Bellows Falls High School - Sampler Yearbook (Bellows Falls, VT)

Page 30 text:

28 THE S A M P I, E R He will proceed to enumerate all of his physi- cal ailments and business trouble in a mourn- ful, whining tone. The people right here in this community have that fault. If you don’t believe me, just ask yourselves. Simply re- call the last time some one inquired after your health. Didn’t you answer him by saying, “Oh, I'm not too bad?” This attitude could be improved materially by the mental relaxation found in outdoor activities. People here in Bellows Falls, al- though oblivious to the fact, have at their disposal the best possible opportunities for outdoor recreation. One thing especially provided for our benefit and enjoyment is the public playground. Being typical New Englanders, perhaps we do not appreciate the wonderful geographical arrangement of the country around here. Just across the river is Fall Mountain. Maybe there are some here who do not know that Fall Mountain has three ponds between its two main ridges. We have a river or two for swimming and other water sports. The back roads near us furnish a place for horseback riding, hiking, or bicy- cling. Many of us don’t realize what a wonderful climate we have. We are in just about the middle of the temperate zone. This location gives us all four seasons of the year, none in too much extreme. The climate here is so favorable that the life-span of the average person over in New Hampshire is longer than in any other state of the country. In fact, the only place in the world where the average life-span is longer than in New Hampshire is New Zealand. Here there is a spring, very good for sports and for spring fever; a summer, warm enough to permit swimming, camping, dressing scantily, etc.; a fall, still warm enough for sports, but cool enough to make the leaves and natural scenery beautiful; and a winter with plenty of snow and cold to give us much pleasure from skating, skiing, and all other winter sports. To have all four of these seasons is a privilege which we should appreciate. In the spring, we have just the right tem- perature for baseball, track, and tennis. The weather is generally warm, but not too un- comfortable. During the summer our most popular sport is swimming, but golf, tennis, and baseball still flourish. The fall brings cooler, peppier weather. It is ideal for foot- ball, so that is what we play during that season. Still, I think people all over the world envy New England more for its winter season than for anything else. Our winter sports are world famous, and the more of them we have, the more famous they will be. One place where we can all find a chance for healthful outside exercise is the public playground. Up there the most important thing to be found is the athletic field. That piece of ground is large enough for baseball, football, track and field events, hockey and skating rinks in winter, and practically any other sport that could be mentioned. The people of this town may freely par- ticipate in one of the most popular outdoor sports, tennis. At the playground there are three tennis courts, all made for our use and enjoyment. At the tennis courts, there is a chance for much beneficial exercise for anyone who likes the game. It is, moreover, a game of skill, furnishing one with the incentive to keep playing and to increase his skill. People of all ages play tennis. When you go to the playground for a good time, be sure to take your children along, they will have the best of fun on the swings, seesaws, chute-the-chute, or playing volley ball and basketball. Even the smallest ones will heartily enjoy the sandbox. As soon as winter arrives and the weather is really cold, rinks are built and flooded for skating. There is a rink for the use of the hockey teams, and another for the general public’s enjoyment. One has that oppor- tunity for activity during the cold months of the year, that is, provided he does not shatter the ice every time he falls. If a person started doing that, he probably would be barred from the rink. At present, the playground is not in use all the time. Still, when some people go to the playground they find the field or the tennis courts occupied, and they are forced to wait their turns or to go home without playing. I think we might avoid most painful situations like these by closer supervision of the play- ground. It would be much better if the town could employ a man to spend his whole time in magaging the playground. He could de- vise a schedule that would let everyone have a chance to spend considerable time in ac- tivities at the playground. It would be of great value for us to have a fixed time for the school teams to practice, a different hour for the town teams, and a time just for the young fellows to run around and do what they want. The school tennis team already has a definite schedule for practice at the playground; let’s devise a schedule for the other parts of the field. These hills of Vermont and New Hampshire furnish us with the chance to have a great deal of fun. Fall Mountain, just across the river, is far enough away to make the ap- proach and climbing it a good hike. It also

Page 29 text:

THE SAM P L E It 27 care of the sick, as well as the care of the sick room. Most school children now realize of what the proper clothing for school consists. It is not necessary to wear heavy clothing in the winter to keep warm. There are many lightweight woolens which are really warmer than heavier materials. Wraps should not he worn in school because, when the students leave the building, they are likely to become chilled and catch cold. Also it is not health- ful to wear too many clothes in the building. School clothes should be simple and permit easy cleaning. For summer, cottons or wash silks are the best for girls. Boys should have light weight trousers and perhaps some cotton or light wool sweaters or coats to sup- plement their heavier clothing for winter. The clothing worn by modern school chil- dren is very s nsible. It is, as a rule, simple, comfortable, and allows freedom of movement. I think a school lunch room should be es- tablished in all schools for the benefit of students who come from other towns. Hot lunches are more healthful than cold ones. The Home Economics students could learn to cook and serve through real experience. It would give the students an opportunity to get lunches at the school building rather than by going to the eating places in town or bringing cold lunches from home. Fatigue and worry also come under the subject of health in the school. In the average group, there are three classes of students: the slow, the average, and the superior. The number of slow students and superior students is very small compared to the average group. The teacher must try to bring up the slow student to his maximum efficiency, push the average student to greater activity, and guide the superior student, but allow him to work on his own a great deal. Assignments have to be made with these three classes in mind. This will result in a great deal of homework for the first group, anti a smaller amount for the other two. Very often students try to take on too many social activities. This may have disastrous results on their studies, es- pecially for the slow student. He either ceases working or works too much after the social activities. This often results in fatigue and worry which undermine the children’s health and sometimes cause complete breakdowns. The teacher who plans his work and assigns as he has been encouraged to by teachers’ colleges and normal schools will keep the three components of his class in mind. Although many things are done in the schools to preserve health, there is still room for a great many improvements. It would be ideal if all schools could be air conditioned, equipped with indirect lighting, and have large indoor swimming pools for the use of students at all times. Perhaps, someday, all these improvements will be realized. Nanc y Faris JUST IMAGINE! Charlotte Bemis in a 100-yard dash. Geraldine Lorange not around a teacher. Edward Kane not writing notes to Bern De Muzio. Bea Fullam playing center on a basketball team. Bert Roby admitting the other guy was better than he. Scotty MacDonald being seen and not heard. Floyd Carey living in the city. Paul Costin as a professor of English Gram- mar at Harvard University. Pickles Barbieri leading the Boston Sym- phony Orchestra. Tony Bobrowski and Ursula Brosnan re- placing the dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Claire Robinson not sighing when some one speaks of Gib Weston. Sandy Wilson playing opposite Mae West in a movie thriller. Deacon Dexter not smiling. Bob Dole as the spirit of Spring. Joe Massucco not razzing someone. Franklin Barrett as a train caller. Tony Garrett not voicing her opinion in class periods. James Ferguson not talking about Doris Dewey. Corliss Sanborn playing football. Bob Hadley with his hair not combed and Frank Jurkoic as an altar boy. Helen Waryas minding her own business. Stella Woynor paying to go to the movies. Helen Waysville without freckles. Margie Smith with a baldysour. Carroll Lloyd in a hurry. John Hennessey studying. VALEDICTORY My subject is “Outdoor Activities in Health.” I shall not try to describe every phase of the matter, but I should like to show how we can capitalize on our many oppor- tunities for physical improvement from out- door activities. The people of New England have a bad reputation. They err in putting their wrong foot forward. When one inquires about a New Englander’s health or his business affairs, the answer is always gloomy and mournful.

Page 31 text:

THE SAMPLER 29 has enough interesting places on it to give ap- preciative people a great kick. The view from Fall Mountain is alone worth the effort ex- pended to reach the top. If you want some real fun this summer, go on a camping trip. You won’t be forced to go far from home. Just get out on a back road far enough to be out of the midst of civilization, pitch your tent, cook your meals outdoors, and enjoy yourslf as long as you can stay. Don’t be afraid of getting rheuma- tism from sleeping on the ground; I didn’t. We of Bellows Falls are very fortunate to have so many rivers near at hand. There are the Connecticut, Williams River, and Saxtons River. On the two smaller streams, there are several fairly good swimming holes. Although these places fall short of a public swimming pool, one can have lots of fun using what places he already has if he is careful. The swimming hole on Cold River also is just a good hike out of town. Try it some day this summer! We find many fishermen around here. That is only natural, because we have so many places to fish. There are all kinds of fish, from trout in the small brooks to the big, fighting pike up the Connecticut. So far, I have mentioned some of the aids and advantages that we have for our use and enjoyment in outdoor health activities. Now let me make a few suggestions about things that we might do to increase the number of outdoor activities and the benefit we receive from them. Bellows Falls would surely enjoy an out- door public swimming pool, built and main- tained by the town. The advantages of this pool would be its more sanitary conditions, greater safety for its patrons, and the larger attendance that it would command. At .present, there are difficulties in building and carrying on such a pool. A suitable location is needed, its construction would cost the town some money, and its upkeep would be a continual expense to the town. However, if anyone can devise a workable plan for this project, it would be well for him to try putting it across to the other townspeople. Here are a few more suggestions: How about starting a young people’s outing club? This club might handle all outdoor activities of the younger people, such things as winter carnivals, team games, and all things like these. The meetings of this club might fur- nish the young folks with a chance to get to- gether and discuss various new activities and all other things. Perhaps it would be possible to have a camp near at hand. If the public could be persuaded to build a camp near home, many more of the young people of Bellows Falls could spend some of their time during the summer in camp. This would be a great experience for the young people and an aid to them. Give this idea a little thought. Another form of outdoor activity that can be developed is touring, especially by automobile. If you have a car, by all means make it a point to take several trips this summer. Visit the White Mountains, Lake Champlain, Lake Winnepesaukee, P'ort Ticonderoga, the Mohawk Trail, or any other place of interest to you. Thus we can learn geography at first hand and have a good time doing it. There is one more important thing that we should try to do; that is, to develop a more cheerful attitude toward life and our own health. Don’t be discouraged because so many people died last year. After all, that was only natural, but the death rate is de- clining, so, if you live long enough, you may live forever. Miss Parker has said that we were to speak about health tonight. She has gone on to tell about health in general, health education, and the importance of disease prevention. Miss Robinson has shown how conditions in busi- ness have improved to the advantage of our health. Miss Fenn has made it clear how im- portant health and healthful methods are in the home. Miss Faris has sketched the work being done in our schools to promote health in the student body. The importance of health in all matters has been clearly brought to light. I have tried to give an idea of the part played by outdoor activities in health. I also have made suggestions, which, if follow- ed, will give the people of this community more outdoor activities, and, in turn, better health. (Classmates, please rise.) Here you see the Class of 1936 of Bellows Falls High School. We have gathered for our last time together at the greatest event of our lives. From now' on we shall be alone, facing the world and trying to solve our own problems. We are very glad to have our friends and relatives here tonight wishing us good luck; but there is another favor we want to ask. Take a good look at us so that you will be able to recognize us again sometimes. If, in the next few months, our steps seem to stray from the path which leads toward a successful life, a happy and useful life, won’t you put your hand on a shoulder and point the way to our eyes, unskilled in seeing? Just remember that we haven’t had much experience in this old world and give us a little helpful advice. It will be gratefully received. Clifford Holmes.