A perennial tradition and popular community event, the 50th consecutive Haughton High Homecoming Parade will roll on Oct. 3, beginning at 5 p.m.
The parade, which will include many school and community non-profit and non-political groups, is sponsored by the Haughton High Student Council and marshaled by the school’s J.R.O.T.C. corps. It will begin in the school’s student parking lot and follow a route of south on North Hazel, left onto South Myrtle, right on West Jackson, right again on South Elm (Hwy. 157), with a final turn at the Haughton Post Office on West McKinley Street leading back to the high school. The school is located at 210 E. McKinley in Haughton.
Haughton High School Principal David Haynie selected the 2019 parade Grand Marshal, Martha Turner, who is the former Assistant Principal of Haughton High. Ms. Turner is a graduate of Mansfield High School and Louisiana Tech University earning a BS in Math and Health & PE in 1978. She continued her education and graduated from McNeese State in 1981 with a Masters in Administration and Supervision. Ms. Turner spent four years at Vinton High School serving as a math teacher, then entered the Bossier Parish School System as the Secondary Math Coordinator. Finally finding her “home”, she served 33 years at Haughton High school, 13 years as a math teacher and 20 years as the Assistant Principal. Throughout her years of teaching, Ms. Turner sponsored the cheerleaders and Future Teachers’ Association at the Haughton level and on the state level. She also spent some time serving as the Head Coach of Girls’ Track.
Ms. Turner is also an active member of the teacher organization Delta Kappa Gamma, where she has served as President for both the chapter, Alpha Rho, and the Louisiana State Organization. She received the “State Achievement Award” from the state organization and received the “Star of the Southeast” at 2012 New York International Convention. She was selected and attended the “Golden Gift Seminar” in Austin, Texas; Ms. Turner was one of 30 participants (27 from USA and 3 from other countries: England, Finland, and Canada) that attended the two-week intense leadership training. She has presented at 14 International and Regional Conferences sharing with teachers such topics “All Shook Up Therapy” (overcoming fear of Public Speaking), “Forecast: Sunny or Cloudy with a Chance of Change” (having a positive outlook when facing change) and most recently in Asheville, NC “Sharing Colors and Stories…Developing Leaders to Infinity and Beyond” (planning for leadership development deliberately).
In her retirement, she has stayed busy with her church, First Baptist Church of Haughton. Ms. Turner enjoys teaching the life group class “Ladies 4 Christ” on Sunday mornings and the “New Christian Class” for Grades: 1-5 on Sunday nights. She has taught VBS and worked with orphans at the Compel Crosby Orphanage in Webuye, Kenya for the last two years; planning to return again in July/August 2020. Ms. Turner has also traveled to Cordoba, Mexico teaching children in local churches, working with ministers’ wives to get ready for a Women’s Conference, and cutting quilting squares helping the female ministry students to make quilts to support themselves while sharing the gospel; she plans to return again in January 2020.
Martha Turner is honored to represent Haughton as Grand Marshal of the 2019 Homecoming parade. “I love cheering on the Bucs, GO BUCS GO! My motto: Do your best in all you do expecting nothing in return, and you will never be disappointed.”
In related Homecoming events, the varsity football team will play the Benton Tigers for the Homecoming game at 7 p.m. on Oct. 4. Pre-game activities are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. The admission charge will be $8 at the gate. The 2019 Homecoming Court, serenaded by the Big Red Buccaneer Band, will be presented at halftime. All alumni and several specific classes of graduates will be recognized at halftime as well.
