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Clyde Briley addresses the board as the audience looks on, thanking them for the honor of having the Midland High School gymnasium named after him.

MHS gym to be named for Briley

Jeannine LeJeune is the online editor for The Crowley Post-Signal. She can be contacted via email (jeannine.lejeune@crowleytoday.com) or by phone (337-783-3450).

Monday night, at the Acadia Parish School Board’s October meeting, it was voted that Midland High School’s large gymnasium will be getting an official name: the John Clyde Briley Gym.

The item, recommended by the Personnel & Insurance Committee, was agreed upon unanimously (7-0, with Board Member James Higginbotham absent) at the meeting.

Named after the now retired principal of Midland High, Briley was at the high school for 47 years before his retiring at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

Briley explained that in all his 47 years there was only once that a tough time stuck out to him: the 1998 tornado that ravished the school.

“We’ve had some tough years,” he said. “The day Stan Baggett called me on Sept. 11, 1998, and a tornado just tore the whole school down. I’ll never forget the day I drove up there and we had just had a little tornado before and finished dealing with that. I told them I was retiring, and I meant it, too.

“I had tears in my eyes when I saw that place. For two solid years, it was hard.

Briley would stay on for another 16 years at the school.

“I’m glad I went to Midland and I’m glad I stayed there 47 years. I’m getting honored tonight, I think it’s an honor, but I wanted to say this, I think I contributed to Acadia Parish, but ... I think I got a lot out of the Acadia Parish school system. It went both ways.”

The board had accolades of their own for Briley, beginning with school board member for District 3, which includes Midland High, Lynn Shamsie.

“I was with Clyde for 24 years, I learned a heck of a lot from him,” said Shamsie.

“When everything runs smoothly, anyone can be a principal, but, when it gets tough, not everyone can be a principal, except the good ones. Clyde always stood firm for what he believed in.”

Milton Simar, board member for District 8, and Superintendent John Bourque also offered words in favor of Briley.

“I can’t name anyone who has stayed as a principal as long as Clyde and finished with the same energy that he started with,” said Simar. “We all get tired. Clyde never did that and I always respected him for that.”

“I’ve always said, ‘Kids first’ and everybody always says that until adults’ needs and wants pop up,” said Bourque. “The one thing you can say about Mr. Briley is that kids came first.”

In other action at the board meeting, the school board approved trips for the Midland High Family and Consumer Science group to attend National Cluster in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Nov. 14 through Nov. 16, and the Crowley High, Church Point High and Rayne High FFA Clubs to attend National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on Oct. 27 through Nov. 1.

For 47 years of service as an Ag teacher, Board Member Gene Daigle was presented the Outstanding Service Award by the Louisiana Ag Teacher Association during the meeting’s opening items. Daigle briefly reflected on his time as a teacher. The award was presented for over 40 years of service.

Also at the meeting, Mike Goss, candidate for district judge, spoke to the board members and all in attendance briefly in the board’s opening items. Goss touched on his philosophy and beliefs.

The board’s committee meetings will be held Wednesday, Oct. 15, this month. It’s next general meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 3.

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