Burlington High School - Oread Yearbook (Burlington, VT)

Page 22 text:

THE CLASS OE NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTYfONE OFFICEIQS DANIEI. P. LOOMIS .... . ...... President VIVIAN J. SI-IATTUCK . . . . . . l7z'ce-President IWZINNIE N. IMORRIS ..... Secretary EARL E. IVIORGAN . . . . . .Trea.f'mfe1f SENIOR EDITORIAL If we might start as Freshmen again in I T Edmunds High, what in our four years, now so nearly completed, would we alter? And what would we proudly try to imitate? Vie wonder! First in 1917 and 1918 as green little Fresh- men, when our country was newly launched in the great war, would we forego the many lessons we learned through our enthusiastic participation in all the war-time activities, the efforts expended on Thrift Stamp campaigns, on Red Cross work and on the Liberty Loan drives? Lessons, all of them in Patriotism-the true and sincere love of country expended in service. Then in the fall of our Sophomore year, would we want to have taken from us the thrill of that eventful Inorning November 11, 1918, with its message of peace at last- and all the joy and thankfulness that it brought to the hearts of all true Ameri- cans, old and young? We sincerely believe not, for it brought to us inspiration to achieve and purpose to live up to the ideals of our democratic government, for which so many sacrifices had been made, among our very own friends and rela- tives, in their fighting overseas. And indeed, if in our Junior year we groaned a little to come back to things as they had once been before the war, and Hnal exams, were we wholly to be blamed? The Frenchman's one excuse, given with his expressive shrug of the shoulders for every misfortune, must also be ours, C'etait la guerre. But in Page eighteen

Page 21 text:

Page seventeen SEMQR 'E V3 nf

Page 23 text:

spite of our dislike of and fright over these wicked examinations, they did not overwhelm us. In fact, we managed not only to survive them, but even came out triumphantly to celebrate the end of our third year with a junior banquet, where gaiety, good fellowship and loyalty to Edmunds High was the prevailing spirit. And now we are fast approaching our goal-the long-coveted diploma seems not very far distant-and we stop and look back to sum up our four years in these few words. We would alter, doubtless, many mistakes of carelessness or intention, many slips from the road we meant to follow, many lazy loiterings en route, perhapsg but we would not alter our steadfast aims, nor our earnest efforts to achieve them. We would alter, perhaps, many marks on cards, when our days seemed so full of more important side issues that we were forced to choose, and in so doing allowed our studies to slide along as best they might for the time being, but we would not alter the gentle and kindly reproof of Miss Moore for work overdue, the persistent effort of Miss Pease to see that we accomplished our outside read- ing, the Monday afternoon dinning of French III into our unwilling ears, the sincere and well-timed counsel of Mr. Colburn when something had seemed to go decidedly Wrong. These we would not alter, for now that they are almost over, we have come to realize that beneath them all lay a very real desire to help us, to make our paths easier in after years, when weightier problems than any in Algebra II or Trigonometry, and more costly experiments than any in Chemistry Laboratory, are going to confront us. And so after all, this, our Senior year, with our big share in all athletics, with our real work on our studies, with our experience at managing all school activities, with our social pleasures and interests, with our Commencement honors, must stand as the proof of what we, the Class of 1921, have learned-the pledge of what we shall do. Page nineteen