Just another wonderful get-together by the Reunion Committee planning our 2007 Douglass Reunion this past Saturday at St. Mark's. (PLEASE SEE MORE PHOTOS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY)
Ed Horton, who's heading up the Douglass Alumni Scholarship Committee brought us all up to date on the criteria for our graduating high school seniors hoping to earn a Douglass scholarship for college (photo in the photo gallery).
There are three criteria that will consider students for the scholarship. First of all, the Scholarship Committee is not necessarily looking for a student with a 4.0 grade point average, feeling that those students will probably already have their scholarships lined up. The Committee is more interested in well-rounded students with decent grades, who have the potential to do well in college, and also, have been good citizens, with service to the community. These criteria met with approval by the Reunion Committee. Dawnella Ellis also volunteered to help by helping to find gifted students who meet the criteria. Her help will be so valuable, because she reported to the group that since her retirement, there is not a single black teacher at Dobyns-Bennett anymore. It's thought good African-American students at that school may get lost in the shuffle because of that, as teachers may devote their time and attention elsewhere. The Scholarship Program will also be sent to the area churches. The deadline for scholarship entries to be in, is May 1, 2007, and the Scholarship Forms will be available on the this website shortly. Please copy the form, fill it out, and have your student send it in before the deadline.
Of the hundreds of Douglass Reunion flyers mailed out a month ago, many of them came back marked "undeliverable" by the Post Office. At the meeting, we divided up the returned ones in terms of the ones that some of us knew how to contact, and the names of the unknown ones with incorrect addresses are posted in a separate News article on the website. Please visit that previous article, and if you know the person mentioned, please contact us so we can get a Reunion flyer to their correct address.
Meanwhile, registration has started for the Reunion, and remember that if you cannot send in the 100-dollar fee all at once, please send what you can on installment and you'll be credited.
After the article about the Douglass Alumni Association was published in the Kingsport Times-News, a nice lady put the article in a frame and offered it to the Alumni Association for a price of 144 dollars. Feeling that this framed work would serve well on the wall in our soon-to-be office in the renovated Douglass School building, our Reunion Committee took up a collection this past Saturday at the meeting, and purchased the picture (photo in the Photo Gallery). It's a beautifully framed picture.
Ozine Bly brought us up to date on the Parade Permit, which we now have officially. So far, Johnny Mae Swaggerty and the gifted New Vision Youth will have a float, as well as some of the other organizations, and this may just be one of the best parades we've ever had. If you or your organization or church group would like to enter a float, please contact Ozine at obarbarably@chartertn.net
It's off in the distance, but mark your calender and bring your fine singing voice to the Douglass School Choir practice on June 18th at 6 PM.. The group will rehearse at the Bethel AME Zion Church on Maple Oak Lane.
By the way, lunch was very good after the meeting with sandwiches, cookies, chips, fruit slices and shrimp (thank you Shelia!). Each time we meet, it's like a little mini-reunion during which we really get things done for our Alumni Association.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Reunion Committee will be April 14th at 1 PM at St. Mark's on Maple Street. If you enjoy good fellowship, a knowledge of what your Alumni Association is doing, come on down to the meeting. You'll be glad you did.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Reunion Committee will be April 14th at 1 PM at St. Mark's on Maple Street. If you enjoy good fellowship, a knowledge of what your Alumni Association is doing, come on down to the meeting. You'll be glad you did.
