The   community   is   invited   to   participate   in   a   second   reading   of   The   ’36   Combine,   a   screenplay   about Coach   AA   McLaughlin   and   the   town   of   Alderson.   The   free   event   will   be   held   at   the   library   of   the   Alderson Community   Center   on   Saturday,   November   18th   from   12pm   –   3pm.   Light   refreshments   will   be   served. The Community Center is located at the corner of Chestnut and Virginia Avenue in Alderson. As   its   title   suggests,   The   ’36   Combine,   is   set   in   1936   at   the   height   of   the   Great   Depression   when   Coach, as   Mr.   McLaughlin   was   always   affectionately   called,   first   came   to   the   town   of   Alderson   to   teach   math   as well   as   coach   football   and   basketball. At   that   time,   the   football   team   had   not   won   a   game   in   years   –   hadn’t even   scored   one   touchdown!   Yet,   Coach   inspired   those   young   men   to   form   a   winning   combine.   The   entire school   and   the   community   at   large   joined   in   this   effort:   attending   games,   raising   money   for   equipment   and other necessary supplies, and forming a marching band. The   screenplay   was   written   by   local   author   Courtney   Smith   after   she   interviewed   many Aldersonians   about Coach.   “We   originally   presented   the   information   as   nonfiction   in   a   readers’   theater   format,”   Ms.   Smith remarked,   “but   I   fell   in   love   with   the   story   and   wanted   to   do   more.   I   wanted   to   include   more   information about   Bill   Simmons,   Eugene   Boyd   and   Marjorie   Michelinie,   the   Nine   Girls   Club,   Norman   Hazeldine,   Stella Nelson,   and   others   who   contributed.”   Although   the   screenplay   is   based   on   real   people   and   true   events,   it is   a   fictionalized   version.   Changes   were   made   to   make   the   story   more   appropriate   to   be   a   Hollywood movie.   Ms.   Smith   hopes   that   someday   a   movie   will   be   filmed   and   more   people   will   learn   about   the remarkable   contributions   Coach   made   to   his   community   both   on   and   off   the   football   field   as   well   as   the incredible support that he had in Alderson. For more information about the reading, please contact Courtney Smith, 304-645-5465. Photo captions: Coach AA McLaughlin and the 1936 Alderson Indians