The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, January 14, 1971, Image 1
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sistants be withdrawn.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)