Worst Marcher of the Week

Terry Barnes

LHS '66

I was a member of the Lee High School Band from the 8th grade through graduation in 1966.  Band was a huge part of my experience at Lee, arriving at the beginning of the school year in 1961 and departing as a high school graduate in 1966.  The arrival version of me was a 13 year old teenage boy.  The departure version was an 18 year old with hopefully some of the “boy” characteristics modified to “man” characteristics.  That transition was shaped by events that I have thought about over the years.

My senior year found me serving as the drum major for the band.  I was the guy with a very tall white hat on my head marching the band onto the field at halftime during football games, parades and so forth.  The halftime performances required significant preparation not only in learning the music we would play but also the marching sequences involved so band members would know where and when to position themselves to spell out “LHS” or other symbols.  This preparation required a certain amount of discipline and cooperation from the band members.

Mr. James B. Foley was where the discipline started.  He was a teacher with students like the other teachers at LHS but keeping a marching band under control came with extra challenges.  We were a much larger group than a “normal” class.  My memory fails me here but maybe 60 or 70 band members?  The ages of members ranged from freshmen to seniors which was a challenge.  The musician component of band member personalities could range from a serious, studious approach to a more casual approach of converting music read from a sheet of paper into an appropriate sound with correct timing coming out of a particular instrument.  The marching component of band member personalities didn't necessarily match the musical part.  Although I'm sure Mr. Foley was faced with many musical misbehaviors I think it was the marching practice behavior excursions that vexed him the most.

As I remember the band had a band president and a band secretary that were selected by vote of the band members.  I don't remember any specific duties and responsibilities these positions might have had and I have no recollection of routine meetings.  However, I remember well that in the fall of 1965 Mr. Foley got the three of us, myself, president, secretary and himself together to talk about maintaining discipline amongst the band members, mostly as it related to our marching practice outdoors developing halftime routines for the Lee Generals football games.

Somehow we settled on the concept on selecting a band member whose behavior would cause them to be selected and named the "Worst Marcher of the Week".  I don't remember if there was any additional punishment or consequence that went along with having this title bestowed on oneself.

About a week went by and the above mentioned group assembled and selected the "Worst Marcher of the Week".   I don't remember anything of the discussion as to how we selected the individual. The group also decided somehow that I, as drum major, would announce the "winner" to the assembled band.

The big day arrived and I stood on the podium in the band practice room and had the attention of the band members.  I identified the Worst Marcher of the Week as Ed Reynolds, an alto saxophone player.  The fact that poor Ed was a saxophone player is important because, the way the various instrument sections were arranged in the room, my view also included the saxophone section where Ed was sitting and the trombone section behind.  That view included Jimmy Farr, a tenor sax player, Curt Lewis and Bob Alford, trombone players.

The look on Ed's face as I spoke his name was some kind of combination of shock, disbelief and embarrassment.  The looks on the faces of Jimmy Farr, Curt Lewis and Bob Alford, on the other hand, were an impish combination of glee and delight.  That was over 56 years ago but I can, and do, see those expressions as if they happened yesterday.

I don't remember the "Worst Marcher" tag being applied to anyone else after that day.  Maybe Mr. Foley, myself and the band officers came to our senses.  I certainly had no concept of positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement but maybe "Best Marcher of the Week" would have been a better way to go.  LHS was an incredible learning and life shaping experience that went far beyond the classroom.  Attending one school from eighth through twelfth grade, being a part of the '64, '65, '66 amalgamation and just being in Huntsville during a historically remarkable time I think left a mark on us all.  It's a mark that I believe is a good one and one that wouldn't have happened somewhere else in Alabama in a "normal" school.

As a final note, Ed Reynolds and I became fishing buddies/friends.  I would pick him up at "Oh-dark-thirty" on some weekend mornings in Lakewood subdivision.  We would trailer my Dad's boat over to Scottsboro by way of Highway 72 and go crappy fishing at North Sauty.  Good memories.

Back home safe and sound and my computer system is starting to return to normal. 

Thanks to Terry Barnes for being a new contributor to our memories. I wish some more of you would do the same. Yes, I do come up with something to write each week, but I know it does not interest all of you the same.

Comments on Last Week's Issue

The "Teeny Bikini, Spagetti Stap Stripper", Tommy you just make my day!!  At least in the far corners of someone's mind I am honored and humbled to be remotely compared to Sophia Loren in ANY fashion.  By the way, that "bikini" incident almost got me restricted for life when my father heard about it.  And thank you for keeping the SECRETS all these years...  If I had it to do again I wouldn't change a thing!  Well maybe the bikini thing because I did that on a dare the other was a pure accident and it was a blue spaghetti strap dress... Ahhh... Those Sweet Memories...Am I the only one you have "dirt" on?"

Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter, LHS ‘65, "I had a Social Studies class in the FishBowl! Not the best place to learn for a student who is easily distracted. I taught school when Ditto machines were used to make numerous copies of worksheets and tests, I don’t know which was worse, the smell or the purple hands!"

John Drummond, LHS ‘65, "I have no recall of The Glass Room, but "B" Wing stands out in memory for a couple of reasons.  The hallway, unlike the rest of LHS, was slanted downward, essentially a ramp.  Skateboarding was brand-new at the time.  Jim Marburg and Joe Schulz would ride down the hallway after school hours, until a teacher would show up and run them off.  They even perfected a tandem skate.  Joe would ride piggyback on Jim's back as they hurtled past the shop room.  Outside "B" Wing, on the far end, was where boys who rode motorcycles to school would park them in a group.   It was also a gathering place for the cigarette smokers to meet up for a quick puff and fellowship.   Funny thing:  it seemed that the guys who rode "motors" were the same ones who smoked.  They also sported an above-average proportion of D.A. haircuts."

Escoe German Beatty, LHS '65, "Tommy...I m a little confused about the Comments Form... The top line has an "eye" symbol with a slash through it then my husband's email address then " (not shared)"  then in blue 'Switch account"..space ... then cloud with a check then the words Draft saved ...this changes to arrows in a circle and the word "Saving" as I type..."

Editor's Note: "Here is an easy explanation, I believe. The "Eye Symbol" with the slash through it means that the email address of the person submitting comments is not shared (no one looking at your comments can see who you are). The name shown is the name of the person who set up the browser and whose account it was originally set up under, not necessarily the person using the computer at the time. That email address is also not shared.  Basically, unless you put your name in the comments form you fill out, no one will know who makes the comments. Also, they are not stored on your local computer so others using the same system will not be able to see them once you have submitted the form. The switch account choice allows you to switch Google accounts from the name listed to your own name should you desire."

Photographic Memories - Who Are They?

Each week I plan to share a group of photos from the 1960 "The General" yearbook without disclosing the names of the individuals. You may stop and try to identify them here, and when you are through you may scroll to the bottom of this page to see the identities of your classmates in the photos.

Slow Song Selections

You Picked in the Past

Slow Dancing Swayin To The Music - Johnny Rivers 

""Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancin')", initially titled "Slow Dancing", is a song written by Jack Tempchin. Under the title "Slow Dancing", the song originally was a minor US hit in 1976 for the band Funky Kings (of which Tempchin was a member). The song became much better known as "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancin')" in a 1977 cover version by Johnny Rivers, which became a top ten US hit. It was Rivers' last Top 40 hit in the United States, and became his second Gold record.

The Identites of the Classmates in the Pictures Above