We held a dedication for the track on Sunday May 28, 2005. Shirley Herrick and Florence McNett attended. It was the first, and perhaps the only, time they met. Our words of gratitude were directed at the two. About three hundred people attended. Many were alumni who wished to know how to get involved. Alumni support has proven to be a key component of the Foundation’s growth. The dedication ceremony was the last time I saw Mrs. McNett.
By now the student council had built a brick courtyard adjoining the track. We started the “buy-a-brick” program that fall. I thought it was important to get our students involved. They supplied the labor, earned volunteer hours, and we hired a supervisor to lay out the courtyard and select the plants. We added six hundred pound concrete benches (I didn’t want vandals from neighboring schools to tip them over) and sought sponsors for each. We used the income from the sale to cover the development cost and used the profit to start a teacher mini-grant program.
My friend, Jim Marvin, and I visited the site the week after the track dedication. We had started work on the baseball and softball fields, and he wanted to check out the progress. Being an avid baseball fan, he was impressed. He casually inquired about the cost of our dugouts. “We’ve budgeted $2,500 for each one”. The following week, I received a donation from Jim and his wife, Diane, that covered the dugouts. He contributed because he loved baseball and supported our efforts. He was a very generous man.
On September 8, 2006 we dedicated the football field. The prior summer we had the funds to put in lights and build a bleacher system. While we purchased the bleachers, our head of maintenance, Gary, put them together. It was a giant erector set. He started on his own one week-end, but I encouraged him to hire a crew. Instead, he assembled several volunteers. They were carpenters, handymen, athletic boosters, farmers, volunteer firefighters and lovers of Britton. Their handiwork saved us tens of thousands. After completion we had the bleachers inspected and certified. We filled both sides that September evening.
Members from the Board of Education and Foundation Board were on hand. Prior to the game we roasted and served hotdogs to the fans from both schools. Each attendee received a free hot dog, bag of chips, and soft drink. Most of the supplies were donated by our vendors. It was our way of saying welcome to our new digs. Thanks for coming.
I spent many hours researching our hot dogs. I wanted them to be “the best”. I’d eaten my fair share over the years and found many to be disappointing. They didn’t have a satisfying taste and often got lost in the bun. I wanted ours to be memorable with the perfect ratio of meat to bun. I envisioned people coming from miles around just to get a hot dog on Friday night, and I made sure we got off to a good start by serving the first several hundred free of charge.
The Foundation began offering scholarships to graduating Britton-Macon seniors in 2004. That year featured the first Max Larsen Scholarship. The program has grown to twelve named scholarships awarded today. The Foundation awards mini-grants for specific equipment, or programs, that teachers deem critical to their curriculum. The athletic complex in Britton, including the football field, lights and bleachers, the athletic building including concessions, the baseball and softball fields and the 8-lane all-weather rubber track were all funded through the Foundation. The students, staff and community have reaped the benefit of Foundation donations. It all began with a simple phone call to Florence McNett.
Within the first month of my arrival in Britton, I sensed the small school would exist as long as the community wanted it. The school was the thread that tied the community together, but the people did the tying. I also recognized the day would come when Britton would have to grow on its own or through partnerships with others. Having a dedicated staff, high quality programs, an updated physical plant, and a safe environment were key components. Schools of choice helped, but the cooperative athletic program sealed the deal. People love routing for the home team on Friday night.
I retired a few years prior, but on July 1, 2011, Britton-Macon School and Deerfield School consolidated to what is now Britton-Deerfield Schools. The Foundation changed its name to the Britton-Deerfield Education Foundation, however, its dedication to enhancing the quality of education continues.
Florence McNett passed on September 26, 2012. She was 96. Shirley Herrick passed on June 20, 2019 at the age of 99. Without these two ladies my time in Britton, and the school itself, wouldn’t be the same.
You never know what you might do, or say, that will change someone’s life forever.
