"RALLY DAY' 

 On Wednesday, April 14, the 4-H Clubs of Sunflower County met at its county site, Indianola, for an all day rally. Each school of the county was fully represented by active members of the 4-H Club. 
 The clubs met at the theatre where an interesting and inspirig program was delivered. The welcome address was delivered by Mr. Yarbrough, County Superintendent of Education. Rev. Hankins, of the Baptist Church, delivered an inspiring talk on "Youth." Other talks were made by Mrs. Powell, an active 4-H Club worker, and Mr. Sam Jones of Blaine, who led in the singing. 
 As the day ended, all clubs returned to the theatre where a free show was to be given. Bring a humorous show, it was enjoyed by everyone. After the show, the loving cup was awarded. We, the Linn Club, were very disappointed in not receiving the award, which went to the Wade 4-H Club. However, we are ever striving to take the cup from them at the next 4-H Club Rally." 

"JUST IMAGINE" 

"Laura Jane with straight hair. 
Eska Mae flirting. 
Lena Mae not being prissy. 
Cathleen being still 10 minutes ? (word left off - should it be 'early' or 'late'? 
Gottrell Wright with a wart on his nose. 
Josephine Stokes with an Adams apple. 
Mose Robinson with freckles. 
Evelyn Aikens not in love. 
Anthony with big ears. 
Clifton not being dumb. 
Nell Sims giggling. 
Ruth Sheppard with a long neck. 
Cathryn Doty with a pug nose. 
Myrtle Coleman interested in the opera. 
11th and 12th grades being the quietest classes in school. 
Wilson Edwards not talking back." 

"RECITAL HELD AT LINN" 

 March 17, a recital was held here by Myrtle Lindsey, one of our former students. She sang ten songs one of which she will sing one month from that date in the State Field Meet. 
 We were very glad to have Myrtle with us, and feel assured she will be successful when sings "Jasmine Door" in the Field Meet." 

From the school paper Linn Hi-Life, Vol.1, No. 2, Doddsville, Mississippi, April 22, 1937: 

"Featuring the Seniors of '37  
Class Motto: "Heights Beckon Us On"  
Class Flower: Pink Rose  
Class Roll: Eska Mae Chism, Lena Mae Edwards, Wilson Edwards, Ottis Faulkner, Dauvard Jones, Marilyn Lindsey, Broughton Lovett, Kathleen Ratliff, Clifford Smith, Agnes Spencer, Josephine Stokes  

Activities:  
Class Night - May 7  
Baccalaureate Sermon - May 9  
Graduation - May 10  

DELTA LITERARY MEET  

"Saturday, March 27 (1937) twelve students sallied forth from Linn High to Greenwood in Delta Literary Meet. It has been the custom for quite a few years for each class to select one representative from each class to take examinations along with students from other schools in this meet. These papers are judged by disinterested judges who then announce the winners.  

"The following represented Linn:  

"Eddene Chism - Algebra I  
Gertrude Johnson - English I 
Francis Powell - Business Math.  
Francis Ringgold - English II  
John Taylor - World History  
Evelyn Aikens - English III  
Edwin McCool - Plane Geometry  
Gotrell Wright - Biology  
Agnes Spencer - English IV  
Broughton Lovett - U.S. History  
Sybil Wright - Home Economics  
Eugene Kirk - Agriculture "  

contributed by Mozelle Chason 

 What makes a town?  As the poet say:  It is greater than its bridges; its bricks and mortar; its towers or palaces; its churches or halls.  A town is as great as its people-- the little and big; the renowned and the common man. 
 In many ways Drew meets those qualifications.  Drew comes to the rescue of the needy.  She brightens the hours of the sick and hopeless by cards, visits, and gifts. 
 The bride-elect is started on her housekeeping career with many gifts. I doubt if there is another town that goes all out for her as Drew does.  Just count the showers for this summer alone to verify this statement. 
 When one passes on to another life, what town gives more flowers and memorials than Drew?  I doubt that any others do.  Many visit the home of the bereaved to cheer those left behind, make the hours easier by taking in dish of food so they need not be bothered with chores at this time. 
 Of course, we all know Drew is not perfect.  There are many things we as citizens and neighbors could do to make our town a better place in which to live.  That is challenge to each one of us.  Our motto could be: FORGET SELF FOR THE WHOLE. 
 A good citizen and neighbor who has lived many years among us handed me a little poem last week that voices in rhyme what I have been saying: 

 Mrs. Sherwood shows a wonderful spirit in her poem and lives up to what she says.  She is a fine example of what the Bible teaches. 

Maude Simmons 

(Transcribed by Kim Pollard Oct. 24, 2001, from an original clipping in 
a scrapbook) 

Della Sherwood 

WHAT DOES DREW NEED? 
      If you were given the opportunity to give only one NEED- no more.  What suggestion would you make?  Would it be more industries; more houses; more paved streets; better graveled ones; more advertising of Drew? Each one of these is urgently needed.  But what does Drew need, if it had, would automatically bring all these advantages into practice for our town? 
      Maybe the following poem that was inspired in 1958- diametrically different from another that came in some Hometown Development Program literature- contains the paramount NEED.  The poem was published then 
but it is just as pertinent today as it was that year. 

      Have an idea- The answer is not obvious, exactly.  Study carefully all the key words in the poem and see if you can come up with the NEED.  We might start with a Fall Clean-Up campaign which is NOT THE NEED, but only an expression of it.  I drove around the other day to see whether 
our Hometown Development Program of 1958 was still paying off.  It is, but it needs more careful attention to the standard set up that year. When I got back home I realized I had let down somewhat, too.  We can to easily get into a rut. 
      You can also pay too much attention to our own social get-togethers, economic advances and personal prestige that we lose sight of the goal which is that NEED I’ve been talking about in every line of this article. 
      Have you guessed it?  How about putting that NEED into practice so well that it will bring results? 
 

Maude Simmons 
(Transcribed by Kim Pollard Oct. 24, 2001, from an original clipping in 
a scrapbook) 
 

By Pat Mayfield 
 

   Memorial Day is celebrated on Monday, May 27 this year. It is a day to remember the courage, the sacrifice, the price that has been paid for the freedom of America through the years as the brave men and women 
defended and protected this country. 

   Since the tragedy of September 11, patriotism has become "in style" again, but patriotism should always be "in 
style." 

   Flying the beautiful American flag should always be a part of our lives to show our pride and our spirit in this 
great country and to honor the veterans of all wars. I have always thought that I was a patriotic person, but the true meaning of patriotism suddenly took on a different meaning when our son became a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger, and, now, this weekend, realizes his dream of nine years to become a Special Forces "Green Beret" His Special Forces team will be the subject of an article in Newsweek next week as the journalists followed the training of Tripp and his team. Since the soldiers were known only by code names during the training, Tripp's name in the article will be  "Risky." Imagine, a young man from Batesville and Drew in Newsweek! Guess how many copies of the magazine the Jones family will buy! 

   The following article is one that I wrote for a patriotic program in Batesville in 1987 when my son was 13 
years old. Little did I realize that, in 15 years, I would be rewriting it in his honor and in honor of all the veterans to whom we pay tribute on Memorial Day. 

   On America's sandy beaches from sea to shining sea, the tide of time is turned back 226 years when our great nation was born. The patriots rebelled, the continental army rallied, the British Redcoats retreated, and the 13 tiny colonies reaped the rewards of revolution and independence. 

   As the wave of freedom swept over the 13 sisters by the sea, the individual colonies sailed roughly through their first year of independence as separate ships with their own captains on a vast sea of 
uncertainty. The colonies struggled to stay afloat, sinking in disagreements over governments, taxes and traditions. 

   Watching the approaching tidal wave of destruction, the patriots who had exchanged plows for muskets and fired the "shots heard round the world" now exchanged muskets for quill pens and met in a convention hall in Philadelphia instead of on a battlefield in Lexington. The American leaders sought to unite the fleet of the 13 colonies. The founding fathers hoisted th(e) sails of determination, manned the oars of courage and steered the colonies toward the lighthouse of leadership, drafting a document that would serve as an anchor to the past, a lifeline to the present and a beacon to the future. 

   That document, the Constitution of the United States of America, served as the compass to plot the course of the nation through the uncharted waters of history — a course that would touch both near and 
distant shores of the world. The freedoms guaranteed in the constitution have been defended on the northern shores of the Delaware River, on the eastern snores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pontomac River, on the southern shores of the Mississippi River, on the Europeon shores of Normandy, on the Pacific shores of Pearl Harbor and Korea, on the Asian shores of the South China Sea, the Mekong Delta, the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. 

   When we press a seashell to our ears, we can hear the rumblings from those battles. When we press a memory to our hearts, we remember another place, another time when  13 tiny colonies united to become one great nation and began to share those freedoms that will always be the ties that bind us in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The heritage of this great nation will always be the anchor to our past, the lifeline to our present and the beacon to our future. 

   Many of the veterans that we honor on Memorial Day live in Drew and 200 of their names can be seen on the “Trees of Heroes" at the Drew Library. 

   Leroy Stringfellow is one of our heroes who spent three tours in Korea and three tours in Vietnam, retiring from the Army as a first sergeant with 27 years of service. 

   Four years ago, Leroy decided to honor our deceased heroes by putting flags on their graves in the Drew Cemetery. Starting out with just six flags, he asked for help from individuals and businesses. 

   "I  was overwhelmed with the response to my request," said Leroy. "When I asked for a donation, everyone except one business said, 'How much do you need?'" 

   Mark Morgan, Williams and Lord Funeral Home in Ruleville, Ed Best of Delta Bank and Trust in Drew, Tiny's Barter Shop in Cleveland and Lovett Neal at the Washington Convention Center in Greenville generously donated money to buy over 200 flags." 

   On Memorial Day and on other national holidays, Leroy, his wife Maxine, his sister Kathleen and her husband J. T. Sartin from Ruleville, John Smith, Robert Eiland, Jerry Grissom and Mike Manning place over 200 American flags on the graves of Drew veterans.  What a special tribute to our heroes! 

   Thank you, Leroy, Maxine, Kathleen, J. T. John, Jerry, Mike and Robert for being Drew heroes and 
remembering our other heroes! 

   If you know someone who is a veteran, please make a special point this weekend to thank them for their 
courage and their dedication to protecting and defending our great nation. In addition, please pray for those families who have sons and daughters, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters in the war today. What a debt of gratitude we owe to the veterans and their families. 

    God Bless America! 

Names mentioned: 
Kim Pollard 
Pat Mayfield 
Leroy Stringfellow 
Mark Morgan 
Williams and Lord Funeral Home in Ruleville 
Ed Best of Delta Bank and Trust in Drew 
Tiny's Barter Shop in Cleveland 
Lovett Neal at the Washington Convention Center in Greenville 
MaxineStringfellow 
Kathleen and J. T. Sartin from Ruleville 
John Smith 
Robert Eiland 
Jerry Grissom 
Mike Manning 
 

Transcribed by Kim Pollard June 18, 2002