Heart of the Community

Rector Schools - the Heart of this small community.
The Rector School System is small as is the town.  In contrast however, is the spirit.  Just as civic pride is thriving, so is school pride and school spirit. As the heart of the community, it is also the entertainment mecca:  football, basketball, fund-raising events, shows, and family events.
Just 7 miles south of town is another small town, a rival in basketball and Dollar General stores!  We attended the girls' game between the Lady Greyhounds from visiting Marmaduke and the Lady Cougars.
     The game was played in the AFG (translates Absolutely Fabulous High School Gym) that boasts theatre seating on the home side and mixed bleacher/theatre steating on the visitor side. Trophy cases, lobby areas, plenty of seating, really, really nice restrooms, and with a full concession stand and classrooms at the rear of the building make it the best gym in this area of the state. The gym was filled with Greyhound Red and Cougar Blue.  The game came down to an errant final shot by the Lady Cougars and the visiting team won by 2, but that was not the jaw-dropping observation I wish to share.
     Prior to the tip-off, the school pep band/ varsity band played the National Anthem.  The concession stand went dark, people stopped where they stood, rose from their seats, turned to the hoisted American flag, and removed caps and placed hands over hearts or simply stood at respectful attention throughout the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.  You ask why I am surprised?  It's because I have seen the lack of decorum in other high school gyms and college arenas reach a sad low where disrespect of traditional patriotic ceremonies seems the norm rather than the exception.  Not so at the Rector Cougars Gym.
    At the conclusion of the game, both teams voluntarily met at center court, joined hands, and shared a time of prayer, all legal in that it was organized voluntarily by students with no school authority figures, no coaches organizing any such display of spiritual acknowledgement to God most High.
     All in all, I'd say this community wins big!

“I wish I could show you the little village where I was born. It's so lovely there...I used to think it too small to spend a life in, but now I'm not so sure.”
― Mary Kelly