Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel - Aloysian Yearbook (Aloysian, NY)

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HISTORY OF THE PEG-O DRAMATIC CLUB On a bright June evening in 1930 the Peg-O Dramatic Club, boasting nine members, presented its first play Peg O' My Heart. This year, 1950, the twentieth anniver- sary ot' Peg-O, it presented the title play at Good Counsel for the third time. The club was originally formed as an activity for the day students and as cn means of fostering dramatic ability in the Academy. Sister Mary Clement has been its moderator these twenty years and Peg-O attributes its success to herexper t direction. When in October of the following year, 1931, the first officers were elected, the dramatic club's unusual pin was designed by one of the charter members, and the twenty-eight Peg-O's chose as their colors crimson and silver. No year was ever complete without the Peg-O annual outing. ln the spring of 1931, one of the Peg-O's, Miriam Hall, invited the girls to spend the day at her cottage at Fairfield Beach. This outing was repeated for several years, then the members decided to have their annual outing ai' Playlclnd in Rye, New York. As Sister Mary Clement looks back through the years, she says that many names and many plays stand out in her memory. Among the favcrfte presentations have been: Smilin' Through, Daddy Long Legs, After Wimpole Street, Anne of Green Gables, Annie Laurie, Spring Green, Enter Angela, and the unfor- gettable Peg O' My Heart. The celebrated members whom all Peg-O's could take for their examples are: Amalia Sestero, who played Robert Browning in After Wimpole Street , Marie McCarthy, who was Daddy Long Legs , Mary Keefer, who played Judy in Daddy Long Legs , and Patricia Gallagher, the star of Enter Angela. AFTER WlMPOLE STREET 1936 ENTER ANGELA 1946 SPRING GREEN 1947 EIGHTEEN IN JUNE 1949+ 4'UNDER TWENTY 1948

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4. pf. , Act The days before the holidays flew by, crowded with homework, exams and report cards. One of the highlights of the year was Good Counsel's ioining the C.Y.O., and it was with no small feeling of pride that we watched many of our class- mates, under the expert direction of Miss Ruth Gibney, help the team to make third place. We took a real interest in Latin this year and after giving Cicero a first-class funeral, displayed our linguistic talents in a Latin production at Christmas time. After the Christmas holidays our school life was filled with many exciting activities. One of our classmates triumphed in the annual spelling bee. The iournal- istic endeavors of some were crowned by admission into Quill and Scroll. Soon followed the unprecedented and very enioyable sodality dance with Xavier High School. For three days in May the sound of chapel bells summoned us during our second retreat, it was given by the Reverend Alfred E. Barrett, S.J., who helped us to gain a clearer and holier outlook on life. lt was also during this month that the Academy was honored by being given a foremost position at the Mary's Day celebration at the newly opened Archbishop Stepinac High School. We walked off with top laurels at the C.Y.O. track meet, we were treated by our little sisters to a day at the Bronx Zoo, then our hours were filled with practice for the Glee Club concert. During the next week several long-awaited dreams came true for us. We attended our first tea dance at G.C.A., gave a farewell banquet to the seniors, and for the last time were spectators at the ceremonies of Class Day and Graduation. Next year we would have the leading roles. IV: The curtain rose on the final act of our high school drama with all of us more than a little awe-struck at being seniors at last. We did our best to take over leader- ship in all things, but it was with a pardonable feeling of distinct superiority that we assumed the responsibility of the Aloysian. The final boast of our seniority came when we received our class rings. These we proudly displayed to our less fortunate underclassmen in a most senior-like manner. A long awaited desire was realized when during our day at the U.N. we saw history in the making. True to our reputation for renovations, we brought the Science Club back to life and our Valentine's Day party was one of the first social events of the year. We realized the true meaning of Christmas this year because we worked so hard during the preceding weeks to make Christmas happier for our family. Our holidays were made more enioyable by the inspiring Spanish Club Christmas pageant. Our return after the holidays was marked by Peg-O's celebration of its twentieth anniversary and the production for the third time of Peg O' My Heart. Against the backdrop of snow and icicles we were found busily delving into the mysteries of chemistry and the lives of Samuel Johnson and his contemporaries. The Caedmon iournalists took a day off for a trip to the New York Times during Lent. It wasn't so bad this time coming back to school after the Easter holidays as our return was heralded by the Xavier dance which is in fair way of becoming an annual event. We celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel with the reception of the new members into the Sodality, this was soon followed by the annual retreat, this year given by the Reverend Thomas J. O'Day, SJ., then, almost before we realized it, June was here, bringing with it our annual tea dance. Our enioyment of this and our pride at being guests of honor at the iunior-senior banquet were sadly tempered by our knowledge that we would be leaving G.C.A. so soon. Today is Class Day, and for the last time we stand here on the stage. As we remember our four years and the good times we have had at Good Counsel, we don't want to say goodbye, but the rule of life is that of the theatre, The show must go on. 27

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