The Life of a Dolphin

The Historical Happenings group was lucky enough to interview an alumni of The Dolphins, a non-competitive women's synchronized swimming club. Below is a Q&A interview with Christy Phipps who was on The Dolphins squad from 1970 through 1974 and now is the nurse and health teacher at Boone High School.

Q: Hi, Christy! Our first question for you today is how did you get into The Dolphins?

A: In order to get into The Dolphins, you have to audition. The club used to be open to girls in seventh through twelfth grade. When auditioning, you had to do two skills test such as swimming the whole length of the pool underwater and show your technique for dives, ballet legs, and anything else that you thought would get you on the squad.

Q: What the responsibilities and how physically demanding was being in The Dolphins?

A: We would have a set schedule for practices, so that was nice to keep organized and one of the really neat responsibilities was making our own scenery and backdrop for The Dolphins Show that took place during the winter months. Another fun aspect was designing our own costumes for The Dolphins Show! Each grade made their own different outfits, so it was neat to see what grade people were in.

Q: How neat! You were all like fashion designers! So now can you tell me a little about how The Dolphins was organized? Did you have a president? Also, what kind of dances and strokes did you do?

A: The Dolphins had an elected president and other officers in the club. We also had an advisor that decided what kind of dances to preform and whatnot. Advisors were always a lot of fun, but they also had a lot of responsibility to uphold, too. As far as the dances go, there was really a variety. Something that was really neat was our eight-woman linkage. This linkage was where eight of us girls would link together in a circle--in the water--and one of us would let go, swim a full circle underwater, and come back up and then the next girl would go. It was a very fun routine!

Q: We noticed that The Dolphins have not been around for a long time. Why is this?

A: Since competitive girls' swimming was not available back then, this is why this club was formed. In 1978, girls' swimming was formed and soon after the club dissolved.

That concludes the interview about The Dolphins. Please enjoy the photo of Christy (top left) and the other Dolphins in 1974! Thanks for reading!

A Designer Downtown Boone

Kids these days love walking in Downtown Boone in search of a nice place to eat, deposit money into a bank, or even find the right suit for a special occasion. Since Downtown Boone is only about a two-block walk, students have always the time to enjoy a nice stroll during a Midwestern afternoon. While the photo of Downtown Boone may not look like Boone at all today, this is a picture from the late 1930s or early 1940s that shows the thriving and designer Downtown Boone. An advertisement for Coca-Cole soda can be seen on the left. Many other stores can be seen also. Boone used to be a mecca for the modern shopper; a downtown full of boutiques, restaurants and cafés, home improvement stores, banks, law offices, and much more. Students--along with people of all ages--would go to the jewel that Downtown Boone is and enjoy the afternoon and the entertaining evenings that would come about.

Boone High Wrestling

Here's a picture of the 1966 wrestling team. This was the very first wrestling team that BHS ever had, so even though they never got to compete, it was a major stepping stone in our history!

Prom 1956

Singing, Speaking, and Piano Tunes: Boone High School's Talent Show of 1970

Did you know for many years Boone High School used to have a Talent Show each spring? This photo was taken from BHS's 1970 yearbook. As you can see, many are involved with many different competitions like giving a speach, playing the piano, and signing--individually or in a choir. I wonder who won first prize?

Class of 1918

Below here is a photograph of the class of 1918. There are 47 Seniors in this picture and 2012's graduating class consists of 158 students. Boone High's enrollment has bloomed significantly!

The Auditorium

The old auditorium, as many of you know is located in what is now the Library. This is a picture of some students gathered in the auditorium. You can see the old balcony as well around the top of the room. The floor is at a slant so that everyone could see the stage. 

1986 Prom

1986 Prom

This is a picture of a couple as they enter the Prom in 1986. The mermaid style is making a comeback. Below is a more modern version of this style. 

Boys Swimming of 1930

Taking a first glance at this picture, what do you see? The wrestling team? Think again! Here is the 1930 boy swimming team! Their swim suits look just a little bit different than what they do now a days..

Music of 1926

This is a photo of the Boone High Orchestra in 1926. Strangely, there are no sting instruments in the photo like the instruments that we associate with orchestra today.

This is the Boone High Band of 1926. There are quite a few less students involved than there are currently. Also, there are no females pictured...

Boone High School: The Scroll of 1956

For over seventy-five years, the Boone High School yearbook had taken the formal name of The Scroll. This photo shows the front cover of The Scroll from 1956. The photo shows a historic Boone High School with ivy growing on the sides of the building on a beautiful spring day. Enjoy!

Also, don't forget to comment and subscribe to the blog! Thanks for looking!

Boone Pep and Booster Clubs

Here is a photograph of Boone's "Peppy Pep Club" and "Boone High Boosters." Did you know that the Booster Club in 1955 was a new pep organization just for boys who wanted to "boost" everyone's spirit and support athletic events?

Band Concert

1975 Band Concert

This photograph shows a packed house for one of the High School's band concerts. This photograph shows the old auditorium and stage that is now the library. The stage is where Mr. Kiesel's office is currently. 

New addition in 1956

The 1956 Addition

In 1956, Boone High added this section of the high school. Later in 1997, they would add a level above this. This section of the building currently houses the Photography and Industrial Technology rooms. It used to include Broadcasting but it is no longer a class offered at Boone High. 

Boone High School in 1918

Since 1918, our school sure has changed a lot, as you can tell by this picture. Here is a black and white photo of the school 94 years ago. 

Activities!

I love Boone High.. so much history!

This is our track as of 1956! It looks a bit different and does not feature an announcer's box or concession stand.

This is the 1928 Scroll staff. The yearbook used to be called the Scroll and these are the students that created it! They look a bit different than students of today. There are lots of bow ties and dresses.

Did anybody know that Boone used to have a boys' diving team? Neither did we! This photo was taken in 1975 in the YMCA while the construction of the "new" pool was underway. Also, check out those swimming trunks!

Boone High School of 1961

Boone High School is a very historic place, and we as students are fortunate to have access to more than 115 years' worth of information from old BHS yearbooks and old newspapers. Here is a photo we found that shows the beautiful Boone High School 51 years ago.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! We will be posting pictures from old Boone High School yearbooks, so keep checking in to see some new stuff!

-Historical Happenings