: Growing Up in Cradock.

is for Xtra curricular activities.

It was a well-known fact that to get into the right college, you needed to participate in the full life of school, not merely earn good grades. Membership in clubs and organizations would surely be signs of one’s leadership skills and social involvement that would impress college admissions offices. Therefore, I threw myself into many activities at Cradock High School, not just to pad my high school resume but also because I really enjoyed it.

Future Teachers of America

FTA Officers 1967-68
Moi standing 2nd from the right

I was a member three years and secretary for one year. Some of our projects included providing coffee and donuts for new teachers at the start of school, honoring teachers during American Education Week, remembering teachers on their birthdays, supporting a child at Christmas, and collecting gifts for a needy family at Christmas. During Teacher Career Month, junior and senior club members taught for one day in area schools; one year I was assigned a third grade class at James Hurst Elementary. Our club was also active on the District and State levels sending delegates to conventions.

Kappa

Kappa was one of the service clubs open to girls only. I wrote about Kappa on “K” day, but while looking at the yearbook for some pictures, I was reminded of some of our service projects: sending personal supplies to the soldiers in Viet Nam, visiting Naval Hospital patients, holding parties for the children at St. Mary’s Infants Home and Westhaven Boys Home, painting the bus ramp pillars and parking lot lines, hosting honor roll parties, sponsoring children at Christmas, awarding

savings bonds to selected college-bound seniors, collecting newspapers for Union Mission, making tray favors for hospital patients, polishing the Victory Bell and polishing trophies in the trophy case, and making crossword puzzle books for senior citizens. We always entered a float in the homecoming parade and supported our teams with spirit posters on game day. I was the Vice-President of the club my senior year.

Just a few of the members 1967-68
Moi back row 2nd from right

National Honor Society

Juniors and Seniors with a 3.0 average were inducted into this organization that recognized academic achievement. This was not a particularly busy group. Our main fundraiser was a SLAVE Auction, of all things. Members were auctioned to the highest bidder to perform such duties as carrying their textbooks and lunch tray. I guess we were not as sensitive to that term back then, but we raised enough money to award a small scholarship each year.

Shipmate

Shipmate staff 1966-67
Moi back row 2nd from right
(I was sitting on the file cabinet.)

During my sophomore and junior years, I took Journalism I and II as electives, so I was automatically part of the newspaper staff. During my senior year, I was co-editor along with my friend Judy, so we sat in the journalism classroom as our study hall since there was no Journalism III. Our advisor Mrs. Glazer gave us plenty of freedom to plan each issue which came out every six weeks or so. Many days some of the staff just roamed the halls under the pretense of searching for stories; sometimes we could be found down at the Shop wing checking out all the good-looking guys. In our more serious moments the staff cranked out stories that earned our paper top honors at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association conventions. We also produced a special Senior edition that contained seniors’ baby pictures, the class history, class prophecy, Last Will & Testament, class poem, class song, and future plans after graduation. Working on the newspaper was one of my favorite activities and surely the highlight of my high school days.

Quill & Scroll

Quill & Scroll 1968-69
I'm in the 3rd row from the back, 2nd from the right

Quill & Scroll was our local chapter of the International Honor Society for High School Journalism. This club was open to students who worked on the school newspaper, literary magazine, or yearbook. While this club was also not very active like a social club, we supported each other’s efforts to promote our publications. Some years we sponsored literary contests. I was secretary of the

organization during my Junior year.

Over the years there were many committees that I served on as well including prom committees, homecoming committees, and Senior Banquet committee for which I was chairman.

At every assembly, the Senior class took a minute to recognize a senior for outstanding service. I was very proud to be the first one in my class to receive the Service Award during the first assembly of our Senior year. Lots of people worked hard and made significant contributions, but not everyone received this award, so it was indeed an honor.

Membership Pins
Top: Future Teachers of America and National Honor Society
Bottom: Senior Service Award, Quill & Scroll, Kappa

If you’re caught between a xenolith and xylols, or even if you suffer from xenophobia, you should make your way to the A to Z April Challenge where you will be met with xenodochial xenagogues whose xenophilia will convince you there are no xanthippes among us.

© 2016, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.