By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
Alumni who attended the old two-story, slate-roofed Caroline High School that served the county as a high school from 1939 to 1969 will gather in front of the school Saturday morning, Sept. 11 for the unveiling of a six-foot obelisk memorializing the school. Alumnus James "Doc" Crismond organized the fund drive to purchase the monument, and the response from alumni was so great the purchase of the large obelisk was made possible. "It was something I always wanted to do," he said. "Finally the opportunity came along and luckily I got up and went to work on it. It's wonderful how people responded."
Bowling Green Mayor David Storke will welcome the alumni and among the speakers is Gilbert Brittle, who taught history before becoming principal. After desegregation in 1969, the school became a junior high, and Brittle was principal there as well. Today the school, located a mile south of Bowling Green on Route 301, is called "The Annex" and used for Chesapeake Bay Governor's School classes and administration offices. Crismond, a member of the Class of 1965, asks that alumni arrive at 9 a.m. to register and receive name tags. The ceremony then begins at 10 a.m. with Boy Scouts posting the flag, the National Anthem and the school song "Oh Caroline!" Then come speeches and the unveiling.
Though the county is setting up 150 folding chairs, Crismond urges the alumni to bring lawn chairs because as many as 300 may attend. Following the unveiling is a tour of the school, a social gathering and lunch will be made available, with donations accepted. Brittle will speak about the school's history. "It's a fine old building," he said last week when he and Doc arrived to have their picture taken. Despite the hot day, the two stood in the shade of a dogwood for well over an hour telling humorous stories about teachers, principals and students in days long passed.