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Several young, female scholastic athletes who have always lived in an era of competitive, high-profile sports joined with several women whose childhoods saw them shepherded towards more mundane competition. The gathering took place Tuesday, June 5 at the Calvert County Commissioners’ weekly meeting. The commissioners marked the 40th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal mandate that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in schools and colleges receiving federal financial assistance. The measure was signed into law June 23, 1972 by President Richard Milhous Nixon.

According to Calvert Commission on Women Chair Margaret Dunkle, her organization is partnering with several groups this summer to mark the anniversary. Those groups include the Calvert Library, Prince Frederick, which will host a panel discussion Monday, June 25 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. entitled “Title IX:The Rocky Road to Progress for Women and Girls in Education.

Members of the Northern High School (NHS) softball and volleyball teams were recognized by the commissioners during the meeting. The NHS softball team recently won the school’s fifth straight championship. The board also saluted Dunkle for being recently inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame as “the unsung hero of Title IX.”

Commissioner Susan Shaw [R] presented the proclamation to the group. She recalled when she attended high school girls were allowed to participate in such sports as roller-skating and synchronized swimming.

“Title IX has opened up many previously closed educational opportunities for girls and women, ranging from admission to graduate and professional schools to participation in school and college sports programs,” Shaw stated.

For more information about the Celebrate Title IX Month activities in Calvert County, contact Margaret Dunkle at 443-968-2500.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com