The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Great company, good food, and a common fondness for a school district that has educated some and employed all of those who attended was what occurred Saturday, June 4th at Hendco Hills. Over 80 former teachers, staff members, administrators and board members attended the event.
The party began at 5:30 p.m. with a dinner of barbequed pork, potato salad, chips, and desert. Current Superintendent Tom Avery welcomed everybody and expressed his appreciation for the employees he has worked with this past year. He also got the crowd thinking by asking questions about individual histories. For example, he asked who had the most years of employment for district #120. It is no surprise that Phil Geiser has accrued the most years (37 years) of service to the district. Four others in attendance had also served for 30 years or more
Following the question and answer period that verified that, many of those in attendance had very deep roots in the district, former and present employees sharing favorite stories about the district and about each other.
Stories shared by Chester (Bud) Knight, Janet Shinkle, and Hazel Hart were just a few of the many that brought nods of remembrance and smiles of fondness. These stories carried with them a respect and deep love of a district that has served the Southern Community well for over 30 years.
A drawing was also held to offset the cost of the event. The items drawn for were Southern items.
The big items of the night were the three mascots that had adorned the gym walls: the Rebel, Belle, and cannon that were painted by former students. Donna Buss excitedly collected the "Rebel".
Julie Hicks took home the cannon and Joanne Lenz, with lots of encouragement from Nick Roark, claimed the "Belle".
Jeff and Kathy Nichols, Kathy Lafary, Sharri Richard, and Terri Copeland hosted the event.
The committee appreciated very much the Southern School Board for their help with funding, Mark Lefler for the meat, Karen Day and Vicki Wood for the potato salad, and current employees for the chips and fabulous desserts.
While the party was held out of fondness for Southern, it was generally felt that West Central will provide the community with a continued sense of pride. Many who were there remembered the growing pains that were associated with the consolidation between Media and Stronghurst.
They were positive that the new district of West Central would be just as successful and provide just as many fond memories.