Retro RFH ’50s Twirling Game On! — Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect

It’s a touchdown of a different kind … The RFH Football season is being tackled with success. And, what’s a game without a few field shows like the marching band, cheerleaders and, say, twirling? Yes twirling — in the RFH Color Guard.

Twirling was a major cheer-type activity designed to support the team. As the marching band played on, twirlers, batons tossed and, yes, twirled in all sorts of fancy ways, even aflame, entertained spectators at half time donning sharp attire and smiles.

Twirlers have appeared on the field, in the gym and just about anywhere a sports event was held. Of course, they twirled to the tunes of the marching band. There were color guard, twirlers of both flags and batons, and even the famed RFH Drill Team, the group that twirled guns in sync. And there were those combos, like Color Guard twirlers and such. Something like that.

As with all RFH outfitting, looks have evolved over the years, from official-looking formal dress whites to short purple dresses to jogging outfit-type regalia. It’s all changed a lot, and yet not so much, really. The spirit is still pretty RFH usual. There’s that halftime show. Twirlers exist on the field no more. Well, not an actual team dedicated to just that anyway. The infamous RFH Drill Team has been long nixed as well. But, twirlers of gun or baton or not, the game and its halftime show must go on. And it will as usual with a full show to boot. Literally.

So, in celebration of the game and its festivities, we turn back the clock to a 1950s era of twirling and festivity with a look at a foursome of RFH gals who twirled, smiled and supported the team. It’s all very Bulldogish.

This photo, was taken outside of RFH in the early 1950s. It features those color guard twirlers of the era. A star among them was native Rumsonite Jeanne Friscia Cuje.

Jeanne was born and raised in Rumson, married in Holy Cross Church and all three of her children were baptized there as well. She’s bottom left in the photo, which her daughter Loujeanne says is an RFH Yearbook shot. Jeanne would have been 90 on Sept. 10. She passed away in March of 2013.

The gal next to her, Loujeanne say, is Lillian Shea, another native Rumsonite. Jeanne’s father, Frank Friscia, owned Redman’s Hall on Church Street in the borough. There, he was a master carpenter.

Anyone know who the other gals are? Who was a twirler? Color guard? Drill Team?

Now, about that game … Got the spirit goal? Good.