Bennett High School - Beacon Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

Page 18 text:

Hodierno die nos denique pervenimus ad illam mctam quo per quattuor annos tenebamus, diem ad haec sollemnia concelebranda constitiitam. Nunc autem percipimus haec sollemnia non esse finem quem petierimus, sed principium unde n6s ali6s Hnes videamus. Priusquam discedimus, quisque suum cursum petens, honoremus eos qui hic nobiscum nostram fortunam partiti sunt et nobis auxilium dederunt. O cari parentes, pro vestro amore et coniirmatione nobis dubitantibus data, ab im6 corde vobis gratias agimus. i' if Ill SIIIII PATRICIA PERKINS 'Twas only yesterfyear our eyes were turned, In childflike guilelessness to worldly things. The ways of God and man alike unlearned, We paralleled the beggar's garb with kings'. But soon these watchful, listless days were claimed By joyous hours of careless, romping play, Until we touch the goal at which we aimed, And sight the threshold of another day. 'Tis not alone we face the mocking world, But 'side our comrades who with us are named To mould a destiny which lies unfurled, To sanctify the ground where fools have reigned. Within us now the light of wisdom burns, For which a mighty nation soon will plead IILIIIIIIIIII CAROL SEEGER Mzigister Farrar, qui nos ad scientiam consequen- dam incitavisti, pr6 tu6 utili consilio tibi gritiam semper habebimus. Cari praeceptores, qui n6bis consilium sapientcr dedistis et nos in nostris studis patienter duxistis, precamur ut vestri labores non vani fuerint. O condiscipuli, comites in nostris prosperitatibus erroribusque, memores beatarum horarum in scholl Bennettense, vobis salutem damus. Denique, Futiirum, in quod ignari sed avidi ituri sumus, te salfitamus. if Vfhen dictators and demagogues it spurns, And finds at last the peace which forms its creed. Our guiding hands will some day mould a land, Unmatched in virtue, culture, art or might. Our youths as greatest leaders then will stand, Distinguishing the ways of wrong from right. Among us rise the teachers of the morrow, On whom the knowledge of the world depends, While men of holy ranks will soothe the sorrow, To which a heartless conflict oft' descends. Unto ourselves we ne'er must be untrue, For this would mar the heritage we praise In every humble task that we pursue, And drown the perfectness we hope to raise. 'Tis but a concentrated will can gain The gloried annals which the nation strives For, not a stalwart few can e'er attain The goal at which a multitude arrives. Ahead we see the parting paths of life. The first, a straight and narrow road of right, And then, the one of turbulence and strife. Shall we not choose the way of virtuous light?

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lllllllllllllll nde fVicc'Pres.j, Dukes fPres.J, Behringer fGirls' Trcasj. wning QBoys' Trcas.j, Seeger fSalut.D, Barnes fVal.J. kins fPoetl, Martin fHist.l, Whitney fProphet. pman fGirls' Marshall, Herbert fBoys' Marshall. WALLACE E. BARNES FELLOW CLASSMATES: Tonight we stand at the crossroads of life. Together the past four years we have grown in knowledge, culture, and character. We must now apply what we have learned to the infinitely complex modern world. The past illuminates the answers to the momentous decisions we shall be called upon to make in the future. We have been unusually fortunate these past four years. Our parents have sacrificed for us and guided us over the rough places. We have had wise counsel and loving guidf ance from our teachers and directors. The golden friendships we have formed with teachers and students are cherished memories. Buoyed up by these fond recollections of class and campus, we set our course for the future. We cannot hesitate. We must keep our feet firmly planted upon the ground and our eyes fixed upon the future. This future we are not afraid to face. We are told the way may be steep and rough but we are imbued with the spirit, the ideals and the traditions of our alma mater. We feel, not only that we have been given a resource and a granary for the battle of life, but also that we must fulhll a trust placed in us here tonight. For in all our years at Bennett, some' thing far greater than the promise of award has spurred us on-on-ever on, to the pin' nacle of athletic and scholastic success. May we never betray this spirit, this creed and this motto, that The best is yet to be. Tomorf row's great leaders are yet to be madeg new books must be written to stir men's hearts and new feats of greatness await our fearless determination to perform them. Each age demands clear minds, strong hearts, and will' ing hands. Youth must answer the call. We press on, guarding our future with faith, faith in our fellow man and in this world of tomorrow.

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HISTURY KENNETH MARTIN We are living today in a dynamic world. For the past four years Bennett High School has been a vital part of our lives. Graduation does not mark the close of living in this dynamic society but rather its continuation. At first, we of the Class of 1939, found it diflif cult to orient ourselves to a new building, new teachers, and new ideas. Now they have become so much a part of us that we are reluctant to leave the sheltering portals of Bennett. However, the time has come when we must forfeit our places and begin to shoulder the responsibilities facing young men and women in America today. We have added to what others have done to help make our heritage Hne, not so much for our own satis' faction as for the contribution it has made to the heritage of those who shall follow. Our freshman year was very complex. Condi' tioning ourselves to the building and acquainting ourselves with the new routine of passing to classes was undoubtedly the most puzzling situation we had yet experienced. For many of us who attended the freshman annexes, the adaptation to real high school life was to come during the second year. However, we did not pass unnoticed. Freshmen led a number of Bennett honor rolls, Marie Trop' man and Kenneth Martin were the Philosophian Declamation Contest winners, and both Howard Van Dermeulen and Robert Bernhard made the Freshman debate team. As Sophomores, we became better acquainted with those members of the faculty who were help' ing us to become more Hrmly established in the school system and we acquired more confidence in ourselves. We gained a greater appreciation of the true Bennett spirit. We sang Bennett songs, cheered Bennett cheers, attended sport events, and felt more like individuals. As the year hurried onward, our concepts broadened and we began to follow our own special interests in extracurricular activities and sports. Athletes such as Mack, Miles, Pello, Laird, and Shaffer helped us to retain the Williams Cup. The Beacon, Debate, and club membership also provided outlets for many of us that second year. As examinations hurried onward we found ourselves beginning fully to enjoy the opportunities that had opened for us. That year went too quickly. Coming back as juniors we were ready to par' ticipate in more school activities to make sure we received the fullest enjoyment from our efforts. Many of us became outstanding this year. In def bating, Parks, Bernhard, Van Dermeulen and Martin were called to the front while the latter as well as Marie Tropman won the Mercer Declama' tion Contest. Flannigan, Pello, Hudson, Edwards, and Calleri increased Bennett's prestige in the field of sports. Toward the end of the year, Marie Tropman and Kenneth Martin received the junior Awards. Thus, the third chapter of our life at Bennett was closed. We entered our Alma Mater last September with sober thoughts and high ambitions that all our desires might be fully satisned. The fulhllment of this hope would have been impossible had it not been for the sympathetic understanding and counsel of Mr. Farrar, Mrs. Wilkinson, Miss Brettle and our Counselors, Mr. Axlerod and Miss Muntz. Outstanding work has been displayed in our school play, The Torchbearers, produced under the experienced direction of Mr. Stamp. Robert Moesch, Jeanne White, and Sylvia Horwitz played outstanding roles. In the Girls' AllfHigh Declama' tion Contest, Marie Tropman placed first. In a national poster contest Bennett students stepped to the front. Eileen Franks won first prize and Joseph Cardina took second place. Every year Ben' nett has had an excellent record in athletics. A few of those who have preserved this reputation are jones and Gwinn in golf, Hudson and Woods in crossfcountry, Ferguson and Leous in football, Miller and Walsh in basketball, Browning and Laird in swimming, Dukes and Lundrigan in track, and Richtand and Felthousen in tennis. The Class of 1939 has recently selected the following officers: James Dukes, president, Mar' jorie Wende, vicefpresident, Dorothy Behringer, girls' treasurer, Robert Browning, boys' treasurer, Marie Tropman, girls' marshal, james Herbert, boys' marshal, and Harry Whitney, prophet. Later Carol Seeger was selected salutatorian, Wallace Barnes, valedictorian, and Patricia Perkins, poet. As our high school career draws to a close we look forward to the life to come. The personality and attitudes we have developed do not represent temporary qualities but rather do they furnish the foundation upon which we must continue to build. During the past four years we have increased our knowledge, developed our personalities, broadened our interests, and enlarged our outlooks on life. We have long been familiar with Bennetts creed and motto in which we place our trust and our faith- The best is yet to be.