Bourne High School - Canal Currents Yearbook (Bourne, MA)

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CANAL CURRENTS 9 captain of the football team, an officer of his club, president of his class, youngest member of the Davis cup tennis team, and a star in baseball and hockey. He has just won one of the highest awards at Harvard — the Burr Scholarship. There is only one more honor for him to win; that of first marshall of his class. This person is Barry Wood. The other leader is Mussolini of Italy. The way in which he leads his people and the control he has over them is wonder- ful. Though he has his faults, he has done much for Italy to- day at a time when her need was imperative. To get back to our ordinary, every day people, those who take part in sports, dramatics, and other activities in our school life are practically always leaders. A leader or anyone who wishes to be a leader should endeav- or to develop the fine qualities necessary for this position. He should study his own work, first, to discover the best way to get ahead there. Then he should study people about him, and learn how to become a “good mixer”, for this particular ability is per- haps the most valuable one a person could possess. He should be as optimistic, as possible, in order to help others along when tasks become difficult. And above all, he must forget himself. For only through unselfishness can we have a true leader. James Peebles, ’33 SPORTSMANSHIP Sportsmanship is one of the most essential factors in the lives of the people of today. If you abide by good sportsmanship you will always find yourself well liked and welcome everywhere you go. What is the meaning of sportsmanship? I believe that there are people who ask themselves this question today? Sportsman- ship means the will to play fair and clean; to be a good loser, that is to take a defeat in the same mood as you would take a victory; to always help your opponent instead of passing him up, that is if he is hurt or in a bad place. One could go on and give endless meanings which this one word conveys. Many famous coaches of athletics write numerous articles on sportsmanship or fair play. They attempt to drive this word into the minds of their men; because a team, whether it wins or

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8 CANAL CURRENTS and makes our living much more vital. When the body is thus toned up, effective learning is easier. We have tried to say as simply as possible that the funda- mental conditions necessary to effective learning are: attention, favorable attitude and pleasantness. James F. Peebles, Superintendent THINKING FOR ONESELF Do we realize how important it is for each one of us to do his own thinking, or are we always looking for the other person to produce plans and ideas which we can copy? I hope that we are all so advanced intellectually when we reach high school age that we know what thinking for ourselves is going to mean to every one of us every day of our lives. Up to the present time it has been quite easy for some of us to depend upon someone else for much of the reasoning that we could have done ourselves. I do not mean to intimate that following another’s advice is a poor policy. Far from it. Advice and suggestions from the right sources are always worthwhile to us all. What I do mean is that we should strive to develop a desire to figure out all our problems alone, taking suggestions offered to us only when we think them necessary. All of us possess a normal amount of intelligence with which we are truly able to develop good sound thoughts. Why, then, should we look to the other fellow all the time? Let us all be independent in this respect. If the habit of thinking for oneself is formed during youth, one has a good start in life. Margaret Hyllestad Editor-in-chief THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A LEADER There are numerous qualities which one must possess in order to become a leader. To win others to your way of think- ing, to lead in doing whatever task is set for you, and to lose as gracefully as you win will mark you as a true leader. I can think of two wonderful leaders. One is an American youth who is a member of the senior class at Harvard. He is

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10 CANAL CURRENTS loses, will always be remembered for the way in which it played the game. But this trait is necessary, not only in athletics but in all the walks of life. Therefore if in any undertaking in business or in other walks of life abide always by the watchword “sports- manship” and nothing will be left to be desired. A good sport is always treated with respect. Sanford WHAT SOCIETY EXPECTS OE A WEEL- EDUCATED PERSON Some of the things society expects from well-educated peo- ple are: poise, intelligence, self-reliance, broadmindedness, and a successful career. Everyone has a certain amount of intelligence which may or may not be developed as he goes along through life. A well- educated person is expected, through his preparatory school and college training, to have developed the art of clear thinking, and through that his intelligence to a high point. Self-reliance is expected, also. In order to be truly success- ful, a person must learn to depend upon himself. A well-edu- cated person realizes this, and the world expects him to carry out this principle. The world expects broadmindedness from a person who has had the advantages of a higher education. Such people should be able to look for and to see both sides of any question, and to avoid showing partiality or being prejudiced. A successful career should be expected. Through his long course of training, the person has, no doubt, specialized in some particular line of work. Therefore, he should be able to do that piece of work in a much better way than one who has not been so trained. Last of all, poise is developed through the four other factors mentioned. Intelligence, self-reliance, broadmindedness, and a successful career not only need some poise for their development but also, aid in the development of poise. In an educated person, therefore, we often look for this particular trait first. All these factors are expected of a well-educated person, and should help him, not only in his own chosen work, but in his community life as well. Herbert Congdon