East Rockaway High School - Rock Yearbook (East Rockaway, NY)

Page 26 text:

THE RDCK-I9ZB TH E CLASS OF '38 ON PARADE The first scenes are laid in the respective classrooms of Rhame and Center Avenue Schools. In these settings we are taken back to the days when we were taught the first lessons of the golden rule. Only faint recollections are left in our minds of those far-off kindergarten days. We have precious memories of tiny, pink-cheeked girls, with saucy bows perched atop their heads, cutting out paper dolls or of little boys dressed in white sailor suits quibbling over a set of blocks. Do you remember Artie Keefe and Happy Tucker with bangs? Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic followed closely upon the heels of kindergarten and the business of school became more and more complicated. Homework made its debut and some rather quiet individuals with a hazy view of what was to come in the future decided to let this torture become a habit; the rest of us were too busy thinking up excuses for not doing it. Many of our grammar school days were taken up with laughter and pranks! Several incidents are recalled to us of these times, incidents that gave our teachers a rather panicky moment or two but provided us with many amusing moments. One of the outstanding episodes happened in the fourth grade at Center when Spitball Harold (Oscar) Liles found himself locked in a cloakroom with an enormous raccoon coat. The scenes of our story become clearer and livelier as the more recent years pass into view. The sixth and seventh grades were perhaps the most riotous. Take for instance the day Mrs. Rabitow took a group of her pupils in to the Museum of Natural History! During the tour of the building, Jim Torrance took a sudden notion to throw one of the girl's hats over the balcony, he did—right on the head of an ancient dinosaur. Or do any of you remember what a cut-up Tom Moore was at this time in our school career? Some of his prize pranks were throwing Miss Stegeman's plants out of the windows just to see them smashed to smithereens, standing on chalk-boards and jumping upon people who came into the room. Playful fellow, wasn't he?

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I I THE RDEK-I When the senior class held its first real financial venture, a cake sale, its hope was high. They thought there was nothing to raising money except getting everyone to bring a cake, which the class would sell at a clean profit. But the trick wasn't that easy. On the appointed day, a store was secured and cleaned. The hopeful salesmen sat back and waited for cakes to arrive, but few did. Near hysteria reigned. After much calling and running, enough cakes were secured to prevent a complete failure. A Christmas dance and several tea dances followed which stirred up little interest and less money. Tasty Jell, pencils with basketball schedules upon them, Christmas cards, and motion picture presentations followed to add their little bits to the class treasury. The senior play made the first large solid contribution to the class treasury. This play, however, was done under the direction and auspices of the dramatic club and, therefore, was not entirely a senior effort. With the dual purpose of starting a precedent and also making no little money toward the yearbook fund, the class planned and had the first Senior Prom. Although the plan was new to this school, the dance was conducted exceedingly well and a surprising amount of money was added to the little nest egg. When all the returns were finally counted, much to the amazement of all concerned, enough money had been earned from the activities and dues to make a yearbook possible. In order to avoid a similar rush in other classes, the class of 1938 wants to issue a fatherly warning to all its successors to act immediately and not wait until the final semester to do what should be done over a period of several years.

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THE RDCK-I But Rhame Avenue had its share of adventures too. Oft repeated is the tale of Bill Stock, John Wardrop, Bill Magrath and the rest of the boys in the passage way above the coat room of the school, of how they were caught in their own trap, and were not able to get down. Another episode that is ne'er to be forgot, was the initiation of Margie Austin into the Junior Debs, when she was told to walk the plank and promptly marched into the creek. Most of the deviltry in Rhame Avenue was created by those Three Musketeers , John Glucks-man, James O'Brien and Happy Tucker. Remember the day they broke practically every window in the school, with the excuse that they were practicing for the baseball season? Dear to us are the memories of the days spent in Woods Avenue, the rambling, old fashioned building that sheltered us during the Junior High Period. Now with the motto that You are only young once, make the most of it off we paraded into our ninth year festively. Art Keefe one day was picked up, chair and all, and carried bodily from one end of the room to the other by Professor Hermanson. The month of June, year 1935, found the freshmen rushing around trying to pass exams, plan their party and keep calm. With only a few mishaps, these events were soon over and after a steaming summer vacation, we started the long journey of high school life. Our sophomore year was hardly under way when several of the more spirited students decided to celebrate Mr. Davison's marriage, slightly ahead of time, with rice, shoes and all the trimmings. The boys were occupied cleaning it all up for the next few days. With spring cleaning that year we were installed in our new and thoroughly modern high school. No longer would the old bell warn us of time in the mornings; silenced were the rickety stairs and seats. Now we had to tread with light, carefree steps upon the waxed hall ways and gleaming stairs. At last we were in the new school, with fresh surroundings and fresh ideals to spur our class on to broader fields.