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

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Canal Currents, Bourne High School Patriotism Never-dying spark enshrined in the human heart, which keeps alive the love, devotion, and ardor for those things which we are taught to be just. To what specific things it pertains is immaterial. The same fervor applies to friend, family, country, and Creator, aroused to varying degrees of intensity. Mr. Stahura The Spirit Of Peace There she is now coming across the field. The sun streaming through her hair Turns it into golden threads. As we get closer we see her eyes. Ah, yes, they are like deep pools of fairy tears. Her lips are like sparkling rubies. When she walks, it is with the grace of a swan. When she speaks, her voice is like the murmur of a mountain stream. Now she is disappearing into the darkness. But the image of her still lingers in our memories. I would travel to the end of the world, I would forfeit my wealth. And give the best years of my life For a glimpse of the beautiful creature. Robert Lindquist, ’43 Youth In The World Today We often hear the statement that some organization or nation puts its faith in its youth. Youth is looked to for inspiration, new ideas, action. The youth of today is faced with many difficult problems. How many times they have been told this by teachers, speakers, ministers, parents, — all telling them that the problems of today are far greater than any that have ever faced any generation before. Finally, they take the attitude that everything must be as hard as they have been told and therefore every effort is useless. Of course, they should realize that life’s problems are hard. They always have been and will continue to be, but they should also realize that nothing is im- possible for those who really want to succeed. Past gener ations, too, have been told of the impossible problems, but they managed to solve them. Many times it is not that a task is so hard but simply the attitude toward the task that makes it appear hard. The youth of the world today realize the graveness of present conditions. For example, surely do the brave English children who are leaving their homes for a strange, new land, but ever with the determination to return after the war to rebuild England again. Everywhere youth organizations are listening, learning, discussing world and national situations so that they may more wisely carry on the work of the world in the future. We can still put our faith in the youth of today! Claire Healy, ’42 Page Ten

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EDITORIALS The Editor Views The Present Day Crisis In these troubled times the greatest defense for our country is not in a large standing Army and Navy but in national unity. Foreign powers seek- ing to ruin our country do not invest chiefly in sabotage but in disrupting propaganda and anti-American talk to corrupt our morals and spirit. It is up to us as future citizens to do all we can to combat these evil forces if national unity is to be prevalent, not only in our large cities and towns, but in small villages or country hamlets where real Americans live, breathe, and think. Donald Macdonald, Editor-in-Chief Isn ' t It Great To Be An American One evening this Fall the Freshman Initiation Hallowe’en Party was held at our school. 1 was just on the steps, about to enter the building, when 1 saw something that made me stand motionless. I first saw a red light, high in the dark sky. Then I heard the sound of a motor and I realized it was an airplane. This made me stop to think of something that I just t ook for granted before. The lights in the school weren’t put out. The lights in the surrounding houses were not put out. I, together with other people, didn’t run for shelter when the plane was seen. Everyone just continued with whatever he was do- ing and paid no attention whatsoever to the airplane — except myself. I thought of the people in Europe; how they dread the sight or sound of an airplane. They realize over there” what it means — it means destruction and death of many men, women and children. When a plane is sighted at night the people are left in complete darkness; as they call it, they have a blackout”. We read this in newspapers and hear things on the radio — yes, but I have read the writing of a young English girl with whom I correspond — writing which has told me more of the horrors of war than any radio or new s- paper would ever tell. We in America know there is a war going on in Europe and that America is not at war — yet; but that is about all. We do not realize how fortunate we are — how fortunate to live our lives in peace. We have no blackouts, no bombs dropped on the roofs of houses. We have none of the horrors of war. We’ve got no Mussolini, Hitler, or Stalin, but in their places, we have The Statue of Liberty, The Fourth of July, and Election Day. This is a coun- try where the torch of liberty shines and where the symbol of freedom shall lorever stand.” Isn’t it great to be an American! Carolyn Quattromini, ’42 Page Nine

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Canal Currents, Bourne High School Patriotism In The Schools In these uncertain times it is heartening to note that Bourne High School has passed an unvoiced law providing that the student body learn about the deep meaning of Patriotism. In accordance with this, each morning the American flag is raised to the stirring notes of a trumpet, while every student stands alert and at attention until the ceremony is over. It would be a fine thing if every one realized the real meaning of patriot- ism. Some students may ask just why should we be patriotic. Well, in the first place, take America as a whole. Isn’t it a wonderful nation? — no es- tablished religion; freedom of religious worship, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, no right of search of a man’s home with- out warrant from a court of law, when accused of a crime the right to a speedy, public, and impartial trial, coupled with the right to confront wit- nesses for the defense. That alone should cause us to respect and revere America. In the sec- ond place, just think of everything the dictators have taken away and that Americans prize, — liberty, peace, and individual freedom. If every school in the United States would stress this idea in its curri- culum just as Bourne High is doing, for at least a year, I am sure that every boy and girl in the nation would realize how great a country America really is. Youth has been apt to take too much for granted and not appreciate fully w ' hat it has. A good way to go about this instructive training is to make it as pleasant as possible. The Junior Class Advisers of Bourne High School are doing this by having the Junior class members construct their annual magazine, Ca ial Currents, along the theme of American Patriotism. Cora Gay, ’42 Pause For Prayer As I was walking home from choir practice, a most unusual window display caught my eye. It wasn’t exactly an advertisement, but it had to do with the w ar that is being fought abroad. It showed a miniature setting of the destruction; small houses, tall build- ings. streets — all were badly ruined. Somewhere, hidden under these build- ings. chemicals were used to show clouds of smoke here and there, making it the most life-like scene I have ever observed. Tiny mechanical people were scrambling about, seeking refuge in the make-believe bomb shelters. From the outside it was rather faint, but if you listened carefully, you could almost hear the screeching of the bombs as they fell from a flat compartment overhead. At the very top of the window, there were images of terrified children’.s faces grouped around a sign w hich read, We need your help, America.” This made a very queer impression on my mind — for I noticed, instead of people talking, or exclaiming loudly to their companions to look at the display, there was no real excitement, but only a hushed silence, as we all watched the miniature war. Page Eleven Celeste Vercellone, ’4l