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Show B7 ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVIEW, August 12, 1965 PORTRAIT of NORMAN L. GIBBONS The Magic Ingredient Is Love, Says Utahs Youngest High School Principal A child can be raised in a mansion or a barn, in the bustling metropolis of a big city or on a spacious farm; his family may be large or small, his opportunities for education and self improvement may be limited or unlimited; he may be raised by permissive, strict, natural or adopted parents. Regardless of his external circumstances, a child may turn out exceptionally good, bad or somewhere in between. The magic ingredient that makes the difference is love. Christ of Latter-da- y Saints later completed his masters degree in guidance and counseling, with a minor in special education. During his senior year of college, Mr. Gibbons married Arva Gae Curtis, spent one summer working in Washington D. C., and after returning in the fall, received an assistantship to do reat search work BYU. This work involved a study of juvenile delinquents in the Provo area, requiring several hours a day of reading followed with additional re- search. The report he compiled was given to Judge and No one knows this better, both through personal experience and observance, than Monroe Paxman and gave him an opportunity to work closely with both the Judge and Dr. Ray Canning. In looking back, he believes he learned more from Dr. Canning than any other man he has associated with, and feels this experience was the major turning point in directing the field he chose for a career. Normand L. Gibbons, who was named the outstanding young man of the year by the Kearns Junior Chamber of Commerce last year, went on to become one of the three outstanding young men of the state for 1964 and is presently the youngest principal of a secondary school in the state of Utah. The story of Mr. Gibbons life is evidence that love, not material blessings, make the Research The research centered an experimer al group of delinquents in Provo -those on probation who were being helped before they became Industrial school cases. The youth were required to watch films and were given special instruction in remedial reading, crafts, physical education and other related subjects, and then participated in group discussions to help them get problems off their man. Three years after he was born in Los Angeles, California, his father developed asthma and doctors advised him to move either to St. George or Phoenix for his health. When the family arrived in St. George, Utah, they had nothing but an old pickup truck and $75 cash. To pdd to the problems, the move came during the depression, and Mr. Gibbons vividly remembers the years following when he had to take his shoes off as soon as be came home from school because they were all he would have for some time. In spite of this dearth, the family never went hungry or without love. Saw Poverty His Interest in young people, which occupies a major portion of his life today, stemmed mainly from an experience he had while be was in While the service. doing volunteer work with 95 children in a Lutheran orphanage in Germany, he had the opportunity of seeing the extreme cases of underprivi-lage- d youngsters and developed a strong desire to help alleviate such conditions. Remembering his own early childhood, he realised that the m aln thing these children were lacking was the thing be had in abundance - love. Returning home, he went on to finish his schooling and from graduated chests. Mr. Gibbons wrote his masters thesi6 on the basis of this research, in an attempt to determine the attitudes of juvenile delinquents in Utah County. While he was still writing this thesis, he began workinjg at the state industrial school at Ogden under Superintendent Claud Pratt, and Dr. Les Carlson, school principal. His three years at er the school were an into the real needs and problems of boys in trouble. He remembers his first day at the school as one of misgivings, with mixed fears of the boys, themselves, and of his adequacy to really help them. He soon learned that the toughness of some of the boys was only a sham to cover their own insecurities, and that once again, love conquered all. While working in Ogden, Mr. Gibbons commuted daily from Magna where he and his wife were buying a home . He learned to love the people in the surrounding community, and when he heard that a position was open in the couneye-open- Brigham seling department at Cyprus Young University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology, political science and speech. In the years following, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus High School, he applied. Thus, a new door was opened, and be began his first year as a high school counselor the same year as Moroni Wood Folding Doors NATURAL WOOD SILENT OPERATION be finished Doer PeM thf y wHt- m 4om pit. in eth. Peile Mfe, tOko6v- w een necti nil JOEL 44 ' fceewv w4 4w4 r. it 4 w be 44 " In his active pursuit of helpsering others, he extends his vice to the community as well as the school. He is a member of the Kearns Kiwanis Club, the Governors Committee on Children and Youth, Juvenile Protection Chairman for the coupled with his earlier experiences, he learned that it is easier to prevent a child from becoming delinquent than it is to cure" one later. Kids can get hooked" on delinquency just as some people get booked on alcohol or dope,'' he says. It becomes a way of life and it is hard to break the cycle if you dont get to them early." This may be one way of explaining the repeaters who return to the industrial school again and again until they end in the state prison, up Granite sociation . years as counselor, & CO. MUS-M- 1959 -- 61, or worse. On the other hand, he has had the gratifying experience of seeing many of those he has worked with turn out to be leaders in later life, often after a shaky beginning. In the year 1961, Mr. Gib- bons became the assistant principal at Cyprus High School and in 1963 was named the principal at KearnsJunior High School. While at this school, he began working with the American Values project, an experimental program in government being carried out at the school. Although he was appointed principal of Cyprus High School at the beginning of 1965, he still works with KearnsJunior High School students on this pro- ject. His appointment as principal at Cyprus early this year put him in the notable position of being the As- rs Parent-Teache- and treasurer of Ranch. Utah Boys He has been vice president of the Granite PTA council, chairman of the GraniteYouth Conferences which are sponsored by the Granite PTA Councils, is actively involved in church work and has done and considerable singing speaking in the community and state. While attending BYU, had he leading roles in Carousel" and "Carmen," and in South Pacific at the University of Utah. The Granite Youth Conferences, which are sponsored every other year, involve some 500 - 600 students who discuss problems and try to work out solutions. He has served as chairman of the conferences d urine the last two Eight boys are presently living at Boys Ranch with houseparents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Kolb. The home has the capacity for 13 boys and is scheduled to receive the additional boys shortly. Everyone has dreams for month. Ranch in that it would take boys 15 to 18 years of age. To be accepted, boys would have to be capable of doing at least fourth grade work. The boys would live at the school, complete their high school program and practice a form of similar to the one in action at Kearns Junior High School ( the American Values Project). This ambition is shared by Dr. William L. Hutchinson, president of Utah Boys Ranch will continue to work this project until the statistical report is completed and turned into the state late in October. He also hopes to give more time to Boy's Ranch He with in coming months with the hope of seeing it continue to grow and expand. Another Degree Mr. Gibbons eventual goal is to complete his doctorate, the future, and Mr. Gibbons is no exception, although at present he is very contented with what he is doing. He enjoys the close relationship with his" students, both at Cyprus High School and at Kearns Junior High School whom he is still working with on the American Values but a more immediate ambition is to establish another home for beys patterned after Boy's Republic in Chino, California. This home would be a logical successor to Boy' s board own West 6200 South. directors. personal choice. Mr. Gibbons has just returned from Logan where he atterxled a workshop tor selected principals from the western states. Cyprus High School was among 74 schools chosen to take part in the in- sessions. A talent program is presented by students during the years between these conference sessions. Mr. Gibbons has had an active hand in the establishment of Utah Boy's Ranch at 3765 of As a parent of four children, Mike, 7; Ron, 6; Christy, 4, and Robert, seven months Gibbons greatest old, Mr. ' ambition is to watch his children grow and develop into happy adults. He believes that children should choose their own future; whether they go on to college or trade school should be a matter of their The (I NORMAN of the Valley nearer to becoming the center of the met- ropolitan area, he believes. The southwest area has been suggested as the future site of a Junior College, Mr. Gibbons said. ' We have the land, the young people and everything necessary to make this the ideal location. There has been some talk of combining the college with a trade school, he said, but I personally hope they will be separate units." Having already accomplished so much, Normand Gibbons is only beginning to carve out a future, not only tor himself, but for the hundreds of voung people who will be Influenced by this benefactor of human life. The philosophy of his life might aptly be summed up by thin quotation from Milton: Childhood shows the man as morning shows the day. And as it has shown the man be has become, so it will show the countless others who will have the good fortune of someday passing his way. ternship program to instruct principals in training assistant principals. Mr. Gibbons announced that Phil Herbert will be the assistant princi-a- nt principals. Mr. Gibbons announced that Phil Herbert will be the assistant principal at Cyprus High School this fall. The school will also have team teaching and audiovisual facilities for the first time this year. One thing that he is particularly proud of this summer is the first comprehensive music program that will be 1 ranch, designed to produce a better brand of boy, has been in the planning stages for the past two years. A temporary home was set up for the boys, between 8 and 14 years of age, about a year ago and the dream of a ranch became a reality when the boys moved into their first permanent home last presented by Cyprus students in September. The youth have been working through die summer months to design the set, learn the script and score of South Pacific which will be presented three weeks after school begins. Unlimited Potential Another area of pride with this enthusiastic young man is his community which he feels has unlimited potential. Its rapid growth in shopping centers, homes, restaurants, recreation, schools, library and other modern facilities is bringing the southwest part L. GIBBONS youngest d a secondary principal school in the state. Challenge can't JV jy The role of a principal or a counselor is one of the most challenging that Mr. Gibbons has found. He has observed that children are very much like their parents and mirror the attitude of their home, and in dealing with them, a principal must be a, quick judge In many other professions, a person has the opportunity to think a problem over before making a decision, he notes, but as a principal, one must make instant decisions regarding numerous problems throughout eac'i day. He finds the work to be very rewarding, however, using this illustrative comparison to convey his feeling; Some people like to go bunting in Africa and bring back trophies to display in their homes. Others prefer to hunt for the good in a young boy or girl, help polish and bring it out to display for the world to see. Having done this himself with countless girls and boys who have grown to admire and respect his sense of fairness, administered with a balanced mixture of love and firmness, he advocates that the growing number of delinquents indicates that we need all the help with young people that we can get. "Our knowledge is doubling so rapidly that we are moving into an age we e UMATUAI PAULSON L. Jensen became principal of the school. It was a year destined to lead to a long and worthwhile career working with young people when it really counts - before the trouble begins. During these W. 3500 So. 4091 Scotchguarded 56S0 So. 9th L ... Elegantly Quilted ... Self Decked . . . Sheppard Casters . . . OPEN 7 DAYS 10 WEEKDAYS SUNDAYS 10 A WEEK sjh. tjn. to 9 f.m. to 7 p.. Arm Covers. QUILTED LIVING ROOM SET 2-P- C. com- prehend. 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