Baseball 1954 Spring Season Summary: Collins Won - Shipley 11-2, Maxwell 12-1, Cambridge 23-17, McCallsburg 9-2. Lost - Huxley 7-3, Melbourne 4-1.
Sectional Tourney: Collins won - State Center 20-9, Melbourne 15-5, Maxwell 21-3 for championship.
District Tourney: Collins won - Kellogg 11-8. Lost - New Sharon 2-1, (semi-final).
Season Record: Won - 8; Lost - 3. John Vasey was the main pitcher, winning six and losing two. Jerry Nichol won -1, lost - 1. Jack Kilgore won - 1, lost 0.
Team members - Starting nine:John Vasey (56) (p); Jerry Nichol (56) (c); Jack Kilgore (55) (1b); Ronnie Long (55) (2b); Gene Fitzgerald (55) (3b); Jim Dodd (56) (ss); Larry Laird (56) (lf); Jerry Thornton (55) (cf); Dale Derby (54) (rf). Other team members: Bill Ballard (56) (of); Gary Coughenour (54) (of); David Fitzgerald (57) (of); Bob Rice (56) (of); Ben Clark (57) (of); Elliott Partridge (57) (of); Norlyn Smith (57) (of); Larry Kloppenborg (57) (of). Coach - Louis Schrader.
May 20, 1954 Sunday evening, May 16, baccalaureate services were held in the Collins Church of Christ. Prayer was given by Rev. G. M. Talbott. The Rev. Robert Robinson presented a very good sermon. Music was provided by the mixed chorus and solos by Rex Morrison and Maris Slauson under the direction of Mr. Steddom. Mrs. Steddom was at the piano for the processional, recessional, and accompaniment. There are eleven graduates in the class of 1954 with all attending.
This year, for the first time in several years, our Junior-Senior Prom was held at home in the school gym. The week of May 14, our gym was transformed by the busy juniors into an elaborate ballroom. Streamers of royal blue and silver crepe paper were strung from a circle in the middle of the ceiling to the walls and then hung to the floor. The bandstand was canopied with crepe paper supported by silver and blue poles. The banquet tables were arranged in a double horseshoe facing each other covered with white paper and decorated with roses entwined about candles. Our theme was "Moonlight and Roses." The menu: Moonshine - appetizer; Moonlight for Rose Special - ham or shrimp; Buds and Moonbeams - peas and carrots; Golden Dreams - stuffed baked potatoes; Fleecy Clouds - rolls; Rose Petal Salad - tossed salad; Lover's Delight - angel food cake; Flower Nectar - ice cream. During the Toast program, "Remembrances in Roses" by Tom Reese - junior class president who acted as Toastmaster. Orchards to the Juniors by Reda Smith - senior class president. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," sung by Maris Slauson and Sandra Long. Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Jackson gave speeches entitled, respectively, "Serenade in Smiles," and "Shadows in the Moonlight." Mrs. Gordon gave us some advice as to the value of a smile, and Mrs. Jackson proved once more that man is no longer superior to woman.
Comments From a Mid-1950 Graduate - I credit the greater Collins community with keeping me out of trouble. Whenever I strayed, an older community member would tell me to "straighten up." The community cared about the success of its members/youth and was not afraid to become involved.
September 9, 1954 School Enrollment: Kindergarten - 20 pupils, Miss McPherson, Teacher; First grade - 26, Miss Brown, Teacher; Second - 24, Mrs. Reinders, Teacher; Third - 12, Mrs. Meeker, Teacher; Fourth - 25, Miss Vincent, Teacher; Fifth - 28, Mrs. Heintz, Teacher; Sixth - 30, Mrs. Struthers, Teacher; Seventh - 23 and Eighth - 20, Mr. Bell, home room teacher (Junior High). These grades are departmentalized with high school teachers having some of the classes. High School Grades: Ninth (Freshmen) - 8; Tenth (Sophomores) - 16; Eleventh (Juniors) - 17; Twelfth (Seniors) - 13. Summary: Grades 1-6 = 165, 7-8 = 43, high school (9-12) = 54. Total = 262.