NOTES – 1995

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 17: PUBLICATIONS PMSS
Notes – 1995
Spring and Fall

NOTES – 1995

“Notes from the Pine Mountain Settlement School”
Spring and Fall 1995

GALLERY: NOTES – 1995 Spring

“I let the music take me into the pureness and serenity of the chapel. This is one of the best memories I have of my stay at Pine Mountain.” – Lindsay White, former student of George Washington Elementary, Kingsport, Tennessee.

TAGS: NOTES – 1995 Spring, student essay, dormitories, school group, hiking, classes, dancing, Chapel, bonfire, songs, Lindsey White, interns, Staci Donald, Wendy Morgan, Daniel Seltz, photographs

TRANSCRIPTION: NOTES – 1995 Spring

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PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL

Spring             Paul Hayes, Director             1995

[Featured color photograph: “OUR OFFICE.”]

P. 2

PINE MOUNTAIN

It was a damp, foggy morning on April 22, 1991. Excitement filled the air as worried mothers made last minute checks that their children were prepared for the week long trip. Teachers were piling the buses with suitcases and duffel bags. Finally, it was time to go. Many mothers and children were crying and saying their farewells, as we boarded the bus. As for me, I had never been away from my parents for more than a night, and I was thoroughly looking forward to the trip. I watched the school and parents slowly disappear into a cloud of fog. Then, I knew that we were on our way, to where I would spend one of the best weeks of my life, at Pine Mountain.

After the long bus trip was finally over, we stopped at a huge building nestled deep in the woods. Everyone was in awe as they saw the regal mountains and smelled the clean, fresh air. Soon, everybody was shown to their dormitories. When my friends and I reached ours, we instantly fell in love with it. There were two sets of bunk beds that were set on a newly polished wooden floor, and a single desk sitting in front of a window that gave a wonderful view of the majestic, rolling hills and trees outside. What I think made this room so special, perhaps, was the pure simplicity of it. I thought to myself that this was the perfect beginning to a perfect trip.

After being told to go to the lobby for group assignments, we left our dorms. I soon realized that the group I was with was going on the dreaded four mile summit hike up Pine Mountain, and we were leaving fairly soon. I was not really looking forward to this hike, but I did not complain. Soon, we were heading up the steep mountain. I took in deep breaths of the clean, fresh air surrounding us, and listened to the squirrels scamper through trees. I relaxed, then, and began to enjoy myself. I felt like I was out in the wilderness, and it was a very good feeling.

Some of the classes were folk dancing, spinning wool and weaving it, learning the plants and how to use them. In streams class we had to roll up our pants and try to catch crayfish with our bare hands by standing in a shallow stream. I screamed when I saw a shiny, pink salamander coming my way, and fell into the water, I was soaking wet. Folk dancing was another highlight of my trip. We were taught the moves of square dancing, and soon began hustling around the floor, changing partners every thirty seconds, or so. I think that everyone had a good time that night, as well as the whole trip. I know I did.

At the end of the day, when the sky was turning marvelous shades of blue and purple, we all went to the chapel. Although many people were wild with the newly found freedom from their parents, they quieted down as they heard the beautiful sounds filling the room. I let the music take me into the pureness and serenity of the chapel. This is one of the best memories I have of my stay at Pine Mountain.

P. 3

The highlight of my trip to Pine Mountain was the farewell bonfire that was held for us on the night before we left to go home. All of us gathered around a huge, blazing fire that was in the center of a large field. Ben [Begley] and Mary [Rogers] stood at the head of everyone and told us stories of Pine Mountain in the past and we sang some “hillbilly songs”. The whole thing made me feel like I was a true pioneer, living in their time. I will never forget the bonfire that night.

The next morning, when I got up, I knew but did not realize that we were going home. I had everything packed, and was ready to go. We ate our last breakfast in the lodge. Teachers took last minute head counts, and then we were heading outside, and put on the bus. I was talking to my friends, and not really paying attention to what was going on. Suddenly, the bus started moving, and I realized that were going away from Pine Mountain forever. I know that I will carry it’s [sic] wonderful memories with me for years to come. I can remember nearly everything about the place, and I can see how magical Pine Mountain really was to me.

Excerpts from an essay by Lindsay White
(Former student of George Washington Elementary
Kingsport, Tennessee)

Dear Friends,

This fifth grader captured the true “spirit of Pine Mountain”.

We have no way of measuring the effect that Pine Mountain has in the lives of the youngsters who come to our school. We do know that it is a positive influence; one which is visible in the way they interact with one another, in their papers done in the classroom, and in the letters we receive after they return home.

We are uncertain why this experience happens as it does, perhaps it is because of “An Old Man’s Hopes“.

We thank each of you very much for your help.

Sincerely,
[Signed] Paul Hayes
Paul Hayes, Director

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Each spring and fall we invite three college students to serve in our internship program. These interns come to Pine Mountain from various parts of the country. They further their education by helping teach the hundreds of youngsters who come to Pine Mountain to enjoy our Environmental Education program. Please meet our spring interns:

STACI DONALD – age 19, from Rochester, NY, attends Hobart & William Smith College in NY. Her major is Geoscience and she is certified in special education. Staci hopes to teach people about the environment and make their lives more fulfilling.

WENDY MORGAN – age 22, is a resident of Bolton, England where she attended Edge Hill College in Liverpool. Wendy has a degree in education and hopes to gain further teaching experience, as well as experience living in Kentucky and within a small community.

DANIEL SELTZ – age 21, comes to us from Alexandria VA, by way of Tokyo, Japan where he spent a semester studying language and literature. Daniel is a junior at Brown University in Providence RI. Daniel has extensive experience with children in and outside the classroom and is eager to share his experience with PMSS.

We appreciate each of these fine young people for their help.

***

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1995

Wildflower Weekend
April 21- 23, 1995

Black Mountain Weekend
May 5 – 7, 1995

Elderhostel
June 25 – July 1, 1995

Homecoming
August 12, 1995

Elderhostel
September 10 – 16, 1995

Fall Color Weekend
October 20 – 22, 1995

Nativity Play
December 17, 1995

***

Pine Mountain Settlement School
36 Highway 510
Bledsoe, Kentucky 40810

(606) 558-3571 or 3542
FAX (606) 558-3258

GALLERY: NOTES – 1995 Fall

“There weren’t no discord nor willful killin’ and shootin’ to interrupt. Hit were a good Fair.” – Abner Boggs

TAGS: NOTES – 1995 Fall, Fair Day, graveyard meeting, stir-off, Dr. Keith, Arwilla Lewis, Henry Lewis, Oma Creech, John Shell, Gib Lewis, barbecue, Jim Browning, Abner Boggs, songs, calling

TRANSCRIPTION: NOTES – 1995 Fall

P. 1

PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
PINE MOUNTAIN     HARLAN COUNTY    KENTUCKY
Telephone: 606-558-3571

FALL             Paul Hayes, Director            1995

[Featured color photograph: “FUN AT THE FAIR”: “Sack race with Joshua Turner, Jessica North, Jessica Huff, Derek Creech, and Ashley Wilder participating.
Flossie Callahan – game leader.”]

P. 2

(an excerpt from the Pine Mountain Note, November 1944)

“The sun is a-shining to welcome the day, with a heigh-ho, come to the Fair.”

Fair day anywhere is likely to be a gay time, but at Pine Mountain it is one of the rare occasions, along with the spring “graveyard meeting”, the occasional “working”, and the fall stir-off, when widely separated families come and enjoy each other’s company. It always begins, and did this year with a protracted and delightful program of “norating”. With no newspaper to send the news, we did it on foot and by grapevine, down Greasy Creek, and Big and Little Laurel, Turkey Fork, Isaac’s Creek, and to far away Line Fork and Bear Branch, and lonely Puncheon Holler, until every oldest and least one had word of the Fair. While this business of publicizing was going on, equally busy preparation was taking place on the school grounds. A platform was built on the playground, Dr. Keith from Eastern State Teachers’ College was secured for speaker, the largest hog and beef in the neighborhood were bought for slaughter, and the workers and students were initiated into the mysteries of “pit barbecue”. All day before the Fair the tantalizing smell crept down the valley. That night men and boys, like druid priests, poked the coals and turned the meat, preparing the sacrifice. Everywhere down the creeks and up the hollows the women were polishing their jars of fruit, domestic beasts were no doubt mystified by the practicing for the chicken and sheep calling contest, and on the school grounds there echoed from Big Log to Far House the old familiar song of the Fair.

By ten o’clock on the morning, fall mists were lifting from the valley and with the first apologetic sunbeams, the neighbors began to come, afoot, on horseback, and in cars. An open truck brought some forty from beyond the Line Fork woods, and another carried a crowd from Big Laurel. The sun really “welcomed the day”. The crowd grew larger, merrier, and noisier.

The flower table was lovely with Arwilla Lewis‘ famous dahlias – a special triumph because the whole countryside had been debating on whether or not the frost would hold off long enough to leave them for the Fair. On the vegetable table we noted with interest Henry Lewis‘ turnips which many of us had been watching for days as they swelled like balloons. This year’s great red apples will probably not appear at our Fair soon again, because a bumper apple crop is very rare in our area. On the canned goods shelf perfect glasses of jelly stood in front of shining cans of beans and peaches, and jelly so clear that one could see the beans shining through.

The exhibit of old-fashioned household gear is one of the most unique features. There was, for instance, the comforter, madder red on one side, black-sheep brown on the other, bound with indigo piping, made by Aunt Sal‘s mother. The same patient hand had fed and shorn, carded and spun and dyed, woven the cloth, and spread out the neat quilting in great even fans of small hand-…

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…stitches. (The comforter belongs to Dr. Oma Creech, a granddaughter of Uncle William, now overseas with UNRRA.)

The iron pot on its tripod, Uncle William’s gun, the bed that Uncle John Shell made for Aunt Sal when they were married, maybe eighty years ago, the powder horn and the coffee pot, each tells its homely story of hard old days. Certainly the Bible from Gib Lewis’ home, with its marriage and birth record from the early part of the last century, could tell us more than the printed “Word”.

By noon the barbecue was practically done. It was the first in our neighborhood, and everyone had to have a taste. When along with that, the coffee and ice cream were also devoured, the crowd gathered at the platform and the program began. The very fitting patriotic talk of the speaker was followed by a hog calling contest, won hand over by Jim Browning from Little Laurel. We half expected to see all the hogs on Little Laurel come tearing over the mountain in answer to his call which shook the valley. Abner Boggs sang “Lolly Toodum Day”, (for without that song, and Abner, we could hardly call it a Fair), and then the children from district schools sang their songs and there was a dramatization of the “Old Woman” ballad.

With the last verse of the song the rain which had been wanting to come earlier, began to fall. There was a mad scurrying, the crowd melted like magic, and in ever so short a time they had all disappeared down their different creeks. Abner Boggs, the ballad singer gave us in the dignified, Biblical style characteristic of his speech, this gracious comment on the Fair:

“Hit’s always right and good for menfolks and womenfolks to have conversation one with another. On this day they were things to eat and folks to eat ’em. [They] were interestin’ things to look at and folks looked. They were a fine educated man to speak, and I reckon most folks got some benefit out of hit. Them that done the best in any manner of means such as callin’ a hog or raising a turnip got notice took of hit. They weren’t no discord nor willful killin’ and shootin’ to interrupt. Hit were a good Fair.”

(Cover Photo: Sack race with Joshua Turner, Jessica North, Jessica Huff, Derek Creech, and Ashley Wilder participating. Flossie Callahan – game leader.)

P. 4

[Photograph of children seated at a table, with an adult standing nearby.]

Pine Mountain assumes a share of the responsibility to preserve, for the nation, the best of rural life, that in itself is so valuable. In seeking to lift up the spirits of the people of the mountains, we are blazing new trails; providing well-groomed social service and community leadership. No area in our country has greater need, and no area so much to give.

This year, thanks to your support, we have employed a full-time person to create and organize community service projects for both youth and adults of our service area.

On September 9th, we once again celebrated the Pine Mountain Community Fair. It was a fun time for all who participated. We thank you for your support which is the foundation we build upon.

In the spirit of Pine Mountain,
[Signed] Paul Hayes
Paul Hayes, Director

*
Calendar of Events 1996

Wildflower Weekend
April 19-21, 1996

Black Mountain Weekend
May 3-5, 1996

Elderhostel
June 16-22, 1996

Homecoming
August 10, 1996

Fair Day
September 7, 1996

Elderhostel
September 8-14, 1996

Fall Color Weekend
October 18-20, 1996

Nativity Play
December 15, 1996

Previous:
NOTES – 1994
Next:
NOTES – 1996

See Also:
COMMUNITY Fair Day GUIDE
HISTORY PMSS Summary 1994-1995
HISTORY PMSS Summary 1995-1996

Return To:
NOTES Index