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BY THE WAY By DORIS A. SANDERS BUT IT DIDNT It could have, but it didn’t turn into a real dnmyhrook Monday night when a special meeting of the Board of Edu cation was held at the request of some members of the faculty of Newberry High School. The faculty members, out raged (and rightly so) at what appeared to be an effort to ram through a salary increase for coaches and no one else at Newberry High, went about expressing their sentiments in a proper manner—by request ing a meeting with the County Board of Education to find out just what was going on. I do not know who began this idea of supplementing the coaches even more than they are already supplemented and I’m glad I don't know. To me it is incredible that any pa rent—and I'm assuming these were parents—feels that the members of the athletic staff are more deserving than the hard-working classroom teach ers. If anyone's salary is to be increased it certainly ^lould be the salary erf those teaching the basic subject matter which will carry our children through life, rather than those who are furnishing entertainment for the citizens of Newberry ev ery Fii- day night In order not be misunderstood let me say that I have no ob jection to the athletic program only to the emphasis that is placed upon it. It is fine for the relatively small number of individuals who participate. Once their high school days are over, however, what is that par ticipation going to mean? For the vast majority, exactly noth ing; for a few perhaps, a col lege scholarship. Meanwhile, the classroom teacher is preparing the student for whatever career or profes sion he is to follow'. She or he must gel the college-hound stu dent to an acceptable stan dard erf achievement: and he or she must teach basic edu cation courses to those going into vocational training. And then there is the band director, who spends JUST as much time and trains as mam or more students in the art of music: an art which will al ways be with them either as a career or as a hobby No one. to my knowledge, has sug gested that her salary be in creased from the "gate re ceipts although she and her band are in attendance at al most every' football game to cheer the teams on; and a pep band from the "big band ’ per forms at most home basketball games It is to his credit that Coach Jim Kimmell asked that the recommendation for the salary increase for himself and his as sistants be withdrawn. It would have been more to his credit had he not allowed the recom mendation to begin with. I am assuming he knew about the recommendation, because of his statement that be ’ didn't know it would come to this ’. I'm really a little bit sorry that this recommendation didn't get to the County Board of Edu cation for consideration. It cer tainly would have been a re vealing vote, because it would have answered a question that many of us have long won dered: is the Board more inte rested in education, or in ath letics? Vol. 34—No. 38 Newberry, S. C. 29108, January' 14, 1971 $3 PER YEAR Asks withdrawal salary increase Mrs. Walter Summer, representing the American Le gion Auxiliary, and City Police Chief Ray Schumpert look on as Mayor Clarence A. Shealy, Jr. signs a Procla mation designating January' 17-22 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Week in Newberry. See- Proclamation else where in this issue. (Sunphoto by' Steve Armfield) County council names chairman Carman Bouknight was elect ed chairman of the Newberry County Council at a meeting held last Friday morning. Mr Bouknight had previously serv ed as a Commissioner for New berry County for eight and a half years, and was serving as a member of City Council un til his election in November to County Council. Mr Bouknight appointed C. £. ‘Scrapi Hendrix as vice : chairman, and also appointed Mr. Hendrix to represent the council on the Midlands Plann ing Council. The Council set the next re gular meeting for January 27 at 10 a m., at which time the public is invited to attend and present any problems or ideas to the Council for consideration. No action was taken on the hiring of a county manager; however. Chairman Bouknight said that plans are underway to determine the qualifications needed and a search will be made to find the best qualified person available for the job. NEWBERRY BRANCH AAUW TO MEET The Newberry Branch of the American .Association of Uni versity Women will meet Ja nuary 16 at 3:30 at the home of Mrs. C. M Smith. Jr. on Crenshaw Street. Mrs. F. Scott Elliott. Sr will be the associate hostess. Miss Margaret Paysinger will be the program leader and will use as her subject. The Aca demic Community—New Look on Campus'7 A special meeting was held by the County Board of Edu cation Monday night at Speers Street School at the request of members of the faculty of Newberry High School. The subject of the meeting was a recommended increase in salary for the coaches at Newberry High Ed Young, chairman of the Board, presided and recognized Mrs. Janie Lou Whitaker, spokesman for the high school faculty. Mrs. Whitaker told the Board, and the large group assembled, that it had come to the atten tion of the faculty on Friday of last week that the Newberry Area Advisory' Committee had recommended an increase in sa lary for the coaches. Members of the faculty conferred with W. P Mabry, principal, on Fri day and it was decided to re quest a meeting with the Coun ty Board so that every one could get "fact rather than rumor ’. Following her opening re marks. Mrs. Whitaker read a letter addressed to the County Board, and signed by 20-odd teachers, which stated: "We the undersigned class room teachers of Newberry High School, heartily endorse a raise for the coaches of New berry High for 1971-72, provid ed all teachers at Newberry High School receive a raise in an equal amount ’. Following Mrs. Whitaker’s presentation. Coach Jim Kim mell took the floor and said that he didn't realize that the recommendation was "going to come to this". He said his main interest was in the boys and girls of Newberry, and that he would request the withdrawal of the recommendation that the coaches salaries be increased for next year. He said that he would work with other members of the faculty for a pay raise for all teachers. County school officials said la ter that the controversy began when several patrons met with the Newberry Area Advisory committee and requested it to recommend a pay increase of $£00 for C each Kimmell and $500 for each of his assistants, the increases to be financed from athletic gate receipts. The committee made the recom mendation to Principal Mabry, who in turn forwarded it for consideration by the County Board of Education. The request had not come before the Board at the time the classroom teachers made their request for the special meeting. Gate receipts for athletic e- vents are normally used to buy equipment for athletic teams and finance trips to athletic events. CLUB RECIPROCITY MEETING SET The reciprocity meeting of the Literary Club will be held at the Community Hall on Wed nesday. Jan. 20. at 4 p m. Dr. Chapman J. Milling, p r o m i- nent physician and author of Columbia, will be the guest speaker. Each year the Club secures an outstanding South Carolina author to speak to its mem bers, representatives of commu nity organizations, and other invited guests. This year’s speaker. Dr Milling, has won fame in two ways, as a long time pratiemg physician and as the author of numerous books, poems, and articles. Eight Newberry' High School Band members have been named members and alternates of the Central District Band, following auditions in Columbia before the Christmas holidays. The Central District is one of three districts in the state, and is^ composed of 18 counties, including Richland, Lexington, Aiken, Chester ^nd Sumter. These students will audition with students from the other districts for the All-State Band which will convene January 29-31 at Furman University. From left, front row, are Mary Martha Avedisian, Claire Avedhuan, Donna Shea ly, Conii Sanders; back row, Steve Brad ley, Bobby Wessinger, Danny Hazel, De metrius Glass. (Sunphoto by Steve Armfield)