Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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18 THE GOLDEN-ROD OUR SCHOOL MAGAZINE For years our school magazine came out with the same standardized cover, effective enough, good looking, but not really our own. Now what a difference! Flow pleasing to see it dressed in designs of our own creating. Each edition is to have a different cover design, drawn by our art pupils, who are busy much of the time, planning and drawing to this end. Finally, the drawing is sent to the Man- ual Arts department to be fitted on to a block. A great deal of credit goes to this department—for much accuracy and care- ful cutting are needed to insure an effectual cut. In designing and produc- ing our own cover, we also economize, besides bringing to our magazine an originality and individuality it has never before enjoyed. We feel proud of our school publica- tion in its original dress, and know we have taken one step more toward the goal of its perfection. H. R. D. BE YOURSELF Do you follow the crowd just as Merlin did the gleam: Or do you go your own way? In other words, are you yourself or a counterpart of Tom, Dick or Harry? Be an individual, not a type. You won- der why some people stand out from the crowd. The reason: they are different from the mass which surrounds them. They have individuality. Don’t you know a girl who goes to the football games because it’s the thing to do, because everyone does it? She can’t tell a touchdown from a referee. But, of course, to cheer at a football game is the thing to do. Don’t blur your outstanding character- istics. As a successful novelist of today must make his .characters vivid and indi- vidual, you must make yourself vivid and individual. Develop your capacities. If you have talent in any direction, foster it until it becomes something that will make you different from the rest. By talent we do not necessarily mean a talent for music, writing, or drawing, but a talent to do the every day things and do them well, a talent to make other people glad, to understand and invite their confidence, a talent to do the simple, homely things that count. Be yourself! Develop your talents. Then you will be someone a little differ- ent from your neighbor—an individual. Edith Donde, June, 1930. SOLICITING RIDES The matter of hitch-hiking by high school girls and boys to and from school has just about reached a crisis. Recently Mr. Collins told us, in the auditorium, that the school committee had taken up the matter of thumbing rides, better known as “bumming.” He warned us that if we were caught participating in

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 17 CAPTAIN NORTON’S AUTOMOBILE Hollis Burton Engley, June, 1930 Note:—The steering gear of a sailing vessel is so arranged that when the wheel is turned in one direction the vessel moves in the other. (Apologies to the true characters.) Some years ago on Martha’s Isle, when auto cars were few, Old Captain Norton had a car rigged up in manner new. Since he had not quite yet got used to driving on the shore, The steering gear embarrassed him yet ever more and more. “By Godfrey’s Mighty!” swore old Jed, one sunny day in June, I'll have the wheel fixed on this craft by Sat’d’y afternoon! When I steer port the consarn tub (unlike my boat May Psasr). To starboard shifts and leaves me sittin’ shakin’ in the breeze.” So on that morn, the fault repaired, the Captain sallied forth. The skies were blue, the waters, too, south, east, and west, and north. From Tisbury to Middletown, from there to Ed- gar town, In blissful peace he travelled ’round, up island and then down. “Ho. ho!” laughed Jed, in spirits high, “at last this craft does steer As sensible as my own sloop I sailed for many a year. No longer on the village roads must I so fearfully creep, When port 1 steer, to port I go, as I did on the deep.” One night some low off-Islander who wished to sec the land Without expense to his own self, Jed’s car did take in hand. Before his house the auto stood, all quietly it started. Down Beach Street rolled the stolen car; past houses dark it darted. W hen half-way down the low incline the engine started running. At Water Street it had perked up and splendidly was humming. Here was the wheel turned to the right—toward Eastville it was steering; The car, of course, up Water Street toward Union went careering. The thief was quite hard put to it to understand its action, But Union Street was reached—in time, a second and a fraction. So up this street he quickly turned, and down it went like sin! Right to the wharf where lights still shone, the ticket-house within. The squealing brakes brought out to view the con- stable and, too. The wharfinger, who knew right well the car of shining blue. So ofT was marched the rueful thief, who better could have done Than old Jed’s car with steering odd, to steal and try to run!

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 19 this form of transportation after school, we should be liable to a punishment of detention for about two hours in either his or Mr. Wilson’s office. This threat was taken quite as a joke, for that very afternoon the same crowd of boys were at their customary positions. Hitch-hiking is really a sport, from which many have derived a great deal of adven- ture. During two days of our February vacation, with two friends, I made a thorough tour of Cape Cod. By means of nineteen auto rides we covered over 220 miles. The snow drifts on the Cape ranged from six to ten feet deep, and it sure was a surprise to learn that the damage we saw of a Harwichport church was caused by lightning during a heavy- thunderstorm less than a week previous. It almost seems that sometimes school rules are made to be taken lightly by some, but now it is different. Police Chief Bishop recently asserted that the Police Department would do all it could to stop the “thumbing” practiced on the part of the school pupils. He calls to our attention that Quincy’s revised traffic ordinances contain a provision which makes it unlawful for any person to so- licit a ride in this city. Surely anyone would much rather patronize the trolley at five cents a ride than break the law and possibly come in contact with our speedy friend, “Two Gun.” F. B. W. GOLDEN ROD We believe we all, at one time or an- other, must have thought, “Where in the world did we acquire the name, The Golden Rod;” So, to relieve your and our curiosity, we went in search of evi- dence, and found it. This information we received from the March, 1913 issue of the Golden Rod: “The first Golden Rods, issued from 1896, were just papers, and tissue, not being over six by nine inches. The cover of each contained the name, Golden- Rod, with a spray of the same flowers. The color of the cover changed from month to month. Further down was the motto, Encouragement, but later the cover was changed and a picture of the old High School inserted. “These issues being the first attempt of the pupils to edit a paper, the name, Our Venture, was suggested. But though this told a little story in itself, the name of our national flower was unanimously chosen. The following words, which ex- plains the whole reason, we quote from Miss Reed: “ ‘As we have previously mentioned, the name is emblematic of encourage- ment, so when we are weary and dis- couraged, when we are about to despair of accomplishing our task, we may take heart once more as we think of our Golden Rod ” H. D. THE RADIO Just recently a new privilege has been granted to the pupils of Quincy High School. A Victrola radio has been in- stalled on the stage of the auditorium. Every day during lunch period, except Tuesdays and Thursdays, when there arc classes in the hall, we may go to the hall and hear the program over the radio. This, we think, has been a very great privilege and a very enjoyable one be- sides. The cafeteria at lunch time is crowded and noisy, and we are glad, if possible, to get away from it. Now since we have music to hear, we all crowd the Assembly hall as soon as we are through our lunch. We have all realized what a problem the cafeteria has been, especially since we have had such an overflow of pupils in the school. The pupils have enjoyed these pro- grams thoroughly and we consider the success of this venture is due to the work of the Student Council. If we all co- operate, it will continue to be a success, both by relieving a congested cafeteria and giving a good amount of joy to our- selves. H. D.