The Guide

12 THE GUIDE Thursday, November 23, 1961

COUNTY LINE with Ed Knight

THANKSGIVING time is here again. It's time for giving thanks, feasting, togetherness, turkeys, footballs and sweaters. Surely everyone has a favorite holiday. Well, mine is Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING is primarily a North American tradition, although England other Western European countries were celebrating harvest festivals long before the Pilgrims held their famous first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. BUT THERE was a good reason for that first Thanksgiving. The winter of 1620, the first year the Pilgrims were here, was a particularly severe one for the Pilgrims. Almost half of the Pilgrim settlement was wiped out. SO, WHEN the 1621 crop proved to be a good one Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1961, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer. And what a feast it was. It was in preparation for a month and the feast itself lasted for three days. And that was the beginning of Thanksgiving. THE CUSTOM spread to other colonies and during the Revolutionary War increased to eight special days of thanks for Yankee victories and good crops. With the war over, President George Washinton in 1789 issued a proclamation for a day of thanks each year. BUT IT took the Episcopal Church to announce that the first Thursday in each November would be set aside for Thanksgiving Day. It was a haphazard affair, being celebrated on any one of the four or five Thursdays in November. NEW YORK in the north and Virginia in the south were the first two states to establish regular Thanksgiving Days. The other states soon followed suit. But it still was not a national day. FINALLY, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, under pressure of Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale (whose only other contribution to history was that she wrote the children's poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb") proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving. MRS. HALE, the editor of a ladies' magazine entitled Godey's Lady's Book, worked for 30 years to have a national Thanksgiving Day. She promoted the holiday through her news columns and open letters to presidents. LINCOLN'S last Thursday in November Thanksgiving lasted until 1939 when President F. D. Roosevelt proclaimed the third Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. ALMOST NONE of the Republicans and few Democrats went along with FDR's decree and in 1941 Congress, by joint action, passed a law making the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. And there we stand today. CANADA, too, has a Thanksgiving, but that holiday is and always has been celebrated in October, rather than in November. It formerly was celebrated the last Monday in Oct., but in 1951 the Canadian Parliament proclaimed the second Monday as the official one. And there the Canadians stand.

SW High Pioneers Traffic Forum

By JOY CHERRY Correspondent Southwest High School made history again when they hosted the first county-wide Inter-school Traffic Safety Council in Florida at Southwest last Thursday. Two representatives from each of 17 Dade County high schools were invited by the Southwest Traffic Safety Committee to discuss plans for a student organization which could pool ideas for special safe driving projects and promotions among teenagers. Kathy Valletta, acting chairman for the initial meeting is the originator of the idea for a Countywide Safety Traffic Council. USHERS SERVE Mrs. Lou D. McLean, drama director, has organized a special group at Southwest High to serve as ushers at all school activities. Under the leadership of Crystal Hill, 12 members of the group ushered at the Orchestra Concert last Friday night. Members of the new organization are Julie Heisser, Janet Ives, Florence Cohan, Anita Barber, Ruth Ann Hellwig. Vivian Bonifer, Cecile Griffen, Cheryll Talcott, Lynne Reinner, Joy Cherry, Rhea Goldman, Margot Carpenter, Deborah Romoser, Brenda Hanlin and Crystal Hill. Others are Wendy Crawford, Merle Katz, Ann Reddish, Kathy Nathanson, Chris Bosley, Harold Saive, Richard Wiegel, Ford Mason, Madison Kelley, Don Wright, Brian Sovern and Doug Gault. TRAFFIC PROJECT A split - second crash will do more damage to a car than 1,500 blows from a 12-pound sledge hammer. This was proved recently when 500 students each had three chances to swing at a car in good condition. The car, secured by Officer Harold Griffin, was badly smashed after four days of battering. Officer Griffin of the Metro Traffic Safety Division then brought in a car completely demolished as a result of a few minutes of illegal speeding. A total wreck resulted when the car turned over several times and finally landed in a canal. This project was another enterprise of the "Lancer's" Traffic Safety program. BROADCAST Southwest student broadcasters are busy this month appearing on three programs over Station WVCG in Coral Gables. A group from the mixed chorus directed by Mrs. Margaret deSola will present a 30 minute program of Thanksgiving songs at 11 a.m. today (Thursday). Sheryl Ennis will narrate the program arranged around the theme, "America, Land of Liberty," for which Diana Mills wrote the script. Diana Zacharias is accompanist. Tuesday the signing of the Mayflower Compact was commemorated by scripts written and taped by six students. Broadcasters were Melodie Betts, Sharon Shamblin, Cathy Nicholas, Edmund Weglarz, Jane Chase and Jennifer Rowland. VETERAN'S DAY Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, was recognized with vignettes of American war heroes prepared by Imogene Beckwith, Linda Carlson, William Esty, Deanna Hall, Stanley Echols and Baia Castle. Columbus as well as other early Florida explorers were presented Oct. 12 by Carolyn O'Malley, Laura Beckwith, Jo-Ann Myer, Carol Lindstrom, Diana Smolenyak and Robert Williams. The broadcasts are part of a year-long patriotic program entitled "America in Words of Freedom, Deeds of Courage." TRI-M INDUCTS Modern Music Masters announced the induction of 20 new members into the chapter. The club is composed of outstanding music students who have maintained an overall B average with an A in all music courses. The National Music Honor Society is headed by Tom Williams, president. Phillip Fink, Southwest orchestra director, is the sponsor. New members are Renee Weiner, Paula Pinnas, Madelyn Pinnas, Joan Cohnstein, Holmes Ives, Linda Nunery, Diana Zacharias, Jo-Ann Vineyard, Bill Heins. Lenore Teisan, Juliette Heisser, Margo Carpenter, Susan Schlein, Betty Denn, George Uffenorde, David Alquist, Diane Clein, Martha Ketcham and Judy Basset: A get acquainted party was held Nov. 18 and the formal initiation ceremony Nov. 21 in the chorus room. TEAMS VICTORIOUS Two records were broken with double victories by 1" "A" and "B" girls volleyball teams after they each won a plaque at the tournament held at Palmetto High. This is the first time Southwest has won an A championship as a senior high and the first time it has received two plaques at the same sportsday.

Lory's Sale of Dark Cotton Dresses

A delightful selection of sheaths and shirtwaists in a glorious array of new colors. Prints and solids. Including many famous names in fashion. Sizes 5 to 18. REG. TO 12.99 5.88 REG. TO 14.99 7.88 REG. TO 19.99 9.88 Exciting Holiday dresse and sportswear for your festive occasions and gift giving. Do come in and thrill to our selections. Lory's CENTRAL SHOPPING PLAZA 37th Ave. & N.W. 7th St. OPEN EVERY EVENING 'TIL 9 USE LORY'S CHARGE AT NO EXTRA COST!

WATCH REPAIR SPECIAL $4.50 PLUS PARTS

Complete Overhaul Clean Crystal and Dial Clean and Check Mainspring Electrically Timed Polish Case and Band Automatics Slightly Higher Unconditionally Guaranteed THE HOME OF BLUE WHITE DIAMONDS Crosby JEWELERS OPEN 10 A.M. - 9 P.M. FREE PARKING Central Shopping Plaza N.W. 37th Ave. & 7th St. NE 3-3111