Former OA Music Dept. Chair Inducted into Hall of Fame

Having an auditorium named for you after directing decades of musicals in the space is quite the accomplishment, but Charlene Lorion Dalrymple is quite humbled over the event. The Oliver Ames Music Department Chair who retired last year was honored recently with the announcement of naming the auditorium after her at Oliver Ames High School. “I am so honored,” she said. “I love sharing music with students, they didn’t have to do that.”

Since arriving in Easton 36 years ago, Dalrymple was the Chorale Director and then the Music Dept. Chair. After her retirement, she still directs the school’s yearly shows. “I love sharing what music can do for people,” she explained. “You can see how [music] helps them develop. And I love giving back, and watching how my students have grown from it.”

Darlymple will receive another honor on June 22: induction into the Personal Best Karate Teacher Hall of Fame. Darlymple was chosen based on her years of service to her students. “We are impressed with her dedication to her students,” said PBK founder Christopher Rappold who will present her with her award at PBK’s Black Belt Spectacular ceremony. “She exemplifies the principles we promote and there isn’t a more deserving teacher for this honor.”

The Black Belt Spectacular is a graduation celebration for PBK students who are promoting to Black Belts of varying degrees. Held twice a year, the show also includes demonstrations from world celebrities and honored guests. The graduation candidates are students from five Personal Best Karate schools in the area.

This year, the special guests include Sport Karate World Champions Mackensi Emory and Reid Presley, both members of Team Paul Mitchell, the number one sport karate team in the world. Presley has won more than 42 titles with the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA), among many other awards, and had performed in commercials and stunt work on the television show “Into the Badlands” on AMC. Emory has won more than 57 awards with NASKA, including the viewer’s choice award in both forms and weapons. She was also filmed as a stunt double in the movie “Streetlights” and continues to perform and teach seminars across the globe.

Besides Darlymple’s induction into the PBK Teacher Hall of Fame, other honors will be awarded as well; Steve Babcock will be inducted into the PBK Hall of Fame and is also the recipient of the PBK Lifetime Achievement Award; and the student recipient of the Good Citizen Scholarship Award will also be announced.

This event, sure to inspire and wow the audience, will be held at Oliver Ames High School auditorium, 100 Lothrop Street in North Easton. It is open to the public and tickets are $20 each. You can purchase tickets online by going to https://250-east-main-street.ticketleap.com/pbk-black-belt-spectacular/. For more information, please call 508.285.5425 or email kfarrell@personalbestkarate.com.