Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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THE SASSAMON 7 In September 1943, we returned from a vacation of work and play to learn that again we had a new principal. Mr. Sears, sub-master and Head of our Com- mercial Department, is now the acting principal of Natick High School while Mr. Maffeo is serving our country as a Lieutenant JG in the United States Navy. The permanent officers of the class of 1044 were chosen in November. They are Edward Clasby, Presidentg Arthur Fair, Vice President: Ellen Carey, Secre- tary: and Robert Garbutt, Treasurer. The following were elected to be captains of our school teams for 1943-44: Football-Arthur Fairg Hockey-Edward Clasbyg Basketball-Joseph Francioseg Baseball-William MacPherson and john Rego. The Football Team coached by Mr. Plausse enjoyed a successful season. The highlight of the season was the victory over Framingham on Thanksgiving Day. The Hockey Team coached by Mr. McManus had a successful year also. Six players were selected to play for the Eastern Massachusetts All Star Team. The Basketball Team coached by Mr. Slamin was handicapped by the loss of a cap- tain and other players who joined the armed services. The Baseball Team was lead by john Rego and coached by Mr. Marso. Bill MacPherson's untimely death was deeply felt by his fellow teammates. Bill MacPherson was a fine athlete and a popular student leader. His pass- ing is mourned by all the members of this class. .Another real loss to the class of '44 and to Natick High School was the death of our Latin teacher, Miss Louise Sullivan, on March 14. Our Senior Play ffHappy Days directed by Miss Donahoe played to a full house and a most enthusiastic audience on April 14. Every senior was present to witness a splendid performance. jean Simoni's songs and the selections by the school orchestra directed by Mr. May brought additional enjoyment to a very pleasant evening. A new stage setting was made under the direction of Mr. Buckley, This received many favorable comments from the public. With the opening of the Cushing General Hospital at Framingham, the junior Red Cross, under the inspiring leadership of Mrs. McManus, and the Camp and Hospital Council und-er the direction of Miss Shannon became active and vitally interested in doing all they could to give comfort and happiness to the soldiers at Cushing. Jean Huleatt was elected to represent Natick High School as a delegate to the annual convention of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Barbara Buell was Natick High School's representative in the American Legion Oratorical Contest. The National Honor Society held its induction ceremony on May 17. The new members were formally inducted and they will receive their pins today. Our Senior Reception and Graduation remain as the last formal functions of the Class of 1944. Several of our boys are now in the armed forces and with graduation, many more will be answering the call to serve our country. Their service should bring new honor to our Alma Mater. We have had much pleasure and happiness in our school life. We have also experienced real sadness and sorrow, but through it all we have tried to carry on like true Americans and our hope for the future is that the ideals we believe in may become a reality for all the world. ARTHUR 3, FAIR

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o THE SASSAMON WELCOME-CLASS DA Y l,.XRliN'l'S, 'ill-I.M'lIl'IRS .-mn l Rll'INDS, Un behalf of the Class of 1944 it is my privilege to welcome you to our Class Hay lixercises. It is with sincere appreciation for the education you have made possible for us that we go forth into the various helds of endeavor. May we all do the job we are destined to do in a manner that will make you proud of us. EowARn CLASBY 1 CLASS HISTORY NUI' since World War I has any class been charged with more serious obligations than has our class of 1944. We are proud that we have accepted these obliga- tions and discharged them with some degree of success. lr. 1941 we entered Natick High School. As sophomores we were at times bewildered with the newness of High School life. We were faced with many new experiences. The school building was in the final stages of remodeling. This work curtailed our school activities because our assembly hall and gymnasium had to be used as storage rooms. The class elections were soon under way and from that time on, we felt that we were really ah important part of Natick High School. Herbert Parker, President: Thomas Zicko, Vice President: jean Simoni, Secretary: and William Wrightson, Treasurer were our class officers, and many students were active in sports while others joined the Orchestra, Glee Club, Sassamon Board, and Safety Patrol. On December 8, all the pupils in the school were assembled to hear the Presi- dent's Declaration of War. Ifrom that day on there was a noticeable change in our school life. First Aid classes became a part of our regular school program- Police. Fire and .Xir-Raid Warden groups were organized-a class in Home Nurs- ing and Nutrition was begun and each day seemed to make us more war con- scious. We realized and accepted the responsibilities that the war brought. During the summer of 1942 there was a change in our school administration. Mr. Woodbury, our principal, was made superintendent of schools to fill the vacancy created when Mr. Hall accepted a similar position in Arlington, Massachu- setts. Mr. Blaffeo was appointed principal and he welcomed us at the beginning of our junior year. Class elections soon followed and the officers for 1942-43 were lidward t'lasby, President: Robert Mahoney, Vice President: Barbara Buell, sec- retary: and Arthur Fair, Treasurer. Our war work continued with even more enthusiasm as Natick High School boys entered the various branches of the armed service. Our War Savings Stamp Program, under the direction of Mr. Quacken- bush. was inaugurated. The Junior Prom, with its colorful decorations and excellent music, was the highlight of our junior year. In March of 1943, Jean Huleatt brought honor to our class by winning a national award in the League of Nations Contest. The climax of this memorable year was the election of five of our classmates to the National Honor Society.

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S 'I'Hl'i SASSA MON CLASS WILL IN behalf of my client, the Class of 1944, of Natick High School, of the town of Natick, State of Massachusetts, l'. S. A., we have gathered together upon this solemn and serious occasion to listen to her last will and testament, and to receive from her dying hand the many gifts she has to bestow in her last moments. Owing to the tlighty condition of her brain, and the unusual disturbance of its gray matter, she begs me to state for her that she may quite possibly have been mistaken in her inventory but such things as she thinks she has, she hereby gives into your possession, praying that you will accept them as a sacred trust from one who has gone before. The document as duly drawn up and sworn to is as follows: We, the Class of 1944, about to pass out of the sphere of education, and in full possession of a crammed mind, well-trained memory and almost super- human understanding do make and publish this, our last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills or promises by us at any time hereto- fore made, or mayhap, carelessly spoken, one to the other, as the thoughtless wish of an idle hour. To the Sophomore we leave the hope of climbing the ladder of success and one clay reaching the ultimate goal of possessing the honored and glorious title of Seniors. To the juniors we leave a vivid definition of how to maintain the position of Seniors without exerting their mental capacities. May they uphold our dignity in spite of their natural light-mindedness and irresponsibility. To our beloved faculty we give all our amazing knowledge and startling in- formation. We know the knowledge which we have imparted to them must be en- tirely new to the world as well as to all the great professors in the country. If the faculty see the need, they are authorized to give out such of this informa- tion to the world as they may feel the world is ready to receive. We leave to Mr. Sears our sincere thanks for his advice and never ending efforts to aid us in our studies. Also we make over to him, a heavy mortgage on our future in the great unknown beyond. To Mrs. Hayes we leave a snow plow to enable her to plow through the mightiest snow drifts between Natick and Somerville to bring sunshine to Room 37. To Miss Crocker and Miss Davis we bestow the book How to Apply Stage Makeup with or without lightsf To Mrs. McManus we bequeath a diligent group of Red Cross Workers, also an extended additional structure to Room 26, to be used for the sole pur- pose of storing Red Cross donations. We leave in the hands of Miss Shannon our ever improving SASSAMON with the sincere wish that she will encourage her staff to supply news items of all the events of lives, past, present and to come. To Miss Donahoe we leave a complete Fifth Avenue wardrobe to enable her to supply the future Senior Play Casts with their ideal costumes. We give and bequeath to Miss Rafferty a sweet and unbroken succession of restful nights and peaceful dreams. No longer need she lie awake to worry over temperamental seniors, since we have proven our worth, our merit and our attain- ments.