Berrien Springs High School - Canoe Yearbook (Berrien Springs, MI)

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Senior Class History It was the seventh of September, 1925, and the day was exceptionally ideal. wIk’h the school hell sounded over the hillside, calling the youth to school again. I his day, wc forty-two green Freshmen with high ideals and aims entered the i HMnhly of the Berrien Springs High School for the first time. We each went quietly alxmt finding places that were less conspicuous. Finally, after gaining the . quaintance of our prospective teachers and discarding our former grade habits .1' well as some of our shyness, wc settled down for real work. We soon organized as a class and chose Miss Cloney for our sponsor, and under l»cr guiding hand we soon found ourselves duly established as permanent members of the high school. At an “All School I’arty came the time for our initiation, but lecause of the arrival of our superintendent on the scene and l ecause our Freshman lads were so stalwart, the other classes dared not attack us. During the year we had many good times together and especially did we enjoy studying I-atin and Algebra. The two Freshman jwrties and our Freshman assembly we shall never forget. Tliat year passe l so swiftly that in a short time we found ourselves again in school, this time as Studious Soj»homores. Several of our classmates had clv»sen other |»ths, however, and when the roll was taken we were minus seventeen. This year too was made up of good times and hard work, as we furnished our share of students in all the school’s activities. Time flew by all too quickly and our next move was to play the part of Jolly Juniors. Once again a few of our numl er dropjied by the wayside, but Ronald Weaver and Evelyn I.udy joined u's. thus lessening our loss. This time Mrs. Allen t'jok up the responsibility of guiding us and to Iter we owe many pleasant memories. We joined the Seniors in presenting the play “Golden Days. This presentation was a decided success and for this we are much indebted to our coach. Mrs. Xeid-linger. and to several other teachers. Wc felt very much honored by having the leading characters chosen from the Junior class. This year will always stand foremost in our minds for we were forgetting to l e I wishful and were free from tin-burdens that most Seniors carry. The Juniors again took the lead in the High School Operetta. After giving a banquet for the Seniors and faculty and gladly assisting the Seniors during commencement week, we closed our third year of High School with much pride. After a j eriod of three months, which were much too long, for us. we very willingly came lack to school. This time we came gladly, not just Ixx’ausc we were anxious to Ik Seniors. I»ut Ixrausc we liad a splendid new school building in which to sjicnd our last year of high school life. W’c are very proud of our liuilding and will never lx able to let the public know how much we really appreciate our new school building. !ma (ie'nett joined us at the beginning of the term and l-cslic Jones came the second semester, making our class numlxrr twenty-five. During this year our valued time has been equally divided Ixrtween loyalty, good times, and the projjer amount of labor so that we will ) e enabled to graduate as an honor class. hir Senior play. dam and Kvn, was most successful, and we appreciate the efforts of our coach. Miss Judd, ami thu others who assisted We arc under Mr. Stewart’s directing hand this year and we feel confident that he is doing his lx st to help us to choose our life's work. A great amount of our worries and time has been sjxrnt in the publication of the Canok for '29. and now’ as tlw time has c« mc for ns to depart from our high school activities and our friends and teachers whom we have learned to love, we twenty-five dignified Seniors at the close of our career shall go bravely out into the work! leaving the future to our fairy godmother. Leah :. I'olbrceltt (Page Thirteen)

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Class Will l.adic and Gentlemen. Hoard of Education. Superintendent. Teachers, ami Friends: Upon behalf of my client, the class of 1929 of Berrien Spring High School of the village of Berrien Springs. State of Michigan. U S. A.. I have called you together upon this solemn and serious occasion to listen to our last will and testament and to receive from our dying hand the few gifts we have to bestow in our last moments. Cutting so rapidly loose from life ami finding so many things of such gigantic proportion to be attended to before the end should come upon us. realising at the same time that we have no longer any time left to spend in cultivation of our own virtues, we did collectively and individually deem it l est to distribute these virtues with our own hand to those friends to w hose needs they I test seem fitted. We have tried to he just, as well a generous and impartial, and distribute wisely unto those who will make the best use of such gifts as we have in our jHiwer to lie stow, the talents, that have served us so faithfully these four years. These arc our decisions as at last definitely arrived at after very deliberate consideration. Owing to the last flight condition of our brain, and the unusual disturbance in its gras mailer we beg to state that we may quite possibly have been mistaken in our inventory: hut such things as wc think wc have we hereby give into your possession praying that you will accept them as a sacred trust from one who has gone before. Listen then, one and all. while I read the document, as duly drawn up and sworn to W e. the class of 1929. in twenty-five individual and distinct parts, being alioul to pa out of this sphere of education, in full |«os e sk n of a crammed mind, well trained memory, and almost superhuman understanding do make and publish this, our last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all former wills or promises by u at any time heretofore made, or carelessly spoken, one to the other, as the thoughtless wish of an idle hour. We give and bequeath to the dear faculty, who have been our instructors in all wisdom of the aijes a sweet and unbroken succession ot restful nights and | eaecful dreams. No longer need they lie awake threugh the long watches of the night to worry over the uncertainty of whether this one is doing her night work or that one will have her mathematics in the morning class, or the other one will rcmcmlser every iron clad rule of compositional technique in the preparation of her essay. It has been a hard strain on them, for Seniors arc 'aid to be at all times and under all condition difficult to manage. But they have all done their duty and verily now shall they have their well-earned reward. We give and bequeath to our beloved Supt. F.. I.. Stewart our sincere affection, our deepest reverence, our heartiest gratittidr. and the whole unlimited wealth of our eternal memory. In an attempt at partial payment for all that he has done tor us during our long years at B. S. II S. we make over to him here and now a heavy mortgage on our futurc in the (ircat Unknown beyond. The following may seem hut trifling bequest but wc hope they may be accepted not as worthies things lavishly thrown away because wc can no longer keep them, hut as valuable asset to those who ntav receive them, and a continual reminder of the generosity of heart display ed in our free and full bestowal: To Mi. Judd, the balance of our class treasury, to Ik used in buying a pair of rubber shoes for detective work. We feel sure she will need these in dealing with the classes that are to ho our successors. Ronald Weaver leave a pamphlet on 'How to Grow Tall to Kay Hoekstra. Olive ALpaugh leave her quiet ways to Helen ijuckman. To Marion Tobias. Virginia leaves the honor of valedictorian Margaret Kiclson give the ole privilege of being teacher's pet to Erie Stewart. Elton Stover leaves hi ability to tease the girls in the library to Stanley Porter. Hazel Wetzel leaves the privilege of meeting the salesmen at the office to Doris Stover. Leah Volbrecht leave a l»ook on the “Secret of Smiles' to whoever is interested. To Mrs. Crittendon a position as fashion model in Paris. Mina Gelnett leaves her bashfulncss to Helen Hubert. I Page Twelve) Flcta Smith will her history and reference books to all the students who enjoy doing extra credit work. Dorothy Priddy leaves her love to Harold Suavely. To Milton Gray the musical gifts of Hazel Phillips. “Music hath charms to soothe thr savage beast.” Leslie Jones bequeaths his permanent wave to Bob Martin. Richard Jones leaves hi» l asketl all pants to Billy Gifford. W e hope no alterations will be necessary. Kdwina Sherburn wills her boy friends to her sister Dorthca. Mary Plctchcr leaves her place on the basketball team to Mary Dean. Merl Brown wills his KomOna to anyone who could give it the proper care To anyone who needs it. Darwin Dougan’s bluff. Apply early and avoid the rush. Marihel promises to keep her eye on Warren in the future. Paul Knight leaves his on time record to the one who best deserves it. Evelyn Xightlmgcr gives her privilege of arguing with Mr. Bcdittgcr to her sister Helen. Evelyn l.udy wills her modern dating system to Walter Fryman. Rozann Rocksteiti leaves a new brand of chewing gum to Olivia lspaugh Edwin Marsh gives his best regards to Mr. Wcinc for a most brilliant Chemistry class. Roger Robinson leaves his red hat to Candace tor future use. Ruby Painter leaves her methods of playing basketball to Helen Buckman. To Mr. Wcinc wc leave our hopes for success as a father Our Senior dignity goes to the Juniors May they uphold it forever, with all serious ness and gravity, endeavoring to realize its vast importance in spite oi their natural light mindedness and irresponsibility. And to all, we leave any stubs of pencils, erasers, or scraps of paper that wc may inadvertantly leave behind us in the excitement and haste of gathering up our cherished treasures for the last time. May you feel free to make use of them, and feci, perhaps, that you may. in some mystic way. impart some oi our great knowledge to them. Last conics the one thing hard for us to part with. To our successors we must leaec our places in the hearts and thoughts of our Principal and teachers. They will love them, unworthy as wc feel they arc. evert as they loved us; they will show them all the same tender kindness and attention that they have bestowed upon us; they will feel the same interest in their attempts and successes; the same sorrow when they fail. We trust that the class of 1030 will appreciate all this as deeply as we have done, that it may be their most precious possession, as it ha' been ours. Besides these enforced gifts we leave—not of necessity, hut our own free will—our blessing, tender memories of our pleasant forgiveness for anything that we may not have exactly appreciated in the demonstration oi thr past, and a pledge of friendship from henceforth and forever. All the rest and residue of our property, whatsoever and wheresoever, of what nature, kind, and quality it may be. and not herein disposed of. wc give and bequeath to our beloved Principal, for his use and benefit absolutely, and to be disposed of for the good of the coming classes as he may see fit. And wc do hereby constitute and appoint the said Principal sole executor of this our last will and testament. In witness whereof, we. the class of 1929, the testator', have to this our will, written on these pages of parchment, set our hands and seal this third day of June, one thousand nine hundred twenty-nine.

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Class Prophecy They had told me I must prophecy, but I knew not what to do. For I was not born a prophet, any more than one of you; I had spent the day in study, and in thinking. hard and deep. So I now. all worn and weary, lay me down ami tell asleep. I had Iain there hut a moment, in that dumber, calm and sweet. When I rose, refreshed and strengthened. and stepped out upon the street: Hut I very soon discovered I was in a most strange place. Kot I saw not one known figure, nor an old familiar face. I was in a mammoth city. I v the side of which I knew I hat New ork. the nation’s glors, would stand hut a techie show; Great skyscrapers all about nr; aeroplane« through all the air; Wonders far beyond conception here and there and everywhere! I Could scarce believe my senses when 1 mu thi air-hip line Bore the well-known name of “Berrien Springs.’ while the same gleamed from each sign; And iiiy cy« were opcm d wider than they'd ever been before. When I saw a slip of paper dated 19+1. While I puzzled o'er this problem, staring ‘round with open eye . hooking for some one to question of this marvelous surprise. I lieliehf near me a lady, coming on with footsteps slow. And I thought 1 would accost her. and learn what I wished to know A» 'he came to he still nearer. I thought 1 had seen that face. Somewhere c!«c. yet could not put it, in exactly its right place; Hut at last she stood before me. and all wonder vanished quite; 'Twas my old chum. Hazel Wetzel, and I met her with delight. It was strange that 1 should know her. for the change in her was great. She was tall and very slender, while she moved with queenly state. She seemed quite surprised to see me. said I had long been away. And gave me an invitation to remain with! her that day. Her kind offer I accepted, and 'he hailed a dying ear. Which we lioarded, skimming swiftly, through the ether, fast and far; I watched the conductor closely, ’twas a lady, short and stout. Fully able to assist the passengers stop in or out As she took my fare she knew me, and stood (minting out strange sights -Kvrlyti I.udy thus had proven her lselicf in Women’s Rights! On the car a dude was sitting, toying with a poodW small,— Why, twas Darwin Donganl I scarcely would have known the man at all. Soon we flitted past a corner that looked like old times to me. For it was the w ell-know n corner where our High School used to lx ! Now the place was changed to show a factory, twenty stories high; And I noticed a small fish stand there, as we were passing l v. (Page Fourteen) And behind the greasy counter tood a man I knew at sight? Yes. for it was truly Paul Knight, shouting Fish! with all his might. I looked at hint in wonder, for whoever would have thought That our old-time brilliant President could to such a task he brought. We flew right by a milliner's shop. suspended in the air; The name I saw was Madame Phillips, but we did not see her there I was told she lived on Ferry Street in a mansion quite the style. Ever attended hv pretty maid , ii hi r husband were gone awhile. Hut the whole day through brought surprises; iJorothy was dancing on the stage Ro ann was an o| -ra singer. Kdwm. a preacher quite the rage; Richard, a soldier; Alma, an author; Evelyn. an old main, print and mat; Ruhy had grown so very heavy Anti-Fat was all she'd eat. Kdwina was a teacher fair; Leslie an insurance agent; Marihcl led an orchestra; While Ronald, money lent: Peggv was a spinster, living all alone; She loved to fondle cats and dogs, and call them all her own Fleta married an Irishman, with seven little girls. I learned she'd been quite husv keeping thcii hair m curls. Elton was a taxi-driver, he drovt «o careful ami slow. The traflic-cops would walk along, to tell him to get out of low Mary taught girls athletics; Roger lived alone; l.eah nursed sick |H ople, with her sunny cheerful tone Merl taught a mission in India; Virginia owned a beauty shop, Olive moved among the poor, trying their poverty to stop By and by wo reached the home where Hazel lived her husband, too. Hut he was a traveling salesman, so I didn't find out who! I was vets tired and sleepy, o I felt that it was best To withdraw myself a little for an hour or two of rest I slept long ami very soundly, and just judge of my surprise. When again, aftei my slunther. I opened my drowsy eye . I found myself in the cottage I had lived in long ago. Ere I started out that morning on that curious quest to go. I sprang up and sought the window; yes. it was the same old town. That in what seemed years ago. I had wearily lain down; Hut the dream had been so life-like, that e'en yet I could not feel That the vision I had witnessed could he otherwise than real. So you see. dear frie-ids ami classmates, that ‘twas nothing hut a dream I've liecn telling, howe'er natural and real it to you must scent; Hut in this old world of wonders, dreams have oftentimes come true. So. who knows hut this, niv vision, may be realized by you? - —Hazel Wetzel Leah Vidbrecht