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

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THE S A M P L E II 25 quite sure that he will be able to complete his eight or ten years of training. lie should look ahead and estimate the approximate amount of his training and apprenticeship as well as the expense of establishing his practice. In short, self-analysis is such an important but complicated matter that one must keep in mind all the factors that affect the situation. As has been stated the intellectual, educa- tional, physical, social, and economic factors are among the many which must all be con- sidered in this process of analyzing one’s self for a happy and useful career. Mary Taylor. SOURCES OK STUDY OF OCCUPATIONS In studying vocations one will find that there are many different sources for study and help. In high schools and colleges, there are some- times courses for the study of occupations. These courses are usually under the guidance of a vocational counselor. They give a pano- ramic view of all the fields of occupation,follow- ing which a list of four or five occupations is then chosen for careful study. These are taken up very thoroughly until one picks a definite profession. If there is no course in occupations that one may enter, he may find a vocational counselor who will give him individual time and advice and will help him to find books and material on vocations and to learn how to analyze him- self. At present, though, classes in occupations and vocational guidance counselors are not yet available to the majority of young people. As a result, they must resort to private study. In this private study one should find all he can on different occupations, then cut the list down to a few in which he might be interested, and study these carefully until he picks a definite career. To obtain information one must turn to printed material. lie may ask,” Where can I obtain help from printed material?” He will find this material in books on vocational guidance, monographs, biographies, magazines and newspapers, and he can often be helped a great deal by interviews with people successful in his chosen field. The books written on vocational guidance contain descriptions of the advantages, dis- advantages and duties of many occupations. Also they will help one to analyze himself and discover his fitting occupation. One must not spend his time with books that describe only tlie processes of the occupations, but rather he should rely upon those which tell him about the working conditions, the preparation he must have, and the chances for advancement. Such helpful books as “Occupations” by Brewer, “Find Yourself” by Cohen and “Choosing Your Life Work” by Rosengarten are being published more and more and can be found in increasing numbers in school, town and state libraries. The monographs or pamphlets are essay material put out by vocational guidance or- ganizations and many colleges and give the latest reports on different occupations. Each monograph contains a description of a different occupation. These are published to give one a panoramic view of major careers and prevent a person from selecting a career from a limited range. The Institute for Research of Chicago has a splendid set of monographs covering seventy-six occupations, fifty-six of which have been purchased and are being used this year in the local high school. One may ask how biographies can help. When one reads the lives of men successful in their chosen occupations he can hear many good points on how to rise to success anil the things he must go through to get there. A good autobiography or biography gives one a true and real picture of the life that a person has to live if he is to become successful. Bio- graphy takes away the rosy light that young people too often throw about the occupation in which, at the time, they are interested. After reading “Footlights and Spotlights” by Otis Skinner the glamour is stripped from the career of acting, and “I Become a Reporter,” that chapter from the “Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens ”, makes one realize that the life of a newspaperman is more work than play. In order to keep up with the latest news on the occupation in which one is interested, he must read the latest magazines and newspapers in which he will find many good articles. When reading these, one must be careful to deduct the truth from exaggeration, and advertising from reality. If he can do this, current litera- ture will be of great help to him. Such maga- zines as the Forum, Scribners, Reader’s Digest, the trade journals, the Ameri- can, and Rotarian often have many good articles on occupations. After one has studied and analyzed himself until he has found an occupation he likes, he will find very helpful interviews with people successful in his chosen field. He should be careful to choose only successful people because the unsuccessful will give him a very gloomy picture. The successful are more likely to tell the advantages and disadvantages but even then one must watch for exaggeration on the

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24 THE SAMPLER profit can be obtained from a might-be very successful career? Last, but by far not the least, he should make an accurate list of the requisites lor entering his preferred career. This should be considered early in life, so that he may start preparing for his life work, even while he is in high school. He must learn whether or not a college education is necessary or desirable, and if any special training must be obtained. If special training is required he must find out where he can get it, how long it will take, and how much it will cost him. If an apprentice- ship period must be served first, he must figure on this also. Thus, it is very clear that the process of choosing an occupation is not one of accident or chance, but is the result of years of careful thought and planning and study. Kathryn Kelley. SELF-ANALYSIS Self-analysis is one of the major steps one must take if he is trying to choose intelligently a suitable career for himself. Self-analysis is very difficult since there is no definite method for a person to follow when analyzing himself. It is easy enough to measure one’s height and weight but to measure our artistic or me- chanical talents, our perserverance, accuracy, and ability to co-operate with others is a dif- ferent matter. One can not, however, put himself into the right career by guessing. Years ago when a child was born, sometimes a Bible, a coin, and a bottle were placed before him. If he chose the Bible, people said he was destined to be a minister, if he reached for the coin, a banker, and if he reached for the bottle, of course, a failure. There are many false and unscientific ways of guessing what your future is to be; such as counting the buttons on your coat or calculating the stars and planets under which you were born. Some psychologists think that tests may he of some value in self- analysis. There are tests that may help a person to detect color blindness and others which show certain qualities necessary in some occupation such as aviation, but there are no tests to show a person just what line of work he is best suited for. Tests can only indicate aptitudes or leanings that a person may have for and toward certain occupations or pro- fessions. Tests are just one of the many methods one can use in this process of trying to find himself. There is one mental trait, however, that can be measured objectively. This is general in- telligence. By this is meant the keenness. brightness, and mental alertness that one is born with. People differ greatly according to this trait. Although a low rate of intelligence is not a handicap in some occupations it is a great barrier in other lines of work. There- fore, when making such an important decision as that of selecting a career it is first best to measure our intelligence. Various intelligence tests are given in school which should be made out by reputable scientists. It is advisable for a person to examine his educational record when he is trying to find his ability along various lines. Not only colleges and technical schools but also large corpora- tions such as American Telephone and Tele- graph lay great stress on scholastic standing when they are considering a person for entrance or an applicant for employment. One should single out the subjects lie liked and made progress in in school. For example, if a person enjoys chemistry and dislikes farming he should not be a farmer just because his father or uncle is a farmer. If engineering is being considered a person should like mathematics and have rated well in school in that subject. While in school one possibly has become especially interested in languages, history, home economics, or algebra. Each of these subjects suggests a career and perhaps, one to which he might be adapted. A person should a'so be physically able to handle the duties of the occupation which he chooses. A young man who desires to be an architect and yet has weak lungs would not be able to spend the greater part of his time over a drafting board. He should seek another occupation such as that of the landscape architect which will afford him an opportunity to use his artistic talent along architectural lines but at the same time keep him in the open air. It is not enough to examine merely one’s intellectual, educational, and physical apti- tudes for a vocation. If a person is trying to choose intelligently a suitable career for him- self other factors—social and economic—are involved. The social factor is that which among other things shows whether or not a person likes meeting and mingling with the general public. For instance, a person who dislikes associating with people would have a very difficult time as a teacher, doctor, and especially a salesman. Instead he should try to choose occupations that do not require him to deal so constantly with people. By the economic factor we mean that which has to do with the financial side of preparation and entering into any occupation. A young man wishing to become a lawyer should be

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26 THE SAMPLER rosy side. From all this material gathered, one should be able to find his true profession by careful study. One should not begrudge the time spent in this study. It will be richly repaid in happiness on some future day. Margaret McDonald. VALEDICTORY Four years ago the class of 1937 started out upon its journey toward a goal which seemed very far off. To-night is a great moment in our lives—we have reached that goal. As we look back, the journey seems short because we have traveled along so merrily. While in school, the pleasant hours we spent perhaps blinded us to the efforts of those who worked to make each moment worthwhile and mem- orable for us. To the members of the school board go our sincere thanks for the interest and determina- tion they have shown in providing this school with modern equipment. As a result of their efforts, it is recognized as one of the most up- to-date and best high schools in the state. CLASS We, the class of ’37, have reached the stage where we are to push one door and pull on another. But before we start to push, let us glance over briefly what has happened during the past years for: Our school days are over, our books laid aside, Never again to be read; For the days that were happy and carefree and gay. Are the days that forever have fled. Life with her problems and lessons severe. Has added our names to her roll; And we have commenced the long path to be trod, Before we can win to our goal. When we were Freshmen, we didn’t have much to say. Happy and contented in oursurround- ings, we were practically strangers ready to settle down. First, it was our duty to be- come acquainted with students coming from Saxton’s River School, Westminster and St. Charles’ School. But that didn’t take long. In Saxton’s River School first honor was awarded to Ida Hall; second to Mary Taylor. Margaret McDonald was awarded first honor at the St. Charles’ School. The Freshman year ended with a class picnic in the rain at We shall always remember these personali- ties—our teachers. By their enthusiasm and interest we were encouraged to greater efforts. Although sometimes we seemed to take for granted the assistance which they gladly ottered, the gratitude and appreciation we feel now can not be expressed in words. To-night is the beginning and the end. It is the end of a sheltered life and the beginning ol an adventure in which we are eager to prove ourselves. We want to grow intellectually, morally and spiritually, unconfined by any boundaries, forever working toward a goal which will never cease to urge us forward. To the class of 193S, we extend this chal- lenge—to strive dauntlessly for the ideals of our school and to carry onand accomplish where we have failed. And now, we, the class of 1937, bid goodbye to our school and to the parents, teachers ainl friends who have started us upon the road of life. May we fulfill some of the great hopes you have had for us. Ida Hall. HISTORY Lake Spofford. The next Fall we had about the same rooms that we had the year before. Elizabeth Cabell and Elmer Nichols joined us. Elizabeth came from a private school in New Jersey; Elmer came from Waterbury, Vermont. That year’s activities we can say were non-existing with the exception of the Spotlight Club and Music Club. When the Spotlight Club was first started it was divided into two divisions: one consisting of our own class and the other con- sisting of Juniors and Seniors. That year the club put on two public plays, “Wonder Hat” and “The Monkey’s Paw,” and several skits at the meetings. Max Miller and Lawrence Kelley had parts in” Wonder Hat. In the Operetta, “The Maid and The Middy” Margaret McDonald was one of the soloists. Lawrence Kelley, Norman Thompson, Doris Dewey and Ka- therine Caskins had spoken parts. John Lynch made his letter in football. In track at the State Meet, William Kolasky received a bronze medal for the third place in javelin. At the Brattleboro Invitiation Meet he received two white ribbons for third place in pole vault and javelin. The officers chosen for the year were as follows: