Josh Pritchard was born in Lubbock, TX on May 4, 1982. 

This page will most likely be a work in progress for a while -- so check back on occasion.

Jordan Pritchard	Rhonda Dunlap

I was born in Lubbock, TX and lived there until 1987, when I moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico. I lived here until 1988 at which point, I moved to Amarillo, TX and then in 1989 moved to Whiteface.  More specifically, Girlstown USA.  My parents were hired as relief house-parents for Harrington Cottage.  At that time, I didn't realize the uniqueness of this facility and the staffing setup used.  I arrived at Harrington at age 5 (almost 6) and was received with multiple squeals of delight from all the girls.  Evidently, I was regarded as quite a cute young boy.

The move to GT was a large step in my life in that it was during this initial moving period in which I received my first and only B throughout my elementary and high school career. Here, I learned that perfection is not always possible, nor is it required.  I was also introduced to a campus full of 65-75 youth and adolescent females.  In the dorm in which I lived, there were 15 of these lovely ladies.  I often likened this experience to having 15 sisters. 

After this arrival, I found that I was rarely lonely, often surrounded by girls ranging from my age (6-8), all the way to young adults (17).  They ranged from being very nice and soft-spoken to quite hostile and at times physical.  I found this environment fascinating, but did not realize that it was not a typical boys' life.  As I grew up, I was involved in a multitude of activities.  Horse-back riding, showing sheep and swine, and attending church camps are the most memorable of these.  As my parents were promoted to house-parents and were provided their own cottage (Walton) to become the head house-parents, I moved from one cottage to another.  The girls in Harrington were quite different from those in Walton, and at some other time, I'll attempt to explain this.  However, I do remember several girls who I quickly became enamored with, and I'm sure followed around quite obviously. 

One of those crushes was Amee Sweeney (I can't remember exactly how she spells her name).  This appears to be the first time that I began to exhibit my penchant for older women ;-)  Anyways -- she was involved in choir, livestock, and lived in my home (a deadly combination for me).  I was always with her and if you'd asked me, I would have (honestly) told you that I loved her like a sister.  It was not until we were at a stock-show in Houston or San Antonio that I discovered that my feelings were less than platonic.  I was quite embarrassed at a Macaroni Factory (or some other clever name for a pasta eatery) when I ordered a milkshake.  There were about 10 girls, myself, James Ashley, and Floyd Brown (the head of the livestock program at GT).  Several girls requested to taste my milkshake, and I quickly refused to share it with any of them.  Then, without her even asking, I handed my milkshake to Amee and asked her if she'd like some.  Even at that point, I was unaware that I liked this girl -- but the girls were'nt blind to the not-so subtle actions I was taking.  They quickly stated that I had a crush on her, and all 10 girls (including Amee) rushed off to the bathroom.  I was quite annoyed, and this turned to mortification as I realized they were right!  Shortly (5-10 minutes later), they returned, all running up making kissy faces and hugging me, chanting that 'Josh has a crush on Amee' -- then Amee came behind all of them, and planted a big kiss on me.  I'm still not sure if that didn't make it all better!  I soon got over my crush, and Amee and I had a wonderfully strong friendship.  She left GT and I believe went to the University of Houston for a degree in something that I've forgotten.  Hopefully she is doing well today.

One thing for which I am very thankful (although I resented it at the time) was my parents strict philosophy of me being equal to the GT residents.  Many other staff children throughout the years at GT have been allowed to do things that the residents themselves were unable to do.  For instance, it was a rule for some time (although this has changed since) that one could not wear shorts on Sunday.  In fact, girls must remain in their Sunday dresses until after 4PM.  Most staff children could be seen wearing shorts on Sunday, enjoying the nice warm afternoon riding their bikes, basically, acting as children typically do on a Sunday afternoon.  I, however, would be found wearing slacks, longingly looking at the other children, wishing that I too, could be above the rules.  This type of allowances by others, however, earned these children much animosity from the residents.  I, luckily, was often protected by the girls.  It was an interesting dynamic -- much like any sibling relationship that I hear about -- the girls loved to pick on me, but beware any who dare do this that does not belong to GT.  I can remember as a 3rd grader, walking to class, and there was a kid who tried to bully me -- several high school GT girls swiftly alerted him that it would not be tolerated.  I never had problems from him again. 

The dining hall was where I began to learn my work ethic.  At age 11 (2 years younger than most at GT), I began helping Nita Grimes in the Dining Hall.  I helped wait and bus tables during dinner.  I believe that I was able to start so young because a) I wasn't paid and b) was Nita's neighbor and close friend.  I can still remember the smell of Nita and Clyde's house [note, if you have not already, I am a smell-oriented person, remembering much through my olfactory sense] -- the Coca Cola's that were always available and the multitude of candy in jars and dishes throughout.  Clyde was a World War II veteran and had shrapnel still imbedded in his body!  These neighbors are most likely a large part of the reason I love computers so much.

Stay tuned for more of Josh's experiences at Girlstown...