Prime Suspect

[Eamonn]

There I was on a Sunday night, taking time off from my jet-style life??

Supper was eaten, the dogs fed, watered and walked.

I watched 60 Minutes, the Amazing Race on CBS and went to PBS for Masterpiece Theater.

I was looking forward to Helen Mirren playing

Detective Superintendent Tennison in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act. The show started and soon something looked very familiar.

Yes the school they used was the one I used to teach in!!

Sadly it looked very shabby and hasn'aged very well!!

But then again I'm not sure if I have.

Eamonn.

[SR540Beaver]

E,

 

At least it is still standing. My old high school was built and opened in 1953. I graduated from there in 1975. My two brothers and sister also graduated from there. On November 4th, they held a 53 year reunion for all classes from 1953 thru 2006. I never heard the whole story, but it was determined that the building had served it's purpose and needed to be replaced. They have built a new building where the practice fields were behind the old school. When the students return from Christmas break, they go to the new school and the old school will be demolished and replaced with new practice fields. The reunion was an opportunity for all alumni to tour the old school one last time and also tour the new school before it opens. It is kind of sad to see your old haunts destroyed......and it makes you feel old too. My mom really hates to see it go as she worked there as a secretary in the library for 16 years and retired from there.

[acco40]

When I went to college, I lived in the newly constructed dormitory. It was built in the early 70's and was the newest dorm on campus - eight stories high, about 70 students per floor, twin buildings (one female, one male) connected by a common lobby and cafeteria (was considered co-ed back in the day). Housed over 1,100 students! Well, it was recently torn down because it is hard to "wire" an existing building and according to the experts it was cheaper to tear down and build anew rather than renovate. That IS the American way is it not?

[jr56]

Every school I have ever attended has been closed. I must not be very good luck.

[Eamonn]

jr56

Lucky you.

The hospital I where I was born is now a family planning clinic!!

Eamonn.

[kraut-60]

My old high school had been built in 1911. The floors creaked and one could tell by the sound of the creak which floor and where the person causing the creak was walking. The interior of the offices and classrooms had built in cupboards and drawers of hardwood as well as wooden trim and blackboards built into the walls.

 

It was a grand old building, and only now do I cherish the memory of it. When I was there as a student I felt like many young high school students....When can I get out of here?

 

That school was torn down in 1982 and was replaced by a modern school on the same site. It has since become the local middle school and an even newer high school has been erected across town.

 

Omly one school building that I attended as a youth is still being used in its intended role and my daughter is in the 5th grade there now. It doesnt resemble the school I remembered as it has been added on to and remodeled, but some of it looks familiar.

 

Nothing seems to last forever, every ship I served on has been decommisioned. The best looking one was sank as a target, the one I got in the most trouble on has been scrapped, the ship with the best command is hoping to be saved for a memorial, and the first one I went to sea in is now in the Taiwanese Navy...serving in its intended purpose.

 

I will have to be content with the memories of those places and things no longer around, and treasure those that are still here....for now.

[RangerT]

Eamonn

 

I have been rather surprised with you lately. The threads you have started have been full of feeling sorry for yourself stories. First your thread on how the council has been a bitter disappointment to you, then the I don't give a damn anymore thread bemoaning district and unit volunteers calling you for advice. Next there was the thread about not becoming an eagle aimed at hops and now this one. I think you are going through a midlife scouters depression crisis.

 

Well I think that many of us here have had the same or similiar scouting experiences as yours. However dwelling on just the negative is not good for you ol boy. Scouting is no longer the same as it was when we were boys and is still evolving, to what is anyones guess. What we deemed as important in scouting as youth is not quite the same to the youth of today. Is that good or bad, time will tell. All of us have great memories of scouting as both youth and adults and thats what we should dwell on. Until we get to the age where it would be better for us and the youth to step down we need to focus on the positive contributions we are making.

 

So Eamonn buck up, the sky is not falling, at least not yet.

[baden]

Ah Eamonn. Don't pay too much attention to Ranger T. I'm sure his heart is in the right place, but a little introspection is good for you.

 

The school where I went grades 6-12 was built in 1903 and demolished in 1971. There is a swimming pool there now. Good trade.

[msnowman]

After reading this thread I decided to look up some former schools that I attended in other states. All of them are still standing according to their websites...and have the same familiar look. I consider myself lucky to be living in the same town I went to Jr & Sr. High in. The Jr High is still standing but will soon be converted to Senior Citizen Housing while the Sr. High has undergone many add ons but still has the same look it did when I went there. Nephew attends the same consolidated school I started 1st grade in many years ago (he's a 7th grader there now)....his 1st grade teacher (who is still teaching, btw) was MY first grade teacher 33 years ago...at least something has stayed the same.

 

On the other hand, the hospital I was born in (the same one as both of my parents) closed 22 years ago. The building still stands and houses the town's clinic, but it is no longer a hospital.

 

YiS

Michelle

[Eamonn]

RangerT

Old chap, I'm sorry if I'm coming off as an miserable old goat!!

However for the record.:

This thread came into being not because of the Schools state of repair!!

It had more to do with the word felon!!

Felon led me to Prime Suspect. I have no idea why!!

The Eagle thread was supposed to let Hopper know that no matter what he does in Scouting, he does need to feel that he has disappointed me in any way.

 

As far as the stuff about the Council and District goes. I do find it sad that we the volunteers in a lot of Councils are not receiving the level of service that is needed. I get very upset at some of the what can only be called underhanded shenanigans that some (No not all) Professionals are trying to pull off.

On a very personal level I don't mind how many people call me or e-mail me.

My frustration comes from the fact that they are not calling the people who can do something to help them. Sadly at this time I can't.

I spent over 10 years serving on the District, Council and Area (Where I still serve) The time to move was I think about right.

As for " midlife Scouters depression crisis." I wish there was a way of posting photos on this site. I could post the pictures of the Sea Scout Ship I serve cruising on Chesapeake Bay the weekend before last or the pictures of the Scouts and your's truly the week before trying our hand at all night cosmic bowling.

Things for me are a little rough at home, but I really enjoy the time I spend with the Scouts I serve. The Scouts plan what they want to do. We have a group that have diverse interests they tell me that they are enjoying the program.

I really don't think that I'm living in the past or trying to relive anything.

So I kinda think your reading something that just isn't there.

As for the Parsons Green Maternity Hospital now being a family planning clinic? I really don't care!! My family planning days are done and I don't think I'm pregnant.

The reason there is a green there is because in the days of the Black Death it was a mass grave for the people who died.But even if the hospital is now gone, I'm pleased to report that the White Horse Pub is still there as a pub as it has been since 1688.

Eamonn.

 

[RangerT]

Eamonn

 

I hear what you are saying and I agree with you 100%. I am glad your ship is doing great and those are the kind of memories I was talking about in my post. A lot of people in here, myself included, have a great respect for you and your experience and I hate seeing you in a negative state. So screw those dishonest professionals and full speed ahead. May the rest of your scouting experiences be positive and may there be smooth seas ahead. YIS

[emb021]

My experiences are similiar to acco40's.

 

A school I attended had a group of dorm buildings built in the 70s. What was annoying was that all were about 2-3 stories high, when they should have been built about 5-6 stories high. The school has now been building new dorms, and in the process has been tearing down the old. (which I hate. build it right in the first place, not crappy so you have to later tear down and rebuild). Out of the 8 or so old dorms, only one is left standing.

 

Another school I attended had built there dorms back in the 50s. Still being used, but then they built them better then.

 

[OR Pioneer]

I don't know if this is like some witness protection program, but the university where I did my graduate degree has changed its name twice and changed the names of each of the buildings on the campus. Many of the buildings are now named for people who were either professors or students when I went there!

 

Berk Moss, Newberg OR