Evening star., 1927-04-19
ORATORY CONTEST
CLUB HOLDS DANCE
Star Chapter District Com
petitorS Are Guests of
Honor at Carlton.

And they did grind their troubles
beneath their dancing feet--these
young orators. members and potential
members of The Washington Star
Chapter of the Constitution Club, who
last night dropped the mantle of De
mosthenes for the dainty slipper of
Terpsichore in the clubs dance ut the
Carlton Hotel.
A week ago they We're enemies, con-
testing seriously for honor and re-
ward; last might they were dancing,
laughing and gay partners-friends,
just as the Constitution Club would
have all its members and ali combat.
ants in the National Oratorlcal Con
test.
The dance was given by the club in
honor of the contestants in the several
district" contests within this region,
and as a welcome to the other eligible
contestants TO the roll of membership.
In the dancing bouquet of color and
youth could be found, and with no lit
tie effort, the young speechmakers
who stood austere upon the oratorical
stage only a week ago. And they were
mighty hard to recognize. In place of
the serious-countenan children"
there appeared last night a hundred
couples of young men and young wom-
en-, garbed in their respective black
and-white and pink, blue, green, or
child and white.
Champions Are PreseR,.
In the happy swirl could be found
Alvin Graves, the champion of
Eastern High School. and Catherine
Birch, the Mckinley High School
winner Then there was Bessie
Cush, champion of the private and
parochiaI schools district, and Ethel
wyn /. Hine, Centraps representative
In The Star finals yet to be fought.
Then there was Stanley Segal, the
young lad who won the championship
of Business High. These are five of
the eight ffnalists who were to have
attended as honor guests. Joseph
Richard Greenwood, the Western
High School winner, happened to be
away for the Easter holidays. but
his sister, Miss Ruth Greenwood,
who was winning contestant year
before last. was there as a member
Of the club.
Some of the other potential club
members that could be picked out of
the transformed" field of orators in
cIuded Carrie Tracy Lucas, of the
Herndon High School, George Kun
dahl, of the Woodward School for
I9DS NJ JdtlCl k9ilGA{IuAh VI IAttlbii
Arms, Mark W. Woods of the
Hyattsville High School. and John
Chadwick, of St.eJohns College.
When they danced geography
meant nothing, and the contestants
in the various districts danced with
all the other entrants. There was An
drew C. Gender of Charlotte Hall,
Leonardtown. and Godfrey Barber OF
st. Adams School for Boys; Eliza.
beth Colonel of Laurel and Mary v.
Pattie of Manassas. There was sturdy
little Douglas Griesenmer, jr., of the
Bethesda High School, the youngest
contestant in this years contest-12
years old-dancing at his first grown
up" party.
Refreshments Are Served
AS the dancers whirIed in the Mt
tractiye patio room of the Carlton the |
forethought of the executive commit |
tee, under Miss Myrtle Posey, last |
wears Star nationalist, was appre- |
ciated. Tremendous bowls of chilled
fruit punch Were always available. |
Then there We're ice cream and dainty /
cakes. Everything just right, il |
seemed
But the orators were not entirely
selfish with their party. for they in-
vited their elders, whose advice and
Endorsement and patience and gem
eral interest had helped them so
much in their contest labors. Among
these guests were DIR. Frank w.
Ballou, superintendent of schools, |
and Stephen K. Kramer assistant su-
perintendent, in charge of the high
schools, Then there were Maj. and
Mrs. A. w. Gullion and DIR. and Mrs.
w. c. Sterling. Mrs. Sheldon s. 4
Cline, wife of The Stars assistant |
managing editor, and her children,
John II. Cline and Misses Mary /
and Jane Cline, were among the /
guests of the club, as was r. "a
Kaufman, assistant to the manag-
ing editor of The Star. Randolph /
Leigh, founder of the National Ora
torical Contest, and Mrs. Leigh also |
Were prominent. Alvin w. Miller, |
principal of Central High School, and |
Mrs. Miller We're there, too, as well |
as Mr. and Mrs. John o. Mallott
But then there were others and |
many of the adult patrons and |
friends OF the National Oratorical |
Contest dropped in" during the eve
ming to smile their greetings to the |
youngsters in their hour"
Last nights dance was the first
affair of it's kind TO be conducted as
a feature of the contest. 1t was con-
ceived by the ConStltuuon CluD mem
bers as a means of promoting the
friendships of the contestants, and it
was entirely their party. 1t is likely, |
club officers say, that the dance will
become an annual affair as a regular
part of the nationwide contest.
The next meet in the course of the
contest this year in The Star region
will take place May 4, when the rep
resentatives Of this area in the ma
1ional contest win be chosen. That
young orator will receive, in addition
TO the honor, a two-and-a-half-mont
tour Of Europe, and an additional