Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

The Beat Goes On:

Dance Fever In The First And Second Grades

by Rainer Klauss

Class of '64

I was delighted when I saw this picture in The Huntsville Times on May 2 because it took me back to a May day in 1954 when I, dressed up in my black jeans and first dress shirt, participated in the very same ritual at East Clinton. Indeed, had I known beforehand that this tradition was still being celebrated, my wife Gudrun and I would probably have been in the audience this year, related to no one watching or dancing that day, but stirred by our memories and taking pleasure in this re-enactment. Gudrun was one of the flower-bedecked maidens in 1955.

East Clinton May Pole in Mid-Fifties

On this year’s beautiful spring afternoon, the boys were holding their ribbons high, but since their backs are to us it’s impossible to tell what they’re thinking about the event. The girls show a mixture of attitudes. The young girl on the far left is smiling, clearly enjoying herself. The one in front of her seems less than thrilled with the activity. Maybe she’ll be beaming when she rounds the circle and her family comes into view. Striding confidently, the young lady in the middle, with her pink and green attire matching her hair’s garland, displays an energetic approach to her role. She could be the Queen of the May. As the children weave around each other, the crepe ribbons plait the maypole and shorten. The dance ends when everyone is gathered around the flowered base.

It won’t be a shocking revelation to anyone to hear that the maypole is a pagan phallic symbol that represented fertility and was erected and decorated by many cultures as they lustily celebrated the arrival of spring. The maypole dance, as we see it here, is thought by some to be a Victorian refinement of those ancient festivities. The simple ceremony (though it could be elaborately staged) was one cultural manifestation of a yearning to return to a simpler world-- the idealized past of “Merrie Olde England”-- at a time when English society was being warped and transformed by the forces of the Industrial Revolution. Several prominent figures related to this Victorian idolization of medieval art and culture are the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of poets and artists, the painter Edward Burne-Jones, and William Morris, who espoused the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The Times photo caption reveals that East Clinton has been celebrating May Day since 1947. I haven’t been able to find any information about when the maypole dance wended its way to America (a dissertation about that is probably resting in some university library), but it must have been fairly soon after it became popular in England. Here’s a link (http://www.lyndonirwin.com/maypole.htm) to some charming postcards that show maypole festivities around the country in the early days of the twentieth century. This link to an earlier maypole dance in Huntsville should be of interest to those who grew up near the Dallas Mill. (Click Here)

Before any of us got our chance to participate in or observe the formal choreography of the maypole dance, we were probably all educated in the uninhibited fun of another imported English dance craze, the Hokey Pokey. I was surprised to learn via Wikipedia (started by Huntsville’s own Jimmy Wales) that this dance was originally a big hit with American servicemen and Britons during WWII, when it was known as the Hokey Cokey. With a slight name-change, it came to the States in the early 1950s.

Maybe I scrambled my brain when I turned myself around too many times, but I’m pretty sure I learned the Hokey Pokey in the first grade at Fifth Avenue Elementary, a magnet school for German immigrants. Gathered around our teacher in a giggling circle, we would give our young bodies to the dance: “You put your left leg in, you put your left leg out, you put your left leg in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and your turn yourself around, and that’s what it’s all about.” Twist and shout, circa 1953.

I know that Tommy Towery, Gudrun, and I (and maybe Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly?) are members of the Ancient Guild of Maypole Dancers. Any other members out there?

________________________________________

(Editor's Note: With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.

Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in... and then the trouble started.)

___________________________________

Subject:Mother's Day

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd

Class of ‘65

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who have been lucky enough to be a mother and get to celebrate the day with your children. A heartfelt prayer of peace and comfort to all of those who have lost their children. If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother living, give her a big hug and kiss, and tell her that you love her.

I had a most unusual conversation with my elderly mother this week, that ended with us both becoming very emotional and expressing our love and admiration for each other. That is not something that I have made it a point to do for some time now. We visit, we talk, we share meals, celebrate occasions, but we are just so busy with our grown children and grandchildren that we do not have those intimate and heartfelt chats with our mothers like we did when we were young. What a wonderful opportunity I had to express those deep feelings with her while she is still living. Perhaps we both are sensing her age and fragile health. I thank God for giving me that perfect time with her. Take it with yours if you still can.

_____________________________________

Subject:Played

Aaron Potts

First class of Lee

Hey Tommy,

I think it's ironic that you would address the word "PLAY" in this issue. For three years I was "PLAYED" and thought the world had been dropped on my shoulders on Feb 2, 1964. However, For a few years I allowed that to rest heavily on my shoulders because I knew that I was serious and the "PLAYER" was never serious when they said they cared. So finally, I decided to use that energy of feeling sorry for myself and decided to show the "PLAYER" that I was better than she was.

I now have my degree in electrical engineering, and an excellent job in Houston, Texas in the energy field and the future looks nothing but bright. If the good lord will put my cancer in remission, then I will die a happy person.

What I thought was the sun setting on life for me, was in fact the sun rising on a new beginning in life.

_______________________________

Subject:Reunions

Steven Chappelle

Class of '67

Great site.... Never can find any reunion info for my class...wish you guys would include us when you have your next one....

______________________________

Some More Things Our Mothers Taught Us

OSMOSIS: "Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

CONTORTIONISM: "Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

STAMINA: "You'll sit there 'til all that spinach is finished."

WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

PHYSICS PROBLEMS: "If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen then?"

HYPOCRISY: "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times ... don't exaggerate!"

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"

ENVY: "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

______________________________

Wanted:

A Place to Get Together

I called the folks at Monte Sano State Park to try to rent the pavilion for a get together in late August or early September, only to find out that it is booked for all that period. I thought it would be good to get together up on the mountain where it is somewhat cooler and visit like we did back when the Class of ’64 had their 60th Birthday Party. We could still go up there, but we would not have the pavilion. What’s the reaction to that?

I looked all over the web trying to find a place to rent a room in Huntsville for this get together and did not find one that I could afford. I was looking at the Old Depot, but they want $1,000. Does anyone know if the Old Armory over on Church Street still rents to groups? That would be a fun place to have a mini-reunion. If we had an Army General, I bet he could find out for us…hint, hint, John.

Or if any of you belong to a civic group that has a room they rent out for a reasonable fee that will hold about 50 people, please let me know. I’m going to try to call the Huntsville Parks system next week and check on some of the community centers around the area. I'd like for it to be some place easy to get to and not a long drive...no farther away than Monte Sano.

I think August 30th or September 6th would be a good weekend. I know that football season is starting up and I will have to give up a game myself, but I’d really rather take the time to get a visit in with my live classmates, rather than watch TV. It would be a great time to kick off plans for the next reunion.

Anyway…I’m here in Memphis and many of you are there in Huntsville, so please help me out here and see if you can come up with a place where we can all get together.

________________________________

Jeff Fussell, Class of '66 - There aren’t enough players on the field to be “43 man Squamish”, so it must be a game of “Red Rover” that we see in progress.

As I recall our version of the game, we would call out “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Jimmy come over!”. Jimmy would get up a good head of steam and try to run through our barrier of interlocked arms. If he didn’t break through, he stayed on our side. If he did, he took his pick of our team back to his side. So it would continue until the last one got caught.

Like most informal games of this type, I’m sure there were many variations of the rules.

________________________________

Don Blaise, Class of '64 - I admit it, I had to go on the WEB and cheat because I could not remember what we called it. The name of the game is “Red Rover” and I definitely remember playing it at places like church camp and on some class picnics in elementary school. Two teams are formed and they face each other in parallel lines holding each others hands and one of the teams calls out, “red rover, red rover, please send ___________ over”. The person named leaves his or her team and tries to break through the other team’s line. If they break through they pick someone from the other team and both go back to their original team. If they can not break through they have to join the other team.

This goes on until there is only one team left. I remember some bruises and a few conked heads doing this. I don’t know if today’s politically correct society would allow this at public schools anymore. However, since all of the players eventually end up on the winning team there is really no loser, so maybe it would work in today’s climate. Anyway, it was a fun game to play.

__________________________________

Sis Levan Watson - Red Rover.. send SIS on over...

_________________________________