This story is about an event I attended annually as a young teen through my college years known as the Spring Banquet. In my
teenage era, Christian youth were strongly urged not to attend dances so
most teens did not go to the prom during their high school years. But
there was an event held for teens that took the place of the prom and
allowed for very nice suits and dresses to be worn. This event was
called the Spring Banquet and included a special program following a
lovely meal. The program would usually include a speaker, special
musicians and sometimes a Christian teen movie but no dancing. It was a
very special event which I looked forward to each spring.
While I
was in high school and before my brother graduated from high school,
the Groves girls would attend the Spring Banquet with our brother. The
first photo below is of my brother and me which was taken in the front yard of
our farm home. The photo was developed in June 1958. I would have
been in seventh grade that spring and my brother would have been a sophomore in high school.
The
second photo must have been taken the next year when my sister, Kathy,
was able to attend also. It is dated May ‘59. I would be completing
the eighth grade, Kathy would be completing the seventh grade and Jim
would have been finishing his junior year of high school. Kathy and I
are holding down our large dress collars as it must be a windy day. We
are wearing matching dresses and I’m not sure why that would be. Our
mother didn’t sew but there was a kind woman, Mrs. Lindstrom, at our
church who sewed dresses for us Groves’ girls for special occasions such
as Christmas and/or Easter. Maybe she had made us dresses for the
spring banquet. We rarely had new dresses from a store. We received
clothing from some other families whose children had outgrown things as
we were a poor family.
The
next photo would have been taken prior to another spring banquet. The
date of development is
Mar '62 but that was probably a year after the
spring banquet which must have been in April or May of 1961. My brother
would have been off to UW-Madison at that time so he is not at home. I
don’t know why I’m alone without my sisters in this picture.
I
graduated from high school in May 1963. I probably attended the annual
spring banquet each year as other students would attend the prom each
year. The spring banquet was not an occasion for dates quite as much as
the prom is so my only “date” was my brother.
The spring
banquet event continued into my college years. I spent my freshman and
sophomore years of college at UW-Madison. I think there must have been a
spring banquet through Inter-Varsity in those years. I don’t remember
about those years but I do remember a spring banquet in Madison, WI in
1966. I had a year off from college after my first two years of school.
During that year I lived in Madison and worked in the mornings at
Gordie’s Bake Shop and an evening shift at Fireside Restaurant. My
close dating friendship with John Worden continued that year. We got
engaged on February 20, 1966.
Two of my sisters were also
living in Madison that year. My sister, Kathy, was in her first year at
Madison General Hospital for their RN program. She had completed one
year of college at UW-LaCrosse and then transferred to Madison. My
sister, Barb, was in her freshman year at UW-Madison and would transfer
to Madison General Hospital for the RN program the following year. So
there were three Groves sisters in Madison during the spring of 1966.
All three of us were fans of Spring Banquets. I probably led the
“campaign” for each of us to get new dresses and have dates for the
spring banquet that year. Following are pictures of us with our dates
for the evening. The first photo is myself at age 21.
The second photo is John Charles Worden, age 23.
The third photo includes John's brother, James "Jim" Worden, age 21, Barbara Jean Groves, age 18, Linda Groves and John Worden.
The three male escorts are Lane Anderson, Jim and John Worden.
The sisters are Barbara, Kathleen and Linda Groves.
This
spring banquet was clearly as important for christian singles as the
prom was for those singles who attended dances. I can hardly believe
that the Groves girls had new dresses made, wore long gloves and had
dates with men who rented tuxes and provided corsages. It would have
been an expensive evening.
My
date and I have just celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary in 2021.
My sisters had an enjoyable date for that evening but went on to marry
other fellows. Their dates married other gals also.
I
have fond memories of these springtime formal events and never felt
that I was deprived of an experience that many other students have at
their prom events. I am grateful for parents who wanted their children
to glorify the Lord in all their activities and life choices. This is
the path my husband and I have chosen for ourselves and hopefully have
modeled for the generations that will follow in our family.
Psalm 78:5-7 New International Version
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
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