Couples Holding up HHS Walls

The fun thing about this blog is that whenever memories of HHS come into focus, I can just jot them down and share.

Halls at HHS. Ever since I was a freshman, the halls have been held up by dating couples that find a favorite place and lean up and share sweet nothings with each other. HHS had no other place for folks to do this. There was no kissing and little touching, cause the teachers did not allow such PDA. However, between classes, during lunch hour, before school and when ever the chance allowed, couples would maybe hold hands, face each other and hold up the walls of the hall. Right now, I see Patty Davis and a red headed guy. Tim Gipe and Margaret maybe, but Timm would never hold still for very long. Wait... I think I see Dot Way and Dave Shelton and Don Roberts and Anita McClellan. I am sure I see Beth Ann Casey, but she is hiding her man's face as is John McTamney and Adrianne Rockhill! John and Adrianne invented PDA!

Fun... over the years I can remember so many couples and few are still married. The earliest I remember were Jack Earter and Mary Ann... they are still married. Jack a lawyer and Mary Ann an English teacher in Sumter. What a long time romance. Please folks add some names. Add your own if need be. No... not me!

Hillcrest Jr Sr Prom

Everyone remembers the life around the Jr Sr prom, especially at HHS. The prom of 1965 was one to remember and the one of 1966 is one for another post.

So... planning, fund raising, decorating, dressing, attending and after parties was one of the great events of the class of 66. Now I do admit that I had a part in it as the class president of the Jr class was responsible for managing the big event and that year it was me. I always wanted to be a class president, but maybe not the Jr year. What did I do to deserve this!!

I just looked up in my annual to see who were the officers that year and to see who did all the work! Dave Shelton was VP! Dave must have left by then, cause I do not remember him in any of the activities. Marion Jackson and Connie Neal were the other officers. I know that Connie and I worked together because she was treasurer. I do remember going to her house in the evening to settle some finances. This was fun as many had the hots for Connie and I think I found more than one reason to go to Connie's house to settle either the finances or my interests in her!

We did all kinds of fund raisers , cleaning houses at Shaw, washing cars, running a flea market in Rembert. I remember the Rembert event as we had few folks show up so we all played around with trying on the clothes that were donated.

We had to raise about $3000 to pull this off. This included the band, decorations, food and damages. Yes there were some damages as our fountain on the half court line at the center of the gym leaked and the court always had a little rise where the fountain was as it got wet and swell up a little. Coach Pringles has never forgiven me!

I am thinking Roman Holiday was our theme, but I can be corrected. Building all the decorations was so much fun. I know from some of the photos in our annual some of the folks that helped. Someone must have been taking photos during this time, besides someone from the annual. I wish we could find some and at least post them on this blog. We have that one photo in the annual with Louie Galvin climbing up the tallest ladder in Sumter with looks like me and Chappie holding this decrepit, bending ladder. If any teacher had seen this we would have been whipped!

I had to get the rotating glass ball hanging in the center of the gym from a teacher at Ebenezer High School who had one he rented. He came and hung it and got it wired and working. This was one of the first times I really had any relations with someone from one of the local black schools in Sumter. It actually made me think about the segregation that was happening in our lives. Hillcrest was the first segregated school I ever attended.

I cannot really remember much from the prom. I took Kathy Harris and did not treat her too well. I was still worried about all the happenings, including the food, the band, the process, photos and everything. Probably why I have blanked out so much from this great night. Kathie did berate me for not paying any attention to her and she was right!! I asked her about this at the 2006 reunion, but she does not remember!! HA!

I know many had fun that night and I would love for folks to leave some comments here. Please share. I wish someone would tell me what I did or did not do

My two kids, Alle and Collin both went to their school proms and things are really different now. The kids pay to come and there is no fund raising by the jr class. I think the fund raising brought our '66 kids together. Today... dates are not so important. Girls and boys go in groups or by themselves. I always felt sorry for the many girls who did not get invited to come to the prom. Our class had so many great looking girls that just did not have the opportunity to go to the prom. Many of the guys were just to shy to ask someone.

So like all of the posts of this blog, it is about my recollection and that is what I post. I would like to here from some of the folks I remember planning and doing the prom like Don Roberts, George Woodsby, Marian Jackson, Connie Neal, Dave Shelton, Kathy Harris, Anita McClellan, Bonnie Fisher, Kris Shekitka, Barbara Dunn,Dorothy Way, Patty Wright, Don Wilson, John McTameny, Adrianne Rockhill, Liz Riddle, Gary Murphy, John Kelly, Linda Matheson, Lana Jerden, Kay Hopper, Claudia Taylor, Mary Holsopple, Linda Hankins, Nora Harris, Ray Griffin, Brenda Gordan, Louie Galvin, Herman Ford, Susan Eckweiler, Beth Ann Casey, Anna Cerda, Terry Crowell, Jane Dennis, Kathy Burrows, Vic Cabas, Lou Ann Busselles, Nancy Bradshaw, Sherry Artrip and Roland Alston.... these are some of the names that come to me. There are more and I want to hear from everyone.