Berlin High School - Lamp Yearbook (Berlin, CT)

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SALUTATORY Mr. Superintendent, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board of Education, Members of Berlin High Faculty, Parents, Friends, and Classmates: In behalf of the class of 1936, 1 wish to welcome you all to this memorable occasion, the graduation of the first senior class of Berlin High School. Our gratitude for your helpfulness and friendly advice cannot be expressed in mere words, but the fruit of your labors will be found only in the success that we all hope to attain in life. You have given us our start and now our ultimate success or failure lies in our own individual powers to combat the world. In the struggle for success, our only weapons are education and knowledge, with strength of character as our shield. Our ability to wield these weapons will determine our immediate future. Every person is responsible for his own development and happiness, and such happiness is often found in the pride of success achieved after long effort. Strength of character ranks uppermost in the many qualities demanded by all forms of business. It serves as a successful barrier against all temptations and the person who possesses it has a superiority over all his opponents; he is almost certain to emerge from the fight victorious. All great buildings have their designers and architects; so it is with us. We alone are responsible for our own upbuilding and it is we who must design the blueprints in early life that will lead to the con- struction of firm foundations and characters of steel. Obviously, the more complete the original plans are, the more lasting the final building will be. Set your foundation on solid rock so that you can be confident of its infinite duration. The world can take away your entire wealth but it cannot take away that which is a part of you — your character. It is important to make the world honestly believe that it needs you. Show those around you that you have something new to offer, something that will prove a great asset. Originality excites curiosity be- cause of its rarity ; it is sought after and admired. The idol to which all America bows is Fashion and any new idea, ridiculous or otherwise, catches hold and takes the country by storm. In this way, man shows just how small his mind really is, and how eager he is to adopt the ideas of others. Therefore, strive for recognition of your individual worth. Work slowly but steadily, keep your mind constantly open for new knowledge, and always be prepared to respect the opinions of others. In this way, we command respect from them. It is dangerous to be over-confident, and it inspires the hate and con- tempt of your fellow workers. Self-conceit causes the inevitable downfall and no one will be there to help you. Originality should be the keynote in the design of our character building. We were all fashioned after different models, but through some deplorable means we have managed to make ourselves all alike. Do not become a slave of Fashion; follow it to a reasonable extent and from a reasonable distance, but learn to form your own tastes and habits without being dragged into them. Learn to judge everything, characters especially, for yourself — don’t be a mere parrot who repeats the judgments of others. Be quick to accept the new 1 , the unexpected, rather than a dull routine. To be successful, a person must be optimistic enough to look ahead, to think for himself, and even be bold to a certain extent. The class of ’36 wishes to extend their deepest appreciation to the Board of Education for establishing our present complete educational system, and to the faculty for their untiring efforts and patience in aiding us in our pursuit of knowledge. MAH JOB IE JOHNSON

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VA LEDICTORY Mr. Superintendent, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board of Education, Members of the Berlin High Faculty, Parents, Friends and Classmates: Now that we are leaving this place, full of happy memories for us, we, the class of 1936, wish to thank you for your tireless effort in our behalf. We hope that you have enjoyed this first graduation and find it worthy of your highest ideals. In these past years we have been shown a new optimistic aspect on life, an outlook which changes to fit itself for shifting conditions. Whether we go to college or enter the business world, this change will be evident. In grandfather’s day there was a system of apprenticeship which made necessary only a small amount of formal training. But now with the large corporations controlling business, it is well to attain a better and more specialized training. Business is conducted on a large scale so that each position takes one special phase of the whole corporation. Likewise, in professions there is entrance only through advanced training courses given in college. I am confident that each one has promised to adjust himself to these changes, so that he will not have to be content with the good or the better, but only with the best. We wish to pave new paths to higher successes to make our ultimate goals worthy of notice in today’s famous achievements. Many people say that all the great discoveries and inventions were made merely by chance, not by study. But they were accomplished only by a keen observation and application to commonplace in- cidents. If these people had been indifferent to opportunity they would have ignored their special calling. That is the reason fortune never seems to present itself to the indolent. So it must be with us. We will find many opportunities lying waiting for us, but we must join together all our strength of character and observation to take advantage of these brilliant fortunes. We must keep our minds centered on a single aspiration, a single goal. Some, possessing a great talent, seem to compose great chances for themselves. With their self-confidence and tolerant attitude toward a world of critics, they overcome envy and distrust to make a name for themselves. All of us must have a talent for practical sense — that sense which tells us what we should do best for our own welfare. Let us cultivate this feeling so that we may not become discouraged and lose our way in the world. Everyone in his lifetime meets these marvelous opportunities, yet there are only a few who are subtle enough to grasp them. They develop the germs of an idea until it becomes an ideal proposition. Some- times they labor steadily for years to reach their goal. This evening of graduation marks the end of that period in our lives which has been devoted to mould- ing our personalities. From now on the Past is dormant; the Future is a vague expanse of hopes and dreams. The Present is most vital to us; it is the turning point in our existence. Bui with such qualities as self-confidence, perseverance, and character, waiting at our command, we should make a grand suc- cess of our lives. So, classmates, I bid you farewell, confident that we have all resolved to grasp our opportunities, and to live up to our ideals. MONA PABKINSON

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CLASS HISTORY Unique, Cooperative, Progressive — Thus we symbolize the class of ’36. Little did we realize four years ago how r much the future held in store for us; or how 1 much we were to accomplish during our high school course. In the ninth grade we had a new r method of teaching English and History. Our English class was a crew headed by the able captain, Miss Mueller. We kept a ship’s log w herein all the best literary efforts were preserved. Our History class was conducted as a newspaper, each student filling some position on the newspaper staff. Through this new type of work we developed the now eminent qualities of our class — leadership and individuality. We gave a St. Valentine’s Dance and a St. Patrick’s Dance at which we acquired party etiquette. The History classes produced a musical comedy, “Tintype Blues”, directed by Miss Mueller. Even now some of the characters return to haunt us. June brought with it several events which we will ever esteem in later years. We had a very success- ful class day followed by graduation. This day arrived, clear and warm, the air heavy with the scent of roses. We were excited, but then, why shouldn’t we have been; we were no longer Freshmen! After graduation came the Prom, the first in the history of the school. Our Sophomore year found us the oldest class in the school. We soon adjusted ourselves to this respon- sibility and opened the Christmas season with an unusual holiday party — the success of the year. In Spring we marked our year with a memorable milestone — “The Black and Gold Yearbook” under the supervision and helpful guidance of our English teacher, Miss Mulcahy. Somehow, that September day in 1931 when we entered the school was rather unusual. We were Jun- iors; but, aside from that, the astonishing fact was that never before had Juniors walked the corridors of the Berlin High School. From this time on things happened in close succession. We were actually going to have an Athletic Association which would sponsor sports of all kinds! At a large and exciting assembly Coach Hall had a vote cast for school colors; our boys next appeared in blue and cardinal uniforms. This startling combination seemed to pave the way for future victories. Our athletic activities have made sounder physical specimens of the boys and girls — but far more im- portant, it has made them better sports in the true sense of the word. The Athletic Association later gave a minstrel after which followed several other socials during the year. On the first school day of January, 1935 the Berlin High pupils no longer had to carry their lunches to school, for they could now patronize the cafeteria which had been newly installed. How ' good it was to get home cooking in school!