Charlotte Memorial Hospital School of Nursing - Lamp Yearbook (Charlotte, NC)

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Tuesday Night Dear Mom: My letters to you during these past three years haven ' t been much more than a compiled list of my gripes and complaints and how I was being overworked. Then I ' d go for weeks without writing explaining that I just didn ' t have time unless, of course, I ran out of money, which called for a special delivery letter home. I don ' t think I ever took time out to tell you what it ' s really like being a student nurse. To help you understand what I ' ve been doing and to make up for all those letters I didn ' t write, I ' ll just send my annual along to you and tell you some- thing about our hospital and school of Nursing. There were lots of times when I thought I just couldn ' t take this business of nursing any more but you always came through with some wise encouragement and maybe some homemade cookies. Mom, I feel like they ought to give my diploma to you; ' cause if it hadn ' t been for you I ' d never have made it. I remember reading in a book once where some man said, God has a special little place in heaven for Mothers. Now I know what he meant. . . Page Six

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by THE SENIOR CLASS of CHRRLOTTE mEfTIORIRL HOSPITRL CHARLOTTE, flORTH CRROLirifi

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CLRSS HISTORY In the fall of 1950, sixty-six depression babies swarmed into the rooms at the Charlotte Memorial Hospital nurses home. The seniors considered the brats necessary evils, but soon found entertainment in seeing how many exaggerations they would believe. Of course, at that time proctoscopic, gastrocnemius, and colostomy left us wide-eyed and spell-bound that such a vocabulary could exist. They soon realized that, as all Pre-Clinicals do, we lent an air of enthusiasm and eagerness. Someday when we are rocking in our chair by the fireplace, wrinkled and worn from age, our grand- children will ask for a bedtime story, and we will grope for the memories which will come . . . slowly . . . GRANDMOTHER ' S TALE Yes, children, those were the good ole ' days! The first year was a little hard, but we settled down and began studying and learning more and more about hospital routine and nursing life. On a bright September morning, we gathered to join a class to work, laugh, and study together. Some were a little frightened, some eager, others were timid, and a few were confused and probably bored. This was the beginning of our up- ward struggle for enlightenment in the nursing profes- sion. I remember the Hallowe ' en Carnival and our side show with the blonde mermaid, Siamese twins, wild woman and many other attractions. To our great de- light we won first prize. One of our most momentous occasions was that early, cold, bleak, December morning when sixty- five frightened and trembling creatures ambled reluc- ts o tantly to our first assignment in the hospital, as if some magnetic force was pulling us. Then came the Christmas dance which preceded a glorious two weeks vacation at home. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, we received our caps which were so long anticipated. We were now the ones to be admired. With our caps perched on our heads and a feeling of importance, we began our first eight hour day. Results: aching legs, tired backs, and gripes innumerable. How well I remember September of 1951, when we became jolly juniors with Catherine Hine leading us. Three until eleven became a shocking reality, and many new special services were in store for us. The Student Christian Association was organized with the able assistance of Miss Snelling, and an orientation program for new students was developed. Lemonade, welcome signs, identification tags, fun, fri- volity, and a lawn party climaxed a busy first week for the freshmen. In December we waved goodbye to twelve tear- stained faces departing on the big Greyhound bus for Torrance, the first of our class to leave. Initiating the Junior-Senior Banquet in May of this same year was one of our greatest accomplishments, and proved to be a big success. Through the summer we welcomed our first month ' s vacation. The goal for which we had long been striving was almost reached when we received our black strip . . . the ever immortal Senior! Jo Cloninger directed us through many difficult situations as well as many happy ones. Night duty made the senior feel the true responsi- bility entrusted to her. During this year we sponsored the Hallowe ' en Car- nival where the bowery of the seacoast was again brought to life as our contribution. Featured were the can-can girls, torchy, and the bar room piano. In December, 1952, our class was once again to- gether, all home from affiliation and we celebrated with a feast at Rozzell ' s Ferry Restaurant. Belts were loosened and much alka-seltzer and turns were consumed the day after! Of all our accomplishments and activities, our most cherished was the organization of the Santa Filomena. We are proud of the fact that the charter members: Jean Crisp, Ruby Steele, Louise Lee, Dottie Long and Peggy Royal, where chosen from our class. The tapping ceremony was very impressive and one never to be forgotten. After remembering all these things, our hearts were filled with both joy and sorrow as we stood looking at the school that had played such a great role in our lives, the school we entered, remained within for three years, and left. On that eventful day of graduation, we lifted our heads high and looked to that Leader of all leaders. We prayed: Lead us whether the future be dark or whether it be bright. Help me to make Charlotte Memo- rial Hospital as proud of me as I am of her. Children, those were the good years of our lives, years of hard work and ever new experiences and pleasant memories, years alive with precious friend- ships and the serene satisfaction felt from giving service to others. Those three golden years are history now, but they are a living history we shall never, never forget. Wanda Reid and Ann Stoneham, Historians