REFLECTIONS OF MOREHOUSE HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVE
I. INTRODUCTION: At the last “Class of 69” Reunion in 2009, class attendees were asked to stand, reintroduce themselves and announce their favorite teacher and fondest memory. Some class attendees went a step further and declared what Morehouse had meant to them and what this school had done to advance their lives. As such, this is a proposal to capture and archive, not only the class of 69, but all Morehouse High School (MHS) attendees. These precious memories won’t last forever and they will then be lost to the community and the enrichment of Morehouse Parish history for eternity. This is especially poignant as we approach the Centennial Anniversary of Morehouse High School, 1916-2016.
II. SITUATION:
a. To date there are three (3) known locally produced resources for the history of Morehouse Training School/Morehouse High School, and numerous Reunion Souvenir books:
i. “The Tiger” Morehouse Parish Training School/Morehouse High School, Memory Book, compiled by Members of Place Aux Dames Civic and Social Club, 1976.
ii. Morehouse High School, Class of ’69, “Then and Now” 40 Years Later, 2010.
iii. Morehouse Parish Training School/Morehouse High School, 1916-1969, Tenth Morehouse Reunion, June 28 to July 01, 2012.
b. There is only one (1) known locally created website subject to Morehouse High School: http://morehousehigh.weebly.com Created by: William R. Jordan. Contact information is: [email protected] Other contact persons identified on this site.
c. While some of these resources capture the “depth” of Morehouse High School, none captures the “breadth” of Morehouse High School, the extensive viewpoints of each individual attendee and archives their reflections of Morehouse High School for family, friends, the community and Morehouse Parish history, before these narrative records becomes extinct.
III. PROPOSAL: This is a proposal for the “Last Class Of The House” to undertake an initiative to capture and archive the “Reflections Of Morehouse High School” of cooperating alumni/alumnae, former attendees, teachers, administrators and staff. This we do in Memory of Melvina Ford-James. She still motivates us to “Make a Difference by Making Things Happen.”
IV. PURPOSES:
a. Consolidate and preserve memories, stories, anecdotes and photographs of MHS for the community and history.
b. Celebrate major events and activities of MHS overtime.
c. Engage MHS alumni and interested individuals with each other in a unique way.
d. Strengthen bonds between MHS and this community over time and distance.
e. Create an archive that secures the MHS Legacy.
V. EXECUTION:
a. If concurred with, make contact with resource persons for validation to move forward: (To Build Support First)
i. Morehouse Reunion Committee
ii. Website Owner(s)
iii. Former Supportive Teachers—Mr. Twymon, Mr. Hawkins, etc.
b. Create letter of introduction to the “REFLECTIONS OF MOREHOUSE INITIATIVE” for publication and dissemination. (Sample attached)
c. If website owners concur, Create webpage for participants to submit their memories, stories, anecdotes, and photographs of MHS online, by July 2015. (One Year Out)
(Sample Form Attached)
d. Obtain approval to post the MHS Historical Sketch from “The Tiger” to the website to serve as a memory jogger and an attempt to consolidate the various resources into a single location.
e. Establish committee to monitor submissions, not later than July 2015.
f. Notify Melvina’s family about this initiative in her memory before it becomes public knowledge.
g. Be prepared to edit submissions before publishing/posting. (To Keep it Clean and Appropriate!)
h. Be prepared to solicit more participation and present (some of) the heretofore results at the next MHS Reunion in July 2016.
i. Be prepared to Archive collected reflections not later than December 2016.
j. Be prepared for unscheduled meetings to address actions as deemed appropriate (Anybody SKYPE???)
k. Request that the Morehouse Reunion Committee announce and publicize this “Reflections Of Morehouse” initiative in all correspondence and advertisements.
VI. ADDITIONAL:
a. MOREHOUSE HIGH SCHOOL CENTENNIAL PARADE—“Blue and Gold Forever” as the Highlight Event
i. Engage Mayor, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Better Business Bureau in planning a “MHS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION” Parade from City Hall to MHS Campus (Just like 50 years ago)
1. Invite local school bands,
2. Show car clubs, etc.
3. Local Civic Organizations, etc.
4. Invite neighboring parishes with knowledge of or involvement with Morehouse High School
5. Wear colors---Blue & Gold
6. Make “100 YEARS AGO/Centennial Celebration,” “53 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE” banners and signs
7. Ask the mayor to invite Robert Love to be the Grand Marshall, a name that might draw the community’s attention and participation.
ii. Purpose
1. To encourage and motivate alumni (alumnae), attendees, former teachers, administrators and staff to reflect on MHS in a good way and participate in preserving the MHS Legacy.
2. To engage the majority of the Bastrop & Morehouse community in a common theme.
3. To garner revenue for the community would be the selling point for the COC, BBB and LC.
4. To demonstrate that the Morehouse Spirit and Pride still lives on 47 years after the fact through its alumni/alumnae, former attendees, teachers, administrators and staff.
5. To Celebrate the historical significance of the contribution MHS made to Bastrop and the Morehouse parish community for 53 years when there was no other alternative as far as free public education was concerned for black people at that time.
6. To propagate that old MHS spirit, pride and history on to posterity.
7. Be forever mindful that this could be the last reunion for some of us. It should be so deserving and appropriate.
b. MOST OUTSTANDING FLOAT CONTEST
i. Involve local children’s/young adult organizations in designing and decorating a float for the former “Miss Morehouse” to ride on in the parade.
ii. Offer a scholarship to the organization to present to the member who demonstrated the most dedication to the project.
iii. Ask the former “Miss MHS” to be the judges of which float they would choose to ride on in the parade. This will require being Safety Conscious.
c. PRODUCE A HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
i. Request to review the MHS archives and records at the Morehouse Parish School Board and the Daily News Offices for editorials, news stories, pictures, etc. from which to produce a short video production of the Morehouse Story.
ii. Request assistance from the local and neighboring media outlets; i.e. Floyd Bowman.
iii. Solicit from the alumni, attendees, teachers, administrators, staff and interested community members; to upload any pictures they might have from Old Morehouse Days, from which to select suitable material for a brief historical documentary.
iv. Request permission to incorporate the historical information from the references into the Morehouse website.
v. Be prepared to present this historical documentary at a special premiere during the Reunion in 2016, at an appropriate time to be determined (TBD).
d. TIME TREK—Take a Step Back In Time Tour of the Old Morehouse School.
i. Request approval from the School Board to allow the old MHS alumni to stroll down memory lane through the halls, take pictures, talk about and tell stories of where it all started.
ii. Allow participants to walk the hallowed halls and grounds one more time.
iii. The premiere of the historical documentary could precede or succeed the TIME TREK. Probably preceding may have more meaning.
e. MEDIA DAY—Consider a media day where the community, and quite possibly the surrounding parishes, can come our to a designated location to share their thoughts, remembrances, and/or feelings of MHS from back in the day.
i. Schedule two (2) dates but only announce the first. Use of the second scheduled date will be determined by the response to the first date.
ii. Engage the local media in setting up interview stations.
iii. Establish a phone line, similar to a telethon, for residents to phone in their comments.
iv. Announce and advertise the website where people may upload their audio and video Reflections Of MHS.
v. Of course volunteers will be required for editing all these submissions for suitability and good taste.
vi. Announce and publish MHS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION agenda at least one year out to allow for planning purposes.
Source: Morehouse Class of 1969
I. INTRODUCTION: At the last “Class of 69” Reunion in 2009, class attendees were asked to stand, reintroduce themselves and announce their favorite teacher and fondest memory. Some class attendees went a step further and declared what Morehouse had meant to them and what this school had done to advance their lives. As such, this is a proposal to capture and archive, not only the class of 69, but all Morehouse High School (MHS) attendees. These precious memories won’t last forever and they will then be lost to the community and the enrichment of Morehouse Parish history for eternity. This is especially poignant as we approach the Centennial Anniversary of Morehouse High School, 1916-2016.
II. SITUATION:
a. To date there are three (3) known locally produced resources for the history of Morehouse Training School/Morehouse High School, and numerous Reunion Souvenir books:
i. “The Tiger” Morehouse Parish Training School/Morehouse High School, Memory Book, compiled by Members of Place Aux Dames Civic and Social Club, 1976.
ii. Morehouse High School, Class of ’69, “Then and Now” 40 Years Later, 2010.
iii. Morehouse Parish Training School/Morehouse High School, 1916-1969, Tenth Morehouse Reunion, June 28 to July 01, 2012.
b. There is only one (1) known locally created website subject to Morehouse High School: http://morehousehigh.weebly.com Created by: William R. Jordan. Contact information is: [email protected] Other contact persons identified on this site.
c. While some of these resources capture the “depth” of Morehouse High School, none captures the “breadth” of Morehouse High School, the extensive viewpoints of each individual attendee and archives their reflections of Morehouse High School for family, friends, the community and Morehouse Parish history, before these narrative records becomes extinct.
III. PROPOSAL: This is a proposal for the “Last Class Of The House” to undertake an initiative to capture and archive the “Reflections Of Morehouse High School” of cooperating alumni/alumnae, former attendees, teachers, administrators and staff. This we do in Memory of Melvina Ford-James. She still motivates us to “Make a Difference by Making Things Happen.”
IV. PURPOSES:
a. Consolidate and preserve memories, stories, anecdotes and photographs of MHS for the community and history.
b. Celebrate major events and activities of MHS overtime.
c. Engage MHS alumni and interested individuals with each other in a unique way.
d. Strengthen bonds between MHS and this community over time and distance.
e. Create an archive that secures the MHS Legacy.
V. EXECUTION:
a. If concurred with, make contact with resource persons for validation to move forward: (To Build Support First)
i. Morehouse Reunion Committee
ii. Website Owner(s)
iii. Former Supportive Teachers—Mr. Twymon, Mr. Hawkins, etc.
b. Create letter of introduction to the “REFLECTIONS OF MOREHOUSE INITIATIVE” for publication and dissemination. (Sample attached)
c. If website owners concur, Create webpage for participants to submit their memories, stories, anecdotes, and photographs of MHS online, by July 2015. (One Year Out)
(Sample Form Attached)
d. Obtain approval to post the MHS Historical Sketch from “The Tiger” to the website to serve as a memory jogger and an attempt to consolidate the various resources into a single location.
e. Establish committee to monitor submissions, not later than July 2015.
f. Notify Melvina’s family about this initiative in her memory before it becomes public knowledge.
g. Be prepared to edit submissions before publishing/posting. (To Keep it Clean and Appropriate!)
h. Be prepared to solicit more participation and present (some of) the heretofore results at the next MHS Reunion in July 2016.
i. Be prepared to Archive collected reflections not later than December 2016.
j. Be prepared for unscheduled meetings to address actions as deemed appropriate (Anybody SKYPE???)
k. Request that the Morehouse Reunion Committee announce and publicize this “Reflections Of Morehouse” initiative in all correspondence and advertisements.
VI. ADDITIONAL:
a. MOREHOUSE HIGH SCHOOL CENTENNIAL PARADE—“Blue and Gold Forever” as the Highlight Event
i. Engage Mayor, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Better Business Bureau in planning a “MHS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION” Parade from City Hall to MHS Campus (Just like 50 years ago)
1. Invite local school bands,
2. Show car clubs, etc.
3. Local Civic Organizations, etc.
4. Invite neighboring parishes with knowledge of or involvement with Morehouse High School
5. Wear colors---Blue & Gold
6. Make “100 YEARS AGO/Centennial Celebration,” “53 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE” banners and signs
7. Ask the mayor to invite Robert Love to be the Grand Marshall, a name that might draw the community’s attention and participation.
ii. Purpose
1. To encourage and motivate alumni (alumnae), attendees, former teachers, administrators and staff to reflect on MHS in a good way and participate in preserving the MHS Legacy.
2. To engage the majority of the Bastrop & Morehouse community in a common theme.
3. To garner revenue for the community would be the selling point for the COC, BBB and LC.
4. To demonstrate that the Morehouse Spirit and Pride still lives on 47 years after the fact through its alumni/alumnae, former attendees, teachers, administrators and staff.
5. To Celebrate the historical significance of the contribution MHS made to Bastrop and the Morehouse parish community for 53 years when there was no other alternative as far as free public education was concerned for black people at that time.
6. To propagate that old MHS spirit, pride and history on to posterity.
7. Be forever mindful that this could be the last reunion for some of us. It should be so deserving and appropriate.
b. MOST OUTSTANDING FLOAT CONTEST
i. Involve local children’s/young adult organizations in designing and decorating a float for the former “Miss Morehouse” to ride on in the parade.
ii. Offer a scholarship to the organization to present to the member who demonstrated the most dedication to the project.
iii. Ask the former “Miss MHS” to be the judges of which float they would choose to ride on in the parade. This will require being Safety Conscious.
c. PRODUCE A HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
i. Request to review the MHS archives and records at the Morehouse Parish School Board and the Daily News Offices for editorials, news stories, pictures, etc. from which to produce a short video production of the Morehouse Story.
ii. Request assistance from the local and neighboring media outlets; i.e. Floyd Bowman.
iii. Solicit from the alumni, attendees, teachers, administrators, staff and interested community members; to upload any pictures they might have from Old Morehouse Days, from which to select suitable material for a brief historical documentary.
iv. Request permission to incorporate the historical information from the references into the Morehouse website.
v. Be prepared to present this historical documentary at a special premiere during the Reunion in 2016, at an appropriate time to be determined (TBD).
d. TIME TREK—Take a Step Back In Time Tour of the Old Morehouse School.
i. Request approval from the School Board to allow the old MHS alumni to stroll down memory lane through the halls, take pictures, talk about and tell stories of where it all started.
ii. Allow participants to walk the hallowed halls and grounds one more time.
iii. The premiere of the historical documentary could precede or succeed the TIME TREK. Probably preceding may have more meaning.
e. MEDIA DAY—Consider a media day where the community, and quite possibly the surrounding parishes, can come our to a designated location to share their thoughts, remembrances, and/or feelings of MHS from back in the day.
i. Schedule two (2) dates but only announce the first. Use of the second scheduled date will be determined by the response to the first date.
ii. Engage the local media in setting up interview stations.
iii. Establish a phone line, similar to a telethon, for residents to phone in their comments.
iv. Announce and advertise the website where people may upload their audio and video Reflections Of MHS.
v. Of course volunteers will be required for editing all these submissions for suitability and good taste.
vi. Announce and publish MHS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION agenda at least one year out to allow for planning purposes.
Source: Morehouse Class of 1969