Our Past Is Present December 21, 2017

December 21, 2017

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is titled “Remembering County School Christmas Programs”.  We are sure that many of our listeners, who experienced a County School Christmas Program have fond memories of them.  Some years ago the late Gaylord Munson and Grace Britt Horner reminisced about these occasions at our Spring Valley Historical Site at the corner of K-18 and Spring Valley Road.  There was no electricity at the school so the evening Christmas programs were illuminated with oil lamps and lanterns.  The school was heated with a pot-bellied stove. The classroom where the programs were held was barely as large as a living room.  So, parents and family members stood across the back and around the sides of the school room.

            A makeshift stage was arranged in the front of the room.  Curtains for the stage were always made out of bed sheets.  The sheets were attached with safety pins to a wire stretched across the front.  Gaylord recalled that “some student was always delegated to be the curtain-puller.  This always made the (curtain-puller) feel important.” 

            The program consisted of singing carols and recitations.  Gaylord Munson claimed he was such a poor singer, because the music training at Spring Valley School wasn’t much to brag about.  It seems when the teacher would try to play the old organ, which had to be pumped with the player’s feet, mice would run out.  When that happened, the teacher would be up on the organ stool screaming.”

            Mary Bell Read Glick recounted her memories of school days at Brookside, the old Taylor School and Christmas programs she enjoyed. “There was a box supper and a Christmas play with a variety of programs and recitations.  Mary also remembered that her mother took baked goods she had made at home” and shared with those who attended the programs.

            Giving recitations in front of friends and family could have been a frightening experience for some, but was also a good experience of speaking in front of people.  There have been or will be many programs at schools this season.  We hope you have had an opportunity to attend a Christmas program in one or more of our Geary County Schools this season to enjoy the talent of our students led by our amazing music teachers. 

            And… thanks for reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.