June 3, 1965
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Holly County. School was out last Friday and then the folks at church say we have to have Vacation Bible School right away. No time off. They must think all us kids will forget how to sit still or maybe be able to use our brains for learning if we have a few days without somebody teaching us something.
I’m not really complaining. I love Bible School. I’ve loved Bible School since I can remember and I know I went even when I could barely talk. Before she died, Mama Mae took me every year. She loved teaching Bible School. Not DeeDee, that’s my mother. Since she took off when I was five, I don’t remember much about DeeDee and Bible School, but I don’t have to remember much to know she wouldn’t have been one of the women giving up a week or two of her time to teach kids Bible verses or get glue and paint all over her making macaroni collages and pencil holders out of soup cans.
But I’m real happy that plenty of women in the church do just that. Doesn’t matter how many beans are ready in their gardens or if the strawberry patch is ripe for picking. Or anything else like sewing or cleaning. No, indeed. They put all that on the back burner and head out to Bible School to make learning about Jesus and the Bible fun.
I’m too old to be one of the kids learning in Bible School now. Gosh I’m already fourteen, so this year I’ll be helping with the Beginners. I already help with them in Sunday school. It so much fun teaching them to sing “Deep and Wide” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Bible School will be even more fun. Mrs. Haskins is the main teacher. She says she’s going to let the kids make hand prints.
Oh boy, we’ll have paint all over everything, but that’s okay. We’ll have fun. And we’ll have cookies and lemonade and maybe ice cream on Friday. We’ll get to play Duck, Duck, Goose and frozen tag. We’ll get to sing and hear Bible stories. I love hearing those stories over and over. I especially like the one about David and Goliath. And then there’s the little boy who shared his lunch. And Jesus walking on the water. I could go on and on. But I better save some for Bible School.
Have you ever been a Bible School teacher? Or maybe remember going to Bible School? What was your favorite part?