Most institutions cherish their traditions, and Friends Select School is no exception.

However, traditions do 
have different life spans here. For example, graduation diplomas being rolled and tied with white ribbon is a custom from at least as far back as the mid-19th century. On the other hand, the faculty-senior touch football game tradition seems to have lasted only through the 1960s and 70s.

One tradition that has come and gone, and has taken different forms, is the Spring Fair. The earliest of which we know about was that of our College Settlement Chapter. The fair was held in December in the collection room (later the assembly room) to raise funds for the chapter’s work with settlement houses in South Philadelphia. One of them is now Settlement Music School. This event was held annually during the first half of the 20th century.

After the chapter’s demise in the early 1940s, equestrian shows took place on the school playground. 

In the early 1950s, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) reestablished the Spring Fair, which was usually held on the playground and included rides, such as a ferris wheel. It had a number of successful years. In the 1980s, the PTA decided to concentrate on auctions, and the student government took over running the Spring Fair because they wanted lower school students to enjoy the same experience they had at that age.

The Spring Fair gradually disappeared in the 1990s. It has now been resurrected in conjunction with Alumni Weekend and is sponsored by the school. This year’s Spring Fair will be held on April 29, and will be open to the entire Friends Select community.

Another special event of the first half of the 20th century was the annual May Day extravaganza. Bleachers were set up on the playing field and were crowded with families and friends. There was a large parade, and from the photo, it looks like the entire student body. The crowning of a May queen and the presentation of her court took place. Tumblers presented their acts and various dances took place, especially around Maypoles.

Speaking of dances, the junior and senior proms were required to be held at the school until the 1960s, when a second option of the Curtis Arboretum Conservatory was allowed. By 1969, other venues were permitted.

It is hoped that readers will remember some of these happenings from their school days. 

- Dick Hoffman

Editor’s note: This article is based on memory and some conjecture. Since the archives are not accessible, some facts could not be researched and checked.