Reflections

by

Jimmy Smythe

Some say that our generation grew up at the best time to be young.  I am one of those. Without a doubt the teachers we had were some of the best to ply their profession. As I reflect on our school days a multitude of names just keep popping into my head.
At the top of the list are Mr. Boyee, and Mr Cramer.

Mr. Boyee was intelligent,  kind, a thoroughly superior educator.  He only lived a block away from me, and I would always stop and talk to him about the times at GHS.  He always wanted to know what my classmates were doing with their lives. He never stopped caring for his brood of kids . He loved to make wooden toys and would enjoy showing them to me. He was always up to date on all that was going on around him. We will miss him and always wonder where the people of his caliber have gone.

And then there is Mr Cramer with his always smiling face. Cramer had a mind that always had room for more ideas and details of the things going on in today's world.  He never stopped learning, or teaching.  I remember the many trips to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and any other college, or university within driving range. It was always an enjoyable learning adventure with him. 

On one of the trips to a PA college we had 4 cars full of students. When we left the college to go home we were to follow Mr. Cramer until we got to Girard. Well - we decided we would lose him and go and have some hamburgers at Rodney Anns. By the time we got home my dad said he had received 4 or 5 calls wondering where we were and were we alright. Well the next day in school, I saw, for the first time, one angry Mr Cramer. We all caught hell from him. But true to form ,by the end of the period, all was forgiven. Herb Cramer did not have a mean bone in his body:

Other teachers that come to mind were: Mr Bates, Miss Fowler, Miss Heart, Mr Woodrum, Mr Baumgardner, Miss Ebinger, r Light, and too many more to list. Many of them I would see over the years. We would talk of the past years with fondness, and I would always call them Mr or Mrs, or Miss. They would sometimes ask why I didn't use there first name when talking to them.  It was a matter of respect I would say.

We were the lucky ones.