Special to the Telegraph
The streets were lined with onlookers as the parade vehicles opened the first annual fall festival of the new Brooker Community Charter School. As with every step of initiating this school, the volunteers were out in full force to ensure it was a successful event.
Principal Moss recruited her husband, Rodney, to help with the sale of t-shirts. Other volunteers sold tickets or assisted at the booths. Florida Youth Challenge Academy students were on hand to take on any role that needed attention.
The air was filled with the smell of kettle corn, barbecue, and Philly cheese steak. The field was lined with activity booths for the costumed, and not, children to play a game and walk away with a little prize. There was Two Liter Ring Toss and Ax Throwing. (No, not a real ax.) There was a Go Fishing booth, Treasure in the Hay and Milk Bottle Bowling along with Ski Ball and Football Tire Toss. And a mini zip line with safety spotters.
The Pine Hill Lodge Masons offered vittles and refreshments along with stories of the history of the lodge in Brooker. Master Mason, Ted Barber, explained that the primary objective of the Lodge is
to “make good men better men.” The Masons are a fraternal order, but many wives and female friends are members of the Eastern Star #40 in Lake Butler. The Pine Hill Lodge has been an entity in Brooker since 1881. The historic building itself was first built near the current Brooker Community Center and then moved, board by board, to the current location on land donated by Mr. Ward on County Road 18. Pine Hill is a small lodge with 22 members, but not all are from Brooker. They encourage non-members to stop by to share a meal and meet the members on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30.
Speaking of history, the school is a new charter school formed to ensure the continuation of an elementary school in the Brooker community. But it is a legacy school that educated generations of students as Brooker Elementary. Photo albums were displayed on tables and posters, tended by Margaret Dyal and Jean Parrish, showing students through the ages, many of whom are grandparents and parents of students attending the Community School now. In fact, an alumni reunion will be held in February pulling together students from 1943 through 2021.
T.J. Rodriguez, a Florida Youth Challenge Academy student, was looking to the future. The academy is a National Guard program out of Camp Blanding. He plans to go to technical college next to learn welding and then probably join the Marines. T.J. says the program provides direction for participants and serves to prevent youth from “falling into negative situations.”
Kevin Jones, 3rd grader at Brooker who loves math, was at the Fishin’ Hole game and had his plan all mapped out. He would “play a few more games in a straight line, check out the Bounce House and then head over to get some food.”
County Commissioner, Diane Andrews, was a caller at the Bingo spinner. I told her it brought back memories of my bingo fanatic grandmother. She said she herself enjoys playing bingo, even though she seldom wins. The tables were packed with prospective winners, whose $2 cards were lined up as they hunted for the numbers called. Prizes valued around $100 were donated by local stores and businesses.
The festival was attended by hundreds of visitors and the volunteers were still smiling at the end of the day. The first Brooker Community School Fall Festival was an obvious success. Now the planning starts for next year.
