The Sock Hop
AT NOON ON SATURDAY
The Sock Hop wasn't in the plans for the reunion committee until the last minute when several members of the class wondered if it would be possible to include a dance in the reunion weekend. . . . after all, dancing was one of the most popular recreations for us back in the Fifties. Somebody remembered the "Dance Class After Lunch," said to have been the brainchild of Miss Bernice Hester, girls' Phys Ed teacher, who reportedly got Annette Clark, SHS '56 and Billy Joe Gray, SHS '55, to be the student leaders. Peggy Bishop, Reunion Coordinator said, "Go for it--and get Patsy Congleton to be in charge." John Collins, who has supplied our music for past reunions, arranged for a live singing group, The Tempos, from Tupelo, Mississippi, to entertain us. And the rest is now history. On its debut, this new activity for our reunions drew over 60 persons, and even Patsy was surprised at the number who were out on the dance floor. Maybe this will become a regular event!
Buck Locke and Judy bidding all a warm welcome as Patsy Bell Congleton looks on. Buck and Judy looked good on the dance floor.
The two classmates who were popularly acknowledged as "The King and Queen of Dance" back during high school can still cut a rug in fine fashion. Lindsay Nathan Reese and Jimmy Todd showed us how it should look.
Georgia Buettner, wife of classmate Louis, and Rogers Kimbrell, SHS '61 and "little brother" of classmate Jim Kimbrell, are having a good time--as is Peggy Wynn Taylor in the background!
Barbara Bundy Occhipinti and Clovis Taylor, husband of classmate Peggy Wynne Taylor are enjoying one of The Tempos' slow selections.
Now, I'm not sure this photo is not deceiving us! It looks like Harold Chambers is dancing with two girls--one, his wife, Barbara, and the other, Patsy Bell Congleton. The music really moved us!
Here are the music-makers, The Tempos, with leader James Simmons (left) and Bill Hagan (right), of Tupelo, Mississippi. John Collins arranged for them to be our live entertainment, and he swore the few of us involved in the sock hop to secrecy about his plans. They recorded the performance at the sock hop and made 2-CD sets available to classmates for souvenir remembrances.
John Collins, himself, was the spiffiest walking decoration at the event. As Marty Robbins said, he got on his "white sport coat and pink carnation" to get all dressed up for the ball.
Farley Vaughn, M.P. (for "Master Photographer") stands by one of the 12 giant, 3' x 4' photographic prints he prepared to decorate the sock hop and the reunion banquet. The idea to use these "pictures to say a thousand words" began when we discovered a photo in Farley's collection of a young Patsy Bell dancing at a sock hop with a young and slim Jim Congleton (that's them at the right of the "Big Pic" just behind Rejetta McNutt's dance partner in the photo on the right).
There were so many memory lanes at this nostalgic sock hop! Here is Patsy Bell Congleton hanging out at the Soda Shop recreated at the cafeteria by the Sock Hop committee who helped Patsy take care of the decorating. What a treat!
Leslie's Reunion Photos -- Informal Social, Jean's Home
Leslie's Reunion Photos -- Reunion Breakfast
Leslie's Reunion Photos -- Reunion Banquet, Jim's Home