Social Activities ! ! ! 👦👦
Friend, member of Panama City founding family, and one-time resident of our (Mike's and my) house at 2308 W. Beach Drive, retired dentist Dr. Mike McKenzie of Atlanta sent me two clippings from the Panama City News Herald of years ago, the first December 27, 1943 and the second April 18, 1950. These are treasures, gems to me!! And most timely - -
DThos+ holding on in Stoppage Time
Mike, thanks for stirring!
PCNH Monday, December 27, 1943
Bay County Social Activities
Bobbie Newbern, Editor
Episcopal Parish
House Is Scene Of
Gay Holiday Party
The Parish House of St. An-
drew Episcopal church on Beach
Drive was the scene of an im-
pressive Christmas program
Wednesday evening when the
story of the first Christmas was
presented by a number of chil-
dren from the church school.
Decorations consisted of Christ-
mas greenery, colorful lighting
and a beautiful representation of
Bethlehem’s plain,, with a star-
lit sky.
Characters presenting the story
were
Angel Gabriel: Doris Grewman
Mary: Gaynelle Gaynor
Joseph: Jack Chapman
Shepherds. Tom Sale, Jr., John
Wave and Carroll Weller, Jr.
Angel chorus: Carole Chap-
man, Ann Weller, Eleanor Ann
Sale, Shirley Wave, Jeanne Falck.
Wise men. Lolite Falck, Martha
Bill and Donna McDowell.
A gaily decorated tree held
gifts, which were distributed to
all the children present.
PCNH Tuesday, April 18. 1950
Social Activities
Bessie Falck, society Editor
YPSL Members
Visit Camp Weed
Members of the Young People’s
Service League of St. Andrw’s Epis-
copal church took advantage of the
spring holidays by spending two
days at Camp Weed, near Carra-
belle.
The usual good fellowship which
always prevails at Camp Weed was
a bright spot on the holiday hor-
zon, with fishing, dancing, games
and songs keeping the crowd in high
spirits.
The group was chaperoned by
Mrs. Thomas Sale, Rev. and Mrs.
Thomas D. Byrne, Carroll Weller,
Mrs. J. F. Kilbourn and Mrs. Hugh
Kennon. The members of the league
attending were: Tom Sale, Jr. Elea-
nor Ann Sale, Mandeville Smith,
Jeanne Falck, Carroll Weller, Jr.,
Thomas Arthur and Pat Byrne, Cyn-
thia Maxon, Terryss Kilbourn, Hugh
Kennon, Gina Weller, Barbara Yost,
Frances Holland, Jimmy Walker,
Tommy Doss and Lolete Falck.
+++ +++ +++
In the first clipping, the 1943 Christmas Pageant, I (Carroll Weller, Jr.) was eight years old, in third grade at Cove School. Tom Sale was nine and in fourth grade at Cove School. John Wave nine and at, as I recall, Springfield Elementary. It was two years after Pearl Harbor, with World War 2 well underway, a year and a half of fighting left to go before VE day, and nearly two years of fighting still to go in Japan to VJ day. But see, as I've testified before, both of us were gardenia shepherds as always. At some point, Tom may have graduated to wise man, but I never did, always a bloody shepherd! Tom Sale, whom we buried last weekend, turned out to be a lawyer, John Wave and I, Episcopal priests.
In the first clipping, the 1943 Christmas Pageant, I (Carroll Weller, Jr.) was eight years old, in third grade at Cove School. Tom Sale was nine and in fourth grade at Cove School. John Wave nine and at, as I recall, Springfield Elementary. It was two years after Pearl Harbor, with World War 2 well underway, a year and a half of fighting left to go before VE day, and nearly two years of fighting still to go in Japan to VJ day. But see, as I've testified before, both of us were gardenia shepherds as always. At some point, Tom may have graduated to wise man, but I never did, always a bloody shepherd! Tom Sale, whom we buried last weekend, turned out to be a lawyer, John Wave and I, Episcopal priests.
In the second clipping, our 1950 spring break visit to Camp Weed, diocesan camp down some miles east of Carrabelle, Florida, I was fourteen and in 9th grade at Bay High, and Tom was fifteen and in 10th grade at Bay High. My sister Gina would have been eleven. I think I remember that trip, and at Mexico Beach the other side of Tyndall Field, there was almost nothing, zero, zilch. Just sand on the Gulf side and the murky water, not nearly so clear and pretty as Panama City Beach, just a few cottages on the other side of Highway 98, across from the water. I was a summer camper at Camp Weed in 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, on full time camp staff in 1952 and 1953. Summer camp memories last a lifetime.
Summer 1947 when I was eleven, I missed going to Camp Weed because, to help cheer us up after the death of our grandmother, my Aunt Ruth took my cousin Ann and me by train from Pensacola to Washington, DC to spend a couple weeks with our Aunt Evalyn. Zoo, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian Institution, Capitol, Skyline Drive, rode the streetcar numerous days from EG's house to downtown, and also several times to Glen Echo Park, where we swam in the community pool that had a high slide, my first ever swimming pool. And I've written about the Fourth of July celebration on the national Mall, where I watched five star admirals arrive in Packard limousines, to speak to the crowd. Was it Chester Nimitz and Bull Halsey? I once remembered, but no longer sure.
Summer 1947 when I was eleven, I missed going to Camp Weed because, to help cheer us up after the death of our grandmother, my Aunt Ruth took my cousin Ann and me by train from Pensacola to Washington, DC to spend a couple weeks with our Aunt Evalyn. Zoo, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian Institution, Capitol, Skyline Drive, rode the streetcar numerous days from EG's house to downtown, and also several times to Glen Echo Park, where we swam in the community pool that had a high slide, my first ever swimming pool. And I've written about the Fourth of July celebration on the national Mall, where I watched five star admirals arrive in Packard limousines, to speak to the crowd. Was it Chester Nimitz and Bull Halsey? I once remembered, but no longer sure.
Memories are made of this!
We are at Hampton Inn, Denham Springs, Louisiana. Stopped at Felix's Fish Camp on Battleship Parkway, Mobile for lunch yesterday, in a rustic setting, each had an enjoyable seafood dinner, then on our way west. The desk clerk here told us this motel had four feet of water throughout the first floor during the huge "hundred year flood" several months ago. Nice little breakfast now of hot coffee, omelet, crisp bacon, and hot muffin
We are at Hampton Inn, Denham Springs, Louisiana. Stopped at Felix's Fish Camp on Battleship Parkway, Mobile for lunch yesterday, in a rustic setting, each had an enjoyable seafood dinner, then on our way west. The desk clerk here told us this motel had four feet of water throughout the first floor during the huge "hundred year flood" several months ago. Nice little breakfast now of hot coffee, omelet, crisp bacon, and hot muffin
Mike, thanks for stirring!