Carnett: ‘Jimmy’ can ace those fifth-grade mission projects

I grew up in the Harbor Area (as we then called it) in the late 1940s, ‘50s and early ‘60s, and my parents introduced me to Mission San Juan Capistrano.

I loved Father Junipero Serra and the story of California’s 21 Missions — strung like jewels along The King’s Highway, from San Diego to San Francisco.

California’s mission era ran from 1769 to 1823.

I read everything about the missions I could find, built clunky models of mission structures and made adobe bricks in our Costa Mesa backyard.

Though I wasn’t Catholic, I developed a love for the history, beauty and spirituality of the missions. By the time I turned 20, I’d visited two-thirds of them.

The primary reason for the impact of the missions on my life was because they were tangible artifacts. I could more than just read about them. I could visit them.

For me, the vast swath of American history wasn’t like that. It was musty and distant.

A native Southern Californian who — until the age of 16 — hadn’t ventured east of the Colorado River, I didn’t have Plymouth Rock, or Mount Vernon, or Gettysburg, or Harper’s Ferry to ogle. But I did have the missions. And they became touchstones to my heritage.

When I first gazed upon the architecture and gardens of Mission San Juan Capistrano, I was captivated.

California schools have long taught a unit on the missions in the fifth grade. During my fifth-grade year, 1954-55, Mrs. Ballreich’s class at Lindbergh School in Costa Mesa led me on a wonderful journey. Every student was required to submit a project.

Last week my wife, Hedy, came across my 28-page missions report while cleaning out some old files. I was amazed. It was more in-depth than my graduate thesis!

I sat and read the report cover to cover. Not bad, except that I refused to use punctuation (though a period did follow each sentence).

The title page read: “Report on California Missions, by Jimmy Carnett.” I began with a bio of Father Serra, then wrote a history of each of the 21 missions, and included a pencil sketch — by me — of every mission (complete with clumsy erasures).

My two reference sources were: “California Mission Days,” by Helen Bauer (1951) and “California Missions,” by Floyd Ray (1954).

I was not one of Mrs. Ballreich’s better students, so I’m certain she was surprised by my passion for the project and my verbosity. I was rewarded with an “Excellent!” notation and an “A” grade — executed in red ink — at the top of the title page.

Had you asked me at age 10 the first thing I’d do upon reaching my majority I’d probably have said, “take a trip to visit every mission.” A website today says such a trip can be accomplished in a week. I’ve never attempted it.

My favorite mission has always been Santa Barbara.

I wrote in my fifth grade report: “Today Mission Santa Barbara lies quietly in the Santa Barbara hills and we may go to see the great sandstone church and the fountain where the Indian women washed their clothes.”

I’ve done so many times.

I managed to finish the fifth grade in 1955 and matriculated to junior high. I’ve since relived fifth grade twice.

In 1985, my fifth-grade daughter, Jade, was required to do a report on the mission of her choice. So, during Easter Week, I took a day off and drove her to “The Queen of the Missions,” Santa Barbara. We spent a marvelous day at the church and picnicked by the fountain.

I took scads of photos and grabbed every brochure and flier available. I helped her write her report, not because she needed assistance, but because I wanted to.

Three years later, in 1988, Melissa was in fifth grade. We took a day off and drove south to “The King of the Missions,” San Luis Rey, in Oceanside. I took photos and helped write another report.

I’m 3-for-3 in As for fifth-grade missions reports!

Any elementary school parent out there need a cheap ghostwriter this spring?

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.