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By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

CUMMING-The Pinecrest Paladins are official-and ready for action. On Jan. 25, in an outdoor ceremony, the private independent Catholic school unveiled its new mascot and announced the donation of 15.7 acres of land to the school. Amid the sounds of trumpet blasts, and to the delight of the crowd, a paladin, in a full suit of armor, processed into the circle made by the crowd, following students bearing banners imprinted with virtues that Pinecrest students strive to embody. Bill Guilfoil, president of Pinecrest Academy, told the crowd that, at the turn of the ninth century, the paladins were the knights in Charlemagne's court. "Charlemagne is known as the great defender of the Catholic Church...and the paladins were his Knights of the Round Table." As the paladin bowed before Guilfoil, the president, with a sword, knighted the mascot. "Great Paladin, defender of the faith, I knight you as the mascot of Pinecrest Academy," he said. "You were chosen as our mascot because you embody the qualities we cherish as a school; the qualities that are reflected in our crest." "You always strive for improvement-to be the best you can be. Our school motto, 'Semper Altius,'-Always Higher-is represented on the crest by a mountain with stars," he continued. "The book and torch in the lower left hand corner of the crest represent your faith in the Word of God." "The anvil in the crest's upper right hand corner symbolizes your faithfulness in work and prayer. And finally, the armor, which you wear and which is shown on your crest, symbolizes courage and a fighting spirit. It is this great fighting spirit mighty Paladin, which earned you the title 'defender of the faith.'" Following rousing cheers and chants by the Pinecrest cheerleaders, Principal Margaret Richardson announced the distribution of T-shirts, featuring the new logo, in Pinecrest colors of blue, green and gold. "We are so excited to have our mascot-the Pinecrest paladin-to lead us to victory in all our sporting endeavors," she said. The mascot will represent all Pinecrest sporting teams, including soccer, baseball, track and 47 basketball teams. The newly donated 15.7 acres will give the school, which currently serves grades pre-K through eight, with a high school to open in 2003, a total of 68.7 acres. The land was donated by Bill Evans and J.D. Brooks. It has not yet been determined what the land's use will be.