RGNS Centennial Celebration Page 2

November 3, 2002

Back to the festivities…….

After the warm welcome by Headmaster Ziegler, we all enjoyed the first entertainment of the day - the Brae Moor Scottish Dancers. These lasses danced the Scottish dances and explained the meaning of the different dances. Very entertaining and lovely to watch.

The next event was the Native American Storyteller. It was wonderful to watch the students who sat enthralled by this man. His stories made us laugh and made us sad and one story he told made me cry. His grandfather was taken to the site where the movie “Dances with Wolves” was being filmed. During the scenes where the Indians were hunting buffalo, he noticed his grandfather was sitting, watching, with tears running down his face. He asked his grandfather what was wrong and his grandfather said that his father told him of his people “running with the buffalo” and he thought he would never in his lifetime see such a thing but on this day he was watching what his father described.

In between events we caught Bill Kelly with wife #1 – Linda Means Kelly and their daughter Cathy Kelly Parker. Jean Kelly could not join us today but we look forward to seeing her at the Alumni Basketball Game. Bill has been asked to coach the alumni team again and let me tell you, that is worth the trip.

The much anticipated Champion Border Collie demonstrations were next on the agenda. Bill Coburn, his three dogs, Joy, Bud, and Hope and a supporting cast of sheep, ducks and goats. This event was a hoot and Bill, who competes with these dogs and raises the breed, really put on a wonderful show for us. He said the Border Collie is the smartest dog in the world and after this show you have to believe it. These three dogs went through their paces, herding sheep, ducks and goats.

The sheep were a special breed, which are grown for their hair, not meat, and they were so beautiful against the green grass. The dogs love herding sheep because they are docile and have the herding instinct, which helps the dog. Bill explained the dogs do not like to herd ducks and they hate goats.

Hope drove the ducks over a bridge and through a tunnel. What a sight! We all loved it. The goats were like mischievous children and the dogs really had to watch them every minute. This really was so much fun.

We were all reluctant to leave Bill and his dogs but the sound of blue grass music beckoned us back toward the tent.

Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys were playing. Harold told me this group was really good and this is his favorite type of music. We really enjoyed sitting and listening to the music of the mountains.

I caught Billy Joe and Glenda Arrowood Voiles (72) tapping their toes to the music.

Reluctantly leaving the tent and that wonderful, feel-good music, we were drawn by the smell of barbeque coming from the dining hall. Hazel, Charlie, Bill Kelly, Fern Dodd Strickland, Jane Tanner Bridges, Susan and I grabbed a table together. Harold and Gail were at the next table.

The fellowship of our classmates made the dinner very special and we were all talking and laughing our way through some mighty fine food. Bill and Fern kept us entertained with stories of our school years together.

Greg Zeigler came by to say hello to our group.

At an adjacent table, mother and daughter were enjoying ice cream. Hazel commented on how much Cathy Kelly Parker and Linda Means Kelly enjoy life and each other.

After stuffing ourselves, we drifted back to the tent to listen to Curtis and the Boys in the gathering twilight. Our group sent Bill Kelly all the way across the tent and down the side to ask for special requests about six times. Finally Curtis Blackwell called across the tent and said, “Bill just holler over your request”. Which he did and they played every one. I must say that all the people who entertained us on this day were really professional artists. The organizers, Janie and Kathy, chose very well. I would love to see any or all of them again.

The final event of this wonderful day was the play in the Rearden Theater. “A Centennial Celebration” written by Larry Smith. Larry has been a guest on our website and after watching this play, we are honored that he has joined us.

The A&T Building was aglow with lights and very lovely in the evening. Susan, Fern, Jane, myself, Hazel and Charlie all sat together. The play “A Centennial Celebration” was listed on the program as “Walk back in time with us as we reflect on the past 100 years of excellence at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School and focus on the future.” The cast was made up of students and faculty of the school. Three narrators, Michael Loudermilk (Wendell), Kelvin Dinkins (Spencer) and Elizabeth Stevens (Connie Mae Johnson), did an amazing job of telling the story of the school’s history as the cast acted out the scenes. From the dream of Dr. Ritchie, the fires and merging of the schools, the farm family program, the work program, fund raising, Presbyterians, Guilds, Woodruff, Coca Cola, and on and on. The play covered it all. And as Spencer said in the play, “You do realize that this is not the way it happened” – it was done with warmth and humor. To tell you it was funny would be an understatement. It was an absolute riot! I still start giggling every time I see that “rejected Farm Family” leaving the stage. Oh my! Larry, you and your cast deserve several standing ovations.

A few pictures from the play.

This is the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Choir. The director had a few problems with her dress and the choir really got into the song. Hazel just about lost it over the choir director adjusting her dress.

The Farm Families were chosen for the Farm Family program if they met certain criteria such as hard working, honesty, desire for education for themselves and their children and according to the play - it was a plus if they could dance. Again Spencer will tell you – “This is REALLY not the way it was!”

My favorite was the couple that was not chosen for the Farm Family Program – they could dance but could not meet any of the other criteria. Really funny.

The Farm Family square dance included our own Janie Owens and her husband Steve. Kathy Sparks was also doing a mean dosey doe.

Special musical interludes were presented during the play by singers and musicians. Susan said the musician with the beard is Mike Cook – Coach Cook’s son.

The best costume of the play was Jeff Reynolds depicting the statue of George Woodruff that is seated on the bench behind the main building. He looked amazingly like the statue. He addressed the audience with a speech given by George Woodruff about supporting the school.

The speech was very serious and profoundly nice and then the ensemble came on stage and launched into a rendition of “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony, I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke and Keep it Company” and then they all popped the tab on a can of coke. What a great touch!

The play took us from the beginning and into the present. The students went wild, as did our prim and proper narrator Connie Mae, when four young men came on stage and performed a Hip-Hop, Rap song. Very refreshing for us old fogies who used to go wild over Elvis and Chuck Berry in the 50’s while our parents shook their heads.

The finale featured the entire cast and we all joined in singing “We cheer as we come a-marching to the school we love so well”. And love it we all do! I must say this play and sharing it with the students was the icing on the cake. A great finale to a wonderful day of celebrating the history of the school and the people that made it possible. What a pleasure to be around students who are friendly and polite and seem to enjoy our company. Thank you to the staff, students and alumni who made this a special day.

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