Hometown inducts Yuma teacher into "hall of fame"

 Ray Drysdale may not have won any batting crowns during his 50-year career in education, but he was a big hit with his students and was recently inducted into his hometown's "hall of fame."

 When Orchard City, Colo., completed construction of a new city hall, it devoted one corner to honor those citizens who were a prominent part of the Fairview School during its years of operation from 1904 to 1966.

Drysdale, an Orchard City native, went on to head the Yuma High School social studies department from 1957 to 1985 and then became county school superintendent until 2000.

Drysdale was recognized for his community service at the Gunnison River Pleasure Park on June 27, according to Marsha Thomas, a city council member in Orchard City.

"Whatever was going on Ray and his family they were a part of it," Thomas said. "He started the Fairview Reunion Breakfast and people who may never had the chance to reminisce might have missed the opportunity to meet again."

Lillian, Ray's mother who was the town's postmaster for 40 years, was another prominent Drysdale who invested much time in the community, Thomas recalled.

"He's got a warm heart and a fantastic sense of humor. And he returns here yearly and always rekindles friendships with former classmates and others."

Although Fairview school never had an enrollment of more than 85 students, it had the reputation of being one of the finest small school districts in the state. Drysdale says when that he started the reunion in 1992 he wanted to bring back a community feeling.

 A throng of 105 people jammed the city hall when he was inducted into the hall of fame.

"It was a very heart-felt recognition by the community in which my family has been a part of for over 100 years and we've had an overflow crowd (at the reunions) for the last 10 years," Drysdale said.

Along with Drysdale others inducted include: Virgil Lanning, a veteran killed in World War II; Howard Ensley, who was wounded in WWII; Harold Brunner, another WWII veteran; Harold Wick, a former Fairview teacher; Genevieve Hice, whose mother taught at Fairview; and the Davis Family, who planned and built Fairview.

Drysdale said that Yuma High School was an unbelievable place to teach because it was dominated by "impact teachers," those with the ability to change the lives of their students.

"Back then we had teachers who were giants in how they impacted each student," he said. "You'd hear students say, 'I'm staying in school so I can get to so-and-so's class.'"

He also stated that impact teachers were not just popular, so were educators who felt a deep sense of mission. Some of those he recalled, who helped Yuma students succeed, were Jack Cheetham, a biology teacher; Ed Soorgel, world history teacher; Carl Winters, a social studies teacher; Taylor McBride, choral instructor and Warren Conrad, "who was a taskmaster at preparing kids for college English," he said.

During his working years the primary law of education was individual differences, he stressed. If a teacher can accept the level a certain student has when he enters class, and get that student excited about learning the subject, the facts will follow accordingly, Drysdale said.

"I'm a very non-structured type of teacher, but today almost every student is on the same page and they all take the high stakes tests "

Students certainly need accountability and the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) is a plus, he added.

"But the ability to be creative and get out of the box is as important as structure and I think there is merit in that."