Manual H.S. Kids of the 1950's & 1960's

Some things we have done: Over the years, our little band of Redskin Septuagenarians and Octogenarians have helped out at the school in various ways, raising funds for choir robes and basketball warm-ups, football uniforms and equipment to bring football back to Manual, and to bring a chapter of the National Honor Society to Manual. In this last ten years, we raised the funds needed to print Ivians after the school went 5 years without a yearbook – all seniors receive a free copy and underclassmen at reduced price. Can you imagine high school kids without a yearbook? We are now raising funds for the 2020 yearbook. See http://manualhsyearbookproject.yolasite.com

A large gathering of Kids of the 1950’s attended a Manual basketball game in February 2010 and cheered the Redskins on to victory. It was great fun. We also raised funds to restore and replace athletic achievement banners and plaques of the past in the gym entry way. We attended the 2011 Docs vs. Jocks basketball game in the Manual gym to raise funds for drug and alcohol awareness programs at Manual. We supported and promoted the Manual Christmas Spectaculars, a program by the choir and band. The Manualaires were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in February of 2012 and we helped them fund the $30,000 needed for the once in a lifetime trip for these Manual kids. In 2013 twenty or more players from the first Manual football homecoming in 1953 appeared at the Manual homecoming game, along with 1953 Homecoming Queen Jean Sommer Ahrendts, and the principal gave us a token in remembrance of 60 years of Manual H.S. homecomings. We attended a 2016 basketball game versus Howe and the 2017 celebration of 100 years of ROTC at Manual. Several of our Manual grads who are attorneys worked successfully to protect the historic paintings during the transition year preceding state takeover. We are working with the principal and staff to help keep educational opportunity's flourishing. Now Manual is on the way back up ... with better grades, better discipline and, as a recent yearbook said on its cover ... proud to be Manual Redskins. This year the Indiana State Board of Education agreed to keep Manual open for the future. Great News.