Home Ec 1974-75 at Bradshaw Jr High #FlashbackFriday
Good morning, kittens & dawgs! It’s Friday with the weekend kicking off soon. This is my first edition and I must warn you at the start this series will run irregular until new material is available to share.
The internet opens up interesting opportunities to find lost moments in time and one such incident fell in my lap recently while sifting through images posted in one of the Facebook groups I joined.
In my junior high years at Bradshaw (BJH) ~ go hornets!, a required study for girls was home economics and although in my 9th grade year I was technically in high school this is where I went to school because the way our schools in McDowell county fell. The point of that is to say, I remember my last year at BJH, a boy (Billy Jo) wanted to take home ec. I don’t know what prompted this decision unless he didn’t like shop ~ the required course for boys or he just wanted to be different. Who knows?! The school staff was reluctant to allow him in an all-girl class but eventually granted permission. Whatever the reason for this kids switch baffled us all and murmurs in the halls at Bradshaw Junior High went on for weeks before the gossip stopped.
Nowadays, no one would think twice about Billy Jo’s decision and while I consider myself old school, I think it’s a good idea for both sexes to have hands-on experience in the kitchen or around the car. I am happy my daughters are capable of fixing a flat tire and have done it on more than one occasion and my son cooks regularly for himself in his own apartment. He knows how to clean and mend, but I’m not sure how important these things are to him. Hey, you know how guys are…keeping the stomach happy is one of the first priorities and everything else gets pushed aside until it’s a necessity. lol
Thinking back on my junior high years, I remember when I was in grades 5 and 6 I envied the older girls who took Home Ec. The one thing I looked forward to doing most was participating in the class bake-off of Nestle’s Original Toll House cookies. The smell omitted drove everyone insane who weren’t privy to enjoy a morsel of this intoxicating scent. Mmm, the thought of hot, fresh chocolate chip cookies sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I may have to do something about that. 😀
What unusual thing, like this, do you remember from your school years? Thanks for allowing me to be apart of your day. Have a fantastic Friday!
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8 Comments
Dixie Copeland
Hey Cathy. I’m adding you to my reading list so I can stay in touch. May leave BOTB. Lot of work and time consuming. I do have February ready but we’ll see.
XmasDolly
Well, look at you! I didn’t know you played Flashback Friday. I love your pictures. You’re beautiful. What a little cutie pie you were! Awww thanks so much for sharing and so much for stopping by! HUGS Have a wonderful weekend. Wait have you been doing this flashback all along? What say you and I do it together. I’ll drop the other stuff and we can just do Flashback Friday! 🙂 Let me know.
Dixie Copeland
I loved Home Ec. Learned so many things – thank God for sewing!
By the time my younger brother got to 9th, he took shop ans what was then called, “Family Living.” He sews better than I do.
LOved this post, Cathy!
Cathy Kennedy
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Dixie. I think boys should know how to sew, and some of the greatest designers are men.
56packardman
Indeed, another sign of the decline of education in this country is that in so many places, classes like this (or shop or woodworking for the boys) are no longer offered. 🙁
hee hee … I was already hungry for REAL Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies when I read your post! Now I REALLY want some! It’s so hard to find good chocolate chip cookies anymore! Everyone forgets that the secret to them is the caramelization of the sugars in the original recipe – that and the use of real butter is what makes them so good! 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
I have tried expensive chocolate chip cookies from bakeries and none can compare to the good ole goodness of home-baked chocolate chip cookies. I haven’t made any in a few years, and I really need to do this. Although, I really want some NOW, I’m reluctant to making them because DH & I are trying to lose a little weight. The holidays sidelined us both big time. Thanks for stopping by!
Julie Corbisiero
I remember my home ec class where we learned how to cook and see. They don’t teach you any of those things anymore in school. The girls growing up today don’t learn how to do these things unless a parent teaches them. Thanks for stopping by today and have a nice day and weekend.
Cathy Kennedy
Sadly, I think you’re right schools are teaching these things to young girls. The real bummer is working moms don’t have the time to teach their daughters, too. So…we are going to see a whole generation of young women with out these basic skills. Hopefully, they will have a drive to learn these things on their own and pass it on to their daughters to revive this part of our past.