Brookneal High School - Memoriae Gratae Yearbook (Brookneal, VA)

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CLASS HISTORY To be a true historian one must of necessity deal merely with facts. As we unroll the scroll of the History of Class of 1947 of Brookneal High School these facts become memorable. Chapter I has its setting in the first grade room of B.H.S. and the time is 1946. The teacher is Miss Louise Henderson. The ulti- mate goal is graduation. Of that group, Betty Ann Booker, Billy Guthrie, Lacy Laughlin, Edward Bates, Herbert Lee Clark, Pauline Ward, and Vivian Pollard have reached that goal tonight. In Grade 2, Betty Mae Tolar ' s name was added to our roll, teacher then was Miss Alma Mclvor. Mrs. Pearl Foster was our teacher in the third grade, when Shirley Bigger joined our class. Herbert Lee withdrew from the class at this time to re-enter in the sixth grade. Thelma Evans joined us m the fourth grade with Miss Irene Cardwell as our teacher. Our In Grade 5, two more names were added to the list — Eunice Trent and Hilda Armistead. Hiss Virginia North was our teacher. Miss Margaret Wilkerson and Mrs. Altha Mays taught us in the sixth grade. Mrs. Lucy Barlow and Mrs. Elsie Payne Guthrie led us safely through Grade 7. Chapter 8 of our history is entitled Freshmen At Last . Bthel Straw and Evelyn Owen became members of our class at this time. With Mrs. Elsie Payne Guthrie as our home room teacher, we soon learned to exchange classes and assume an experienced appearance. This evidently helped us because the next year, the roll book was passed to the Sophomore Class. Feeling not quite as important but much more sophisticated as Sophomores, we began another school year with Mrs. Earl Fox and Miss Mary Tune as our leaders. Upon our arrival in the Junior Class, when Garland Clark and Jere Davidson joined us, our pride grew so that our class began to wish for badges befitting our station. Many messages were sent to

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the big 11 cities for samples of their fine jewelry and at last after much considering and re-considering , rings were purchased. The day that the rings arrived was a red letter day in our career. Mrs. Annie A. Strickler and Mrs. Dorothy Fore were our home room teachers. The greatest event during this year was perhaps the Junior-Senior Prom. The last recorded chapter of our history — Chpater 11 — has the topic Senior Highlights. The High School faculty was as follows: Mr. R. G. Gardner, principal; Mrs. Dorothy Fore, home room teacher; Mrs. Myrtle Straw, Mrs. Celene Gardner, and Mrs. Elsie Payne Guthrie, Senior class sponsor. The election of class officers, the selection of the class motto, flower, and colors was one of the first objectives of the class. We selected as the sponsor of our class, Mrs. Guthrie, who has proved by her unfailing devotion and capable guidance to be our real friend. Interesting events of our Senior Year included the hit — Coon Creek Minstrel in which such characters as Miss Cauliflower Jughead and Mr. Slim Eggnog have already gone down in history. A date in our history which shall always be remembered is March 21, 1947, at which time the Junior Class entertained the privileged seniors with a banquet and dance at the school. Juke Box , our Senior play, was presented in April. It was such a success that in our history, it was destined to compete with the Barter Players. Pictures for our history book were transferred to one of our greatest accomplishments of the year— our annual Memoriae Gratiae , which means pleasant memories. The closing paragraph of our history leaves the class as they have reached their first goal — graduation. Other volumes of the class history will be recorded as the members strive to attain their motto, To the stars through difficulty . Vivian Ann Pollard