June 12, 2019 Page 7C
iR porter
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.nef
Great memories from the past
can become great memories of
the present with some imagina-
tion and sometimes with a lot of
work. Tift College created loads
of memories for its students, fac-
ulty and staff and for the Forsyth
community, and the annual May
Day celebration was an event
that fueled many of the most
lasting memories.
After a conversation with
friends, Shelia Wade Keener, Tift
Class of 1973, decided that it
would be fun to get together as
many past May Day participants
as possible to share their memo-
ries. She, with help from some
friends, took on the arduous
task of contacting as many May
Queens, members of the May
Court and WAA Presidents as
possible from 1950 to 1987 and
inviting them to Forsyth for an
afternoon of re-connecting and
sharing memories.
She secured the Monroe
County Clubhouse and planned
decorations and refreshments in
May Day at Tiff College meant
lots of fun.
Some of those active in .rift College May
Forsyth home. (Photos/Diane Glidewell)
all those pastel, shiny, dressy May
Day styles. She began research-
ing yearbooks and archives
and picking at brains for all the
memories she could find to as-
semble information about over
30 May Day celebrations and all
the people involved in them.
It took time and effort, but
Shelia said she had a lot of fun
beautiful dresses, beautiful girls and
Day celebrations now call
along the way with the people
she met and all the dots she
connected as she created im-
ages of the Tift College May Day
festivities over the years.She said
that of the people she invited to
the luncheon on May 4, over 90
responded.
"It started as a joke at Grits last
year," said Shelia. "Some of them
haven't seen each other since
they graduated."
However, many of those who
reigned as May Day queens,
served on the queen's court
or helped organize May Day
activities have made Forsyth
their home. Wynella Martin of
the Class of 1950 represented
the most distant May Day at the
luncheon. Some of the other
Forsyth ladies present were Kay
Bonner, Adecia Walker, Mary
Isla Haygood, Carey Russell,
LaVue Sanders, Shelly Shuman
and Johnnie Sylvain.
Signs, posters, a photo back-
drop, tables bedecked with pastel
ribbons and flowers and even be-
jeweled name tags all prodaimed
the elegant May Day court salute
to Spring. Pictures from the past
showed girls in flowing, formal
dresses, ready to welcome all
admirers, and memories of the
Maypole dance Olr the court-
house lawn were shared.
"Bless our fellowship and our
sisterhood and those who pre-
pared this luncheon, especially
Shelia,' was the prayer before the
guests lined up for refreshments.
"I never talked to so many
people I didn't know" said Shelia.
"Tilt girls will talk to anyone.
Thank you for making a pipe
dream a reality"
She said she felt like she asked
people to help her identify hun-
dreds of thousands of pictures.
She said she found some amaz-
ing memories along the way.
One of the special guests was
Dr. Cathryn Futral, a beloved
Tilt College professor. As Shelia
introduced Gloria Raney Dean,
one of those with a good memo-
ry, she commented, "I never saw
so many accolades as her senior
yearbook"
Shelia said she did find a May
Day pattern; many who served
on the court eventually became
May queen. There were special
stories of younger brothers who
served on their sister's courts.
There were memories of the
Gordon Military College cadets
who escorted the May queen and
her court.
Shelly Salter Shuman kept
extensive scrapbooks and year-
books. She explained how her
Tift class from the 1960's gets
together quarterly at different
places around Georgia.
After the pink, lavender, baby
blue, pale yellow or mint green
full-skirted antebellum-style
dresses or some variation all
made alike by dedicated seam-
stresses, there were field days
with three-legged races, high
jump contests, cheerleading
exhibitions. There were memo-
ries of the bowling league, the
volleyball teams, the tumbling
team, the swimming club and
earning athletic letters on the
point system.
"This has far exceeded my
expectations!" said Shelia.
Friends met and remembered at the May Day reunion at Monroe
County Clubhouse on May 4.
Parents must register stu-
dents at the Monroe County
Extension Office and all reg-
istration is on a first-come
first-serve basis. For more
information contact Monroe
County Extension 90 Martin
Luther King lr. Dr Forsyth,
GA 31029. (478) 994-7014
Courtney McElveen, 4-H
Agent: Cmcelveen@uga.
edu Heather Hardin, 4-H
Program Assistant: heather.
hardin@uga.edu
The following are
open to all 4th-12th
graders
Cupcake Wars
Date: Wednesda June 19
Time: 1-4 p.m. Cost: $10
Minimum Participants: 5
Location: Monroe County
Extension Office Registra-
tion Deadline: June 14
Cake Wars is a popular
television show on Food
Network. Bakers compete
to make the bestcakes. We
invite you to join our com-
petition, much like Cake
Wars but with cupcakes and
a whole lot of fun! We will
provide all of the supplies!
Cache In Trash Out
Date: Thursday, June
20 Time: 8:30 a.m. -12
p.m. Cost: $10 Min/Max
Participants: 5/10 Drop off/ Date: Wednesday; July
pick-up: Monroe County 10 Time: 8:30 a.m. -4
Extension Office Registra- p.m. Cost: $10 Min/Max
tion Deadline: June 14 Participants: 5/10 Drop off/
Come learn about pick-up: Monroe County
geocaching and how you Extension Office Registra-
play a part in keeping our tion Deadline: July 3
environment clean all at the Spend the day with teen
same. Lead by teen leader leader Savannah Brock,
Maddie Combs this active learning about Georgia's
morning is sure to be a beaches, marine life, and
blast! how conversation plays a
Make and Take Vinyl Art part in saving marine life.
Date: Tuesday, June 25 Wet games, crafts and lunch
Time: 1-4 p.m. Cost: $ provided.
5 Location: Monroe County Wild Animal Safari and
Extension Office Registra- Little White House
tion Deadline: June 19 Date: Tuesday, July 16
Students will create a vinyl Cost: $ 60 Minimum
design or saying and apply Participants: 10 Drop off/
it to their very own canvas pick-up: Monroe County
art world Extension Office Registra-
Georgia Aquarium and tion Deadline: July 5
World of Coke Have you ever seen a
Date: Tuesday, July 9 Cost: giraffe in person? You can
$ 65 Minimum Partici- see that and so much more
pants: 10 Drop off/pick-up: on the W tld Animal Safari.
Monroe County Extension Afterwards we will enjoy
Office Registration Dead- a picnic and visit the Little
line: July I White House in Warm
Come join us for a fun Springs, Georgia.
day in the big ATL! We will Rock Ranch Summer
visit the Georgia Aquarium Days
in the morning and after Date: Thursday, July
lunch we wiU have a blast at 18 Cost: $17 Min/Max
The World of Coke! Participants: 5/10 Drop off/
Salt Life is the Best Life pick-up: Monroe County
Extension Office Registra- DANCE PARTY!!! Come Date: Thursda% June
tion Deadline: July 1 join us for a night of fun 27 Time: TBA Cost: $40
There is tons of fun to before school starts back! Min/Max Participants: 5/9
have at the Rock Ranch The following are Drop off/pick-up: Monroe
Summer Days on the Farm just for 7th-12th County Extension Office
and what better way to grade Registration Deadline: July
enjoy it than with your 4-H Ciin the 17
friends! Date: Thursday, June 13 Do you have what it take
4-H Day at the Atlanta Time: TBA Cost: $25 Drop to solve the situation and
Braves off/pick-up: Monroe break free? Join as we head
Date: Sunday, July 21 County Extension Office to thd Situation Room in
Time:l:20 p.m. Cost: $ We will start the day off Macon to put our skiUs to
15 Location: SunTrust Park right with bowling andthe test!
Registration Deadline: July games at the Main Event, U.S. National White Wa-
26 followed by a tour of tel" Center, Charlotte, N.C.
Join 4-H Members from Oglethorpe University and Date: Tuesday, July 11
across Georgia as we come afterwards we will head to & 12 Cost: $95 Minimum
together to cheer on the Stone Mountain to enjoy Participants: 10 Drop off/
Atlanta Braves and cel- the laser show! Lunch pick-up: Monroe County
ebrate 4-H. Parents and included! Extension Office Registra-
siblings are encouraged to Halfway to DPA Pizza tion Deadline: June 7
attend this event, therefore and Portfolios Join us for the ulti-
transportation to the game Date: Thursday, June 20 mate trip of the summer!
will not be provided. Time: 1-4 p.m. Cost: FREE Each participant will
Neon Dance Party Minimum Participants: 3 receiver a day pass which
Date: Friday, August 2 Location: Monroe County encludes: Whitewater Raft-
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Extension Office Registra- hag, Ziplines, Deep Water
Cost: $ 5 Location: Monroe tion Deadline: June 17Solo, Jumps, Ropes, Climb-
County Club House Regis- Believe it or not we ing, Flatwater Kayaking,
tration Deadline: July I are halfway through the Stand-Up Paddleboarding,
Come join us for a night portfolio year! There is no Whitewater Kayaking,
of fun before school starts time like the present to get a Mountain Biking. After a
back! There is no better head start on those portfo- day of fun in the sun we
way to end the summer lios. It is also a great time will enjoy a nice evening
than with an evening to get one on one help, plus under the stars as we tent
filled with friends, games, you get FREE FOOD! camp at McDowell Nature
refreshments and a NEON The Situation Room Preserve!
YTH ROTARY CLUB
Diana Walks, former vice
president of a major health
care system and now owner
of a new senior home health
care business, gave Rotarians
an informative overview of the
services provided by her organi-
zation. They "take the hassle out
of home care" with care ranging
from "meal planning and prepa-
ration, transportation to~from
providers, light housekeeping,
to bathing and dressing, home
exercise programs, medica-
tion reminders and more." They
are licensed to serve Monroe
and surrounding counties. Wilks
included a heart-touching testimony of the motivation behind the origin of the organiza-
tion- her grandmother and father. Your Home Senior Care is leaning forward in electronic
care. They work through ATT cellular to provide everything from fall monitoring to medical
appointment reminders. Pictured are Wilks, left, and Rotary President Barbara Dean.
t
Senior residents
at Bolingreen
Health and Reha-
bilitation enjoyed
an evening of
warm company,
tasty food, and
nostalgic music.
The center hosted
their family night
celebration with
new local band,
Mocha Latte.
Local Rotarian
and band leader
Cheryl Treadwell
teamed up with
Rotarian and Fa-
cility Administra-
tor Michael Barry
to bring a festive
time for his resi-
dents, their families and
- Keyboard, Poindexter
staff. Pictured is the Mocha Latte' Band, left to right, Benny Watts
(Bunny) Evans - Bass, Cheryl Treadwell - Singer, Elliott Chambliss
- Percussion, Walter Leak - Lead Guitar.
i
