Neshaminy History

 

 

 

 

History and General Traditions of Neshaminy High School

The seal of the Neshaminy High School is a duplicate of the seal of the Langhorne family.  It was given to the Langhorne family by Clarence of Camden in 1610.  The original seal was black and silver, but the high school uses its own colors of red and blue.
 

The Arms contain a red cross on a blue background and three stringed bugle horns.  The crest is a stringed bugle horn between two wings.
 

The high school has made an innovation.  The seal of the Langhorne family has no motto, but as is customary in high schools, one was chosen from several submitted for approval.  "Non Sibi Sed Scholae" was accepted and added to the seal.  This Latin Motto means, "Not for Self but for School".
 

The first school in Langhorne, according to Bucks County History, was established in 1836.  The Junior-Senior High School was organized in 1946 when the five districts of Langhorne, Middletown Township, Penndel, Langhorne Manor, and Hulmeville joined for the purpose of adding a larger, more modern section to the Cherry Street School.  With the addition of Lower Southampton Township to the jointure, it was possible to begin the construction of the present high school.
 

 
 

A piece found on Classmates.com taken from Mr. Harry Frank’s obituary, who passed away December 7, 2007.

 
 

Once upon a time…
 

In the small town of Langhorne, there was a high school by the name of Langhorne-Middletown High. A man by the name of Harry E. Franks was hired as the chairman of Health and Physical Education and created an event by the name of “Field Day”. Students were placed on the Red or Blue Team, determined by their last name. Mr. William Macht, principal, approved the program for high school students and the competition began.
 

1953-1954, Neshaminy High School, still unfinished, opened their doors and the first Gym Night began. By the theme of “Fun Night”, two teams, Red and Blue, began competition. Space was a premium, facilities limited, but the show went on and included such events as; cheerleading, decorations, sportsmanship, and organization.
 

1954-1957, Gym Night was growing bigger and better; the roots were reaching into hearts and souls of students, staff and the community. Gym Night was the event that everyone would participate in, and it was clear to see Gym Night was here to stay!
 

1958-1959, Mr. Fred Gerst was appointed to the Health and Physical Education Department as a chairperson and became the director of Gym Night. Under his direction, the numbers and events grew larger and larger. The decorations were more glamorous, exhibitions were “off-Broadway” shows, and the 12th grade relay was the crown jewel.
 

1954-Present, The Health and Physical Education Department is responsible for Gym Night. With the talents of early Physical Education staff; John Petercuskie (1954) Jack Swartz (1955), Pete Cordelli (1956), Joel Baba (1956), Pal Allison (1956), Doris Presto, and past Gym Night Directors; Bob Loven, Hal Heffelfinger, and Bill Ferrara, Gym Night grew. Through the hard work, long hours, and tireless efforts of these people, we have reached the pinnacle of success.
 

Through the years, Gym Night matured into its present day form, a “student-run production”. Gym Night captains assume many responsibilities such as designing, building, fund-raising, and show running. It is because of the talent, time and dedication of all our captains – both past and present (too numerous to mention individually) – that we enjoy this great tradition. Bravo, Bravo – to you one and all

 

PAST RESULTS and THEMES
 
1954 : Fun Night
1955 : Sports Night
1956 : Disneyland
1957 : Let's Take a Trip
1958 : Neshaminy Goes Western
1959 : Fun Night
1960 : Olympics
1961 : A Night at the Circus
1962 : Outer Space
1963 : Show Business
1964 : New York World's Fair
1965 : Disneyland
1966 : Tropical Islands
1967 : Story Land
1968 : The Big Top
1969 : Neptune, King of the Sea
1970 : Around the World
1971 : A Child's World
1972 : A Trip Thru Time
1973 : Movies and Cartoons
1974 : A Nostalgic Look at the Past
1975 : Disney Land
1976 : American Heritage
1977 : Around the World in 48 Hours
1978 : The World of Music
1979 : Television
1980 : A Revue of the 70's
1981 : The Land of Make Believe
1982 : Broadway
1983 : The World Thru Time
1984 : Holidays and Seasons
1985 : That's Entertainment
1986 : Turn It On '86!
1987 : A Walk Thru Time
1988 : Good vs. Evil
1989 : Fantasy Time in '89
1990 : Lost In Time
1991 : Festivities and Fun in '91
1992 : StoryBook Land in Neshaminy
1993 : Night at the Movies
1994 : Back to the Drawing Board
1995 : TV Classics
1996 : A Tribute to Past Gym Nights
1997 : Cartoon Express
1998 : Disney
1999 : Dancing Through the Decades
2000 : World Eras
2001 : Board Games
2002 : Good vs Evil
2003 : Back to the Future - 50th Anniversary
2004 : Folklores, Myths and Fairytales
2005 : Broadway Take a Bow
2006 : When I Grow Up
2007 : Every Day is a Holiday
2008 : It's Magical
2009 : A Tribute to Past Gym Nights
2010:  Passport Around the World
2011:  Nesh-Flix on Demand
2012:  As Seen on TV
2013 Once Upon a Time...
2014:  Across the Board

 



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