Am I the only reprobate?
- Bert Patrick
More Boo - 6 &
120 - Bert Patrick
PAT CONROY'S EULOGY FOR THE BOO TALKED OF LAMBS, BUBBAS, AND, ACCORDING TO PAT, THE BEST CATEGORY WAS BUM.
WELL, I HAVE A FORTH CATEGORY FROM THE BOO---A REPROBATE. I HAD TO LOOK THAT ONE UP THE FIRST TIME HE USED IT WITH ME. 'SOMEONE PREORDAINED TO DAMNATION' OR 'A THOROUGHLY BAD PERSON'. WELL, I FIGURED IF BUM WAS GOOD THEN REPROBATE WAS EVEN BETTER...HIGHER ON THE BOO'S SCALE OF INVECTIVES, IF YOU WILL. NOW, AFTER NOT SEEING THE TERM IN PAT'S EULOGY, I WONDER "WAS I THE ONLY ONE?" AND, IF SO, MAYBE I HAVE MISSUNDERSTOOD HIS MEANING ALL THESE YEARS. I THINK NOT SINCE I REMEMBER HIM USING THE TERM IN PLURAL, BUT FORGET WHO ELSE WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME.
SO, NOW I ASK THAT ALL OTHER REPROBATES 'FESS UP AND IDENTIFY THEMSELVES..........PLEASE SO I CAN REST IN PEACE FOR MY REMAINING DAYS THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE....
_________________
HERBERT L. (BERT) PATRICK, III '67
MORE BOO---6 AND 120! Submitted by Bert Patrick - 07 September 2007
I STARTED MY SENIOR YEAR AS A PRIVATE (THAT STORY CAN WAIT) SO I TOOK EVERY AND I MEAN EVERY OPPORTUNITY-AUTHORIZED OR NOT-TO BE OFF CAMPUS WHEN NOT IN CLASS. GIVE YOU ONE GUESS WHO NOTICED MY FREQUENT ABSENCES. RIGHT, THE BOO!
THE WAY I FOUND OUT I HAD AGAIN DRAWN HIS ATTENTION WAS THE SAME WAY MOST DID. YEP, RIGHT THERE ON THE DL LIST WAS "PATRICK SEEN ON CAMPUS"....6 AND 120!!! OUCH!
SO AS SOON AS I COULD THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO SEE THE BOO. (I NEVER SET FOOT IN BOO'S QUARTERS...EVER! YOU COULD NOT HAVE PAID ME ENOUGH! THE REASON? SIMPLE.----FEAR--- THAT I WAS INVADING HIS DOMAIN AND THE PRICE OF PLAYING WAS GOING TO SKYROCKET. THERE WAS THIS OTHER REASON....BOO HAD A DAUGHTER AND I KNEW THAT CADETS WHO DATED HER DID SO AT THEIR OWN GREAT RISK!)
ANYWAY, AFTER RECEIVING THE STANDARD 'BLESSINGS FROM THE BOO' COMPLETE WITH UNVEILED SUGESTIONS THAT I SHOULD GO TO CLEMSON HE ALLOWED AS HOW HE KNEW I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG, JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY....OF COURSE HE WAS CORRECT IN THAT ASSUMPTION AND HE FINALLY DECIDED THAT ONE MONTH'S CONFINEMENT WAS SUITABLE PUNISHMENT FOR THE UNKNOWN INFRACTIONS.
IN REALITY I THINK THAT I ONLY SPENT ONE WEEKEND OF THE MONTH IN CONFINEMENT. THAT IS BECAUSE EACH WEEK I HAD TO GO SEE THE BOO TO PLEAD FOR THE WEEKEND 'LEAVE' FOR SOME SAD, SORRY REASON OR ANOTHER. OF COURSE, EACH VISIT MET WITH THE STANDARD 'BOO BLESSINGS' AND THE PROMISE THAT ONE PHONE CALL WOULD GET ME INTO CLEMSON BY MONDAY.
_________________
HERBERT L. (BERT) PATRICK, III '67
Carrying (Pat Conroy's) THE BOO - Years of Grace Submitted by Mike Henderson - 11 October 2007
(Rick's NOTE) This is a 19 page Essay, in MS WORD format, that Mike wrote in 2004.
It has remained unpublished until now. It's definately one NOT to be missed!!)
NOTE: This was removed at Mike's request - 02 April 2008
The CODE Submitted by Mike Henderson - 14 October 2007
(Rick's NOTE: This is another, shorter, Reflective Essay, in MS WORD format that Mike wrote in 2004
A life's reflection on the importance, and value of .... LIVING The CODE.)
NOTE: This was removed at Mike's request - 02 April 2008