Forbidden Cartwheel

Try as I might, I can't remember any grade school trips.   I have taken myself back through each grade, just sure that if I ponder long enough, I will surely remember one or two field trips.  But, I really just don't.  I actually work with a woman who was in my grade school and high school class.  I polled her to see if she had any memory of any trips, and no, not a one.  I guess our school just didn't sponsor any trips away from school grounds.

I attended Catholic grade school and high school.  While we had more lay teachers than nuns in high school, the ratio of nuns to lay teachers in grade school certainly tipped the scale toward the nuns.  I remember picture day, science fairs, math bees, spelling bees, and book reading contests, but no field trips.

I guess the closest thing I can remember to a trip would be in the sixth grade.  I had "made" the cheer leading squad that year. That meant I got to go to all the ballgames both at "home" and "away."  Of course, "away" meant in the three cities which were about 5 to l0 minutes away from each other.  But as a 12-year-old, I might as well have been going to another state.  All those schools and all those different gyms!  And, in my cheer outfit as well. I remember feeling so proud walking into the opposing team's gym, pom poms and all.

Being a Catholic school in the 60's, we had some pretty tight restrictions on our cheer routines.  No "inappropriate" dancing or "inappropriate" words to our cheers.  I remember once it was my turn to do the free throw "score cheer."  This meant when a foul had been called and the player walked to the free throw line, I got to do an individual cheer to help him score.  I bounced onto the floor, cheered "S-C-O-R-E .. Score Bobby Score!"  I ended with a cartwheel and the splits.  When I came bouncing back to the sidelines, pony tail swaying, I looked up in the bleachers.  There she was ... Sr. Rose Patrice in full nun habit, glaring, absolutely glaring at me with her eyes slits and her mouth pursed.  Oh! Oh!  I think I did an "inappropriate" cheer.  I worried the rest of the weekend that I was really going to be in big trouble when I arrived at school on Monday.  My Mother assured me all weekend that I had done nothing wrong, but then she qualified her reassurance with her favorite statement, " I think those nuns sit up all night thinking up rules."

Sure enough Monday came and all the cheerleaders were summoned for a meeting in the Principal's office.  Sr. Rose Patrice told us she was absolutely astonished that any decent girl would turn herself up-side-down and let her skirt fly up, let alone end in a split.  From that day forward, no cartwheels, round-offs, or splits would be allowed.

We all showed deep remorse in her presence, but then giggled the rest of the day about her astonishment. I must admit I felt pretty empowered that a good little Catholic girl such as myself, for one shining moment got to be a "bad girl."

Maybe it is just as well we didn't have field trips.  I can only imagine all the rules that might have been attached.

This is written as an assignment from The Red Dress Club.  We were asked to write about a memorable school trip in grade school.