Brockton High School - Brocktonia Yearbook (Brockton, MA)

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xcerplzi rom ada Qrafion By RICHARD YUKINS Parents, invited guests, teachers, and fellow classmates of 1952, I am going to tell you a story that I heard a number of 1 months ago. Although the tale may be true, I cannot vouch 6 v for its veracityg nevertheless, it will serve to illustrate my point. The setting-England, during the last war when blackouts X t and German bombing raids were every-day occurrences. Learning from hard experience, the British had built special London bomb shelters in which necessary supplies and com- modities were stored for emergencies. One night, like count- less other nights, the dreaded German bombers again began storming across the Channel. Englishmen again dropped whatever they were doing and headed for the nearest shelters, like so many ants scurrying into the protection of a hole in the ground. Then, one after another, the bombs began to drop, raining death and terror over the countryside. The people in the particular shelter about which this story centers, could hear the shrill whistling shrieks of the falling bombs, but suddenly, one shriek seemed louder, more ominous than the rest. As these people looked about, frantic- ally realizing what little they could do to save themselves, the bomb struck a short distance from the shelter with a thundering explosion, violently rocking the enclosure, smashing its lights, and filling the only entrance with impen- etrable rubble and dirt. Then followed a death-like silence in the dust-laden blackness, and soon the wailing of children could be heard, but in the growing pandemonium of that bomb, the faint flicker of a fire suddenly appeared near the entrance. Madly grabbing candles from the storage boxes, people charged toward the dying flame in a desperate effort to get one of the candles lit. Iust as the fire was about to die, the wick of one of the candles flickered aglow. A sigh of relief passed through that tense group as this one flame grew from a tiny spark to a mellow glow. At least they would have light while waiting for the rescue crews to dig them out, but as the people lined up to get a light from this candle to theirs, the man holding it exclaimed, No, this is my light! No one else can take from it because it may go out! I-le then shielded it from the astounded crowd, leaving the rest of that little enclosure in darkness. From his single candle power there could have been many candle powers, and the shelter would have had plenty of light. With his one candle he controlled the power of light and darkness in that isolated microcosm. This example of the literal power of candle light is analogous to the countless examples in history where figurative candle powers of high ideals and inspira- tions of great men have held in the balance the saving of the world by admit- ting new light that serves not for the advantage of one selfish individual but for the benefit of all mankind .... . . . I am afraid that we are too prone to accept the conditions of our present civilization with the complete innocence of a pet rabbit: our government, cul- tures, and science, our schools, libraries, and hospitals are taken for granted without thought of the candle powers which burned to make them realities. We here, the members of the graduating class of 1952, have a power that took twelve years of our lives in kindling, this light of education is now ours, and the duty to use it in the purpose for which it was created is the challenge which lies ahead of each and every one of us. The world today is learning in a painful tContinued on Page 96? lb

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Words by Suzanne MacLean , fggfff' we ft xvx Music by Ann Porter ft, s J f 755 Ji pl it l P r im ' ii l JJ QF Q 'll f J- HE! l -4 ni, Jl flljjiji-lij I ! .r'll- I VV ' Lat px tl Gfddzi 0 'Ernbarking today with our sails gaily spread, 14We leave our safe harbor, for breakers ahead, itWhen storrn winds are rising, and hard winds do ll blow, lOh, then we'll be valiant, and face ev'ry foe. lllhe wisdom we've learned all along our school way, Will help us to conquer our troubles each day, iAnd guide our srnall craft over far distant seas, kWith God as our Pilot, our haven He sees. l t t t 15 Ch, let us grow stronger and ever more kind, As each one endeavors his own goal to find, Bestow on our efforts success and fair fate, Cur ideals kept sacred, our souls free from hate. May none of our school friendships falter or fail, No matter how rough are the seas or the gale, We'll know that our conirades are loyal and true, And God in His goodness will guide our lives through.

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.Md foriand Gcrthered together tntormolly on the steps ore the historians who ore busy seorchtnq through volumes ot clcrss records. They wish to present our senior class with on exoct occount of the three yecxrs spent here ot Brockton Hiqh School. Y' fe-2 Q2-G-' I! Ze . 'X Z X Nl! t yyy xt ,, A 'S y I f 1 X . U11 1 A! f4f5L:.'2lI. ' .ew - . Ann Forsllerq, lvlcxrtlttgr S'iles, Lourre l'lQITCll, Rcliert Dickie, Ltgrs St+.f'sf.rt, VU' wtf- lf? zylcr. 17