GA-JCTS Newsletter
The newsletter of
the Gilmore Academy-Jackson County Training School Alumni Association, Inc.
Vol. 1 No. 3
May 1997
Roy L Roulhac,
Editor
1998 GA-JCTS ALL
School Reunion Plans Set
Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 1998 GA-JCTS
Alumni Association's All-School Reunion, July 2-5, 1998, in
Marianna The tentative schedule includes:
Thursday, July 2, 1998
3 pm Registration - McLane Community Center
6 pm Reception
- McLane Community Center
Friday, July 3, 1998
9:30 am Spelling
Bees St Luke Baptist Church
1 pm
Oratorical Contest -St James AME Church Afternoon - Class Meetings
6 pm Banquet/Class Elections National
Guard Armory
Saturday, July 4, 1998
10 am GA-JCTS Alumni Association, Inc., Annual
Meeting
Mt Olive Baptist Church
12 noon Picnic - Sunland
Industrial Park
8 pm Talent Show - Marianna
High School
Sunday, July 5
11 AM Worship Service
2nd W. FL. Missionary Baptist Church Facility
-Pennsylvania Avenue
On Sunday, July 21, 1997, the GA-JCTS Alumni
Association, Inc., held its first annual meeting at St. Luke Baptist Church, 524
Orange Street, Marianna. The interim officers and board of directors listed
on the masthead were elected.
The 1996 Reunion Steering
Committee - Mattie Fagan Berrien, Linda Darby Jones, Roymonia Paramore
Robinson, Elmer Roger Clay, Gina Darby
Highsmith, Barbara Thompson Johnson, Verna' Black Mack, and Gwen Inez Swilley Summer
- agreed to coordinate the 1998 All School Reunion. Volunteer to serve on a planning
committee by calling (904) 526-4714.
The treasurer reported that seventy-five (75) GA-JCTS
alumni became incorporators by paying
dues by January 15,1997, and as of July 21,1997, twenty-six (26) GA-JCTS alumni
had become charter members. The cut-off point for charter membership was extended from December, 1997 to July, 1998. As
initial projects, it was agreed that the Association would initiate campaigns
to.' (J) rename Marianna Middle School
to the Robert T. Gilmore Middle School,
and, (2) seek designation of the
original location of Gilmore Academy as a state historic site and erect a
historic marker. By-laws will be adopted, officers and a board of directors
elected, and Association priorities established during the ~998 annual meeting.
Attending the 1997 annual meeting were: Danny
Sylvester, '71; Willie L. Cooper, '44; Plassie Neal, '44; Queen B. Brown, '44;
Christine Clemmons, '51; Linda Darby Jones, '66; Bernice Robinson, '43; Eva
Simpson, '43; Dorothy Adams Harley, '63; lola
Rivers Bell, '53; Barbara
Dixon, '53; Eddie M. Everett, '51; Edna Purdee Truitt, '67; Hattie MeCollough,
'49; Lillie B. Robinson, '53; Marilyn Long,'63; Elease Philyor Wynn, '61; Gwen
Inez Swilley, '47; all of Marianna. Thomas Crawford, Poughkeepsie NY, '54; Roy
L. Roulhac, '61, Detroit MI; Mary Wadsworth White, '55, Dallas TX; Venia' Black Mack, '74 and Billie Mack, '69,
Tallahassee
GA-JCTS Web Site
The GA-JCTS Web page is under construction at:
http://members.aol.comIKemet54.index.html
Anyone interested in helping to develop the Site should
contact the editor.
Spelling Bee
The GA-JCTS Alumni
Association Inc., announces its first national spelling bees. The spelling
bees, designed to promote literacy and scholarship, will be held 1 p.m. Friday
July 2, 1998, at St Luke Baptist Church. The spelling bees are open to students
who were in the following grades during the 1997-98 school year:
(A) 3rd, 4th and 5th grades (B) 6th, 7th
or 8th grades
The top three spellers will be awarded
cash scholarships as follows: 1st Place - $150; 2nd Place - $100; and 3rd Place
-$50.
Do You Remember
By William (Poupe) E. Long, Jr.
I was in the 7th grade when I left
Jackson County Training School to attend Marianna High School. But when I left
JCTS, I carried the memories with me.
Do you remember those good old times we
used to have at Jackson County Training School?
Remember the May Day Celebration and students slipping off to
River's Inn?
Remember the good times we shared at the
football games at the Boys School? Remember the good players we had ... Bruton,
John Hooks, Elmer Roulhac, J.C. Wynn, Big Red from Sneads, Norman Thomas,
Bernard Cooper, Jonathan Robinson, just to name a few?
Remember the times we had the gym rocking
while playing basketball ...
Gary Robinson, Wilburt Butler, Thomas Stephens, Willie Burke, Howard Jones,
Chalmers Wilson, and many more too numerous to name here?
Remember the cheerleaders?
Remember the "sock socials"
that 'were held at
the McLane Community Center
where we came together to celebrate a victory of any kind?
- Remember
the marching band under the direction of Mr. Miller; and then Mr. Sweeney? I
can see them marching down Orange
Street during our homecoming parade.
Remember -the aroma from the c6oking
that was
· being done in the Home Economics department when Mrs.
Reba Long was teaching?
Remember Principal Harley urging us to move on
down the halls to get to class?
I remember many people that have long since left the
area. How many of your classmates are you still in contact with? How about
letting them know about the GA4CTS Alumni Association.
This Association can become as large and productive
as we make it. How about contacting at least two
people and have them join our group.
Remember the friends we made from Cottondale, Sneads,
Jerusalem, Mt. Olive, Pope Chapel, Grand Ridge and other small surrounding
areas?
Memories, what a wonderful thing to have!!!
Choir Members Needed
Former members of glee club, church choirs, quartets,
etc. are needed for a mass choir during the GA-JCTS Sunday worship service.
Come to Me
Come, grab hold, as we delve
into the twisted corridors of this tortured soul.
Come close as we spin a tale
of grief and woe, one that takes you to places that you never ever wanted to
go.
Come on over and feed the
raging fire as we wallow in the ceaseless desire.
Come to me and you will see
all that is but should not be.
Come for the pleasure,
forgetting pain; loving the lust but hiding the shame.
Come into my world if you dare, but once you are inside
be sure to proceed with care.
Come on in where for every win there
must be a loss and where everyone will eventually pay the cost.
Coming in first, while finishing dead
last as we run to the future hoping to hide from our past.
Come, sweet tender one, come to me,
sample all my fruits but please realize that nothing is free
Come with me as we fight through this
mess and try to find an end to this long winding road of loneliness.
Come tome during
the cold stillness of the night and fill me with your warmth and precious
light.
Come now, reach deeper
insider, so that you may explore each and every little thing that I have tried
to hide.
Come and we will fall so deeply in love and hopefully find
the sweet hand to fit this lonely glove.
By Ronald
L McGriff
Jackson County History
l. Why did the Florida legislature pass a law in 1858
allowing free blacks who wished to become slaves to choose their own masters?
2. The first school for blacks in Marianna was started
in 1865 by _________ and ________, two Union soldiers.
3. On April 30, 1867, Elijah Williams, a former Jackson
County slave, was granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office for his invention
of a __________ for use in shallow water such as the Apalachicola River.
President's Message
The support expressed during the 1996 all-school
reunion to establish a Gilmore Academy-Jackson County Training School Alumni
Association has resulted in fmancial commitments by 111 alumni as of September
25, 1997. The Association was incorporated as a Michigan non-profit
organization on April 3, 1997.
Internal Revenue Service regulations provide that
alumni associations may quality for exemption from federal income tax as a
501(c)(3) organization if it is organized to promote the welfare of a school
with which it is affiliated, is subject to the control of the school regarding
its policies and destination of funds, and is operated as an integral part of
the school. Since neither school exists, it is impossible for the Association
to meet this specific test.
The Association may, however, qualify as a 501 (c)(3)
organization rather that as a 501 (c)(7) social club organized for
pleasure, recreation, and other similar non-~profitable purposes, if it is
organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational,
scientific, or literary purposes.
During the 1998 reunion, the Association's mission will
be defined. Your input is essential, I believe that we can call forth out
innate genius, talents, gifts and abilities to make the Association a viable
organization which stimulates a love of learning, personal growth, and
community development and empowerment.
I am excited about the possibilities. Together we can
make a difference.
Essay/Oratorical Contest
The GA-JCTS Alumni Association, Inc., announces its
first Essay and Oratorical contests. The contests, designed to encourage and
promote oral and written communication, are open to students who were in grades
7 through 12 during the 1997-98 school year. Students may enter the essay or
the oratorical contest.
Students may enter the essay contest by writing a 300-word essay on the following
topic:
Framing The Past -
Visualizing The Future
Each essay should be typed or neatly written and include
a cover page with the
following information: name, age, grade during the 1997-98 school year
and address. No identifying information should be placed on the essay. The top
two essay contest winners will receive scholarship awards of $150 and $100, respectively.
Essays must be postmarked by Friday May 1, 1998, and sent to:
Saran Pender
GA-JCTS
Alumni Ass'n
2838
Pennsylvania Ave, Marianna FL 32448
The
topic for the oratorical contest is:
contributions My
Generation Can Make In the 21st Century
Students entering the oratorical contest should
prepare a presentation on the
above topic which is not less than 5 minutes and not more than 7 minutes long.
The top two oratorical contest winners will receive scholarship awards of $200
and $150, respectively.
Wanted
GA-JCTS memorabilia - photos of students, teachers,
staff; buildings, newsletters, year books, trophies, awards, scrap books, etc.,
for a video project. Bring items to 1998 reunion. Create a display of GAJCTS
memorabilia. Share.
Membership Report
Membership
in the GA-JCTS Alumni
Association, Inc., is open to all former staff and students of Gilmore Academy or J( of
September 25, 1997, one-hundred eleven alumni had joined the
Association. The ASS was incorporated as a Michigan no corporation in April
1997.
Incorporators
John J Batson ('55) St Petersburg
FL
lola Bell ('53) Marianna FL
Shepard Bell ('58) Marianna FL
Mattie Berrian ('64) Miami FL
Georgia Bowen ('62) Tallahassee FL
Tereather Boykin ('50) Lakeland FL
James Caidwell ('63)' Spanaway WA
Elmer R Clay ('61) Marianna FL
Beatrice Cobb ('62) Miami FL
Eloise Cotman('51) Irvington NJ
Thomas Crawford ('54) Poughkeepsie NY
Valaria Davi~~70) Marianna FL
Benjamin Dickins ('58) Brandon FL
Amos DicksOn ('64) Rockingham NC
Annuel Franklin ('66) Graceville FL
Moses Freeman('53) Brandon FL
Annie Gibson ('41) Marianna FL
EIuise Gordon ('69) Tallahassee FL
Sam Graham ('51) Fairhaven MA
Dorothy Harley ('63) Marianna FL
Irma Hawkins ('47) Tallahassee FL
Lucy Hawthorne('56) Marianna FL
Dan Hester ('59) Hempstead NY
Gina Highsmith ('75) Marianna FL
Erma Hines Palatka FL
Lavern Holloman ('65) Plant City FL
Voncile Jackson('56) Huntsville AL
Arthur Johnson ('64) Spring Lake NC
Barbara Johnson ('62) Marianna FL
King David Jones ('59) Jacksonville FL
Linda Jones ('66) Marianna FL
Priscilla Keith ('64) Lakeland FL
Calvin Killings ('72) W Palm Beach FL
Quetta Latimer ('65) Huntington NY,
Betty Lattimore ('59) Miami FL
William Long Jr ('71) Tallahassee FL
Billie Mack ('69) Tallahassee FL
Mary Mack ('60) Panama City FL
Verna' Mack ('74) Tallahassee FL
Sheryl J McGriff ('78) Detroit MI
Willie H Morris ('53) Opa Locka FL
Sarah Pender ('57) Marianna FL
Mildred Pittman ('46) Lakes Wales FL
Dorothy Prather ('42) Gaithersburg MD
Roberta Pressley ('32) Marianna FL
Arskso Raines ('58) Plainsfield NJ
Mary Reeves ('58) Tallahassee FL
Connie Richardson ('65) Tallahassee FL
Billie Robinson ('52) Albany GA
Gussie Robinson ('42) Silver Springs MD
Roymonia Robinson ('75) Marianna FL
Idell Robinson ('54) Miami FL
Roy L Roulhac ('61) Detroit MI
Ruby Roulhac ('58) East Orange NJ
Clarence Sikes ('66) Tallahassee FL
Arthur Spears ('59) Colorado Springs CO
Nelson Speights ('52) Ettrick VA
Waymon Speight ('59) Freeport NY
Benjamin Stephens ('47) Brooklyn NY
Chrystelle Stewart ('43) St Petersburg FL
Sylvia Stroman ('75) Miami FL
Gwen I Summers ('47) Marianna FL
Dianne Thornton ('65) Ft Washington MD
Meredith Washington ('53) Chicago IL
Victoria Watts ('6Z East Orange NY
Cottee White ('58) Denver
CO
Earl white ('51) Marianna
FL
Juan White Washington
DC
White Miami
FL
Mary White ('55) Dallas
TX
Sheldon white Washington
DC
Martha Williams ('41) Marianna FL
Marcellus Wynn ('54) Hopkins SC
Sylvia Yon ('60) Cottondale
FL
Annie Young ('51) Tallahassee FL
Charter Members
Maggie Atwater ('31) Marianna FL
Catherine Barkley ('51) Marianna FL
Lula Bell ('63) Marianna
FL
Shirley Bronson ('54) Marianna FL
Qz'een Brown ('44) Marianna FL
Elmore Bryant (53) Marianna FL
Eulice Bryant ('53) Marianna FL
Christine Clemmons ('51) Marianna FL
Walter Cooper ('63) Scotch Plains NJ
Vivian Darby ('49) Marianna FL
Arthur Edwards ('66) Mims FL
Arnita Everett ('57) Knoxville TN
Joseph Fagan ('47) Marianna FL
Lula Gioson ('56) Irvington
NJ
Gwen Godwin ('49) Mt Holley NJ
Frank Graham ('48) Tampa FL
Dorothy Hall ('62) Marianna FL
Morris HarrisQn (62) Tampa FL
Naomi Harrison (61) Orlando FL
Mitchell Haves ('47) Brooklyn NY
Richard Holland ('68) Riviera Beach FL
Marilyn Long ('63) Marianna FL
Addie Mack (66) Knoxville
TN
Hattie McCoullough ('49) Marianna FL
Elizabeth McElveen (49) Ft Washington MD
Sam Pittman ('46) Marianna FL
Curley Potter ('63) Bronx
NY
Julius Porter ('66) Houston
TX
Carolyn Reed ('72) Marianna FL
Amos Robinson (62) Marianna FL
Bernice Robinson ('43) Marianna FL
Johnnie Robinson ('53) Ft Lauderdale FL
Eva Simpson ('43) Marianna FL
William Smith ('63) East Orange NJ
Irma Thomas ('64) Jacksonville FL
Vera B. Westbrook ('69) Jacksonville FL