Histories Of Various Organizations In Roanoke County Show Valuable Work Accomplished In Past Decade
From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register
Soon after the close of the century civic-minded patrons and the teachers of the public schools in Roanoke County organized the Community league, or Civic Club, which was designated by the name of the school. About fifteen years later these groups began to merge with or change into the present Parent-Teacher Association, an international organization concerned with health, home, learning, citizenship, character, vocation and leisure.
Then as not the chief work of this organization was to promote better understanding between home and school and to improve the standards of education in the respective schools. This work was to be accomplished through visits to home and school, through programs in which lectures by outstanding persons were heard and through round table discussions on subjects of interest to both parent and teachers and which would help interpret the purposes of the school to the parents.
In P. T. A. each member is a participating member and each member is an informed member. The minutes of the meetings preserved in various schools show that the attendance has always been greatly variable. There is frequent mention of some reward offered for successful effort in rooms for increased attendance of parents. In some schools in which the organization has petered out on account of lack of interest, it has been revived after a rest of a year or more.
Many difficult problems involving large sums of money raised by the local association have been settled by P. T. A. School sites have been secured, rooms have been built, and equipped and general improvements of first importance are some major achievements claimed by P. T. A. in Roanoke County schools.
Garden City Club
The Garden City P.T.A. was organized in 1919 with Charles Taylor president. The outstanding achievement here was raising $1,500 towards building two new rooms to the school. G. D. Caldwell is the present president.
On November 4, 1920 at the invitation of the Woman’s Club, patrons and teachers of the High and Grammar Schools of Salem met in the parlor of Hotel Salem and organized a Parent Teacher Association with Mrs. W. R. Cross as president. Improving and equipping playgrounds, cafeteria, library, installing fire escapes, buying chairs for auditorium and feeding malnutrition children were some things undertaken before 1926. After that no meetings were held until 1928 when P.T.A. was again organized with Mrs. Victor Yonce, president.
From 1931 to 1933 this P.T. A. started and sponsored a library at the school. Since 1936 the outstanding work has been the free lunch project whereby indigent pupils have been furnished free lunches at the school. Committees have also undertaken school sanitation and library improvements. Mrs. Harry I. Johnson is the president.
From 1910 until 1923 a community League functioned at Oakland school. In that year when the new school built through efforts of the league was opened, the community league was merged with P.T.A. Mrs. Harry Haffen was the first president of the new association and Mr. W. W. Wiginton is now president.
At Washington Heights in 1920 the community league was changed to Parent Teacher Association with Mrs. Malcolm H. Arnold president. Raising $1,000 to enlarge the building, beautifying school grounds, having music taught in the schools, buying a piano, victrola, filing cabinets, radio and books and helping underprivileged children are the biggest achievements. Mrs. L. M. Walthall is the present president.
- C Naff was the first president of Pleasant View community league organized in 1920. This league installed electric lights at a cost of $100. The president today is Mrs. G. A. Branscom.
The Ogden P.T.A. was organized in 1921 with Mrs. J. M. Vogenthaler president. Improving the road to the school, buying state aid libraries, paying $150.00, or half cost of drilling well, installing drinking fountains and basins and aiding in buying the lot for the new school building are projects undertaken by this association. H. A. Tayloe is now president.
The Vinton Civic Club was formed in 1915 with Dr. R. H. Garthright, president. An addition was made to the grammar school building. Mrs. Joe Pedigo is president of P.T.A.
Mrs. I. D. Chapman was president of the Fort Lewis community league organized in 1923. A piano was purchased, the stage was equipped and chairs were placed in the auditorium.
In 1933 the present P. T. A. was organized with E. B. Coxwell president. A cafeteria, new playground equipment and other improvements are achievements. Rec. Dean Calloway is president.
The South Salem P.T.A. was organized on May 15, 1924 with Mrs. H. T. Huff, president. The purchase of piano, auditorium chairs, stage equipment, building a road to the school and the school lunch project are the principal achievements of this P.T.A. Mrs. J. A. Boone is the president at present.
The Hollins community league was organized in 1916 with F. M. Stutsman president. Buying a piano state aid libraries, a ditto machine, equipping a cafeteria and general improvements about school and grounds are listed as P.T.A. projects completed. Lawrence Legg is now president of P. T. A.
The Oak Grove community league was organized in 1915 with either Mrs. Minott or Sam Chocklett president. $300 was raised and applied on the building fund. In 1929 the league changed to P. T. A. with Mrs. Charles Nienke president. Since then the main objective is serving hot lunches. Mrs. Luther Martin is now president.
Tinker Creek
The Tinker Creek P.T.A. was organized in 1925 with Mrs. G. C. Atkins, principal of the school, president. This P.T.A. has purchased libraries, a piano and stage equipment.
The Riverdale Parent Teacher Association was organized in 1926. Mrs. Clingenpeel was the first president and W. R. Bailey is the present one.
The organization has done much to enliven the social life of the community and has bought equipment for the school. The main objective at present is to landscape the grounds.
The P. T. A. has helped to provide library books, dental clinics, and to meet expenses of athletics. Bleachers are not being provided by P.T.A.
The South View community league ceased to function in 1929. Seven years later, 1936, the P.T.A. was organized with J. J. Ludwick president. Feeding 35 indigents daily is its outstanding achievement. Mrs. J. B. W. Burnett is now president.
The Conehurst P.T.A. was organized on October 5, 1937. Mrs. P. W. Stoutamire is the president. Permanent landscaping of school grounds and buying a set of books for the library have been undertaken.
The outstanding work at Back Creek by P.T.A. include buying books, paying for dental clinics, sponsoring athletics and improving school grounds.
At Brookhill the P.T.A. was organized in 1924 with Mr. W. M. Ewing as first president. W. B. Graves is head of the organization at the present time. Two acres of land were purchased by the association for a building site and were given to the county to construct a modern two room building. Ground improvement has been taken as a project by the P.T.A. recently.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
