39-10-xx Rush Tenders his Resignations

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush, trying to be sneaky, thinks he can make a 'red hot impression on his teachers' by writing a series of resignation letters, in hopes the teachers will talk about him in a good way. Or as Vic put it: {{{HEAR}}}

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Rush resigns from all his extracurricular clubs in order to devote all his time to his schoolwork — and, more importantly, to make a good impression on his teachers.

A classic opportunistic Rush scheme. I like how Sade seems kind of amused by this one (usually she jumps down his collar for stuff like this) and Vic actively encourages it. Not that Vic actually believes this scheme will work, mind you…he just enjoys seeing how far Rush is willing to go.

This episode shows an interesting academic cultural difference between then and now. If Rush were a twenty-first century high school student, joining as many academic clubs as possible and spending all his free time at the school would be a way to make a good impression on his parents and his teachers. It’d show he was ambitious and “building his resume” for college. Back then, it seems like fourteen-year-olds weren’t expected to think about what they’d be doing for the rest of their life with quite the same intensity as they are today, so school clubs were purely recreational…which is in evidence in some of the club names. (“Deep Sea Fancy Diving League”? In a landlocked state? This sounds suspiciously like a front for Rush and his friends goofing off for an hour.)

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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This episode will have you shaking your head at the ridiculousness of some the club names and the essence of the letters Rush reads and writes. Some of this is very funny stuff and is typical Paul Rhymer.

Trivia:

+ Henry Walker is mentioned for the first time. Rush writes him a letter to resign from the Sophomore Mathematical Research Society, which he is the head of. {{{HEAR}}}

+ Daniel Liefert is mentioned for the first time. He is the head of the Shakespeare Dramatic Union in which Rush resigns. {{{HEAR}}}

+ We find out that Rooster Davis' real first name is 'Edwin' and that Rooster runs the Boys Nitroglycerin Pep Club! {{{HEAR}}}

+ Alton Wylif (the head of the High School Choral Group) is mentioned for the first time: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Other organizations that Rush is resigning from: Deep Sea Fancy Diving League, Better English Club, Enthusiastic Order of Football Fanatics and the Fellowship of Auditorium Ushers. There are other clubs at school Rush does not belong to but may resign from anyway: The Student Council, Diesel Engine Club and the Original Composition Club.

+ Uncle Fletcher is mentioned. He used to belong to all sorts of clubs and organizations, according to Sade.

+ Mis' Obericker is mentioned for the first time. She is presumably a teacher at Rush's school.

+ Mis' Wyckle and Mis' Bran (two more teachers, we presume) are mentioned.

+ Ruthie Stembottom and "500" are mentioned but she never calls because Fred is having to work overtime at the foundry.

+ Rush got help for his letters from a book about letter writing. Rush reads one of the letters from the book aloud: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Another fun moment is when Rush pretends to be THE teachers talking about him (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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