Brattleboro Union High School - Colonel Yearbook (Brattleboro, VT)

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6 HIS Adventure of Life is a game. Wfe play it with the hope that, by chalice or good luck we will be the winner. But what- ever our life becomes, it is Adventure that leads us,-guides us onward,-sometimes up and sometimes down. VV here would the United States have been if some adventurous Europeans, in crossing the treacherous waters, had not braved death and the thought of falling off the edge of the world to come over here and discover a great and beautiful continent inhabited only by red savages? Our forefathers struggled on through hardships, and cruelties, to create our coun- try. As Pilgrims and Puritans they de- veloped the East, and then as Pioneers, they traveled across the mighty Mississippi and unfolded the wealth of the land of the setting sun. The result is the United States-the richest, most modern, most envied nation in the world. If someone had told our a rate of 250 miles an hour in an automobile some day, they would have fellow was mad. probably in years doubled. It takes of grit to whiz knowing that such grandparents that would be attained whisperedithat surely the but it has been done, and to come, this speed will be courage, nerve, and plenty along a track at that rate, a small thing as a branch in the road might mean instant death. VVhy, twenty or twenty- five years ago it was considered an adventure to ride in one of the new-fangled horseless buggies. Everyone rushed to the windows when he heard one roaring down the quiet street at the wicked pace of ten miles an hour. Onlookers shook their heads and pre- dicted an awful death for the ones daring to ride in such contraptions. Then some courageous soul thought of the idea of flying, and again people shook their heads sadly and predicted an early death. True, it has meant death for those fearless ones who have risked their lives to perfect this invention, but in time these men will be lauded for the help they gave their country toward facilitating transportation. Now the parachute has been invented to enable pilots to jump from their disabled planes into space, by only pulling a little ring to loose the parachute. Ifhthat isn't adventure,-hurtling through space, at a terrinc rate of speed,-what is? An army pilot tells the story of how he THE DIAL CLASS ESSAY THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE CLASS POEM Beneath Vermont's bright azure skies, Among green crested hills, here lies Our school. 'Twas builded here for us to gain Fruits fairer than our fertile plain Can yield. VV e would that time could give us grace, Reflecting in each eager face Truth firm as is the granite base, Of this, our school. The friendship found within its halls Is symbolized by ivied walls Serene. Like faithful trees that keep its door It shall, indeed, guard us e'er more VV ith truth. It shall in scenic beauty stay A monument to this, our day. It but remains for us to say Farewell, Oh, School. -NVILLIAM IXIUNDELL. Jliluxir by E-zfelyn Perry FY. saved himself by a parachute jump, when his plane accidentally struck another one in mid- air. The impact of the terrible speed sent parts of both wings of the plane to the ground, and the plane itself went into a violent diving spin. The pilot had to crawl out over its side, and when he unfastened his safety belt he pulled the cord of his parachute, realizing the second after doing it, the danger of the chute catching on the tail of the plane. As all adventurers are want to do, he prayed for a streak of luck, but was disappointed. For a few seconds he swung like a pendulum from the tail of the dropping plane. The ground was beginning to loom up before him and he seemed to be falling into Death's open arms, but as luck would have it, the parachute suddenly tore loose from the plane, and he landed in a soft patch of sagebrush. Another army officer watching said he bounced ten feet, and the only injury he received was a sprained back. The hearts of the onlookers, no doubt, turned to stone when he fell-but as long as Death didn't take him then, he'll probably do it again and again-until sometime- Death will claim him. He is termed a dare- devil-but he loves it-it's his life, and he can't stop. That's the way with Adventure. Its spirit takes one, clutches him, holds him in its grasp,-until, tiring-suddenly lets him down -hard,--bringing him back to reality with only a shattered dream left. Luck is the pass-word of the adventurer. If he's let down hard, it is just his usual bad luck, but if he's still soaring and fortune is his, to have and to hold in his grasp, it is good luck, and joy and happiness are his. One of the greatest types of Adventure is the stock market. Man will risk his all- home, comforts, even his family-in the chance that a stock will go up two points. He becomes like a madman-frenzied, hys- terical,-watching the ticker. Then it goes up-throwing into his outstretched hands a Fortune. Comfort, fame, riches, are his. Life becomes once again a pleasure., Family life is again a joy. He is, perhaps the proud father seeing his beloved son graduate from a wealthy college. Always he is conscious of being looked at, sought for by reporters as the great financier and society man. Then- then, Adventure drops him-hard-and CContinued on pxge 135

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' 'oo 'H BRATTLE-BORO . . BRATTLEBORO HIGH SCHOOL VERMONT VOLUME XXVI JUNE, 1931 NUMBER 5 PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS ODAY marks the beginning of the commencement exercises of the 47th class to be grad- uated from this building. It is with a feeling of awe that we consider the marvelous ad- vancements which have been made during the last fifty years in the fields of science and inven- tion. We now have the automobile, the radio, the airplane. VV e have knowledge of vitamins, ultra-violet and infra-red raysg we have new methods of disease prevention-all developed within the past half century. Graduates of former classes, not only from Brattleboro High, but from countless other schools have had a part in creating and perfecting these important factors of modern civilization. XVe, the class of 1931, are about to enter a world of unbounded opportunity. Great deeds are still to be done, inventions to be developed, machines to be perfected, and new discoveries to be made in every field of human activity. Only fifteen years ago it required tive days to carry a letter from New York to San Fran- ciscog today by air mail it requires but twenty-four hours. If such advancement has been made in fifteen years what marvels may we not expect in an equal period in the future? VVe, the citizens of tomorrow, are responsible for the answer. The time is ripe for great accomplish- ments. Vtfe, the members of the class of 1931, are privileged to enter into active living at a time when opportunities and advantages were never greater. It is our fond hope that we also, like graduates of the past, may play a part in the further benenting of mankind. It is then my pleasure, as president of the class of 1931, to welcome you, members of the faculty, parents and friends, to the Class Day Exercises of Brattleboro High School. -J. STEXVART BARNEY CLASSORATION HE lack of formality in our present-day dress, speech, and social relations is the cause for the idea prevalent among many people, especially those of the older genera- tion, that good manners have vanished, and that todayfs young people are actually rude. In the comparison of our age with that of fifty years ago, the most outstanding social change is the decrease of elaborate formality, the absence of which must not be confused with bad manners. Rather, with this dwin- dling of formality, has come an improvement in manners-the place formerly occupied by formality has been taken by consideration. It is an interesting fact that most of us when we encounter a gentleman having plenty of time for courtesy, refer to him as a gentleman of the old school. Contrary to the belief that we are being original in the utterance of this phrase, we absolutely are not, for when people met that kind of man fifty years ago, they then called him a gen- tleman of the old school. Probably this same reference was made one hundred, and even two hundred years ago. Is there really such a great difference be- tween then and now, with the exception of clothes? The informalities of today cannot be denied, but haven't we a distorted rather than a true idea as to the formalities of yesterday? VVhen we think of the long ago, our thoughts are inclined to dwell more on the serious rather than the intimate aspects of the people. Demosthenes in the act of delivering an oration is a more familiar fig- ure to our minds than the Demosthenes seated in his house after supper, roaring with laughter at a fmmy story. Yet, the Greeks and the Romans spent more of their time in natural, intimate relations than they did in any official capacity. People from the pages of history were just as human as we are today. Or, to take the opposite stand, have we been growing more informal since the very beginning to the present time? If so, it is probably due to the increasing preciousness of time. Before the advent of our present time-saving devices, leisure seemed to Hour- ish. People had plenty of time for writing letters, conversation, and prolonged polite-N ness. Since we have seen what we can do with time, the scene has changed and every- one who amounts to anything is busy. No longer do we tolerate superfluous prelimin- aries, but at once get down to brass tacks. Modern Americans are shockingly poor in time g they never seem to have any. Several things may be said to support the proposition that the lack of superficial courtesy is a sign of the growth of civiliza- tion, instead of the reverse. Many people are inclined to entertain the opinion of an elderly pessimist who said: The young people of today have no man- nersg if this goes oii, we shall relapse into barbarismf' However, one of barbarisnfs chief charac- teristics was elaborate and formal courtesy. For proof of this, read what Benjamin Franklin said about the courtesy of the In- dian braves of North America, and what Sam Houston thinks about their manners in comparison with those of white men. The tfiontinued on page 443 U .

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I 1 LOQUENCE has been defined as being the art of speaking with fluency and elegance. One imagines that this art had its origin away back in the age of the cave dwellers. Its ascent to its proper place in our civilization of today has been due in part to the need for pacifiers and instigators. The person who is able to express himself in a fluent, clear and straightforward manner has had and always will have a decided advan- tage over a less fortunate individual. He is the possessor of the proverbial golden spoon. It would be a difficult task to estimate the degree of infiuence the orator has had in the history of the world, but I can truthfully say that the triumphs of the sword have been rivalled by those of the tongue. Every period or age gives evidence of the miracle wrought by the meritorious power of eloquence, I might say the Unecromantic power. The great nations of Greece and Rome had as a master-spirit, eloquence. Plutarch tells us that Thucydides, when Archidamus, King of Sparta. asked him which was the best wrestler, Pericles or her,-replied: WV hen I throw him, he says he was never down, an.l persuades the very spectators to believe him.' Demosthenes devoted himself to becoming a good public speaker. At the outset his speaking was very poor because he was af- flicted with stuttering. To cure this defect he is supposed to have gone to the seashore and with pebbles in his mouth practiced speaking. It was Demosthenes' belief that Athens was the rightful leader of Greeceg and that King Philip of Macedon, to whom he was in opposition, was a barbarian and not a Greek. The Macedonian monarch saiil of Demosthenes, that had he been there at the time the orator aroused the Athenian popu- lace against him, that he would have been persuaded to take up arms against himself. For thirty years Cicero studied oratory and searched for models of eloquence. Vlfhen Cicero and Demosthenes were silenced, Despotism triumphed in Rome and Greece. Daniel VVebster has said, VVho can doubt that in our own struggle for independence, the majestic eloquence of Chatham, the pro- found reasoning of Burke, the burning satire and irony of Barre, had influence on our fortunes in America? They tended to di- Tldli DIAL IVY OTRATION THE POWER OF ELOQUENCE minish the confidence of the British ministry in their hopes to subject us. There was not a reading man who did not struggle more boldly for his rights when those exhilarating sounds, uttered in the two houses of Parlia- ment, reached him across the seas. The British lfVrits of Assistance were de- nounced by James Otis in Boston in 1761. So forceful was the denouncement that the audience was aroused to the illegality of these VVrits. It may seem incredible to some of us when we hear of the miraculous effects wrought by impetuous speeches. This probably can be attributed to the fact that we have never heard the weighty words or the ringing, passionate voices of the speakers. The question has often been asked, Is oratory a lost art ? As oratory, in the true sense of the word, is the product of national unrest, the day of the fiery orator has been relegated to history. Everyone knows the type of legislation our Congress is concerned with at the present time. Although there is dissension in nearly all matters brought be- fore our legislative bodies, the situation does not call for a great pacifier or instigator. The party spirit has become very strong and individuality is being suppressed in such matters. Due to the fact that the speaker of a political party is responsible for his party pledges he must, of necessity, speak under a restraint. Consequently, he does not express his own personal views on the subject, but those of the particular party he represents. I do not mean to say that oratory is a lost art, because the volume of demand for ora- tory is practically the same as it was in the past, but it calls for a different type. As the mode of civilization changes so does the human viewpoint. Men and women of today are more interested in the presentation of logical facts than in outbursts which are the product of imagination. The speaker of to- day acts by degrees and with logic, while the ancient orator gave headstrong addresses that were intended to arouse deep elemental passions rather than logical conclusions. Some people are of the opinion that ora- tory's high throne has been usurped by the press. I agree that this has been so in part, but I do not concede the point that oratory is on a lower level than the editorial. It is inevitable that an editorial should not arouse its readers as the words of a truly 7 great speaker arouse an audience. At one time the circulation of the editorial would have been so wide as to reach far beyond the scope of spoken words, but with the inven- tion of the radio and the talkies this has been changed. One of the most important factors in judging a speaker is character. Usually the impression created by a speaker is the result of what he is, though this does not always hold true. To be able to express ideas con- vincingly in words, one must put expressive feeling into them. Therefore, thoughts and feelings of the inner self find expression in the voice and action. The degree of enthusi- asm, sincerity, interest, and sense of propor- tion can be found in the underlying thought of the speech. If a speaker appears to be opprobrious, he has little chance of success. It is an utter impossibility for some peo- ple to put their thoughts into words, but for others it may be natural and may he taken as a matter of course. To speak naturally a person must have self-control and self-con- Fidence. It is absolutely essential that the mind have command over body and voice. To obtain this command one must practice continually and keep ever in mind the funda- mentals. An argus-eyezl individual has a better chance of success in this line than one less observant. An important factor largely determining the heights a speaker can attain, is the way he speaks. His use of the English language must be such that it will enable him to sell his idea to his audience. It has been said. Language is merely a medium for thoughts, emotions, the intelligence of a finely wrought brain, and a good mind will make far more out of a bad medium than a poor mind will make out of the best. Public speaking is being taught in nearly all the high schools in the country, and languages are major subjects. By diligent study it is possible for the student of today to be adept not only in the use of English language, but in foreign languages as welll Obviously it is advantageous for us, as high school graduates, to be able to speak con- fidently before people in all walks of life, for as long as we have human existence the art of public speaking will never become extinct, no matter how many new ideas and discov- eries are brought into our civilization. --BERTHA WHITNEY, '3l.