Transcript | Annotation | Source: 89-4286-C-1(73-75)(PDF) | January 1978 Index
Got up at 7.00 and had breakfast.
Took a shower, did personal chores.
Went to lunch at 12.00
Sat in on high school English classes, the first conducted by Jann and Tom, the Basic group. Then observed the Advanced group taught by Dick Tropp.
At 3.00 attended regular high school English teachers’ meeting. The classes were described for me and the shortage of books and supplies. None of them shipped from the States have arrived; most are tied up in customs in Georgetown. There was some discussion on methods of teaching, leading to the problems of whether to teach standard English, Black English or a combination. Tropp’s opinion prevailed: encourage the use of Black English for ordinary conversation, learn standard English for other purposes.
The topic of how to use me in the high school English program was approached. I realized with what was already set up that they didn’t have much need for another English teacher. I proposed I teach a course in English for adults and work individually with advanced students. This was agreed on.
The loudspeaker all day carried admonitions from Jim. An especially severe one was on elitism. There was to be a meeting tomorrow of the Agriculture and Screening Committee at 7.45 it was mandatory for all to attend.
I stayed in the central area. Had a conversation at dinner with Mary Wotherspoon. She manages the cassava mill.
At the meeting Jim directed that names be taken of those who were late. Some of the topics discussed were:
(1) Anthony head of the chicken operation was responsible for 75 baby chicks being killed;
(2) All must put in time in the fields, at least one whole day every month working in agriculture. All must get in a schedule of their daily activities
(3) Complaints were heard about Marie Lawrence that she was not on the job as head of the Landscape and Poison Committees. The seven children who had died and been saved by Jim just before my arrival had been poisoned by insecticide which was left around, I gathered by Mike Lund (Rozynko). There was much discussion of the proper disposal of such poisons and further provisions which should be made by Marie’s committee.
(4) Detailed reports were heard from those in charge of pigs, cows, chickens, proposals where made for making a pond to raise chickens and fish.
(5) There was communication by radio with San Francisco; Diane Wilkinson asked to speak to one of the Simon girls. Jim thought Diane was attracted to her, though the Simon twin said she was not aware of it. Jim commented that he had no objections to lesbianism.
(6) Jim complained of the number of letters the people were writing to friends and relatives outside of the Temple and the cost of foreign postage.
The meeting ended at 1.00.