Acton Boxborough Regional High School - Torch Yearbook (Acton, MA)

Page 15 text:

THE TORCH 7 CLASS WILL We. the Class of '38, of Acton High School, Acton, Massachusetts, known the world over for our brilliancy and our talents, do hereby find ourselves about to pass out quietly. Due to our early and sudden expiration we do therefore make, public, and declare this to be our last will and testament. TO THE SCHOOL, wc grant the aforementioned talents of our famous cla s with full' permission to reflect upon our future glory. Shamefacedly we leave with apologies, occasional scratches on the walls, desks, chairs, and floors. TO THE FACULTY, we leave tender expressions of grief for our occasional ob- streperous misdeeds. TO THE CLASS OF '39, we grant, as all other classes before us have done, our historic marks of superiority. - TO THE SOPHOMORES, we leave all that we have left -- HOPE --- a hope that you may reach the heights tio which your sister class has aspired and occasionally recall that. You are the ones who make the rules at Acton. T0 THE FRESHMEN, we bequeath safe advice from the depths of our experience and the realization that a little learning is a dangerous thing and yet a little is better than none. To Mr. Hall, our fondest hope that next year's seniors will be just a bit more agreeable. To Miss Billman, our hope that she will find the future Senior Play Casts as entertaining as we were. To Miss Boornazian, our hope that she will not be bothered by persistent hum- mers such as the ones in the present Senior Class. To Mr. Frank Braman, our hope for a class that will draw like Whistler and Corot. . To Mr. George Braman, our hope that in the future he will keep away from horses. To Miss Davenport, our hopes for success and happiness with the girls in blue. To Mr. Dolan, our hope for a new group of athletes to fill the many vacancies we left. To Mr. Greenman, a history class that will appreciate his efforts to convey the educational values of the Panel Discussion and the Town Meeting of the Air. To Mr. Holt. a class that will have their experiments done on time. To Mr. Hopkinson, our hope for many successful years with the car which has so faithfully transported him in the past. To Miss-Jones, a hope that next year she will have an organized staff of office assistants. To Miss Leavitt, our hope that her dishes will continue to increase in popu- larity. To Mr. Moranr, our hope that his future Glee Clubs will enjoy singing Loch Lomond as much as we. To Miss Stolte. our hope that sometime in the future she will have a room adjoining the library. To Miss Towne, our hope for a clerk in the future to assist her in that terrible task, correcting compositions. To Mr. MacDougall, our hiope for someone in the future who will be as efficient as Franklin Charter. Robert Montague generously leaves his pathetic poetic endeavors to Irving Opsahl. Robert Taylor and Virginia Hodgen leave their proficiency in art to David Jenks. John Smith's basketball technique to John Anderson. Kathryn MacDougall and Eleanor Tate reluctantly bequeath their mirror to Barbara Jensen. The loquaclousness of Eleanor Leveroni and George Rifford is liberally left to Helen Buckley. Dorothy Coulter will receive a permanent place on the detention list gladly donated by Ralph Splnney. Nancy Starbuck will be the recipient of Audrey Grala's charming pout. Florence Harriman's enthusiasm to work goes to Robert Newsham. Cynthia Price and Morjorie Nelson graciously donate their excess avoirdupois to Helen Pederson. By the benignity of Russell Hayward, his humorous exclamationsn are left to Leon Claflin.

Page 14 text:

12 THE TORCH throughout the season, even to the last game of the tournament. The first string team, composed of five seniors, also lost most of its games by small scores to much larger schools. Nevertheless, they put up a hard fight and, when playing against teams in their own class, proved to be sufficiently good to win the consolation finals at the Fitchburg tournament. The school received the trophy, a basketball player shooting for a basket, as a reward for the team's performances. The field hockey and Girls' basketball teams, composed largely of Senior girls, had very satisfactory seasons. Although organized sports for girls are comparatively new, the prospects point to keen competition for popularity between the boys' and the girls' teams. The Acton Athletic Association dues, now being paid 'by a large portion of the students, were changed from five cents weekly to fifty cents for September and ten cents monthly thereafter. In October, 1937, the Seniors conducted a dance, for the benefit of the A. A. A. from which a satisfactory profit was realized. Perhaps the most controversial issue thus far, concerned the type of graduation exercises to be held. Among the several proposals were essays, with and without an outside speaker, a panel-discussion, a debate, and a mock town meeting. Despite the efforts of the school authorities to encourage the panel-discussion, the class voted to present essays with no outside speaker. The essays in the graduation program are to be given by Cynthia Price, Robert Montague, Leonard Godfrey, Ralph Spinney. and Vincent Sheehan. In order to avoid interference among the several activities of the Seniors and the lower classes, the Senior Banquet and Prom will be held on the same evening, June 15, 1938. The chairmen of the Senior Prom Committees are Robert Taylor, music, Dexter Kelley, publicity, Frances Stuart, decorationsg and Cynthia Price, refreshments. To obtain increased revenue for the class picnic, it was proposed to reduce the amount spent for gifts and to have a food sale. It was hoped that these plans would help the class to cope with the added expenses due to the large number of members. The food sales made a profit of about twenty-four dollars. The class also voted that Senior dues of a diollar and Junior dues of a dollar eighty cents must be paid before enjoying the Banquet and Picnic. In former years, about ninety per cent of the Senior class was pictured in The Torch. Failure to have one hundred per cent pictured was due to the inability of certain members to reach the studios of Purdy, official class photographer. This year, all members who are graduating will have photographs in The Torch, thanks to Purdy's attendance at the school. Probably the most tedious activity of the year to both teachers and pupils was the writing and correcting of the Acton Essays. A sigh of relief echoed in Room 16 on the morning of March lst when all essays were handed to the teacher. On the following day the pupils' worry was assumed by those judging for the best ten. The relief of some of the students did not last, because those qualifying had only 'begun the fight. They have had to revise their essays from two to four times and to prepare for public presentation. Marjorie Nelson was adjudged winner of the contest and George Rifford was second. Wait until the Jolly Juniors are put to the test of essay writing! We all recognize and appreciate the counsel given by the faculty, who, al- though, at times bitterly opposed, intended to benefit us. It can easily be seen that the shadow cast by the Class of 1938 is not so dark as it might have been. Among the more immediate factors contributing to this light complexion is the fact that many memorable acquaintances have been made with teachers and fellow classmates. We know from tales related by our parents that many s-chool friendships have furnished happy, life long memories. VVe hope that these four years will furnish similar memories to us. Probably most of the brightness in our shadowy past is the result of the ever present hope for a happy and successful future. Although some pessimlstically assert that there can be little hope, no one can deny that there is reason for hope in that our future stations of life have been raised by our attendance at Acton High Sghool, We may also say that there is an opportunity for us to be a part of the greatest nation in the history of the world, if we but will it. Therefore, let us, upon graduating from Acton High, enter the world with the same pioneering spirit which has characterized our action in the past four years. Let us determine to be the patriotic citizens for which we have been preparing. One thing seems certain, that, ten or twelve or fifty years hence, we shall look back upon the years of our association in Acton High School and remember them as among the happiest, most enjoyable of our lives. V. SHEEHAN, '38. 1 R q 1- l j i Q ' 'V Ll- fe 7

Page 16 text:

14 THE TORCH Dexter Kelly and Leonard Godfrey bequeath their aptitude for public speaking to George Robinson. Gloria Wamboldt will be happy to receive the extreme height of Joseph Perry and Mabel Charter. Frances Stuart's smile is bestowed upon Eleanor Byron. Marion Sargent will be glad to get the Downey Twins efficiency in dancing. James Merriam bequeaths his broad-minded views to James Nelson. The gaiety of Elizabeth Davis and Marion McGuire is cheerfully left to Lillian Bulette. The renowned athletic ability of Edith Larsen and Viola Thatcher is modestly left to Janet Spinney. Edward MacDougall's and Pauline Aldred's way with the teachers to George Gilbert. Roger Moore's tranquil utterances are quietly left to Guy Bragdon. The Hgentlemanly composure of Roderick MacDougall and LeForest Gray is bequeathed to Walter Anderson. Frederick Conquest will rejoice in the extensive vocabulary generously left to him by Phyllis Heckman and Vincent Sheehan. The scholastic ability of Harry Hollowell and Milton Locke is graciously left to Robert Clapp. Irene Granberg's and Alfred Cobleigh's tranquility to Eleanor Brackett. The football inclination of Harold Knight are whole-heartedly left Kenneth Webb. Joseph Walther will receive Amelia Gagnon's bookkeeping knowledge. In due testimony whereof, set by the heart, hand and seal of the Class of 1938. witnessed by the most outstanding class of Acton High, we declare this to be our last will and testament on this memorable 15th day of June in the august year nine- teen hundred thirty-eight. We nominate and appoint Miss Margaret Boornazian of Acton High School, executrix. E. MacDOUGALL, Notary Publicg M. McGUIRE, Lawyer, J. MERRIAM, Attorney at Law. WITNESSES: Mickey Mouse ..Dopey,, Abdul Bulbul Ameer CLASS PROPHECY One evening, ten years after graduating from Acton High School. I was seated comfortably by the flreside, wondering how my old classmates had fared in the world since 1938. Gradually, I slipped into the arms of Morpheus, and as though at the command of a genii, visions moved before me, and I saw a towering ediflce in the center of a metropolis. Here in the studios of a prominent broadcasting company, I saw Eleanor Tate and Alfred Cobleigh rehearsing their gags for the next program for which Roger Moore was the announcer. Presiding over a great clinic in the same building, I saw Edward MacDougall, an internationally famous doctor. Among his corps of nurses were Mabel Charter and Elizabeth Davis. The view shifted to the executive office, where sat Russell Hayward at the manager's desk, dictating to Phyllis I-Ieckman, his private secretary. These visions faded away and I saw clearly before me the entrance to a cos- mopolitan nlght club. Entering, I was greeted by a vivacious hat-check girl, none other than Eleanor Leveroni. At the same time, I was cheerfully hailed by Anna Downey, the cigarette girl. To add to the surprises of the evening, I was entertained by Frances Stuart, the specialty singer. Then, across the misty, revealing screen, there appeared a massive hotel. Step- ping smartly alcross the lobby in the immaculate uniform of a bellhop, was Milton Locke. Here autograph seekers mobbed Leonard Godfrey, the current idol of cinema romance. Above in the mezzanine, I saw Katherine MacDougall busily engaged in hairdressing, and, assisting her, Robert Taylor, a promising young barber. With the passing of this scene, the dining room of the same hotel appeared before me. As a charming waitress turned my way, I saw she was Edna Downey. Conversing busily over their food, sat Marion McGuire, the well-known scientist, and John Smith in clerical collar and coat. Again the scene changed, and before me, in Madison Square Garden, lay a panorama of the World's Greatest Circus. The antics of Dexter Kelly, clown extra- ordinary, had the crowd in stitches, while Edith Larsen, beatiful bare-back rider. 3 915579 . ,EQ - 1.1 .Y ,