Annie Wright School - Shield Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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On the night before Commencement all the wonderful memories of the year gather themselves to form a lump in the throat during the Lantern Procession. Carrying lighted Chinese lanterns, the girls, in pairs, walk slowly around the Seminary singing. The procession pauses now and then in its encirclement of the building to hear short messages addressed to them by faculty members. Before reentering the building, the girls join hands to sing the Alma Mater. Certain music will never fail to signify to the girls all thai the Seminary means to them. Commencement is inseparably associated with the measured rhythm of Pomp and Circumstance. It is to this march that the seniors in their caps and gowns pass between the lines of their schoolmates to seat themselves on the stage of Keator Hall. At this time the Bishop and ihe Headmistress present the scholastic awards, and the Commencement address is given by a guest speaker. The exercises are continued in the Chapel, where there is the awarding by the Bishop of the diplomas and the gold crosses which are a gift to the seniors from the school. The two hymns always sung at this service. Forward Be Our Watch- word and Ancient of Days, evoke a feeling of nostalgia whenever they are heard by a Seminary girl. From the Chapel the seniors march between a double line formed by the rest of the school to the Great Hall, where their parents and friends gather to congratulate them. In addition to these traditions which are the basis for the memorable occasions of the school year, there are many lesser traditions connected with classes and individuals. A complete portrayal of Seminary spirit through its traditions neces- sitates the inclusion of the outstanding of these. Freshman and Sophomore Traditions It is readily acknowledged that in comparison with the juniors and seniors the freshmen and sophomores do not have many traditions associated with their classes. They do present their Hop. however: and later the sophomores serve at the Junior Prom. Junior Traditions With junior standing comes the prestige so eagerly looked forward to by the underclassmen. As usual, with prestige comes responsibility. Theirs is the task of trimming the tree and arranging the greens at Christmas time and. in the spring, of entertaining the seniors at the Junior Prom. On May Day they arise very early to decorate the Queen ' s throne with Scotch broom and flowering shrubs. To insure success for this latter occasion they wind in and out of the dining-room at break- fast singing a charm to produce a rainless day. It Ain t Gonna Rain No More. After Easter vacation they take over switchboard duties, study hall proctoring. checking meal attendance, ushering in chapel, and singing in the choir. The juniors publish a magazine paper, the Junior JoumaL which is greatly enjoyed for its school news. During Senior Week the juniors are allowed senior privileges such as walk- line. After the tree planting on the day before Commencement, they rush to the biiil(lin0 to find the only door left unlocked by the seniors. The first junior who 14

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The first traditional event after the hohday falls on the nineteenth of January, the birthday of Bishop Paddock, when Founder ' s Day is commemorated with a Communion Service in Raynor Chapel, attended by alumnae, students, and fac- ulty. Following it. the alumnae and the seniors meet with the Bishop and the Headmistress for luncheon in Paddock Hall. In the afternoon the Alumnae Asso- ciation has its annual meeting for the election of officers. On Easter Even. Raynor Chapel again becomes the scene of a traditional chapel service. The spring flowers seem to bloom especiallv ff)r this Carol and Baptismal Service, which was originated by Miss Jenkins. The spring is especially notable for May Day. when the entire school, march- ing to Melody in F. pays homage to the May Queen and her court. The seniors wear their special May Day dresses, and the rest of the school is in white. The Queen is attended by a maid of honor elected from the junior class and a flag- bearer from the sophomore class. After the Queen has been crowned, the dance group entertains. The formality of the May Day court is ended by the winding of the May pole. The Seminary grounds and architecture lend themselves beau- tifully to these events: it is no less than a tragedy for the school if the weather makes it necessary to use Keator Hall for May Day. The May Queen receives a reminder of her honor in the form of a small gold scepter-shaped pin which is presented to her at the Athletic Association Banquet on the evening of May Day. At this function all the athetic awards — cups, medals, letters, and chevrons —are pre.sented by the head of the Physical Education Department. Much interest attends the Headmistress ' announcement of the results of the election of Student Council officers. But the peak of the evening is reached with the awarding of the Key. The Saturday before May Day is Dads Day. the time for Seminary fathers to see the school and meet each other. In the afternoon there is a baseball game on the hockey field, the excitement of which seems to out-weigh the resulting ach- ing muscles and sunburns of the guests. After an archery exhibition or a swim- ming meet, at which the Dad s are spectators, everyone is ready for dinner. Instrumental and vocal music which the fathers generously supply makes this a gay occasion. Only the interest in the closing entertainment of the evening, pro- vided by the Masque Players, succeeds in drawing the group from the merrymaking. Within the year there are three traditional dances: the Junior Dance and the Freshman-Sophomore Hop in the winter for the whole Upper School: and the Junior Prom in the spring given in the Great Hall in honor of the seniors. The girls devote much time and thought to achieving ingenious and original decora- tions which conceal the true function of Keator Hall and to emphasizing the beauty of the Great Hall with spring blossoms. The activity and gaiety of the year give way to a new note of serious reflec- tion on Baccalaureate Sunday, the day which begins the final week of the school year. The Bishop speaks at the afternoon service held in Raynor Chapel on this occasion. For the fi rst time durinc; the year the seniors wear their white caps and gowns. During the service all thoughts are centered in the seniors, who sit to- gether at the front of the chapel.

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reaches the top of senior stairs will be the luckiest of her class. After all have suc- ceeded in the mad scramble for the top. they descend together singing their step song. composed for the occasion: each class then sings its class song, and all classes together sing the Alma Mater. Senior Traditions The life of a Seminary senior is symbolized through many more traditions than those connected with May Day and Commencement. The senior is a creature set apart throughout the year, with many privileges to accompany her many duties. She li ves on the most convenient corridor, on which, by the way. are the two coveted rooms joined by a bath and hall, known as the suite. The front hall stairs are referred to as senior stairs. and may used only by faculty and seniors. If the late privilege has not been abused, they have only to sign their names in the office in order to stay up until ten -thirty on one night a week. Perhaps the most enjoyed of all prerogatives is their walkline privilege, which permits them to go downtown unchaperoned in groups of three on Saturday and for afternoon walks in the neighborhood. Though the seniors are no longer in choir after Easter vacation, they f orm the choir on Friday mornings. Seniors have sweaters in their class color, either cardigan or pullover, which they may wear on Mondays and Fridays. In the fall they burst in upon the study hall in their new sweaters. They march through the aisles singing their class song before linking arms in the front of the room to sing iheir sweater song. The social life of the senior also adds to the glory ol tins year. On the night of the Junior F rom the boarders depart. suitcase in hand, to the homes of senior day students where they spend the night and a lazy morning. The very peak of enjoyable activity comes the week following senior examinations. This Senior Week, composed of such entertainment as cruises, picnics, and teas, is eagerly awaited by the class all year. A picture of senior class traditions is incomplete without mention of the Spade. Soon after school opens in the fall, the new senior class zealously begin their search for the Spade, which last year s graduates hide during the first week. The seniors must find it before the Hallowe en party if they are to be able to attach to it a ribbon of their class color. The Spade is so crowded with yellow, red. green, and blue ribbons — and one black, denoting failure that it is easily seen to be one of the oldest Seminary traditions. Upon finding the Spade, the seniors bear it triumphantly to study hall, where they sing their Spade Song, composed in antici- pation of the occasion. On the Monday afternoon before graduation, the class presents the senior play, on which they have been working for many weeks. It is their aim to keep the name of the play a secret. The following day is memorable for the planting of the class tree and the Lantern procession. Then only Commencement itself re- mains — the culmination of a year of achievement and of fun. It is only natural that the graduating class, looking back on all the beautiful traditions in which they have participated, should regret leaving Seminary life. 15