Big Sandy High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Big Sandy, MT)

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In Witness Whereof, We the Undersigned, the testators, have set our hands and seals hereto this fifteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and forty rive (1945). BLAZED TRAILS 1945 —Violet Lanik June 30, 1945 Due to the nation-wide teacher shortage, it was necessary to call upon a number of local persons to fill vacancies. These individuals responded generously, and helped keep student and teacher morale at a high level throughout the school term. Evidence of a high teacher morale last year and prediction for another successful school term next year, is seen in the fact that only one high school teacher, and one grade school teacher resigned at the end of the school term. In many schools teacher turnover has been a most serious problem. The 1944-45 school term just completed was-at the same time- one of the most successful and one of the most difficult to be experienced at Big Sandy for many years. The difficulties may have been due, at least in part, to the tremendous history- making events which transpired simultaneously and which were bound to effect, to a more or less greater degree, the students on the home front. From D -day, followed by the long casualty lists; and the sudden death of President Roosevelt; to V-E -day and the San Francisco World Security Conference, earth-shaking news flashes seemed to follow one after another. In our small way at Big Sandy, we kept at our job, attempting to turn out good citizens for the world of the future, hoping that this new world would be a better place in which to live. --Chas. E. Hood, Superintendent EPILOGUE Consider the changes we have witnessed: We were born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, Frisbees and the PILL. We were born before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and bail-point pens; before pantyhose, dishwashers, clothes 22

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I, Erma Mae Buchholz, bequeath my chewing gum wrappers to Patty Williams and Donna Reichelt. These, combined with the ones they already have, will keep the school house warm for a couple of days at least. I, Margaret Cole, leave my gift of gab to Frances Petr even if it gets her in hot water at times. I, Robert Green, bequeath my forwardness to Fritz Osterman, hoping he will make as good use of it as I did and wishing him the best of luck. I, Joe Quinn, leave my arguing ability and ingenuity for telling tall tales to Tom Sevcik. I, Muriel Lund, will my brown eyes and dark hair to Beatrice Buchholz so her teachers can distinguish her from Bernice. I, Walter Monson, will my physique to Kenny Darlington. He may fall in love with a tall girl. I, Edward Pokorny, leave my faithful Ford to Harold Sherbeck. It at least beats sprinting to keep from being tardy. If Clinton Hagen, leave my manly voice to Alan Lohse hoping he will use it to a good extent. If Delores Goecks, bequeath my dimples to Ruby Flanery if they don't bring her any more attention than they brought me. I, Edward Nygard, will my ability to be on time to Dora Goecks. It makes life more exciting. I, Leona Sanford, give my ability to stay out of the detention room to Joyce Chauvet. She may need the time for something else. I, Mernie Wright, will my ability to eat and asking When do we eat? to all the other slender (!) people with an appetite. I, Mardella Reichelt, bequeath my ability to ride that bucking bus to the rest of its victims. I, Blanche Riley, leave all the answers to my curious questioners. I, Violet Lanik, leave my bright and happy smile to anyone who can use it as effectively as I can. If Margaret Bakke, will my soft singing voice to Frances Eve. Take are of it, there might be a shortage of baskets. 21

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dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes --and before man walked on the moon. We got married first and then lived together. How quaint can you be? In our time, closets were for clothes, not for coming out of . Bunnies were small rabbits and rabbits were not Volkswagens. Designer jeans were scheming girls named Jean or Jeanne, and having a meaningful relationship meant getting along well with our cousins. We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent, and Outer Space was the back row of the Riviera Theatre. We were before house-husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers and commuter marriages. We were before day-care centers, group therapy and nursing homes. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt, and guys wearing earrings. For us, time-sharing meant togetherness--not computers or condominiums. A chip meant a piece of wood, hardware meant hardware, and software wasn't even a word! In 1940, Made in Japan meant junk and the term making out referred to how you did on your exam. Pizzas, McDonald's and instant coffee were unheard of. We hit the scene when there were 5 and 104: stores, where you bought things for five and ten cents. Sanders or Wilsons sold ice cream cones for a nickel or a dime. For one nickel, you could ride a street car, make a phone call, buy a Pepsi or enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards. You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600.00 but who could afford one; a pity too, because gas was 11$ a gallon! In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mowed, coke was a cold drink and pot was something you cooked in. Rock music was a grandma's lullaby and AIDS were helpers in the Principal's office. We were certainly not before the difference between the sexes was discovered but we were surely before the sex change; we made do with what we had. And we were the last generation that was so dumb as to think you needed a husband to have a baby! No wonder we are so confused and there is such a generation gap today! BUT WE SURVIVED!! --Anonymous 23