| Cruisin' the Past |
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| Cruisin’ the Past by Ed Dooley |
Something for Everyone: Extracurricular Activities at CHS
One of the many things that made Catalina High School an enjoyable and
memorable experience was its extensive offering of clubs and special activities. The
school was more than just an academic institution: it provided abundant
opportunities for the development of a wide range of talents and interests. In some
cases – perhaps in many – it was these extracurricular activities that most
influenced the future direction of a student’s life and career, more so than traditional
classes in algebra, French, or history. In so many ways, CHS offered a full
education that met the needs and interests of its students.
Of all the clubs and organizations at CHS, the most prestigious was the National
Honor Society, the greatest accolade that a student could receive while at Catalina.
It recognized scholarship, character, and leadership, and service. To be inducted, a
student had to have a 1.8 grade average for his or her entire high school career; a
junior had to be in the upper ten percent of the class; and a senior had to be in the
upper fifteen percent of the class. In our senior year, fifty-five students achieved this
high honor, and this list of members was a who’s who of upperclassmen, showing
that students who excelled in academics often excelled in many other areas of
school life. Dale Retrum was president, Tee Cook was vice-president, Julie Barrett
was secretary, and Larry Bryson was treasurer. The adviser was Ms. Eva A. Royce.
The leading extracurricular activities at CHS, in terms of membership numbers,
were the interscholastic sports of football, basketball, baseball, track and cross
country, gymnastics, wrestling, tennis, rifle, golf, and swimming. These were the
most highly organized and generously funded of the many activities that took place
outside of the classroom. Some considered interscholastic sports to be an
extension of the educational and developmental mission of high schools, and they
regarded coaches as teachers of lessons crucial to success in life. The varsity and
junior varsity sports enrolled a large number of students, but not every student had
the ability, talent, or interest to compete in this arena. Moreover, the only
interscholastic sport for girls was tennis.
For students who did not compete at the interscholastic sports level, the school
offered – in addition to physical education classes -- intramural sports, sometimes
known as club sports. These activities were mainly offered to girls through the Girls
Athletic Association and included tennis, golf, softball, basketball, field hockey,
gymnastics, archery, volleyball, trampoline, bowling, badminton, and “social
dancing.” For this last activity, there was even a designated dance room located in
the girls gym. Not exactly sports – although their participants had to be talented
athletes – were the cheerleading, pom-pom, and song leader squads. The girls
were always among the most popular students in the school.
Students interested in non-athletic extracurricular activities had an impressive array
of choices. At CHS, as in perhaps most other high schools, service on the yearbook
staff attracted many students. In our senior year, under the direction of editor-in-
chief Emily Kittle, there were 31 staff members on the TORCH including writers,
editors, photographers, designers, artists, and publicity and business managers.
This was no small operation, as nearly 2000 copies of the TORCH were produced
and sold before the end of the academic year. CHS also had a rare weekly school
newspaper, The Trojan Trumpeteer. Led during the first semester of our senior year
by Gerry LaBell, and second semester by Bill Moore, the Trump, with its office at the
end of the main hallway, was home to at least a dozen regular staff members who
banged out their stories on old Underwood manual typewriters, but other students
occasionally volunteered to type, edit, or perform other duties for the newspaper. In
1959-60, the Trump won the Quill and Scroll International Honor Award and the
National Scholastic Press All-American Award. Some of its staff went on to careers
in journalism, foremost being LaBell who became a well-known AP reporter.
Perhaps the largest non-athletic extracurricular activities were the music
organizations. The Catalina High School Marching Band had nearly a hundred
members, led by Drum Major Tom Patterson. They played at home football and
basketball games, but also gave “pops” concerts at school assemblies. A number
of Catalina musicians qualified for the All State Band. Naturally, some of them were
also among the nearly fifty members of the Catalina High School Orchestra, directed
by Pat Curry. A sub-group of this orchestra, a string quartet, received recognition at
an art festival held at the University of Arizona.
For CHS students who loved choral music, there were several opportunities for
organized singing. The school had a Boys Glee Club (20 members), a Girls Glee
Club (about 40 members), an A Cappella Choir (approximately 55 members), and
an Ensemble (about 25 members drawn from other music organizations). The A
Cappella Choir presented an annual operetta, sang Schubert’s mass in G Major at
Christmas, and presented several other music programs throughout the year. In our
senior year, eight students represented CHS at the All-State Choral Clinic held at
the University of Arizona. Where there is music, there is dance. And there were
many dancers at CHS. Catalina’s Dardanairs (about 20 members) presented
several modern dance programs during the year as well as at mixers and basketball
games.
An organization that prided itself in being a “democratic organization” was the Girls
League, as every girl at CHS was a member. This organization held a number of
events, including mixers, panel discussions, a coke party for freshmen, a food and
clothing drive, a fashion show, a Dad-Daughter Box Supper, and a Mother-Daughter
Dessert. At the end of each year, a scholarship was presented to a graduating
senior who had been active in Girls League.
The list of other clubs and organizations offered at CHS is remarkable, especially
since fifty years later many schools can barely afford to sustain their academic
programs and other core activities. Among these were the National Thespian
Society, the Lettermans Club, the Pirouettes dance club, the Catalina High School
Service Club, the Art Honor Society, Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society
for High School Journalists, a chapter of the Junior Red Cross, a chapter of the High
Schools Safety Council, the Catalina Forensic Club, the International Club, the Ski
Club, the Hall Monitors, C-Y Teens, the Benjamin Franklin Club (for students
interested in the graphic arts), the Inter Nos Latin Club, the El Club Cid (Catalina’s
Spanish language club), The Tri-Hi-Y (for girls), the Hi-Y Club (for boys), the Future
Homemakers Club, the Future Nurses and Medical Teammates Club, the Future
Teachers of America Club, the Computers Club (for sliderule study), the Bi-Chem-
Phy Science Club, the Trojan Trigger Trippers (photography club), Catalina
Christian Youth, the Radio Club, the Catalina Gem and Mineral Club, the Archery
Club, and the Rifle Club. And, then, there was also the “Fun Club,” but that’s a story
for another time.
High school should be more than just “Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic,” and in 1959-
60 Catalina High School was a shining example of just how vibrant such an
institution can be.
One of the many things that made Catalina High School an enjoyable and
memorable experience was its extensive offering of clubs and special activities. The
school was more than just an academic institution: it provided abundant
opportunities for the development of a wide range of talents and interests. In some
cases – perhaps in many – it was these extracurricular activities that most
influenced the future direction of a student’s life and career, more so than traditional
classes in algebra, French, or history. In so many ways, CHS offered a full
education that met the needs and interests of its students.
Of all the clubs and organizations at CHS, the most prestigious was the National
Honor Society, the greatest accolade that a student could receive while at Catalina.
It recognized scholarship, character, and leadership, and service. To be inducted, a
student had to have a 1.8 grade average for his or her entire high school career; a
junior had to be in the upper ten percent of the class; and a senior had to be in the
upper fifteen percent of the class. In our senior year, fifty-five students achieved this
high honor, and this list of members was a who’s who of upperclassmen, showing
that students who excelled in academics often excelled in many other areas of
school life. Dale Retrum was president, Tee Cook was vice-president, Julie Barrett
was secretary, and Larry Bryson was treasurer. The adviser was Ms. Eva A. Royce.
The leading extracurricular activities at CHS, in terms of membership numbers,
were the interscholastic sports of football, basketball, baseball, track and cross
country, gymnastics, wrestling, tennis, rifle, golf, and swimming. These were the
most highly organized and generously funded of the many activities that took place
outside of the classroom. Some considered interscholastic sports to be an
extension of the educational and developmental mission of high schools, and they
regarded coaches as teachers of lessons crucial to success in life. The varsity and
junior varsity sports enrolled a large number of students, but not every student had
the ability, talent, or interest to compete in this arena. Moreover, the only
interscholastic sport for girls was tennis.
For students who did not compete at the interscholastic sports level, the school
offered – in addition to physical education classes -- intramural sports, sometimes
known as club sports. These activities were mainly offered to girls through the Girls
Athletic Association and included tennis, golf, softball, basketball, field hockey,
gymnastics, archery, volleyball, trampoline, bowling, badminton, and “social
dancing.” For this last activity, there was even a designated dance room located in
the girls gym. Not exactly sports – although their participants had to be talented
athletes – were the cheerleading, pom-pom, and song leader squads. The girls
were always among the most popular students in the school.
Students interested in non-athletic extracurricular activities had an impressive array
of choices. At CHS, as in perhaps most other high schools, service on the yearbook
staff attracted many students. In our senior year, under the direction of editor-in-
chief Emily Kittle, there were 31 staff members on the TORCH including writers,
editors, photographers, designers, artists, and publicity and business managers.
This was no small operation, as nearly 2000 copies of the TORCH were produced
and sold before the end of the academic year. CHS also had a rare weekly school
newspaper, The Trojan Trumpeteer. Led during the first semester of our senior year
by Gerry LaBell, and second semester by Bill Moore, the Trump, with its office at the
end of the main hallway, was home to at least a dozen regular staff members who
banged out their stories on old Underwood manual typewriters, but other students
occasionally volunteered to type, edit, or perform other duties for the newspaper. In
1959-60, the Trump won the Quill and Scroll International Honor Award and the
National Scholastic Press All-American Award. Some of its staff went on to careers
in journalism, foremost being LaBell who became a well-known AP reporter.
Perhaps the largest non-athletic extracurricular activities were the music
organizations. The Catalina High School Marching Band had nearly a hundred
members, led by Drum Major Tom Patterson. They played at home football and
basketball games, but also gave “pops” concerts at school assemblies. A number
of Catalina musicians qualified for the All State Band. Naturally, some of them were
also among the nearly fifty members of the Catalina High School Orchestra, directed
by Pat Curry. A sub-group of this orchestra, a string quartet, received recognition at
an art festival held at the University of Arizona.
For CHS students who loved choral music, there were several opportunities for
organized singing. The school had a Boys Glee Club (20 members), a Girls Glee
Club (about 40 members), an A Cappella Choir (approximately 55 members), and
an Ensemble (about 25 members drawn from other music organizations). The A
Cappella Choir presented an annual operetta, sang Schubert’s mass in G Major at
Christmas, and presented several other music programs throughout the year. In our
senior year, eight students represented CHS at the All-State Choral Clinic held at
the University of Arizona. Where there is music, there is dance. And there were
many dancers at CHS. Catalina’s Dardanairs (about 20 members) presented
several modern dance programs during the year as well as at mixers and basketball
games.
An organization that prided itself in being a “democratic organization” was the Girls
League, as every girl at CHS was a member. This organization held a number of
events, including mixers, panel discussions, a coke party for freshmen, a food and
clothing drive, a fashion show, a Dad-Daughter Box Supper, and a Mother-Daughter
Dessert. At the end of each year, a scholarship was presented to a graduating
senior who had been active in Girls League.
The list of other clubs and organizations offered at CHS is remarkable, especially
since fifty years later many schools can barely afford to sustain their academic
programs and other core activities. Among these were the National Thespian
Society, the Lettermans Club, the Pirouettes dance club, the Catalina High School
Service Club, the Art Honor Society, Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society
for High School Journalists, a chapter of the Junior Red Cross, a chapter of the High
Schools Safety Council, the Catalina Forensic Club, the International Club, the Ski
Club, the Hall Monitors, C-Y Teens, the Benjamin Franklin Club (for students
interested in the graphic arts), the Inter Nos Latin Club, the El Club Cid (Catalina’s
Spanish language club), The Tri-Hi-Y (for girls), the Hi-Y Club (for boys), the Future
Homemakers Club, the Future Nurses and Medical Teammates Club, the Future
Teachers of America Club, the Computers Club (for sliderule study), the Bi-Chem-
Phy Science Club, the Trojan Trigger Trippers (photography club), Catalina
Christian Youth, the Radio Club, the Catalina Gem and Mineral Club, the Archery
Club, and the Rifle Club. And, then, there was also the “Fun Club,” but that’s a story
for another time.
High school should be more than just “Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic,” and in 1959-
60 Catalina High School was a shining example of just how vibrant such an
institution can be.