Clifton Springs High School - Cliftonian Yearbook (Clifton Springs, NY)

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8 THE CLIFTONTAN tory and Civics cannot help but understand and sympathize with the efforts of government to rule so vast a country. When we see all the struggles, dissensions, prejudices, narrow-mindedness, fears and intolerance with which our forefathers had to cope in order to form this nation, we stand in awe of the giant task and in reverence of their deeds. We take up the responsibilities as voters and citizens with a great deal of deep consideration and will try to do our best to make our government the finest in the world. Our sciences tell us of the miracles which God and man have wrought. This, Herbert Spencer tells us, is the worth of science—“For direct self-preservation, or the maintenance of life and health—For the most perfect production and present enjoyment of art in all its forms the most needful preparation is science—and for purposes of discipline—intellectual, moral, and religious —the most efficient is, once more, science.” Our literary course covers a wide held taking in the best plays, poems, stories, books and essays. Our course in dramatics often reveals hidden talent which trains us in poise and diction. Next to acquiring good friends the best acquaintances are those of good books. Our High School course has acquainted us with some of the very best. We can enjoy the novels of Eliot, Dickens or Hawthorne; we can travel with Stevenson or live in another day and age with Tennyson or Scott. When the pensive mood reigns we can soar with the philosophic poets or with the more serious writers, Carlyle, Emerson, Burke or Lamb. Our knowledge of the lovely poems of Shelly or Keats, and the lively philosophy of William Cowper combined with the lyrical narratives of Mil-ton give us a moment of thought and feeling with the immortals. In Shakespeare's plays we find a rich philosophy of life, we meet various characters both weak and strong, but all to be admired, as the great writer weaves his magic spell of plot over them. What more characteristic of Shakespeare than Macbeth’s speech comparing this life to a stage whereon we are but actors. Cut, Out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. All these stories, plays and poems give us a rational and totally delightful means of spending leisure moments. A man’s value lies in his ability to think individually and act collectively. We have been taught the ability to cooperate with our fellowmen and produce the best results, by means of our Athletics and our Sportsmanship League. We have learned how to conduct our affairs in peace and harmony as a class, without friction between the individuals. The object of education is not only to produce a man who knows, but one who does. We have been taught the value of accomplishment by being furnished worthwhile goals for which we must work. Our abilities, capacities, and talents have all been brought to the surface. We know what we like best to do and how much of it we can do. And last, but not by any means least, we begin to learn the value of friendships. For twelve years there have been others beside ourselves fbr whom we have had to make allowances, for whose benefit we have had to set aside some of our own interests, and have had to suit our personality to theirs. It has undobtedly done us good, made us more tolerant, more confident and better t sn we would have been without this social contact. In return we have received confidences, trusts, and sympathy, to a full degree. Indeed, as you see, there is much to be said for education. Long may it rule the young lives of future generations. Well may it do its part in helping to make us good citizens, and so make the world a better place to live in. Now, with most heartfelt gratitude, we thank the Board of Education for

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THE CLIFTONIAN 7 LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT We, the Senior Class of Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-Nine, of the Clifton Springs High School, in the County of Ontario and State of New York, being of sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this our last WILL and TESTAMENT in manner following, that is to say: FIRST—We direct that all our just debts and funeral expenses be paid. SECOND—We hereby bequeath all our personal property, such as it is at the time of our death, to the Junior Class of the Clifton Springs High School. We hereby bequeath our vast knowledge of Latin and French to Miss Florence Greeny of Stanley, N. Y., to be used by her in the instructing of future classes in said subjects. To Miss Ruby LeGrand, we hereby bequeath our vocabulary of English, which we request her to use as an aid to future classes in English. To Professor D. B. Williams we herefcy bequeath our ability to apply ourselves to our work. To him, also, we bequeath our knowledge of Geometry and Physics. To Miss Ruby Howard, we bequeath our brains which are to be used in the study of Biology in the future. To Miss Frantz, we bequeath our vast liking for Mathematics. To the Clifton Springs High School, we be-aueath our text books to be used as seen fit.. LASTLY—We hereby appoint The Junior Class of the Clifton Springs High School executors of this, our last Will and Testament, with full power and authority to sell and convey, lease or mortgage real estate: hereby revoking all former wills by us made. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we hereunto subscribe our names the thirty-first day of May, in the year One Thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine. THE SENIOR CLASS OF 1929. By ALBERT BOSSHART, President. Valedictory: Our Educational Equipment Members of the Board of Education, Principal and Teachers, Friends and Classmates, here is just one more class pausing to say good-bye to you before we go forth into the great school of life. The Class of ’29 has come to the end of four very pleasant years, which you have all helped to make happy and beneficial. We feel we are leaving something precious behind us which we shall never find again when we turn our backs on High School. Indeed, ahead of us lies the “Great Highway ’ of adventures and conquest on which we set foot joyfully yet tremulously, but now we pause to bid you good-bye and thank you for all that you have done for us. One great man defines Education as a debt due from present to future generations. You have fulfilled that debt bountifully and we are grateful. The instruction given to us in High School is OUR equipment as tools are to a workman. It is the basis, the foundation of all our future projects, whether great or small. Graduation with its speeches and flowers is the ceremony with which we celebrate the laying of the cornerstone in our house of life. Education makes us healthy, happy, law-abiding citizens who are able to do our part to make the world a better place. Certain foolish people say they are “gonna quit school.” “What do we want of education?” What indeed? Here is Elbert Hubbard’s idea of the need of Education. “We need an education which fits a boy to get a living, creates a desire for more education, implants ideals of service, and lastly teaches him how to spend leisure in a rational manner.” Any boy or girl who has studied His-

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THE CLIFTONIAN all they have contributed to our education. They have fulfilled their debt to us to the last measure, and to our Principal and teachers we extend our warmest thanks for the interest, kindness, tolerance, and labor which they have given to us unstintingly. To the Juniors we give thanks for kindness and cooperation, friendship and respect, which they have given us in a truly sportsmanlike manner. To my classmates, so kind and true, although you may not become great men and women, even though fame does not come to your door remember this: “God does not need Either man’s work, or His own gifts: who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best: His state Is Kingly; thousands at His bidding speed And post o’er land and ocean without rest:— They also serve who only stand and wait.” In behalf of the members of my class I again thank you all, and reluctantly bid you farewell. DORIS CASE ’29. Dedication: TO THE “OLD SCHOOL” With crash of hammer, bang and bing, My ancient timbers shake and ring; New bricks pile up before my eyes, And no one listens to my sighs. For many years my roof has spread Atove the wise and foolish head. Many classes have climbed my stairs In fours, and fives, and sometimes pairs. My days of usefulness are past, And time has conquered me at last. I willingly step out of the race, To let some new one take my place. So we dedicate this to the poor old school, Where we were taught by rote and rule— May happiness and all good cheer Be with it, and its memory dear. DORIS CASE ’29. The CLIFTONIAN THE STAFF Doris Case.......Editor-in-Chief Elva Lannon.....Associate Editor Edward Walters.....Sports Editor Robert Goodman--Business Manager Alice Cost...........Joke Editor Lillian Smith...Senior Reporter Marjorie Roth...Junior Reporter Dorothy Brown... Sophomore Reporter Nan Quigley....Freshman Reporter School Life School life is really a very serious thing. We who are now in our Senior year, and who have now been graduated, realize that school is not the circus that we thought earlier in our school career. In our first few years, we were filled with awe, and considered school about the most serious thing on earth. Oh, if some of us could only have gone on thinking that way! But, no, school became a playground for us. Little did we care for our teacher’s scoldings or advice. In the upper grades, the work became harder, but we felt it an imposition when our teacher asked us, kindly at first, then a little more imperatively, to take more work home at night. Then High School, what a lark for some of us! Everything was so entirely different from the grades. If the Freshmen could only realize what High School is really going to mean to them, they would certainly dig right in. Many of us who have finished are wishing “Oh, if I could only do it over again, what a difference there would be.” School duty is a very serious piece of work, cut out for each one of us to do. Therefore, let us, one and all, perform it to the best of our ability. Olive V. Griffiths ’29. It’s all right to begin at the bottom, except when you’re learning to swim.