Remembering Mrs. Scramlin
By Rhonda Dedyne
“Hello, what’s your problem?” becomes a familiar greeting to all who have met Mrs. Arlene Scramlin.
That’s the caption under a photograph in the 1969 “Wilsonian” of the lady whose advice and assistance aided many students at Rodney B. Wilson High School in St. Johns during her years of service there as a teacher and guidance counselor.
While I don’t recall Mrs. Scramlin saying those exact words, I do know she helped 15-year-old Rhonda Kloeckner make a very large decision about what classes to take in 1966 as a freshman. Her rather firm suggestion that I should include chorus in my schedule introduced me to the music program at St. Johns Public Schools – advice that served me very well in the ensuing four years.
My vocal talents were pretty much mediocre, but I could carry a tune and had enjoyed singing with classmates at St. Peter Lutheran School at church services and school programs. Mrs. Scramlin was emphatic in suggesting that participating in choir would be good academically – and fun, too. She was correct.
Reading Mrs. Scramlin’s obituary last week refreshed those memories of choir and the camaraderie that developed as we all worked together performing in concerts, musicals and at special events.
Those years were without a doubt some of the best times, filled with new experiences and adventures.
Thanks, Mrs. Scramlin, for the wonderful guidance.