McClenaghan High School - Florentine Yearbook (Florence, SC)

Page 29 text:

History of the Class of 1950 Fellow classmates, the hour is fast approach- ing when we must take our last fond farewell of the Alma Mater which we hold in such high regard. It is therefore with a feeling of great nostalgia that I commence this, the history of the class of 1950. It was a cool, crisp September morn in 1938. The early morning sun shone bright and clear upon a new generation about to embark upon the stormy sea of life. It becomes increasingly difficult to realize as the years roll on that the poised, self-confident Seniors of today are the same frightened youngsters who but twelve years ago stepped trembingly across the thresh- olds of Park and Circle schools to begin the acquirement of the first rudiments of an educa- tion. The six years which we spent within the walls of these institutions of learning shall remain engraved forever in the hearts and minds of all of us, a symbol of the long gone carefree days of childhood. The most memorable of these years was, perhaps, 1942, which saw the white elementary schools undergo a change in name. Circle School was renamed Florence McKenzie in honor of a one-time principal of that school, who had devoted virtually her entire life to the education of young people. Park School became Harllee School in recognition of the many services rendered by Miss Margaret Harllee, beloved teacher, in the city schools of Florence. At length the time came when, at least in our opinion, one teacher could teach us no more. No longer would we spend the day strug- gling manfully to master the intricacies of the multiplication table or absorbing the funda- mentals of English grammar. At least so we thought, for we were about to attain the goal for which we had been striving these many years, an entrance into Junior High School. Harry Gall, Historian Who is there among us who will ever forget his first day in that institution? For weeks we had been tormented by rumors of horrible tortures practiced by diabolically clever eighth graders upon those poor unsuspect- ing beings who were so unfortunate as to be entering upon the mysteries of the first year in Junior High. These hideous rumors, alas, proved only too true. Bruised and battered, we, of the seventh grade resolved, amid the groans and curses occasioned by aching limbs and wounded pride, to take sweet revenge upon next year's unfortunate victims. To add to our host of worries, we were forced to accustom ourselves to a new method of class room procedure which at first occasioned us much difficulty, but to the hardship of which we rapidly became inured. Causing still further confusion was a new and radically different report card, the complicated notations of which we were unable at first either to comprehend or to explain to our bewildered parents. 15