Page 8
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1978
focus
A weekend for the folks back home
A little motherly love
goes a long way . . .
Woo
boardii
By PAIGE BEASLEY
Battalion Staff
The President of Texas A&M Col
lege denied a mother’s wish.
But she was not to be denied.
She returned to Dallas and with
help from other Aggie mothers, she
packed fried chicken in her Model-T
Ford and headed back to Texas
A&M College to feed all the Dallas
boys.
sity Mothers’ Clubs, which cele
brates its 50th anniversary this year.
Contributions and projects are in
creasing with the continual growth
to the federation.
In the 1940s, Mothers’ Clubs
provided an “Aggie Bench” on
Hemphill Street for hitch-hiking
Aggies. It later became a Shelter
House.
With this act of charity, Mrs.
H.L. Peoples set the A&M
Mothers’ Club in motion, and this
time. President William Bizzell
could not say no.
The Dallas Mothers’ Club of 1926 sent cookies and other
“goodies” to their boys at A&M College. Mrs. H.L. Peoples,
fourth from the left, front row, founded the first club in 1922.
She also pressured the president of the college for a Mom’s
Battalion photo courtesy of the University Archives
and Dad’s Day in 1925. The first one was “dedicated to the
interests of the mothers and fathers of the students at A&M,”
reported articles in the May 6 and 8, 1925 issues of The
Battalion.
Parents’ Weekend
FRIDAY *— APRIL 14
All Weekend — Arts Committee presents Texas Fine Arts Associa
tion Exhibit in the MSC Gallery.
11 a.m.-9:50 p.m. — Federation of A&M Mothers Clubs
Boutique, 203-203A, MSC. Handmade items for sale.
Noon — Century Singers, Open Rehearsal, 003 MSC.
1-4 p.m. — Tours of the MSC given by Political Forum and Stu
dent “Y” members, 216 MSC.
1:30 p.m. — Federation of A&M Mothers' Clubs meeting, 206
MSC.
2 4 p.m. —- Basement Coffeehouse Entertainment and Crafts and
Arts Committee demonstrations. Rudder Fountain.
5 p.m. — Singing Cadets, open rehearsal, 003 MSC.
7 p.m. Federation of A&M Mothers’ Clubs open house, 145
Msc. : !i!!!i:ll!illll;
7:30-11:30 p.m. — RHA “Casino,” 2nd floor, MSC. Tickets
$2 in advance, $2.25 at the door. Available at the MSC Box Office and
RHA office.
8 p.m. — Travel Committee presents “We’ve Never Been
Licked,” Rudder Auditorium. Tickets at the door.
8 p.m. — Aggie Players present “Rip Van Winkle,” Rudder
Forum. Tickets (Si.75 for students, $2.75 for others) are available at
the MSC Box Office and at the door.
Midnight— Aggie Cinema presents “Enter the Dragon,” Rudder
Theater. Tickets ($1) are available at the MSC Box Office.
Saturday -— APRIL 15
8:30 a.m. —- Federation of A&M Mothers’ Clubs coffee, 205-206,
! ■
8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Federation of A&M Mothers’ Clubs boutique,
203-203A, MSC.
9:30 a.m. — Federation of A&M Mothers’ Clubs meeting, 226
MSC.
11:30 a.m, Federation of A&M Mothers’ Clubs lunch with the
Singing Cadets, 201 MSC.
Noon-2 p.m. — Basement Coffeehouse Entertainment and Crafts
and Arts Committee demonstrations. Rudder Fountain.
1 p.m. -— Davis Gary Hall Softball Tournament, Travis Park.
2-4 p.m. — Tours of the MSC given by Political Forum and Stu
dent “Y” members, 216 MSC.
8 p m. — Aggie Players present “Rip Van Winkle,” Rudder
Forum.
8 p.m. — Aggie Cinema presents “The Enforcer," Rudder Au
ditorium. Tickets ($1) are available at the MSC Box Office.
8 p.m. — Town Hall presents a series attraction concert, “The
Ohio Players,” Q. Rollie White. Tickets at the MSC Box Office,
845-2916.
9 p.m. — Davis Gary Hall party. Elks Lodge.
SUNDAY — APRIL 16
7:30 a.m. —Flower pinning ceremony, Corps dorm area.
9a.m. — Parents’ Day program. Student Government/Corps of the
Cadets Awards, Rudder Auditorium.
12:45 p.m. — Ross Volunteers performance, Kyle Field.
1 p.m. — Women’s Drill Team, Kyle Field.
1 p.m. — Keathley Parents’ Day barbecue, Keathley Reach.
p.m. .
no
3:45 p.m. — Parson's Mounted Cavalry and Fancy Drill exhibition
and Change of Command, Duncan Intramural Field.
4:35 p.m. — Aggie Concert Band performance, Rudder Au
ditorium.
4:30 p.m. — Ross Volunteer Company Awards ceremony. Rudder
Theater.
Entertainment,
awards highlight
the weekend
Peoples was concerned with stu
dent welfare. In February 1922 a
meeting was held “for the purpose
of forming a club looking to the wel
fare of the Dallas County boys at
A&M College.’ The first official
meeting of the Dallas University
Mothers club was held March 3,
1922. Peoples was unanimously
elected the first president.
The first projects of the Dallas
Mothers’ Club were to send
“goodies” to their sons at A&M.
Mothers would notify their sons,
then send the “goodies’ by train.
Later, mothers began to drive the
200 miles themselves, and spend
the night at the hotel in Bryan or the
old Aggieland Inn.
An “Aggie Stop’ was also availa
ble. The stop, which was located on
the Houston-Dallas highway, desig
nated a pick-up spot for Aggies
needing rides to College Station.
The stop was used until 1963.
An organ, the only source of
music, was donated in the 1930s to
Guion Hall. Guion Hall was an au
ditorium on campus where plays,
concerts and assemblies were held.
The 53-year-old building was torn
down in 1970 and replaced by Rud
der Tower.
The Fort Worth Mothers’ Club
(1922) sent photographs, reading
materials and subscriptions to the
hometown newspaper to their boys.
Accomodations were also made for
Aggie Corps trips to Fort Worth
during football season. Mothers fur
nished beds, transportation,
entertainment ... and “dates’ for
hundreds of Aggies.
Bhere
depicting a scene from past /
present A&M activities. The f , 1
was raffled for $1,107. Duringjf , s '
1977 Sun Bowl, the El pJWashir
Mothers’ Club fed 900 Aggies,?- \y 00 ,
eluding the Fightin' Texas Anf or (he
Band, the football team, andadJkjp Ip
istration. (This was done in coo|)d(; on fer
tion with the Association of FoJl.stati
Students). »yP ii
The Federation of Texas Al | vera g<
Mothers’ Clubs today consistsd lj ()un cls
individual clubs with moretlBqOi
4,000 members. During 1976-E( ree .^
the federation made contribufel^lnle t
more than $53,000 to Texas A
student organizations.
fl Woo
of Kei
The federation provides sdBlexicc
arships and separate eontribijbefore
are made by the individual cluklto Ken
A&M funds, activities or group! Sunda)
their choice. Rmpu:
Autries.
On April 14-15, the federationflj “Sigi
hold its annual spring meetinj|i’ ( i ij^g
the Texas A&M campus. Acti\J ano the
will include au open house, acolB) ac h !
a luncheon and a business meetiMmeth
One highlight of the two-®* ' e .‘|
period is the boutique Saturdajt™ 1 j
the MSC which the federation!
sponsor. More than 22 clubsfff
participating in the boutique,^
By LIZ NEWLIN
Battalion Staff
Making Mom and Dad proud was
the original reason Parents’
Weekend was developed in 1925,
but since, then, it’s expanded from
just awards and flower-pinning.
Plays, movies, concerts and a
gambling hall are scheduled for this
weekend.
year Keathley and Davis Gary halls
have scheduled activities.
Corps dominance of the weekend
seems to date from 1969, when the
annual event was changed from
Mother’s Day in May to Parents’
Weekend in April because finals
were scheduled earlier in May.
Six years and eight clubs later,
mothers decided to coordinate their
ideas of serving and contributing to
student life. The result was the
Federation of Texas A&M Univer-
The money-making projects of
mothers are endless. Quilting bees
were held in Bell County during the
1930s. In the 40s, the San Angelo
Mothers’ Club auctioned a sheep for
$200.
In 1976, the Fort Worth Mothers’
Club made a quilt with each square
ing anything that can be marfell 111 t|1
home and decorated in some
with Texas A&M symbols. sl (n ^
items include pillows, dolls, skW^, ls
aprons, plaques, keychainsi« U . •'
^ i ^ 1 i Anot
much more.
Hard work, support, f ovc ®[j ) y ^
anything she can give or do—^
“I’m
a mother. And even more, anA|
mother.
»as a
Academic and Corps of Cadet
awards also will be given at the Par
ents Day Program at 9 a.m. Sunday
in Rudder Auditorium.
Thomas S. Gathright Awards will
be presented to the top sophomore,
junior and senior in each college.
Deans of the colleges selected the
winners on the basis of the highest
grade point ratios and involvement
in the University. President Jarvis
Miller will give the awards.
The outstanding company or
squadron size unit in the Corps will
receive the Gen. George F. Moore
Award, the highest recognition the
Corps gives.
For decades before that, the
Memorial Student Center Council
and Directorate made the weekend
a “big blow-out,” said J. Wayne
Stark, director of the MSC.
All-round A&M supporters
An award for the Mom and Dai
Somev
andfi
ring
Jnce 1
“Just a lot of special things people
could cook up for their parents
were planned, he said. For in
stance, one year the Camera Com
mittee took free pictures of students
with their parents at a reception
hosted by the MSC. For students
whose parents could not attend, the
Radio Committee sent greetings
home.
By DANA GARDINA
On Sunday, April 16, two Texas
A&M parents will be surprised as
they are honored and proclaimed
Aggie Parents of the Year.
Two other major awards for com
panies for squadron size units are
the Gen. Bruno Hochmuth Flag for
military achievement and the
George P. J. Jouine Flag for scholas
tic excellence.
Awards are given out each year
from societies like the American
Legion and Sons of the American
Revolution. The Corps also recog
nizes the outstanding sophomore
and freshman.
All three ROTC departments and
the Corps as a whole also give
awards. About 90 cadets will be rec
ognized.
Stark said there was not as much
to do around A&M, and people de
pended on the MSC for entertain
ment. Also, he said, not as many
students lived in apartments. So
parents had to crowd into the MSC
and a few motels. Some professors
hosted favorite students’ parents in
their homes or even rented their
bedrooms for the weekend. Stark
added.
The event is part of a Texas A&M
tradition that dates back to 1925.
The Federation of Mothers Clubs
started the award as part of the first
Parents’ Weekend — a weekend to
familarize Texas A&M students’
parents with the school.
At the beginning of the spring
semester the committee accepts
recommendations from full-time
students enrolled at A&M. This
year the committee reviewed 70 ap
plications.
After this, the parents of the year
are chosen and notified ten days be
fore Parents’ Day.
“The recommendations can he for
the students own parents or some
one they consider as their parents,”
Morrison said.
ren t notified early because
who submitted the parent’s m
wished to keep it a secret from tl
until the award ceremony Sum
Ruth Hewitt, the MSC se
secretary, was mother of theyei
1971.
“My son and husband keptij
surprise until I heard them cal
name,” Hewitt said. “It wasquilej
honor.
A&M,
sas ve
and U S
ilked
rould
mew
ing fact
cjfA&Ji
ggie/
V
However, the award wasn’t for
both parents until 1974.
“It used to be mother of the year,
but in 1974 it was changed to parents
of the year, ” said Wayne Morrison,
chairman of the Parents’ Day com
mittee.
One traditional highlight of the
weekend is the flower-pinning
ceremony. Each one of the 1,880
cadets will receive a small flower for
his or her commanding officer’s
mother. Two colors of flowers are
used — one denotes a living mother
and one a deceased mother.
“The main emphasis for selecting
Aggie parents is on their parental at
tributes and not how much they
have done for the school,” Morrison
said.
“Ten people from the student
government are in charge of select
ing parents of the year,” he said.
The Aggie father of the year re
ceives a ten-carat gold tie clasp. The
Aggie mother of the year receives a
pendant. The parents also receive a
plaque.
For the first time, the Aggie par
ents of the year will be invited to
come watch a home football game
from the A&M president’s box.
“We tried to increase the prestige
of being the Aggie parents of the
year,” Morrison said.
This year, as in the past five
years, the parents of the year we-
"After that my son’s eompi
kind of adopted me,” Hewitts
"Recognizing the parents
year is really the mainstreatf
corps activity,” Morrison said.
However, this year other sot
groups are planning events. Ka
ley dorm plans a barbecue and a I
talent show” in the Keathley quadj
1 p.m. Sunday.
S|
Ft
to
sc
ar
Si
cl
“We re going to make this an
nual thing,” said Theresa Scki
coordinator of Keathley parents
activities. “We want to getpeopl
A&M to have fun and to.seed
it’s all about."
Aggie Parents of the Year will also
be announced during the ceremony.
Organizers for Parents’ Weekend
are trying to expand the event to in
clude more than the Corps, and this
Another fond tradition will be
“W’e ve Never Been Licked, a
movie filmed during World War II
on the Texas A&M campus. It is
scheduled for 8 p.m. Firday in Rud
der Auditorium.
Casino this weekend
place your bets
By LAURA HENDERSON
You walk through the door and
your ears are immediately filled
with the sounds of the roulette
wheel spinning, the cards shuffl
ing, and the dice rolling.
and a wheel of fortune will be set
up, he said.
The scene is not at Monte
Carlo or Las Vegas, but the Res
ident Hall Association (RHA)
casino in the second floor Me
morial Student Center ballroom.
Eck said most of the equip
ment for the games was built by
RHA members about three years
ago. “We are ordering some
equipment, like the roulette
wheel and the chuck-a-luck game
from San Antonio,” he said.
Eck said to alleviate soiw
crowds and confusion the gamt
ing will be on the second fli
and the auction will be on
first floor of the MSC lounge.
Candy and soft drinks willk
available at the casino. Uniif'
sity regulations forbid liquor®
campus.
RHA will kick off Parents’
Weekend at Texas A&M by
presenting their annual casino
Friday night at 7:30.
The entertainment will consist
of various acts instead of just one
band unlike previous years, Eck
said.
Eck said no one really reinef
hers who first initiated the it
of the casino about four ye® :
ago.
Brian Eck, RHA casino chair
man, said the casino will offer
many different types of
entertainment. There will be
gambling, Las Vegas-type
entertainment, girls dressed as
saloon girls and an auction, he
said.
There will be such acts as
can-can girls, a ventriloquism act
with Tim Wessel and Andy (his
sidekick), a Steve Martin-like act
with Kent Crank, and many
other attractions.
Tickets cost $2.25 in advance
and $2.50 at the door, Eck said.
At the door the ticket is ex
changed for $2,000 in play
money. From there everyone is
on their own to try their luck at
whatever type of gambling game
they wish he said.
“It will be like a regular
casino,” Eck said. There will be
tables set up for blackjack,
chuck-a-luck, roulette, craps and
several other games. There will
also be horse race films shown
“From 8 o’clock on there will
be a different act every 10 to 15
minutes,” Eck said.
At 10 p.m. the auction will
begin with smaller items for the
people who were not so lucky at
the tables, Eck said.
At 11 p.m. all gambling will
stop and auctioning for the larger
prizes will begin Eck said.
Ann Tessem, in charge of get
ting prizes for the casino, said
the two largest prizes this year
are a black and white portable
television set and a ten-speed
bicycle.
Tessem said all prizes for the
casino were donated by area
merchants.
Eck estimated the cost for (j
year’s casino will be aroi^
$2,500, which is about
lower than the cost last year. '
the money for the casino is>taW
out of RHA funds, he said
Profits from the casino t
used to pay for dorm $
provements, the new dorm pr®
idents’ retreat, the RHA b®
quet, and the RHA awards
gram, Eck said.
Julie Roin, RHA treasuff'
said this year’s officers are try' 1
to get $1,000 set aside from!*
casino proceeds to help dof*
start programs against dr |l!
abuse, alcoholism, and oil’ 1
problems. “We aren’t sure if*
are going to he able to do tlu 1
she said.
Eck said the special attrad®
for this year will he a casino tbi
is “an evening of fun and
than last year."