Central High School - Sword and Shield Yearbook (Victoria, VA)

Page 55 text:

Mr. Penguin, not native to this terrain, stands tall, surrounded by white paper snow, as he rides down Main Street during Victoria’s Christmas parade. Holly, spotlights, red ribbon, and the faint glow of a Christmas tree in the window is the award winning combination that spruces up the house of S. P. Chappell. Kids everywhere have patiently awaited Christmas vacation and Central students bustle out of the gym to go home to enjoy the long-awaited vacation. CHRISTMAS COMES AT LAST Christmas 51

Page 54 text:

Even without the help of snow, and even though Christmas is a week away, Santa visits the Kenbridge stores and mentally checks the name of this child with several good marks. The countdown began the first day school reopened after Thanksgiving; twenty-six days till Christmas! Pros- pects of two weeks without school preoccupied every student and inter- ferred with daily routine. Mishaps tended to be overlooked and mischiev- ous misconduct seemed less childish than it normally did. Christmas fever spread evenly throughout school. Christmas involved the community, and workmen could be seen twisting decorations around light poles in both Kenbridge and Victoria, thus opening the season around the towns. Several school dubs draped crepe paper over tobacco trailers in freezing weather, waited for an hour because of a delay, and rode down Victoria’s main street in the parade held on December third. Overnight, decorations appeared on house doors and, miraculously, snow found its way inside business windows. These festive doors and win- dows were evaluated by out of town judges. As Christmas approached, Santa found his way to the towns and was met with great gladness and prac- ticed goodness. Central did not escape the season and the halls, bulletin boards, show cases, and cafeteria walls were decked with “The Twelve Days of Christ- mas. ’’ A ten foot tree, project of the SCA, consumed the lobby. Cafeteria workers served a turkey dinner com- plete with candy canes. The last day of school was packed with activity, finishing classwork and exchanging presents. The Christmas assembly, held during fifth and sixth periods, was crammed with Chorus and Band selections, French and Span- ish carols, the teachers singing a song, and a sing-a-long under the tree. “Merry Christmas’’ echoed from ev- erywhere as the bell rang. Prayers for a white Christmas re- mained unfulfilled, but Santa man- aged. New Year’s was ushered in with parties and Guy Lombardo. The snow that had missed Christmas hit after one Monday back in school. Two weeks of Christmas vacation was topped by almost two weeks’ absence because of snow. Easter vacation melted while white flakes fell. 50 Christmas

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THE GIRL I USED TO KNOW MARY FRANCES PERKINS Born — June 16, 1959 Died — January 2, 1977 Long faded memories, replicas from long ago, these are the things that made you, the girl I used to know. Old faded jeans, wrinkled posters on the walls, feelings only we shared, incidents only we dared. Grass-stained knees, mud on our faces, in top of an old oak tree was our unique hiding place. Being young women, little did we know, our future would require, these memories to inspire. God chose to take you, the candle starts to fade, with our treasures from the past, in my heart you shall ever last Long faded memories, replicas from long ago, these are the things that made you, the girl I used to know. Goldie Mae Marker dedicated to — Mary Frances Perkins (the girl I used to know) In the Nation . . . James Earl Carter became the 39th President About Virginia . . . Governor Godwin declared a state of emergency and issued an order that all businesses observe a 40 hour week and homes a 65° F. thermostat setting. Around the town . . . Dark tobacco sales resumed for 3 weeks in January. Mixing and matching and switching creates many differ- ent outfits for Leslie Hamil- ton during a fashion presen- tation. Cold weather or not, farmers selling dark tobacco stack trailers and trucks and hope for high prices. 52 January