Worst chore at MHS?
Mine was during Saturday second barn.
When I had to mop the fly poop off of the ceiling. It dripped in my face and ran down my arms and was below what humans should have to endure. 
Saturday second barn cleaning the calf pens was by far the most hideous chore.
My regular barn chore was center isle/feeder. I always got it done too fast and had the pleasure of scraping the lot.
As a freshman, I was lucky to have great seniors (Garry Smith, Nate Rodwell, Dave Bliss). They treated us freshmen for who we were and we all got along. So nobody ever got tossed in the spreader.
on the lot, I suppose I hated doing the oven deep clean the worst....
The "Dirt" going into the spreader is CLASSIC!!!!!!!!
The finger thing is really cool to. 
Four of the worst chores at the milt: 1-Scrubbing thos f-ing kettles and the roaster pan on Sundays. When I was in Greenfields, there were times it would take me 2-3 hours to get that damn thing shiny enough for Mrs. Walker to see the cracks in between her teeth!!! 2-Getting Sunday dishes by yourself for sleeping in church!! Some sundays I wouldn't get out of that kitchen until it was almost time for supper. 3-Scraping the lot after a rainy day!! That had to be the worst and then you had those seniors who would pick up the little freshman and sophomores and throw us into the spreader on a rainy day!! Good times:( 4-Unloading those friggin' hay bales, especially when they were wet. I remember at Men-o, Paul Aurelio got the tip of his finger cut off and I ended up finding it and putting it in a cup of ice for him to take to the health center!!!
Just to have schooled with Rick Francis must have been great. He is by far the coolest guy/teacher I knew at the Milt not because of my personal oppertunities but because he made such a enormous impact on my brother and because of my dealings with him after my brother passed away. I will alway be indetted to him for how he took my brother under his wing. He is a man to be held in high reguard.
Man, he could even make you laugh as he was putting you on 30 / 30 or taking your late away.
He truly taught us accountability and responsibility. Mr. Mac was the man!!!!!!!!!
The McCarthy’s were my houseparent’s, he had graduated in 68 or so, he knew what it was like to be a home guy, man, he is the best, When I would work out in Denver I would either meet Mr. Mac for lunch or take him and his wife to dinner, and or the steaks on the grill at their house.
I only wish I had known how good I had it at Willow Wood, I would have hid in the boiler room and never left,
.We were both in "Business" together too...along with Rick Francis, John Beekman, Jesse Verrechia and some other really great guys. Mac was a really good football player and a really laid back guy which is why I'm sure he was a good houseparent.
One thing I do remember though was when Mac played football games he ALWAYS had his down his pants scratchin' his crotch.... It was hiliarious how he'd do that out in the open. Another time, I remember the Ref called a penalty against him and Mac grabbed the Ref's flag and threw it in his face...absolutely hilarious.
Mac was extremely popular too and a really funny guy. He liked hockey and wrestling and I always appreciated his support. It's been years since I heard from him and hope he's doing well.
S. Lee Strayer '68
Yea Willow Wood was definitely the best I was ever in also,
The McCarthy’s were my houseparent’s, he had graduated in 68 or so, he knew what it was like to be a home guy, man, he is the best, When I would work out in Denver I would either meet Mr. Mac for lunch or take him and his wife to dinner, and or the steaks on the grill at their house.
I only wish I had known how good I had it at Willow Wood, I would have hid in the boiler room and never left, .
Been in that silo myself a few times and yes the fermenting silage was potent. I thought WW was the best of all the units I was in. Who were your house parents Rick?
, My roommate Preston and I had to climb up into the silage silos to seal in between the tiles, at Willow Wood we had tile silos, the combination of the silage fumes and the sealant fumes got us so wasted we couldn’t stand, we were laughing our asses off and being belligerent with the dairy man who was on the ground outside the silo’s, but anyway, they had to climb up and put harnesses on us and lower us down.
We were on 30 and 30 for something, I don’t remember what, we were always in trouble, but that was the day we got a truly amazing "HIGH" from the Milt, we got the rest of the day off, I seem to remember us sleeping it off.
“The Day the Milt turned us into Gumby………”
Thanks Unc, I havent thought of that in Years!!!!!!!! 
hay and straw. The last cut of alfalfa and clover was for hay, before that it was silage.
Its official, Unc is nuts, no one in their right mind enjoys staking hay and straw.
You have officially entered the Insane Milt Zone.
Hey isn’t hay and straw season in June and July? That’s when we would harvest our straw and hay, stacking and stacking AND stacking it for days and days. I enjoy watching it grow, slowly shooting up, buy mid june it is waving in the breeze like the waves on an ocean
of green.......Ahhh, the farm life.........
The physical part wasn’t bad, HECK we were all in shape, we were barn raised Milts, , it was those nasty partials, boring into you, every little partical inflicting its annoying wrath like some ancient Mennonite torture, and good old Holstein # 104 and # 207 encircled you and mooing, “Who’s Bill ? “ even the fricken cows want to know who bill is and will stop at nothing to find out......
But I degrees .
Your son learned a valuable lesson already about clothing,
A old farmer once told me, never buy short pants or a short sleeve shirt, if you get to hot, you can always roll long sleeves and paints up, but you can’t role short pants and shirts down.
That old guy have a lot of central PA farm wisdom, I miss that old man.
till harvest time. I loved stacking both too. It kept me in great shape for football. A couple of us guys from close by farms would meet every morning all summer long and run 5 miles before barn. By the beginning of Football practice we were in great shape and the 3 and 2 a days were actually fun.
went to our mennonite friends house over night when we went to the Alumni Senior dinner....yes I was there too, anyhow, and he got to stack hay and straw with them, and he loved it....that child loves to do farm chores and hard work, if it is at his friends house. he did learn that it is never good to wear shorts when stacking hay and straw. 
I don’t remember any of them being to bad, scrubbing roasters, the lot, washing out the crappy cow tails, BUT........I don’t know if it’s considered a chore because we didn’t do it every week, it was a seasonal thing.
I absolutely hated re-stocking the barns with hay and straw.
Sun up to sun down, stacking hay and straw....Straw particles in your clothing, in your hair, in your nose, mouth, and eyes.
UUUGGGHHHHH !!!!!!!!!
I HATED STACKING HAY AND STRAW!!!!!!!!!
I was just laughing at that, because I remember having to use that horrible green soap with the scratch pad and we had to scrub the Washington, DC OUTTA that roaster!!! Man, I hated that!!!!
Scraping the lot!!! Didn't matter when...the winter your scraper hit some rock solid poop and the handle caused blunt trauma to the abdomen. The summer ...well the poop was soft, but man ...the flies and the smell...well....I'll take the scraper handle to the ribcage!
one of the worst chores i had was the getting the fly poo off of various light fixtures.
looking at the various light fixtures in my living room and dining room, i have been getting serious mhs flashbacks. ugh.
wednesday i have off. i think i will be unscrewing lots of light fixtures. fie.
my worst house chore was Hopper on Sunday afternoons, because I always had houseparents that wanted me to get the steam marks off the roasters that had been there since the '70's.
My worst barn chore was scraping the lot in the winter because when you would hit a frozen cow "patty", that freaking scraper would go right into your gut!
Dude!!!! What's up!!! How you doin and welcome. 90 in da HOUSEEEE!
I'm leaning towards "tails and pipeline".. Nothing worse than getting smacked in the mouth w/crap covered wet tail at 6 in the morning! Lot wasn't a picnic either, especially after a good soaking rain.
Arrest that woman for overindulging in happiness and smiley face. 
I have forgiven and moved on, and I know I am the mother I am today because of these experiences, so I do savor them. I also can't figure out how I have been so blessed to have the wonderful husband I have and two of sweetest, brightest, coolest kids ever (and these are teenagers I'm talking about) Anyway, I think you all understand, I'm just a proud mama! 
As for not liking you Sara? I don't even remember why I would have felt that way. I think after twenty (something) years I realize that we are a family, and at times I haven't liked everyone in my family, but I really do love them all! 
Of course I liked you!
Okay that's enough "gushing" for one day.
Am I at my emoticon limit yet?
A funny thing happened my sophomore year. I was cleaning a floor when one of the Jordon twins (79) came through and I made a comment about walking across the floor I was trying to clean. He was about a foot taller than me, and when I stood up her hit me and I had to go to get stitches. They funny part is I don't remember if it was Mark or Jeff that hit me but I see both of them every time I come back for homecoming. I even have Jeff's cell phone number and call him when I am in Hershey. A few years ago I signed up for the golf outing and was planning on golfing with them but it was canceled due to weather. They are really two guys that it is hard not to like.
They threw her on their shoulders and carried around like a queen. She even demanded peeled grapes ~ PEELED GRAPES! (Susie Q is being honest.)
I know what you mean. I felt that way to about some people and when I went back to Homecoming I felt so loved.
It is a trippy feeling! I always loved you girl, you know that! We all are like family!!! Isn't it great!!!!!!!
Were you in the room next their apartment?
I always around the back of the hallway (and next to Jefferson always in a rancher)...thank god...do remember one night talking with a roommate until 4am. We swore John Wortman was in the room that was empty next to us listening.
I know about special projects.. I was one of the chosen few from time to time.. then she would turn on me like a cat in the wild!!!!!
The funniest thing is when Marla and I were roommates... we would always get in trouble for talking to late.. our laughing to loud.. or really for making fun of the dog ..or what ever... we were easy targets.
REMEMBER FONDO NIGHT WITH THE GIRLS WHO WERE ON THE EFFORT AND CONDUCT HONOR ROLL AND SHE WOULD RUBB IT IN THE FACES OF THE OTHER GIRLS. OMG THE MORE I THINK ABOUT HER THE MORE HORROR STORIES I HAVE. LIKE WHEN SHE CAUGHT ME HITTING THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME SO SHE MADE ME STAND THERE AND HIT IT 100 TIME SO I DID IT SO HARD MY HANDS BLEED.
Isn't that what this site is about all the dysfunction and all?
I THOUGHT I WAS DISLIKED BY MOST AND CYNDY I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE ME MUCH AT ALL BUT NOW AFTER ALL THESE YEARS IT IS NICE TO KNOW WE ARE ALL FAMILY AND I TRUELY FEEL THAT WE ARE FAMILY.
THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT SINCE I ENCOUNTERED THIS WEB SITE.
MRS.G WOULD DO SPECIAL PROJECTS BUT ONLY WITH THE CHOSEN FEW.
REMEMBER FONDO NIGHT WITH THE GIRLS WHO WERE ON THE EFFORT AND CONDUCT HONOR ROLL AND SHE WOULD RUBB IT IN THE FACES OF THE OTHER GIRLS. OMG THE MORE I THINK ABOUT HER THE MORE HORROR STORIES I HAVE. LIKE WHEN SHE CAUGHT ME HITTING THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME SO SHE MADE ME STAND THERE AND HIT IT 100 TIME SO I DID IT SO HARD MY HANDS BLEED.
This is also why I like themilt instead of "that other site" b/c of the fact we don't pretend it was all wine and roses. We've spoken about many issues here and alot have let this sh*t go. I think this is the better kind of politics b/c even w/ some of the crap we dealt with we didn't speak to each other about it alot. It was great talking...though would putting a curse on Dotty Yackley be wrong?
I feel much better now "Thank You".
It gave me the gall and conviction to be the person I've become. I forgave the Yackley's years ago although my posting may not have seemed it. They were small people who had many other issues. Because of those issues that stemmed from MHS I look back and amazed at some of the great things I've had the opportunity to do: My NYC and B/way days, taking care of my parents and fighting for their needs as well as my grandmother literally battling my family but doing it with caution and humility, the fun of Miami and building 3 great organizations all because of MHS. Taught me inner strength and fortitude.
Only regret, not making friends or being around with my peers (even how cramped we were and around each other I can count only about four or five times I actually held "deep" conversation over the seven years ~ yikes.) So, it has its ups and downs and yes deep down I love most of ya'll.
Mr. and Mrs. J thought the same thing when they got me. She said I was nothing like they imaged. I must of been portrayed like some kind of beast.
I learned to be a better person from them. Like Laurean had said they were decent and fair.
Even when you dissapointed them they still would give you a second chance. They didn't lable you. They weren't perfect but they really had a lot of love for all of their girls. Even ones that left on not so good terms. They would even talk about the girls that left on bad terms with postive feedback. Never once did they ever say anything negetive when someone left or did they act negetive when you mentioned them. The J's were truely good people.
They let us be children. I remember Heather Elliot and I were messing around and wrestling it was getting real late (way past bed time). Mrs. J came into the room and said "Hey if you two want to restle then go down stairs." So we did! We were just non-stop. Laughing and messing around. Heather was on a roll that night. Heather started to put on little performances that were way funny. Eventually Mrs. J came down stairs to send us to bed. She was trying to be serious but you could see her crack a smile when she was sending us up. We never got in trouble she knew kids had to be kids. They would let us play in the snow while we worked. That was the first time in my whole life I felt like I could actually be a child without having to worry about anything at all, was with the Jefferys.
We are ALL better people, and better parents for these experiences. They just shape us into who we've become, and we've all learned how NOT to be.
Cindy - i got transfered sometime durning my senior year from bloomingdale to green acres... At the time all anyone knew was that a senior in bloomingdale threatened and tryied to push his houseparent down a flight of stairs - terry houser (brother to the one in the girls student home) - when weller (at mondays HP meeting) asked if anyone wanted to give this student a last chance or they were going to send him home. mr. nippert (sp) raised his hand (the only housefather to do so) and said he would give the student a chance and then asked if it was brian wright or jack purdy (thinking that it had to be one of those 2). After mr. weller informed him that it was (sweet little) me - over half of other houseparents at that meeting raised thier hands. it was only then that weller thought he might had made a mistake in not transfering me before it got to that piont... i had asked for a transfer from him (about 2 months before), johnson -the shrink (about 1 month) and even had dear old mom call in (about 2 days before) and try to get me transfered before i lost any vacation time... it was amazing that with in a year that set of houser was tranfered to jr. divison (exectly were tom and me said they belonged)... but i still lost 2 vacations that year - either thanks and christmas or christmas and easter (can't remember which ones)- was also suppose to be under contract to graduation (which mr. nippert fought with homelife to have it lifted after 67 days of detention)...
and the point of all this cindy is that in 12 years of my time at MHS, this was the only thing I had ever did (that I got caught at) and it cost me 2 vacations, all because nobody took into consideration the student (unless weller was comparing me to my famous brothers), it wasn't that they seemed not to Listen, they just didn't listen to children "Children are to be seen and not heard from"....
Sorry I had to leave but I am back.
Just so you know Claudette Toussaint (Lisa's little sister.) was treated the same way. She was just a down right good kid. I think it bothered Mrs. Cook so much that Claudette really loved her mother. One time Claudette had a picture of her mother in her pocket. She got isolation because again "That was just plain ridiculous." It was so creepy like Mrs. Cook was going to break her or something. If she cleaned it had to be done again. Mrs. Cook was "PSYCHO". Honestly that is the one and only time I felt real good about having a dyfunctional relationship with my mother and homelife. I would of been scared to death to miss home.
I still had to over come other authority figures disiplining my children though. I even had a hard time when Ed wanted to dicipline them. It was very very hard to bite my tongue but I had to also realize how were my children going respect authority if I didn't teach them.
We are ALL better people, and better parents for these experiences. They just shape us into who we've become, and we've all learned how NOT to be.
AMEN! Relish the good things in life and learn from them and keep trucking!
Learn from the bad in life, live through it (because it WILL make you stronger) and keep trucking!
Too much good in life (past and present) to sit and mope about the "bad" times!
We have all had bad things happen in our lives, but we can't let it be what defines us! Amen !
2 more cents in the kitty!
that anybody would think Chuck Seidel was a "bad" kid....
As for the Howells...I wish them no ill-well, God bless them.
I shared this with Sue, but I'll tell the rest of you too.
I have come to realize that I didn’t want to be loved, or even liked, by any house parents, especially housemothers. I was still so traumatized at the death of my own mother that I could be extremely prickly and abrasive; I know...what a shock eh?
I was unable to allow another woman to fill the role of mother to me and I would have rebuffed any who had tried, although in my defense not one of my foster mothers or housemothers were truly kind women capable of realizing the suffering of a child who had lost so much. (The thing is, it wasn’t just my mother's death when I was 10, it was the entire year preceding her death when she died a horrible agonizing death. It was being taken away from my father. Abusive, neglectful, alcoholic he was, he was still my only surviving parent. And what was almost too much to bear; being separated from my 5 younger siblings as we were split up among foster homes or adopted out.)
I really don't have too many complaints of MH; my life there was mostly a positive, and I have long since forgiven those who were unkind to me. I think what matters now is what we do with the life lessons we took from there. Some of the dearest people in my life have been with me since my days at MHS, and even more have become a part of life as a result of MHSAA/Homecoming/other milts. I'm not even angry anymore at the people who treated me badly or allowed injustice to flourish at the school. I’m actually not even angry at my father for the devastation his actions wrought on our lives. If I have made mistakes in my adult life its not because I was abused at MHS or even earlier, it's because I made a mistake, the end. Yes, I had some rotten experiences in my life, but I hope I have not let them define the woman I have become. The ultimate success to me is raising three glorious children who were spared the agonies and abuse I was unfortunate to suffer. I'll never be rich, or famous. I'm not particularly talented or attractive. I can STILL be inpatient, and abrasive, but I know my faults and failings and I try very hard to make certain I have not passed those traits on to my children. The fact that I gave birth to three beautiful, incredibly intelligent, athletic, musical children leaves me in awe.
I threw all the bad MHS memories and experiences into the part of my brain that I draw wisdom from and use them as a litmus against which I measure my parenting and relationship skills. I keep all the many positive things from my MHS days close to my heart and relish in them every time I see one of you, talk to one of you or remember with one of you.
I was in Dickinson in 8th grade. It was my first year at the school. Maybe that is why my freshman year didn't seem too bad. I don't think she liked me from the day I walked through the door. Gearharts daughter I think her name was Pam was the same age as us guys. There was only a couple of the guys she would even come close to talking too. I didn't even know they started working with females. I wasn't one to try to talk to them after I graduated. I had a couple times when I left for school she would call the school and say we were fighting along the way so we would get in trouble.
I too have great memories of the Peterman's. They were great people and I totally agree Mr. Peterman was a great wonderful man full love both love and honor. They were our paired home so we were always doing something together even if it was just rough housing. I recall when I was going on "late" vacation he took me and a few others out in his pickup to watch the planes, helicopters out at Ft. Indiantown Gap.
Hotels Washington and Jefferson were the SH*T back in the day.
You had the Peterman's we had the Sinclair's. Sadly, the Sinclair's have both passed and I am saddened to hear that Mr. Peterman has passed as well. R.I.P.
But I thought I had Great houseparents in intermediate and fair in sr. div. I was in Washington for int. With the Peterman's, Mr. was a very respectful and honorable man that was a true DAD to us. Loved and took us places when we deserved it and scolded us when we deserved it, in between he was an all around hard working man! Learned alot about life from him. God rest his soul, truly miss him. Mrs. was a hard core-bring-them-kids-up-right kinda woman. Like him, she loved us like kids and spent time with us, took us to the mall etc. But look out when you were bad! But, she truly made you know she was punishing you cause she loved ya and wanted better from you.
Sr. div. was the Edgins. Old and just wanted to finish out their years and be gone....He was a JERK who had nooooo right working with any child, he had ZERO care for us and ZERO personality. His day was: go to barn, eat, drive us to school, pick us up from school, go to barn, eat, then sit in his chair in the living room or out in the carport and smoke his pipe till bedtime....same exact thing every single day! She was to put it easily....remember Edith Bunker from "all in the family"? Well that was her, sounded like her, looked like her and acted like her! nuff said! Oh Archie, the boys are acting up...... But they were pushovers cause of their age. Homelife for me at the Milt 1-10 I'd give it a 7. School life because of the extreme peer pressure a 4.
I would of still been at Franklin. Both ladies were very cold like that. I am sorry that happened.
Mrs. C through the cup at Claudette because she was feeling a little home sick. She thought it was "nonsense for her to feel that way." Hello!
I am so greatful for going to Oakgrove.
Totally agree and that is why I love this site though might seem like I got issues you said it perfectly: then you ask they some leave and never come back?
This is why I thank Markus and Linda for starting this it's not about the joys of being a Milt but you'd never HAVE these types of discussions with the AA or at any function. The time for healing has begun and if those kids multi-million dollar "compounds" and all have HP's who give a rats buns as well as psychological/counseling services and activities that not just take them away from the student home but for fulfillment, encouragement, exploration etc bring it on we didn't have that! (no, not toned with bitterness nor anger)
It was Mrs. G.... I just remember coming in with mud all over my face.. from wiping the tears from my face with a muddy hands.
Sara.. I agree.. it was like surviving was a great way of saying bite me.. you did your best and I made it anyway.
Well sadistic houseparents + hallacious roommate = bad situation.
I from then on tended to deal with townies and didn't get close to anyone. I mean, literally, with the exception of going to NYC in 8/90 with a fellow classmate to see a Broadway show that I wanted to treat her and going to 91's ASD really haven't done much but Homecoming in my adult life with those of you who knew me at that time so the transition of seeing who most of you are then and now and sorting it out has been different at best in mutual memories and relations ya know?
Getting angry but child abuse, taking away trust and humiliation and degradation any child health expert will tell you makes someone that way and having to bury it doesn't make it go away. No, "suck it up" garbage when you're not used to that. It's where I get in trouble about speaking about my life pre-MHS I can't relate to some of the stories I've read or have heard over the last 25 years.
Was it Mrs. G or Mrs. C Sounds like both couldn't tell who you were talking about!
Cold hearted ... bbbbbbbbbbbbeeeeeoooooootttttcccchhhhhh!!!
was scraping the lot on a sunny day, when the cow poop was all runny. when i would throw it in the spreader, it would back splash in my face...yuck!...
(i can laugh...now) 