Brockton High School - Brocktonia Yearbook (Brockton, MA)

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CLASS HISTORY These four yeors through which we hove just possed were filled not only with much hord work ond grove disoppointments, but olso with mony well-eorned ochievements ond o greot deol of hoppiness, This is o groduoting closs of which we con rightfully be proud. Brockton High hos been compored with other schools in scholorship, music, ond othletics, ond hos never been found wonting. The foculty of Brockton High hos been oltered considerobly. The promotion of Mr, John L, Miller to superintendent of schools left the heodmoster's position vocont. This wos obly filled by Mr, Ruel E Tucker. Upon the morrioge of Miss Kotherine French, of the domestic science deportment, Miss Doris M. l-lothowoy wos oppointed. Miss Rochel S. Pope, Miss Morito Cooley, ond Miss Morgoret Robertson olso resigned to be morried. Mr, Wesley I., Merritt wos nomed in the music deportment, Mr. Doniel Creedon wos odded to the commerciol deport- ment, ond Mr. Joseph Spong wos elected heod of the science deportment, Lost June, becouse of the resignotion of Dr, MocGregory, o mon respected by every- one with whom he come in contoct, Mr. Williom J, Montgomery ond Mr. Rolph S. Frellick were given the positions of mosters. At this point we should pouse to poy tribute to Mr. Edword Boiley, former heod of science deportment for mony yeors, who possed owoy shortly ofter his resignotion in l938. The closs enrollment in September, l936, wos 982 pupils, The totol number of pupils enrolled on Moy l, l94O, wos 698. This shows o decreose of 284. Although this moy seem to be o lorge percentoge, it is no more thon con be expected from such o lorge closs in four yeors. There hove been importont chonges in the curriculum offered by the school. The most populor oddition, perhops, is the driver troining course with Mr. George F. Loing in chorge. Next is the greotly increosed interest in the music progrom of the school. Since the election of Mr. Wesley L. Merritt to the teoch- ing stoff, the bond hos shown greot improvement, Both the boys' ond girls' glee clubs, which were presented with moroon choir robes this yeor, hove members who ore tolented, The orchestro, under the direction of Mr. George Sowyer Dunhom, hos delightfully entertoined the student body ot mony on ossembly. There is olso on increose in the music courses offered. Lostly, is the recently inouguroted port-time system in the commerciol course. In this plon, the better pupils, with the Consent of their porents, ore ploced in the offices throughout the school system, ond thus get experience which should better quolify them for jobs ofter groduotion. Our othletes hove brought mony honors both to the school ond to themselves. In our sophomore ond senior yeors the footboll teoms coptured not only the Closs A championship, but olso the stote title. Agoin in our junior yeor the footboll teom wos presented with the Closs A title. The boseboll teom wos put in the spotlight by winning the stote chompionship in I938. The hockey teom, leogue chompion in our sophomore yeor, hos been greotly oided by the construc- tion of o hockey rink on Eldon B, Keith Field, The cross-country teom reoped its shore of glory by hurdling to the New Englond chompionship in l94O. The golf teom putted its woy to the Southeostern Mossochusetts chompionship lost I3

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forgotten the examples of Germany and Russia. Let us not heed the cries of these American fuhrers and commissars, let us not expend our energy in persecuting these minority organizations which declare that America is decadent, but let us instead wipe out the causes of their cries, let us strive for the good of the working man, the ordinary citizen, for therein lies our hope. Let us exalt our country, but let us not exalt it blindly, for though it be the world's stronghold of Light and Truth, yet there are many dangerous injustices, insidious things, of which we must be aware. Fifty years ago, James Bryce said that the only conspicuous failure of American democracy was its municipal government. l-lad Bryce expanded his statement, he would, no doubt, have laid the blame for this corruption on the inertia of the individual citizen. According to Lincoln, ours is a government by, of, and for the People, yet it is these same people who will relinquish their sovereign rights at a word from the ward boss or a glittering generality made by some rabble-rouser, Although four years lie between most of the graduating class and the ballot-box, during that period we must be strengthening our- selves for the day when, as full enfranchised citizens, we mark our first ballot. ln order to vote the more wisely, to benefit ourselves and our community, we must sense two most important points: the importance of the vote, and the acceptance of its responsibilities. The least citizen of this land has within his grasp the vote-a power that raises him to the level of the greatest captain of industry or the most brilliant statesman. No man can take it from him unless he so wills it, with it he is able to benefit himself and his fellow-man, without it he is nothing. Therefore, in this intervening time, we must realize that we whose destiny is to be shaped by the fate of this nation are ourselves responsible for its course. Periodically critical articles on the state of youth today appear, are widely discussed, and disappear, to be followed closely by others of the same nature. They are divided roughly into two groups: those deploring the ethical state of youth and those deploring youthful shiftlessness and irresponsibility. The first, l believe, we can dismiss, the same thing has been said ever since the days of imperial Rome, it is the second we must not fail to consider. Few of us today have even the remotest conscious sense of actual civic responsibility or duty, true, we have been taught that on the shoulders of its youth will rest the fate of the nation, the fate of an ideal, democracy, but we have discarded these admoni- tions as the speech of a generation who have failed to make a better world themselves, and expect us to correct their mistakes. When anyone asks how we shall ever be able to manage the affairs of a nation when we refuse the onus of daily life, we answer, lt will all come with time. But we are mistaken, today we must steel ourselves for tomorrow's struggles, we must realize our responsi- bilities today in order to fulfill our duties tomorrow. We must not procrastinate, we must act, for today we lay the foundation of our lives. Let us remember that our city, our state, our nation are what we make them. We, as civic-minded citizens, must find what problems confront our government, and then be pre- pared to take an active part in finding an effective remedy for them. Archibald MacLeish, in his America Was Promises asks the question America is promises for whom? The answer, so simple that it is a revelation, is America is promises for those who take them. lf we remember that, we cannot fail. I2

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year. The track team's sprinting has won the Southeastern Massachusetts championship tor the past three years. The social tunctions of the class could not all be sponsored because of the clos- ing of the hall last January. l-lowever, the senior class play, The Bat, was highly successful. The Pageant of the Nativity has been presented for the past two years at Christmas time by the combined musical organizations of the school and the Dramatic Club, This year the presentation was made public for the first time. As Juniors we had a most enjoyable time at the joint Junior- Senior social. ln conclusion, we wish to extend our hearty thanks to the members of the whole teaching force, Our teachers have helped to make our sojourn here at Brockton l-ligh both educational and pleasant. 949 . By Shirley Tevlin High on wind-swept hills we've stood Beneath the sun, no cares, no fear, Had not to run, shed not a tear, And viewed the years ahead as good. We now move down through tall, green grass Feet so swift and hearts so free, Eyes which, wide, yet cannot see What the future holds. Alas! We come upon the dirt and rock, Trip and fall upon our knee. We pray to God that we may see, And in our hearts the pain we lock. Black clouds above make dim our way, But in the darkness we shall know There is a place where no winds blow, Where golden sun shall bring new day. l4