Top Boy

Top Boy, that's the title Handley Junior High bestowed on the 9th grader voted Student Body President except they had a Top Boy and a Top Girl and had a new election each semester. To win Top Boy you had to have a certain grade point average, formally enter the race, and make a speech for the school assembly.

John Tandy, a friend of mine and a member of the basketball team, won the first semester. I decided to run the second semester after encouragement from my homeroom and English teacher. I think her name was Mrs. Stewart, but I can't remember. She was probably in her 50's, rather large, but a good teacher. We had just won the basketball city championship, so I had a good chance of winning.

The day before the election I withdrew my name. I didn't want to give a speech. The morning of the election Mrs. Stewart asked me if I had my speech ready. When I told her I had withdrawn she got mad. "Get down to the office right now and put your name back on the ballot!" I don't remember what else she said but she was emphatic that I was going to enter.

I went down to the office and told them I'd changed my mind again and wanted to be on the ballot. They had already prepared the ballot but they hadn't run it off on the mimeograph machine. The names were in alphabetical order and to add me would put me out of order. After checking with the principal the secretary said OK. They typed my name on the master as the last name. It was slightly off register with the rest of the names but I was on the ballot.

I can still remember the "speech" I delivered to the assembly. Some of the people spoke a long time and some for just a few minutes. Mine was short.

"I'm Charles Goodyear and if you vote for me I will do my best to uphold the high honor of Handley Junior High."

That was it. One sentence, not even 10 seconds.

There were 5 guys on the ballot, so there was the possibility of a runoff. I only remember one guy who ran, Dan Young. He'd run the first semester and lost to Tandy. He was a big guy but didn't play any sports. He was in the band. In high school he was in ROTC and was the highest ranking officer in the corp. He had given a very nice, lengthy speech.

When the votes were counted I won easily. I won 98% of the vote in the 7th grade classes and about 95% in the 8th grade classes. I even won over 50% in the 9th grade classes. We only had about 100-120 people in each grade and I won about 300-40.

For my official duties I had to introduce one speaker at an assembly. I'd never met the guy or even heard of him. He was supposed to be an east Fort Worth icon and was a scoutmaster or something. Anyway, I introduced him and acted like a knew him and that all I had to do all semester.

That's the only time I ever ran for an office in school.

When I was a senior everyone who had the qualifying grade point average was put on the ballot at the beginning of the school year for Student Council President. Since that was the start of football season it was pretty much a given that a football player would win. Todd Webster, a football player and good friend, had actively campaigned for President. He'd been the class president as a sophomore and junior. I was surprised to finish second and be named Student Body Vice President. I hadn't asked anyone to vote for me and I had voted for Todd. I actually won my homeroom . I was always proud of that.