Prom-Small Town Woes! Update post #32

[OhMari]

Our local h.s. is considered small. About 100 kids in each grade. Freshman thru Seniors can attend the Prom, but it is a Junior Prom.

Our Prom has been in the local gym for the past 80 years. Last year the girls basketball coach got our School Board to move it to a community center that can hold 350 people. The basetball coach felt the floor gets to damaged and it ties up the gym during the week, when the Junior class gets to decorate.

So last year it was moved to the community center. It was so packed last year, that no one could even dance. I was surprised the Fire Marshall didn't close it down.

Anyhow, many of us parents got together and suggested that the kids do a walk thru like a Grand March earlier in the evening. Then they can get their picture taken by a photographer. This would cut down on parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends of parents, etc. attending the actual Prom.

Well, we started a war. How dare we suggest that parents not attend the Prom and see their son or daughter on court. We told them it is your kids prom, not your prom. We told them that they could see their kids at the Walk-thru and let the kids have their own prom without parents staring at them all night. Guess what, we lost!

We have a new principal this year and she is going to be a chaperone. Hopefully she will understand when she sees the over capacity crowd and moves it back to our gym, or agrees on the early evening Walk-Thru!

Gotta love small town living-nothing like a good fight to divide a village!

 

[Beauty]

Uggh with the exception of a few chaperones our parents were NEVER allowed at our prom. That would have been horrible. There were a few parents, maybe 10 or so along with teachers who chaperoned but I just can't believe parents, grandparents etc. attending PROM!

I'm definatly on your side! Kids DO NOT want their parents at their prom.

 

[jrmasm]

Parents going to prom??

 

[tarmand]

Is your town like Mayberry small where these poor parents are just that excited to have somewhere to go?

 

[ballroombelle]

This would cut down on parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends of parents, etc. attending the actual Prom.

I'd never heard of extended families and assorted neighbor friends ATTENDING a HS prom. I think what you suggested was reasonable in light of your town's traditions and the problems with the new proposed space.

What do the students think or are they divided , too?

 

[Freesia]

Oh my gosh....I never heard of parents & grandparents going to the prom~

 

[4greatboys]

We never had parents at our proms. Im pretty sure my sons dont want me lurking about theirs either . Especially if there is not enough room, it just doesnt make any sense.

 

[Castlebound]

I went to a fairly small high school and we had a few teachers as chaperons. Only parents of people chosen for Prom court attended and they showed up for the crowning of the king and queen then left. I can't believe that parents and grandparents stay for the whole thing! Start charging them $100 a couple for their tickets also and see if the crowd doesn't thin out a little!

 

[SC Minnie]

We only had adults has chaperones. I couldn't imagine all parents and family being at the prom. Not my idea of a good time. We also had to buy tickets to the prom. I believe they were like $20 a piece and that was almost 20 years ago.

 

[Caradana]

We didn't have parents at the prom.
We had nuns at the prom.
(girls' school).
It was about 80 girls, 80 dates, and 100 nuns. Gorgeous hotel, though.
Scott, who was Emily's date, had the gall to wear SNEAKERS WITH HIS TUX. He had to wait on the curb with Sr. Marian until his mother dropped off his dress shoes. No joke.

 

[skuttle]

I've never heard of parents attending prom. I would have HATED that!

 

[Mary Anne]

It was about 80 girls, 80 dates, and 100 nuns. Gorgeous hotel, though.
Scott, who was Emily's date, had the gall to wear SNEAKERS WITH HIS TUX. He had to wait on the curb with Sr. Marian until his mother dropped off his dress shoes. No joke.

I believe you 100% and can just picture it

 

[OhMari]

Is your town like Mayberry small where these poor parents are just that excited to have somewhere to go?

Yes-It is a social high lite of the season!

What do the students think or are they divided , too? No the kids do not want parents at the Prom. About 10 years ago, one dad started a daughter/father dance at the Prom-this guy is a prominent town business owner-and that tradition is still going on.

I really hope we can start making some changes with our new principal. I can't wait to see what she says after the weekend.

 

[RadioNate]

Parents come to the Prom???? I can see maybe the parents of the 5 or 6 on Prom Court JUST for the coronation but just to come and watch the prom?

My friend was Prom Queen and I know her parents didn't come.

Around here parents take photos before the event at (usually) the girls house there is also a professional photographer who will take group and couple shots in front of a background for people to purchase.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I went to a tiny tiny school also. About 500 kids from 7-12th grade in one building and my graduating class had 32 kids in it. Anyways, we also had the walk through parade event before our prom. We had to be at the gym around 6 p.m. to get our professional pictures and then literally it was like a parade or a coming out party when you left the gym. All the parents and family and townspeople would come out and be on the sidewalk while we paraded by like royall. Sometimes the ole timers would come out with their really fixed up old cars and trucks and we would load up and have pics taken in them. I went to my first prom 10 years ago and the memories now make me smile.

I agree that if parents and family alike attend the prom they should have to pay to get in. That money can go the class next year sponsoring the prom.

 

[Freesia]

What our kids did...one parent would volunteer to host a pre-prom party. Food was provided(parentsd chipped in $$), for groups of 20-30 kids. The parents(mostly mothers) of those kids stopped by the dinner to take pictures...then they went to their prom in limos.

 

[RadioNate]

This is facinating me. So do the parents dress up and everything? It all seems so foreign. What about girls who don't have dad's what happens to them during the father/daughter dance? I can't imagine, even if it was the norm for parents to come, that my dad would even show up.

Do the students and parents have to pay? or just the students?

I don't think 100 students per graduating class is super small. I once dated a guy in college from small town Iowa who had less than 150 students in his ENTIRE HS. Going home with him made me realize that small town life just isn't for me!

 

[Sandy V.]

A Father/Daughter dance at the PROM?!?!?! Sounds like some Dad had some real attachment issues . . .

As for a "small" high school, I had 32 in my graduating class, and one of them was a foreign exchange student from Japan! Not only did I know everyone very well, I knew their siblings, parents, pets, etc. A fine life for many folks, but I was glad when I graduated and moved to something larger!

 

[ktglads]

We didn't have parents at the prom.
We had nuns at the prom.
(girls' school).
It was about 80 girls, 80 dates, and 100 nuns. Gorgeous hotel, though.
Scott, who was Emily's date, had the gall to wear SNEAKERS WITH HIS TUX. He had to wait on the curb with Sr. Marian until his mother dropped off his dress shoes. No joke.

Did you have to do the introduction of your date as well? My school was smaller (less than 50 gradutating girls) and we had to stop to introduce our dates to Sr. Kevin before we were allowed inside. There was basically a reception line of faculty and nuns that you had to go through the line of them before you were allowed inside

My favorite was that you weren't allowed in without a date. One year, a girl got stood up and had to take the limo driver. In my class one girl's bf had to work late so she had to call to get special permission to be allowed inside until he arrived. There were many tears involved in that one until she got ahold of the dean of students. Gotta love the alma mater

 

[OhMari]

This is facinating me. So do the parents dress up and everything? It all seems so foreign. What about girls who don't have dad's what happens to them during the father/daughter dance? I can't imagine, even if it was the norm for parents to come, that my dad would even show up.

Do the students and parents have to pay? or just the students?

I don't think 100 students per graduating class is super small. I once dated a guy in college from small town Iowa who had less than 150 students in his ENTIRE HS. Going home with him made me realize that small town life just isn't for me!

Parents dress in nice clothes-
If a daughter don't have a dad, a grandpa or her mother dances with her.
The parents can make a donation to the Prom otherwise they don't have to pay.
The dad that started the father/daughter dance-whenever you see him out in public-he is always making a scene-half the time he is what our town calls "socialable drunk". Some parents in this town just keep reliving their youth, they don't want to grow up. So they have infringed on thier kids h.s. activities.