BUM RAP OF '67 (Sung at our 20th year reunion in 1987)

(Thanks to Phil Rutledge for digging this out of the archives)

IT'S BEEN TWENTY YEARS SINCE YOU GRADUATE.

YA'LL ALL GETTING OLD, BUT IT AIN'T TOO LATE

TO LEARN A NEW SOUND, TO GET YOUR TOES A TAPPIN'

SOMETHIN' KINDA NEW, MY KIDS CALL RAPPIN'.

WE'RE THE LEE HIGH RAPPERS AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE

THAT'S JONES AND BRUCE AND STEVE. THAT'S ME.

THERE'S SUMNERS AND JEANNE AND PENNY CHICKENED OUT,

BUT SHE'S DONE HER PART, THERE AIN'T NO DOUBT.

THE REUNION COMMITTEE PUT US HERE TO RHYME.

WE ALL GOT TOGETHER, DIDN'T TAKE MUCH TIME.

OUR PURPOSE HERE IS TO TELL THE STORY

ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS, THE DAYS OF GLORY.

THE T.V.C. CHAMPS WERE OUR CLAIM TO FAME,

PUT TOGETHER BY A MAN. KEITH BABY WAS HIS NAME

NOW SOME FOLKS SAY THIS MAN'S GETTIN' OLD.

BUT COME THIS FALL, HE'LL BE IN GREEN AND GOLD,

BONFIRES, WE KNOW, WERE PART OF THE GAME,

BUT THEY WOULDN'T EVEN HAPPEN WITHOUT THE KEY CLUB NAME.

NOW THAT CLUB WAS FORMED FOR COMMUNITY GOOD,

BUT» INSTEAD, WE GOT TOGETHER TO GO STEAL WOOD

THE ROUND BALL COACH HE HADN'T PLANNED TO BE.

SULLINS LOCKED THE DOORS SO WE COULDN'T SEE.

NOW SAM WAS A MAN WHO COULD PUT UP A FUSS,

ESPECIALLY WHEN POOLE TIED A HOSE TO THE BUS.

THE DANCE TEAM STARTED FOR THE VERY FIRST YEAR

AND THE GUYS IN THE CROWD REALLY LET OUT A CHEER

THIS GROUP HELD TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF TRADITION

CAPTAIN JEANNE CAME BACK FOR ONE MORE RENDITION.

THE CHEERLEADERS WON THE MOVES FIGHT WITH A GIGGLE,

CAUSE MRS. KUHN WOULDN'T LET THE DANCE TEAM WIGGLE.

SHE MADE THE CONFEDERETTES ACT NICE AND PROPER,

BUT WHEN VAN DYKE GOT STARTED. SHE COULDN'T STOP HER.

WITH THE CLASS OF'67 NO LONGER THERE,

THE SENIOR PRIVILEGE CUPBOARD IS A LITTLE BIT BARE .

WHY WE EVEN HEAR THERE'S NO SENIOR PICNIC,

SUMP IN' BOUT SOME BEER AND A LITTLE CAR WRECK.

WHEN LARRY LED THE BAND, THEY STILL PLAYED DIXIE

AND THE MAJORETTES WERE CUTE LITTLE PIXIES.

ON BALLGAME NIGHTS, WE COULD HARDLY STAND WATCH IN'

LITTLE PINK TIGHTS COMIN' OUTA THOSE CANS.

THERE WAS A PARKING SPACE UNDERNEATH THE TREE,

IT WASN'T LIKE THE REST,  IT DIDN'T COME FREE.

THE FIGHT WASN'T MUCH, CAUSE NOBODY CAME

AND THE MOTLEY MOB WAS NEVER THE SAME.

MR. WILLIAMS TRIED TO HELP WHEN HE PUT A STOP

ONLY ONE HAIRCUT AT LIMBAUGH'S BARBER SHOP.

WE TRIED TO GET SHEPPARD TO BE OUR FELLER

AND RECITE A FEW VERSES OF "RINDERCELLER".

BUT I GUESS WITH OLD AGE YOUR NERVE YOU LOSE,

HELL, EVEN BACK THEN, HIS NERVE WAS BOOZE.

AND SPEAKING OF NERVE, WE HEARD MCCULLEY'S TOOK A WALK.

AT ASSEMBLIES HE PASSED OUT SO HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO  TALK.

IT'S THE 20TH REUNION AND WE'RE GLAD YA'LL CAME

YA'LL ALL LOOK DIFFERENT!!!

WE STILL LOOK THE SAME.

BY       STEVE SUMNERS

   STEVE STRICKLIN

   JEANNE JOHNSON

   BRUCE PYLANT

            JIM JONES

One of the last sunsets over the halls of blue and grey

Steven Chappelle the most recent to RSVP

Steven and his wife Pai attending a Halloween party 'in costume' this past year. Maybe we can get him to perform at the reunion???

Old Lee High’s Last Salute

The year 1964 marked Lee High School’s first graduating class.

 

In 1986, Huntsville City Schools created the Lee arts and pre-engineering magnet programs, drawing talented and driven students from all over the city.

 

2012 marks the last graduating class to ever walk the halls of what has been known as Lee High School for nearly 50 years.

“Nostalgia, you know I can remember all the memories, I was here 31 years.”

Thirty-one years, 573 victories, and for 1968 state championship head coach Jerry Dugan, a lifetime of memories.

 

Coach Jerry Dugan takes one final shot.

“I’m just real fortunate to have coached a lot of outstanding young men and when they tear this down, I’ll have a lot of memories and a little sadness with it too, I think.

 

Retiring in February of 2012, Mrs. Earnestine Hines Thursday goes through pictures from her 39 years as a history teacher at Lee. She is also affectionately refered to as “the Institution.”

“Evidently, I love Lee High School, I stayed 39 years,” says Hines, “but I’m about to start crying coming back in here because I was not just a teacher, I was a mother, I was a couselor, I was a doctor, I was things that some of these kids never had before.”

 

Earnestine Hines erases the blackboard in her former classroom.

Penny Sumners, member of the Lee High graduating class of 1964, went on to teach at Lee and serve as assistant principal and principal, retiring in 2000.

 

“It’s not as much about the building,” Sumners says. “It’s about the people and the relationships that you make, and those will carry on.”

 

Vivienne Atkins helped found Lee’s magnet arts program. She has directed some of Huntsville’s most talented performers and vocalists in the audiotrium she helped transform into what she calls “a real theater.”

“There’s not anything like it, even the new theater, it doesn’t have the ambiance,” she says.

Vivienne Atkins turns off the “ghost light” in the old Lee High theater.

“It’s a beautiful theater, and it is a theater, it’s not an auditorium, the architect made sure that we had a theater, but it’ll never have this… this feel — well, maybe in 40 years it’ll have this feel,” Atkins laughed.

 

Administrators, teachers, parents and students alike agree these words of the Lee High Alma Mater will endure for the next forty years and beyond:

“The Generals’ banner waves above us, We love the blue and gray we see.

It tells of friends, love, and trust And brings us ever close to Lee.

Ever onward through life’s journey now, Though parted we may always be—

Still lingering in our fondest memory, Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.

Still lingering in our fondest memory, Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.”

 

On Friday, May 25th the Lee High Class of 2012 will walk across the stage to accept their diplomas at Von Braun Civic Center.

 

The Generals will join New Century Technology High School students at the new Lee building on August 20th.

Go to http://whnt.com/2012/05/24/old-lee-highs-last-salute/ to see the video

Help your committee find these missing classmates

FIRST NAME MIDDLE MAIDEN Married CURRENT 6-5-2012   Betty Marie Alvis Smith James Ballard Steve Anthony Barnes Wanda Joyce Baty Victoria Elizabeth Blackburn John William Brewster Carolyn Bernice Brown Laura Burks Sandra Lee Campbell Helen Patricia Cox Byrom Paul Alan Craig Louella Crawford Evelyn Louise Crutcher Carlisle Diana Lynn Davis LB Dean Cynthia Renee Dixon Simon Kathy Dorsey Arrie Eliff Glendel Jane Fitch Moore Sandra Lee Fitzgerald John Robert Flowers Tommy Foote Janet Yvonne Ford Martha Lee Franklin Ballard Dawn Fuller Johnson Linda Fuller Bellows Mickey Vivian Gadbury Franklin Steve Green Ricky Griffith Joyce Gail Grimstead Burke Vicki Lynn Guenther Joni Sue Hall Janis Lynn Hammick Clardy Bob Hankey Connie Jo  Haskins Sally Ann Hemphill Kathy Hendricks Wade Leslie Hinkie Phil Holland Suzanne Holloran Connie Howard Judy Hunn Calvin Marilyn Kay Ingram Whitney Glecia B. Jaco Hall Barbara James William A. Jenkins Robert Fred Jennings Robert Garry Johnson Linda Faye Jones Frank Keel Jerry Keel Kathy Kendricks Alice Victoria Ketterson Gary Kinslow Beverly  Larson Alexander Jim Love Sheila Ann Macguire Becky Mangham Tim Kent Martin Jerry Lynn Moore Mary Lou Moore Bert Thomas Myers Debbie Lee Neely Danny O'Neal Ilona Susan Posada Brenda Rhoden Marsha Gail Robbins Gary DeWitt Robinson Bill Roden Mary Denise Roth Johnson Kathy Helen Ruhoff Cynthia Schmitz Suzanne Lee Scott Iris E. Spencer Potter Peggy Stewart Waites Wallace A. Stewart Zanetta Smith Hairston Carol Swaney Johnson David Allen Tompkins Michael Tignor David Alan Tompkins Gary Joseph Trust Diane Turner Turner Robert Wayne Turner William Joseph Twilley Laura Harriett Vafeas Laura Edwina Webb Collier Carolyn Sue White Gregory Louis Wilkins Patricia Ann Williams Ronald G. Williams Jean Womack Judith Woodley Khairandish Brenda Jane Yerger Stephen Young

Max Kull and Bill(y) Higgins meet in Auburn

Max and Bill recently met at Toomer's Corner (Mecca, I'm told) to reminisce over their LHS days and discuss the upcoming reunion. 

I hope the rest of you are reconnecting with former classmates as well. Please send me pictures and the pertinent info such as names and locations and I will publish here.

ONLY 127 days left until the most fun that your heart can stand. I hope you are planning to attend. Visit our blog at http://leegenerals1967.blogspot.com/ and look at the RSVP list to see who is already signed up to come.