Mount Vernon High School - Surveyor Yearbook (Alexandria, VA)

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CLASS HISTORY The Legendary Age Whilom, in ye darke ages a smalle compaignye of scholars sette out in search of learnynge. They journeyed for six years in a most worthi lande ycleped Ye Central School, where was layed the firme foundation for their later wondrouse knowledge. From this lande they wandered to a fairer and more gloriouse contree ycleped Ye Grammar School. There this smalle compaignye grew in nombre, that is to seye, many other scholars joined the bande from strange landes. Now at this tyme the worthi art of printinge was not developed to a great extent and this compaignye fain would labor to publische a paper, Ye Grammar School Tatler, which would telle about the many dyverse peoples who dwell in this excellent lande and also concerning, their dyverse maneres and lawes. By the use of the hectograph one most interesting edition was printed by their determined efforts, although with muche difficultie. This first attempte at journalysme forecasted grete literarie achievements in store for them in later years. Alas! the times and customs were too strongly arrayed against them. and so the Tatler ended. However, the years passed profitably and swiftly and their sojourn in this lande soon ended. Epoch I They passed safely from ye darke medieval ages, that is to seye, the noble compaignye came to the contree of Ye Junior High School, which was a still fairer lande. At this tyme knyghtes of grete strengthe and the gentylleste of damyselles joined their nombre from farther contrees. Many grevouse obsta- cles there were to be overcome, but this vertouse bande defeated eache in turne. One faire day, by adventure or by cas, it bifel that the thought of pub- lishing a chronicle of the noble deeds of this illustrouse compaignye occurred to them. Ful many a difficultie did they encounter while striving to attayne this goal, but success finally crowned their efforts and a most precyouse volume ycleped Ye Pioneer did they presente to the worlde. This unusual attaynmente was unheard of heretofore, and to this day has so remayned. The latter parte of this period was filled with darke forebodyngs because the compaignye was soon to leave this faire lande, to travel unknowne paths to a distant and greter contree. Many tales had reached their ears both gude and bad and therefore were they muche disturbed. Epoch II But lo! upon the arrivalle of the noble bande did they discover that this new contree, Ye Senior High School, was by farre the most wonderfulle, pas synge alle the others. The inhabitants of this fairest lande informed them that they had escaped a most degrading and humiliating residence in a certayne cytee ycleped Ye Freshman by their sojourn of a year in ye lande of Junior High. Therefore the compaignye considered themselves fortunate indeed. The cytee in which they now dwellte was ycleped Ye Sophomore, and as this com paignye was already noted for its wondrouse abilitee and unusual attavnnicnts. this cytee at once increased in importance and the other inhabitants of the lande of Ye Senior High School soon began to regarde it with awe. Now, the Knyghtes of the Gridiron had distinguished themselves muehlv. and so the damyselles of this compaignye rewarded their merits b giving them a banquet on the festival of Hallowe ' en. The learned facultye also attended the partye as the guests of honoure. After tarrying a year in this cytee of Sophomore the compaignye moved onwarde to the better knowne cytee of Ye Junior. PaCC 1 « rnt U c

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Epoch III The cytee of Ye Junior was immediately raised to a foremost place in the land of Ye Senior High School, because this worthi bande took such an unusuale interest in alle the many different activities of the contree. That is to seye, so important was the compaignye that there were no grete undertakyngs in alle the lande in which some of the vertouse compaignye did not take parte. Then the learned facultye decyded that the members of the Athletic Asso- ciation of the contree of Ye Senior High should be allowed to presente at this tyme a play ycleped The Hero of the Gridiron. Many of the gloriouse com- paignye of the cytee of Junior were chosen to be in this play, and these, of a certayntye, did prove their wondrouse histrionic talent. Of course, since these knyghtes and damyselles tooke part, the play was very successfulle and everyone enjoyed it immensely. The next activitee in which the excellent bande took another important part was the Operetta ycleped The Gipsy Queen, which was given by the Glee Club of Ye Senior High School. The majority of the members of the cast were inhabitants of the cytee of Ye Junior. The Operetta was quite spectaculare and everyone presed it highly. It also served to show what rare abilitee had the singers and dancers from this worthi compaignye frome Ye Junior. The tyme soon drew nye for the noble bande to depart from this cytee in which they dwellte, but before leaving they revived the ancient custome of giving a reception for the ones who were leaving the cytee of Ye Senior. One of the damyselles offered her home for this partye, and there they entertayned the learned facultye and those who were departing from Ye Senior. Soon afterwards the compaignye tooke up its journey onwarde to the cytee of Ye Senior. Epoch IV Now, this noted bande assumed the grete responsibilitees of dwelling in the most wondrouse cytee of Ye Senior, and carried on alle the affairs with prese-worthi facilitee and ease. The cytee grew to double its former impor- tance, and this compaignye so ably tooke the lead in every activitee that they became the most distinguished ones of alle the inhabitants who had ever dwellte in the cytee of Ye Senior. Alle the undertakyngs were progressing finely at the beginning of their sojourn when suddenly a mysteriouse scourge ycleped Ye Flu afflicted many of the dwellers in Ye Lande of Senior High. Alle industree ceased indefinitely. However, the sturdy inhabitants overcame this dread disease and the activitees were begun again after an intervalle of nine weeks. They shouldered the heavie burdens of increased worke bravely, but with difficultie, and after a period of six weeks there was a grete revivalle of learnynge which soon broughte the worke up to the former high standarde. Thus the noble compaignye passed safely through this darke period. The athletes from this bande were always noted for their prowess, and although in this yeare the scourge of Ye Flu caused many seriouse difficulties and delays, nevertheless they kepte up their fine recorde. The gentylleste of damyselles now developed into myghte Amazons in the worthi arte of basket- ball. Six damyselles from the cytee of Ye Senior were amonge those who com- posed the team which was declared Champion of the Pockett. Team after team sente from neighborynge contrees met this wondrouse one, only to go down in defeate. Shortly after the close of the basketball season the Glee Clubs, composed of both damyselles and knyghtes of Ye Senior High, began practice on an operetta ycleped Bulbul. They worked steadily and earnestly, and on March 28 the operetta was presented to a large and apprecyative audience, which declared it a grete success. As was their custome, the worthi compaignye from Senior took an important parte in this activitee. Page Twenty-six