U.S. Grant Junior High School was the BIG step between grade school and high school. We had 7-9th grades. Seventh graders were expected to participate in all of the extra curricular activities. Well, Student Council was one of them. Each homeroom had a delegate to sit on the council. By process of elimination and willingness, I won. HOWEVER, that wasn't the best part. Seventh graders were required to nominate a student council treasurer. Eighth graders were expected to be secretary and ninth graders- president and VP. OK, you get the picture. Well, since we had four homerooms, we had four candidates for treasurer. Moreover, each candidate was required to give a speech on why they were the best candidate.... oh, god...write a speech.
I worked with dad on a speech where I highlighted "Honesty and Integrity "as the required moral bearing of a good treasurer for U.S. Grant Jr. High School. I felt my class would receive it pretty well.
The day came to give the speeches. They said we need to line up and go to the gym. IT WAS THE WHOLE DAMNED SCHOOL IN THE GYMNASIUM! Yep- you got it, every candidate had to give their speech to the student body and they would elect the best candidate. SURPRISE!
Seventh graders went first. The first speech was pretty good, but I was faint so I don't remember much. I was second. Oh, poop. We were asked to dress professionally, so I should have caught on, but a seventh grader has more important things occupying those areas of kid mind. I wore my trusty red blazer with a generic crest ( probably SEARS family) on the chest, clip on tie and dark trousers.
Well, up I go, with my 3x5 cards trembling, I headed to the podium (way too high for me so I went off to the side) and into the the speech. Looking back, it would have given me pretty good cover.
I understand from observers, I got louder as I travelled through the speech, giving emphasis to HONESTY and INTEGRITY, just as dad had suggested. What I did not realize was that my left arm was swinging wildly at my side. In retrospect, I must have looked like a Coldstream Guardsman on palace duty. The rest is a total blur.
As it turned out, I won. Again, I think the pathetic sales tactics I learned in Rockford were paying off dividends!!!! Public Office and wide acclaim as a "swinger."
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