SAD 17 secretary honored by board
PARIS – SAD 17 has had six athletic directors since it formed with eight towns in 1966.
But only one athletic secretary.
Joyce Palmer has been with the school district for 35 years, originally as a bookkeeper.
She said however, that her job list grew with the years.
When Palmer started the only other office employee was Ethel Lacourse.
“And we did everything,” Palmer said.
Don Gouin was the first athletic director, working in that position from 1961 until 1975.
Palmer worked for Gouin, but not as the official athletic secretary. There was no such position.
After Gouin there was Bob Fallon from 1975 to 1978. Then Keith Lancaster was athletic director from 1978 to 1994. John Parsons was next in line from 1994 to 2000.
Jon Ladd followed Parsons from 2000 to 2003. Jeff Benson has been on board since.
To honor Palmer, the six athletic directors attended the SAD 17 board meeting Monday night, where Palmer received the staff person of the month award for December 2003.
After the meeting they each voiced a respect for Palmer and her knowledge of the job.
“I was an assistant principal for about 13 years and when Lancaster retired it was suggested that I take over as athletic director,” Parsons said. “My wife and I talked about it. The district was just starting the renovation project and I knew someone coming new into the community would be lost.
“I asked Joyce how long she was going to be here,” he said. “She said, ‘I’ll be here as long as you are.’ I would have never made that move if she wasn’t going to stay here.”
Palmer still functions as a bookkeeper along with the secretarial duties to the athletic director. She also helps the assistant principals. She also aids the booster club, handles all the money for the prom and graduation, sets up and tracks all the money for all the sport games and pays officials.
She said her most “unfavorite job” was emptying the cash out of soda machines.
“People have said they would get me a scale or rolling thing, but I’ve done it so long this way, why change? It works for me,” Palmer said. “I wouldn’t trust that thing anyway,” she said. “I’d have to count it out.
Palmer said she also answers phones and questions or gets people to someone who can answer them.
Palmer said she loves her job because of the people she meets. She called it a very happy, but busy job and one that 999 times out of 1,000 she could go home and forget about the day.
She feels the athletic directors have a much tougher job.
“They have to do all the serious work and make all the big decisions,” Palmer said. “I just help them out.”
She has no plans – at least that she would share – for retirement.
“About everybody I used to work with is retired,” Palmer said. “I haven’t told anybody, but there are no grandchildren in school from the students here when I first came.
“That makes me feel better,” she said.
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