Central High School - Blue and White / Pnalka Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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VOLUME IV that the rest of the class gathered about the doorway and watched the scenes they were not permitted to participate in, and it was with the utmost regret that its occupants finally bade old Room 13 good-bye and passed on up the corridor as many a class had before them. During our junior year we began to feel some of the responsibility that was soon to be ours as Seniors, as well as to distinguish ourselves somewhat in the various school activities. King and Buckley, the warmed-over element of the class, represented us in football and basketball, while Bennitt and Bugbee both secured positions on the varsity crew. On the literary side of the school work, too, we were fairly successful, Misses Wright and Weaver taking second prizes in the Board of Trade essay and Pierides prize speaking contests, respec- tively. The Amherst cup debate went to a member of our class, and we were well represented on the debating team, the three speakers being members of the Junior Class. It was also about this time that Bennitt began to attract attention with his famous sneeze. This sneeze caused such a sensation and placed him so conspicuously in the limelight that Bennitt was contemplating taking out a patent on it, but because no one else cared, or perhaps I might say dared, to use it, he dispensed with that formality. Ferguson's general disinclination to indulge in labor, manual or otherwise, also became apparent toward the end of our junior year, but because of the similar spirit prevailing among other members of the class, notably Bugbee, Wood and H. Healy it was not generally noticed. Volume XXII. of the Recorder was published by us in our junior year, with Arthur Lines, Editor-in-Chief and Fay Williams, Manager. It was a success in every way, that is except for the trifiing deficit at the end of the year, but with the utter disregard of such things that has always characterized our class- we tried to forget the bills and looked forward to the time when we would be Seniors. Soon vacation came-and passed. Again we assembled, this time for the last and for most of us the most enjoyable lap in our long race. Our first official act was as before, the election of officers. Chandler Bennitt was sent up for a second term to the President's chair, and Mae George was again re-elected Vice-President. Philip Parker was elected Secretary, Arthur B. Lines, Treasurer and Robert Arnold, member-at-large. At a later date graduation officers were elected, and the following ballot was cast by the class: Orator, Arthur B. Linesg Historian, Stanley F. Withe, Poet, Philip W. Thayer, Writer of Class Song, Marjorie Wattsg Prophets, Mary Ballantine, john Ferguson and Fay Williams, Prophet-on-Prophets, Chandler Bennittg Marshal, Kenneth Collins. Page 19

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'C' 'i5..-12!Lfik5.4. sary, so in our first year this ceremony was dispensed with. During the entire year the spirit seems to have been Each man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost. When we returned the next fall it looked as if his satanic majesty had had his hands full. Some unseen power had thinned our ranks, but the gaps were filled and we plodded on towards our ultimate goal. Soon the time for our class election arrived, and Arthur Lines was elected President, with Mae George as his running-mate. Francis Hicks, after an exciting campaign, won the treasurership, and Robert Nye was elected Secre- tary, with Kenneth Collins member-at-large. At a later date the Recorder election was held, and Arthur B. Lines was elected Editor-in-Chief and Fay Williams, Manager. A class dance was held in our Sophomore year, and although not a money- maker, this, the Hrst undertaking of our class, augured well for its future efforts. In our March vacation many of the boys, accompanied by Mr. Knapp, went to the Capitol and had the time of their lives. Room 21, because of the pleasant view it afforded, was in great demand during our stay at the Oxford. Collins and Fuller were to be found here most of the time. After a week full of sightseeing the party returned home, tired but happy. Nothing else of interest occurred in our Sophomore year except the selection of our class colors and pin. Here the class showed its usual good judgment. Green and Gold were the two colors selected. It may be well to say here that at every opportunity we have endeavored to raise these colors to the highest pinnacle of the school, especially in our junior year, when this work was undertaken by a special committee, of which Collins, Patterson and Bugbee were the most daring members. Before carrying out its work, how- ever, this committee was forcibly adjourned sine die. Returning to school for the third lap, our first act was the election of officers. Chandler Bennitt captured the presidential honors, and Mae George was returned to the Vice-President's chair. Fay Williams was elected Treas- urer, Kenneth Collins, Secretary and Robert W. King, member-at-large. By this time our class had dwindled to such an extent that we occupied only three rooms, Rooms 13, 16 and 21. Those of us in 16 and 21, at most times enjoyed a comparatively commonplace existence, but in Room 13 vaudeville performances were given daily to delighted audiences. In these attractions Mr. McDuFfie invariably played the stellar role, and usually the Healy twins had prominent parts in the cast. It was with the utmost longing Page 18

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THE TDNALKA Some time after the elections the girls of the class showed their good sense by agreeing to wear but one inexpensive dress to the three social events of the class, namely, Class Day, Graduation and the Prom. Soon afterwards a pledge was circulated among the boys to the effect that no neckties should be worn at any of the above events, but the requisite number of signatures was lacking, so the idea was abandoned. It was rumored at the time that Bob Nye had planned to wear a particularly brilliant creation at the Prom and was chiefly responsible for the turning down of the pledge. However, we shall see. The Senior dance, which was held early in the year, was a success in every way, and reflected great credit on the management. The committee in charge was Robert Arnold, Wallace Brymner and Mae George. At the advice of Mr. Orr and the Faculty, a series of Shakespearean recitals by Marshall Darrach of Boston was substituted for the Pageant as a means of paying graduation expenses. The class elected Robert Nye to run the recitals. They were well worth the price, a course ticket for 351 admitting to all three recitals, but for some reason they did not prove popular with the school, and the audiences were not worthy of a man of Darrach's reputation. About 325, the proceeds of the candy booth, under the direction of Miss Mae George, with Katharine Royce, Dorothy Birchard and Gladys McGregory as assistants, was realized from the recitals. Again three members of our class, Bennitt, Thayer and Withe, won places on the debating team, and Schenectady, for the first time, was sent down to a defeat on the evening of April 1. About this time an unexpected change took place in the leadership of the school. Mr. Orr was called to fields of larger responsibility, and Carlos B. Ellis, at one time assistant principal of the school, was installed as principal in his stead. We, the Senior Class, especially felt the loss of the warm and sympathetic friend we had found in Mr. Orr during the four years we had passed under his guidance, but under the firm hand of Mr. Ellis we were kept straight to the plow, and soon he, too, held a large share of our affections. Vol. IV. of the PNALKA was published by us in our Senior year, with Philip W. Thayer, Editor-in-Chief and Stanley F. Withe, Business Manager. In every way the book was an unqualified success, and was the first one in the history of the school to place money in the class treasury. Its ability to do so was no doubt due in part to the Pnalka Vaudeville Show, a new departure in High School activities. The show was given on the evenings of the Sth and 9th of April to large audiences. That the entertainment was a success may be attributed to the assistance rendered by Dr. Law, Miss Page 20