Berlin High School - Lamp Yearbook (Berlin, CT)

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SALUTATORY Mr. Superintendent, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board of Education, .Members of the Berlin High Faculty, Parents, Friends, and Classmates: In behalf of the class of 1937 1 wish to welcome you to this memorable event, the graduation of the Senior Class of Berlin High. Our deep and sincere appreciation of the helpful, willing aid, which you have readily given us, cannot be conveyed in any simple form, but our success will be a result of your untiring efforts. Knowledge, a very important factor in life, leads to success. The knowledge gained on our high school years will lighten the burden of whatever work that may he undertaken. Those who are serious and earnest have a better chance of fulfilling their hopes, for they view life and its varied interests with a more intelligent aspect. Before undertaking any difficult task, one must have some definite plans. Nothing is thoroughly com- pleted without a foundation. We have laid the foundation of our lives in the past few years. If care- fully constructed it will stabilize all our future thoughts and actions. In the end, we will find it to be of lasting value and remembrance. Individuality and character constitute a major part in maintaining ambitions. One must possess certain qualities that will lead him onward. Accomplish all that is possible with the available opportunities. Once the individual becomes indolent, his chances are diminished, for the greatest thief of opportunity is indolence. Failure, laziness, and discouragement then dominate him. Through persistence, the industrious and steadfast improve greatly. The indolent weaken, while the industrious grow strong. During this age, life presents many varied, changing situations. Our minds must be developed to form ideals controlling our actions. Everyone has some desire for the future: wealth, fame, knowledge, or power. Material things and a definite plan, carefully developed, will sustain this desire. To these trying relations we must adjust ourselves. We all view life differently; possess varied talents, used in numerous ways. By depending solely upon our judgment, we will then accomplish something worth while; and our high school years shall grow in value as years go by. I herefore the (.lass of 37 wishes to express its gratitude to our parents for their support in enabling us to complete our high school education; to the Board of Education for a better educational system, and to the Faculty who have shown us a broader, finer outlook on life. CATHERINE IIOLYST

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VALEDICTORY Mr. Superintendent, Mr. Chairman, Members of Hie Board of Education, Members of the Berlin High Faculty, Parents, Friends, and Classmates: During the past four years a very significant change has taken place in our lives. The childish actions, childish manners and above all, the childish ideas and aspects of life have gradually been replaced by a more mature viewpoint, that of understanding. In the primary grades and even in the Junior High School everything was looked upon as a matter of course, as things which should be done and therefore must be done, with no idea whatsoever as to why they must be done. Vast stores of knowledge were gulped in as rapidly as they were presented. English, Arithmetic, Science, History, and Social Studies were crowded into the indifferent brain to be called upon as the militia in war-time, to fend off evil in the form of examinations. Gradually these meaningless facts began to assume new forms as a perceptible understanding replaced this undigested devouring. Learning, we realized, was not merely the acquirement of vast stores of knowledge. In the words of Cardinal Newman, “Knowledge is the indispensable condition of expansion of mind and the instrument of attaining to it”. But the real enlargement of the mind comes from a thorough consideration of this knowledge, its correlation with what you already know and the actual application of this knowledge. True learning, then, is the individual response to knowledge. The gradual realization of these principles has been a major step in our mental development. Looking into the moral side of our career we observe that our high school days have been the stage for the development of the determining and lasting influences in our character. The molding clay has been rendered less pliable with the advancing years and has gradually hardened into the form it will assume for the rest of our lives. Those traits which have been acquired in high school will remain with us forever, the key to our entire future. The complexity of the modern world demands, besides the skill or training so necessary in this age of specialization, the person with a strong character and the ability to think clearly. The skilled brain and the strong character are the two most versatile tools in the world. Up to the present time several major factors have been instrumental in shaping our destinies. Our parents have brought us up with all the care and patience at their command. We have always looked to them for inspiration and courage when trouble shook all hope from our hearts. They were always looking out for our best interests, worrying over our misfortunes, and beaming with pride at our youthful accomplishments. Teachers, too, patiently worked with us in getting the most out of our studies. Friends did their part in times of necessity. Much has been done for you. External assistance played the major part in bringing you to your present status. And now the future lies with yourself. You have nothing to lean upon but your own brain and will power. Go out into the world with the determination in your heart that all obstacles can and will be overcome and that nothing can prevent the ultimate attain- ment of your goal. Classmates of the class of 1937, I wish to take this opportunity of bidding you all a sincere and hearty farewell, not because it seems appropriate to the occasion but with the knowledge that each and every one will put forth the best that is in him, and may your efforts be justly rewarded. WALTER MAYER

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CLASS HISTORY Will we ever forget the bright September morning, in the year 1933, when we first entered high school as freshmen? We strolled through the corridors of the Jean E. Hooker School — freshmen in our ap- pearance, freshmen in our actions, freshmen in our every thought. At our first class meeting we elected the following class officers: President, Walter Mayer; Y ice President, Mary Fagan; Secretary and Treasurer, Mary Paskawicz. The first social functions sponsored by us were a Christmas dance and later, an Easter dance, both being socially successful. In May, Mr. Gorton, our former Superintendent, announced that Walter Mayer and Helen Kriwacki were named valedictorian and salutatorian respectively for their high scholastic standing. The most important affair of that year was graduation. The girls were graced in white evening gowns, while the boys were attired in dark suits. A Freshman Prom, an unusual privilege, was granted us that year and with that, the greatest of all our social achievements, ended the first happy year of our high school days. September, 1934, found us a little surer in the way of our high school career — we were sophomores. Most of the dances and social affairs were given by the school as a whole that year. In the early part of the year we attended an assembly at which Mr. Calvin E. Wilcox, our new super- intendent, was formally introduced to us. Due to the fact that our school was made into a complete high school, new teachers were added to our faculty. Mr. Herbert L. Hall, athletic director. Miss Marion Van Deusen, Miss Laura Salerni, and Mr. Santino Yl. Yasquez, as commercial teachers. Miss Mary C. Mulcahy and Mr. Herbert L. Hall were named Dean of Women and Men respectively. Our class officers for that year were: President, Lillian Taylor; N ice President, Marie Sullivan; Sec- retary and Treasurer, Catherine Holyst. Miss Mulcahy was class adviser. Our leaders seemed to conceal their initiative that year for the Juniors were more ambitious and were busy building up prestige as being the first class which was to graduate from Berlin High School. We helped them, however, in our modest way attended their functions, and gave our full support to make their year, and ours, a suc- cessful one. September, 1935, rolled around and we w ere back again as Juniors. Suddenly our latent initiative burst into the open and class spirit grew r rapidly. Our officers were again Lillian Taylor and Marie Sullivan