John D Bassett High School - Timber Tints Yearbook (Bassett, VA)

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LOOKING BACKWARD pauses; he is listening to the Glee Club under Miss Whitt’s direction giving the Christmas Cantata, “Gloria Excelsis.” . . He sees Mary Campbell at the piano and recognizes the voices of his classmates, Phyllis, Rachel, Lucy Lee, Sue and Olga, as they join in the chorus. Again it is spring, the juniors are planning the banquet for the seniors. The lawyer is living over the long hours in preparation for this important event. The juniors are at Riverside Hotel decorating the dining room. The event of May g, 1947, is at hand! There are the gorgeous flowers, the gay-colored streamers of the May Pole, the delightful food, the music, laughter and song! Fred Shropshire and Betty Howell are being crowned king and queen. After the banquet, there is the dance and the merry-making! It is June and the juniors’ hearts are beating as they receive their report cards which pronounce them seniors. They part for the summer, but the school draws a number of them together when fifteen join the party with Air. Hoover in August when they go to Williamsburg to see “The Common Glory.” The lawyer now opens Timber Tints, ’48, and notes the faces of those who have merited the name of seniors. What a glorious class! Fifty-four, the largest in the history of Bassett High at this time! Several faces are missing, but two old friends join them — Gene Jessee from service in the U. S. Army and Jesse Cahill, transferred from Rocky Mount. New sponsors, Misses Norvell and Whitt, greet the class. The class is soon busy planning the year book. Groups are out for advertisements in October. Gee! it is fun. Trips to Alartinsville with Air. Hoover and Aliss Whitt; to Danville with Aliss Norvell; to Roanoke with Coach Lemons and to the stores in Bassett in twos! The class hears Air. Hoover praising them on the splendid success in financing their year book. Soon come days for measuring for caps and gowns, ordering invitations and securing rings — all happy days. Football engages the attention in the fall, but the rain pours during many games; several boys get skinned and Curtis Wall is taken to the hospital with a broken arm. The lawyer enjoys again the visit with a group to Wall, who welcomes them with their fruit and flowers. Other activities move fast across the lawyer’s mind: The visit to the Marshall-Field Mills; the senior home-room party at Christmas and the Senior Day at Fieldale when more than half the class sign for college work. Exciting basketball games engage his attention; he recalls the hard fights of the Varsity Team, of which seven were seniors; he is with them when they play their last game. He rejoices that the Junior Varsity enters the tournament and brings home one cup for Bassett High. In March, the annual is rushed to press on the very day that the county contests of the Virginia High School League occur at Fieldale and Alartinsville. He is with six others of his class in the debate. He understands why he has become a lawyer as he sees himself arguing. Five of his classmates are trying for honors in spelling, and six are pre- senting the play, “Submerged.” He is sorry he can’t be with all of them. Easter passes and he is at Riverside Hotel at the senior banquet given by the juniors. He enjoys the gaiety, feasting and color again. Later he is helping put over the senior play, “Busy as a Beaver,” to an appreciative audience. Then comes several parties — one by the seniors for the bride-to-be, Miss Ruth Whitt; another by Sue Webb in her front yard where they roast weiners. What fun! Lo! he hears music; the seniors are marching down a church aisle; Dr. Hank is giving them good advice in a baccalaureate sermon. He sees another large crowd of parents and friends; the seniors are in the high school auditorium; Mary Campbell Craig is giving the salutatory address; the lawyer is bowing as he receives the precious diploma from Air. E. C. Hoover; he hears the low tones of Dorothy Stone as she delivers the valedictory. Then, there are tears in the midst of things. Is it a dream.? He rouses himself and he is sitting in his office with Timber Tints near him. He yawns and comes back to reality. It is too late for the law case. He takes his hat, and as he goes out, he says, “How I would love to see my classmates at old Bassett High again!” Terry Eggleston [ 27 ]

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LOOKING BACKWARD The lawyer is puzzled about a case brought to him. He begins looking through his library in search of reference books. As he draws out several law books, his attention is attracted to four bright books in the corner — they are his high school year books of long ago — Timber Tints, ’ 5, ’ 6, ’47 and 48. The law case is forgotten. He takes the four books and seats himself comfortably in his armchair. He turns the books over fondly and, finally, opens Timber Tints, ' 4 . He looks across the years and sees many things of his half-forgotten youth. The memories dance across his brain and play their parts again. He lights his pipe and gives himself up to the enjoyment of the scenes. He sees a group of about seventy-five freshmen walking up the long steps and through the friendly doors of dear old Bassett High. There are Mrs. Divers, Misses Lipscomb and Pace greeting them. Ts, the freshmen are being divided into sections and several are scrambling to get into the group with their chums. Soon each is adjust ed and happy with his classmates. At times the sections are meeting together with Alarie Collier as class president. They are at one time voting on class colors, flowers and motto; at another they are planning a party. Once they are all together at a picnic at the ball park. The lawyer sees himself running in the games and enjoying the good food. In the spring, he is out for May Day; he is wdnding the May Pole and watching the crowning of the queen. I’he lawyer is happy in being a school boy again, moving to classes, listening to Mr. Hoover over the sound system, hobnobbing through the halls and stopping at the drug- stores for a coke and a chat with his schoolmates. He joyfully ' turns to Timber Tints, ’ 6, and glances through the pictures of his class- mates. Seven fellow students and Mrs. Divers are missing; there are only sixty-nine of the sophomores with the sponsors. Misses Lipscomb and Pace. He is soon at the class meeting where Garnett Hancock presides while “Smokey” Pegram takes notes. The class is entering into more activities — some are selling magazines in the magazine cam- paign ' many are busy in athletic games. Seven of the sophomore boys, including himself, are on the Boys’ arsity Basketball Team and two of the girls are on the Girls’ Varsity. The lawyer is taking part in a basketball game again in the gymnasium; he feels the thrills as he puts the ball in the basket and hears the cheers! In the spring, he is on the baseball diamond enjoying, wdth several of his classmates, many exciting games. As he turns to Timber Tints, ’47, he notes only sixty-one returning as juniors in the fall of ’46; among them Edd Jones, back from the service in the Lh S. Navy. As they move to their classes, they are greeted by several new faculty members: Misses Thel- magene Kessinger and Mary Elizabeth Bassett and Coach Lemons. At the first class meeting the class elects “Smokey” Pegram, president; Sue Webb, vice president; Pat Philpott, treasurer, and Hugh Draper, secretary. Football for the first time is the active game of the fall season. Coach Lemons is leading thirteen of the junior class in the squad to the football field. How hard they do play! What a fight they give their opponents at home and abroad, though they win only two victories against five defeats! As the lawyer, so engrossed, turns the pages of Timber Tints, ’46, he sees the girls in blue and white throwing basketball goals in the gymnasium; six of them are his class- mates. A little later he is among the seven from his class on the Boys’ Varsity, who are putting up a brave fight for the game. He hears the shouts of the cheerleaders, and the voices of his classmates, Mary Campbell, Pat, Lucy Lee and Emily, rise above the others with “Rah! Rah! Rah! Bengals!” d’he lawyer comes back to earth again as he sees twelve studious members of his class join the Beta Club. He sighs, then laughs, as he says, “I could have been a Beta member, too, if I had not been so mischievous. But the fun I had at Bassett High was great!” Not only does he see his class busy in Beta Club work, but on the Bell staff, in the Student Council, the Dramatic Club, the Literary Society, the Pep Squad and other activities. Leland Stone wins the county prize for his drawing, “Lena the Hyena.” He [ 26 ] i

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SENIOR CLASS PLAY BASSETT HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM Friday, April 30, 1948, at 8:00 p. m. “BUSY AS A BEAVER” (Three-Act Comedy by Russell Drake) CHARACTERS Gaxlord Clayton in the real estate business Donna Clayton, his frivolous wife Judy Clayton, their pretty young daughter Prescott Clayton, their studious son Tillie, the Clayton ' s maid Polly Clayton (Aunt Polly), Gaylord’s wealthy sister Agatha Cornwall, who has her eyes cast in Prescott’s direction Phelps IVebb, who is always as busy as a beaver Bedelia Shannon, from the agency Miriam Day, who embarks on a new adventure Mrs. Josephine Ripley, who wants to buy a house Lynn Fuller, Aunt Polly’s efficient secretary Herbert Hawson, a wealthy business man F. E. Marsh . . . Garnett Hancock Mary Campbell Craig Hugh Draper Sue Webb Marie Collier Elsie Thomasson J- T. Pegram . . .Lucy Lee Brammer . Elizabeth Franklin Dorothy Gibbs Olga Buckner Terry Eggleston DIRECTORS Play Miss Thelmagene Kessinger Stage Miss Margaret Craig Announcer Phyllis Webb COMMITTEES Publicity Phyllis Webb, Chairman Roy Adams Edgar Whitlock Stage Edd Jones, Manager Mildred Byrd Dewey Martin Properties Thelma Seay, Chairman Virginia Stone Curtis Wall Costumes Rachel Snead, Chairman Emily Ruth Messer Ruth Bennett Lorene Robinson Wayne Bowman Billy Brammer Programs Leland Stone, Chairman Gordon Stone Door Elizabeth Mason Ushers Ena Hall, Chairman Virginia Lee Duggins Patricia Philpott Prompters Elizabeth Merriman Joe Philpott “Busy as a Beaver” was a smash hit and no fooling! The audience howled with glee at this top-drawer comedy. Many congratulations were extended Class ’48 and the direc- tors, Misses Thelmagene Kessinger and Margaret Craig for putting over such an enjoyable play. With all due respect to previous senior plays, this performance of “ Busy as a Beaver” was pronounced the best yet. IsoLA Peters Hazel Curry Geraldine Hundley [ 28 ]