Camden High School - Megunticook Yearbook (Camden, ME)

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THEMEGUNTICOOK 25 perienced players to perform in small- er instrumental groups. At this point, the present and alum- ni band members, along with the di- rector, wish to pay special tribute and say a lasting tThank You to Mr. Charles C. Wood, to whom this 1950 yearbook is being dedicated. Mr. Wood has long been a constant friend of the Camden High School Band, regularly attending all public perfor- mances in Camden, and in numerous ways showing his interest and giving them encouragement. As has been his custom for many years, Mr. Wood in- vited the Band and the Commandery men to his annual Easter Breakfast, followed by the march to and from the morning service at the Baptist Church. In the mail on Monday morn- ing following Easter this year came a check of appreciation to the band from Mr. Wood, in special recogni- tion of Easter 1950. The concert and marching band, as usual, will participate in the auditions and parade at the Eastern State Mu- sic Festival in Augusta on May 13, and the New England Music Festival at Rutland, Vermont, on May 19 and 20. It is hoped that the results will be as favorable this year as in the past, and that the band may continue to maintain its First Division Rating. The marching band will participate in the Memorial Day parades in Cam- den and Lincolnville. Because of the fact that, during the course of a school year, so many of the school activities of necessity de- pend almost entirely on the gener- osity and loyalty of the members of their home community for financial support, it was agreed early in the year that the band, for one school or- ganization, would not attempt to raise any money this year by means of public concerts or campaigns for funds, but would make its public ap- pearances only by invitation from local organizations or persons, and for special events. VOCAL MUSIC AND THE SCHOOL CHOIR A plan is now in the process where- by more opportunity for participation in vocal music activities will be off- ered to the boys and girls in the school as a whole. During the past two years, a shift has been underway from a large school chorus of unison singing to a smaller, more selected grouping of voices for the purpose of developing more and better part-singing. The al- lotted one forty-minute period per week for vocal music, if used for the large chorus group for general sing- ing, has eliminated in the past, the opportunity for the developing of more specialized vocal music for those interested. It was the original intention to off- er more general assembly singing to the school this year to counter-act the elimination of the general chorus, and still give everyone who wished an opportunity to sing, but with so many activities of the school going on within a week, plus so many neces- sary break-ins from the outside to the normal weekly school program, gen- eral singing has had to be at a mini- mum, unfortunately. In order to designate the more specialized vocal music groups this year, the term School Choir has been adopted. From this group of 67 mem- bers in the School Choir, three spe- cialized singing groups have resulted: The School Choir, the Boys' Choir of 24 members, and the Girls' Choir of 43 members. Due to the fact that many boys and girls, even though they may have the better voices, often so strongly prefer not to try out, because of nervousness, when individual voice try-outs are re- quired, the individual members this year were selected by a Committee of Listeners . This committee in- cluded the director of vocal music. None of the vocal groups have par- ticipated in public performance this year, but already have definite plans for next year.

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to ,is xx XX rc-X f 24 ATHEMEGUNTICOOK Qfi f i , l Li . , .,., NSWX 6 , BAND First row: Helen Payson, Patricia Kelley, Milton Christie, Helena Poland, Dwight French, Betty Thurston, Frank Stearns, Maurice Payson, Kathleen Dority, David Crockett. Second row: Harland Robinson, Halsey Murch, Paul Christie, Gcrdon Bass, Lucile Drinkwater, Albert Bennett, Jane Robbins, Richard Shaw, Arlene Edgecomb, Jenness Keller. Third row: Ruth Littlefield, Alfred Eaton, Jack Grinnell, Charlton Ryder, John Dority, Parker Laite, Elaine Spruce, Mary Jane Thomas, Lucille Talbot. Fourth row: Barbara Harding, Dirk Brown, 'Charles Dudley, Lindin Christie. Jerry Burkett, Christine Plaisted. Camden, held in the Community Building in Rockland. The band members were happy over the Way in which their music was received by the crowd of basketball enthusiasts present to witness an exciting game. The concert band has presented programs for the American Legion County Convention in the Camden Opera Houseg the Rockport Seaside Wonderland' Carnival, and the Mu- sic For Springtimen program for the Camden Cancer Drive, in the Opera House. Special mention should be made of the latter, because of the at- tractive and colorful setting as planned and arranged by the commit- tee who invited the band to present their concert program. The bright spring flowers, backed by evergreens, which banked the pit and boxes in front of the stage, along with the crimson and gray uniforms and the glisten of the polished instruments of the band on the stage, presented a picture long to be remembered. Frequently, when only pit music is desired, a small ensemble group of in- strumentalists from the concert band is formed and plays for such occa- sions as the Senior and School Playsg Graduation and the annual senfior production to raise funds for the Washington Trip, which this year was t'ShoWboat . The personnel of these ensembles is not necessarily the same each time, but varies, and consequent- ly gives opportunity for more l'ess-eX-

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26 THE MEGUNTICOOK SENIOR PLAY The students of Camden High's class of 1950 scored a hit performance with 'Seventeenth Summer, enacted by special arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company on Friday, November 18th. The Camden Opera House was fllled to capacity with a responsive and enthusiastic audience. The play tells the ingenious an-d gay story of the Morrow family and all their trials and tribulations dur- ing the summer months. There is a possibility you may have in your fam- ily a charming daughter like Angie Morrow. Angie reiiects back on the summer when life began to seem a little different. She is growing up and the experience bewilders her. Heretofore she has never had a date and then suddenly when she is asked, everything becomes confused. Her family good-naturedly teases her, and although she is happy beyond words, she feels a little twinge of fear at what is happening. Everyone who has gone through his Seven- teenth Summer appreciated the situ- ations in which Angie and her family became involved. USeventeenth Summer, a three- act comedy in a typical American set- ting, was cleverly handled by the en- tire cast and they enacted their vari- ous roles convincingly. Perhaps the most sympathetic portrayal was Lu- cille Talbot, the youngest sister, who cut paper dolls out of her father's eve- ning paper, and made her the show's number one scene-stealer. Sharing top honors was Nancy Brewster in her skillful performance as Angie, the Morrow family's charm- ing daughter. The rest of the talented group of seniors comprising the cast were as follows: Margaret, Angie's engaged sister, Mary Connelly, Lor- raine, her hopeful sister, Betty Thurs- tong Kitty, her ten-year-old sister, Lucille Talbot, Mr. and Mrs. Morrow, Charles Dudley and Ruth Littlefield, Jack, the boy Angie likes, Lindon Christie, Jr.g Art, Margaret's fiance, Gilbert Laiteg Martin, Lorraine's hopeful, J enness Keller, Jane, a catty friend of Angie's, Nona Talbotg Tony, a boy friend, W'entWorth Burnham, Margie, Angie's gossipy girl friend, Joan Salisburyg Fitz, her steady'l, Dirk Brown. Gail Frye, originally scheduled to play the part of Art, Margaret's fian- ce, fell ill the last week of rehearsal. His place was take-n by Gilbert Laite and Dirk Brown took Gilbert's place, in a last minute changeover. In the words of the Thespian world, Seventeenth Summer was a hit because of the vast amount of work performed by 'every member of the cast, by a diligent behind-the-scenes stage crew, and by Miss Ethel Oliver, whose tireless efforts made the play a success. Prompter for the cast was Peggy Connelly, and the hard-working prop- erty committee consisted of Arline Quinn, Patricia Kelley, Gordon Bass, and Dirk Brown. An enormous pub- licity committee was directed by Mr. Payson. MAGAZINE DRIVE The gross total of the Curtis Maga- zine Drive this year, although not as high as last year, still brought in a large sum of money. The totals are as follows: Seniors .......... 35471.00 Juniors .......... 49.80 Sophomores . . . . 164.90 Freshmen .... . 40.10 3725.80 School Commission . 35268.94 Following the usual plan, the school was divided into two teams, Seniors and Freshmen, Juniors and Sopho- mores. Thanks to the hard work of the Seniors, the former team came out the winners. Q This year again the Seniors turned their credits into money for the Washington trip. This fund was boosted with the 579.04 received in this manner.