Catholic High School For Girls - Silver Sands Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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members what I look like? I mean, do you think he's got me mixed with someone else P Of course he remembers, dear. Why, isn't he that Big Moment you had your picture taken with at the beach? And hasn't he that picture P Yes, but maybe he's just feeling sorry for me, Mom. Well, I'll show him what I'll do. When he comes to pick me up, he won't know me. I'll be so thin I'l1 look as if I spent these last three months in a hothouse. QAnd I will if I have tolj. And since it's a special kind of dance, I'm going to give him a special kind of surprise. And 'Tiny meant what she said. With only coffee for breakfast, a quick lunch, and emphatic refusals of dessert at supper time, her campaign was well under way. Every night she did her calisthenics. While the alarm clock ticked away the minutes, she dreamt of yvorking away pounds. She even had a slogan over her bed: To be thin or not to beg that is the ques- tion. Then one aftemoon weeks and weeks later at the Snack Bar where she now indulged in only orangeade instead of the previously favored jumbo sundae with black and white malted as an appetizer, she bumped into Peggy. Why, Tiny, where have you been hiding lately? You look positively ghastly! You're so skinny. You poor thing, were you sick ? THE 1951 SILVER SANDS Of course not, silly. I've just been on a scrumptious diet and I've ac- tually lost enough weight to Ht into a size 12. Imagine! I'm never going back to those 18's again. What's the big occasion, Tiny? A man? Uh huh. Remember that boy named Buddy that we met at the shore last summer? Well, he's taking me to a special kind of dance next week. It's called a F.G.C.B.F. dance. He won't tell me about it, but I just know it'll be wonderful. Ieeper, I've got to be going. I've got to stop at the store on the way home and pick up my dress. I'm so excited I'm ready to burst. Be seeing you, Peggy. The day of the dance found the McShain' house in a flurry of excite- ment. Tiny was all over the place, trying to get ready. Her shoes were downstairs, her stockings out on the line, her dress in the hall closet, and it seemed that she just couldn't get them all 'together no matter what. Buddy called to say that he'd be out at eight o'cloek-only five hours for her to finish ! . When the hall clock struck eight, Buddy arrived and Tiny came floating down the stairs. Buddy just stared at her with his mouth open. He couldn't speak except for a strangled Gee whiz or Golly . Well, Buddy, shall we go? I-Iuh? Where P 2

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THE 1951 SILVER SANDS walked down the street, the neighbor- hood boys all whistled the too popular song, She's Too Fat for Me. And yvhen she was with the crowd after school at the Snack Bar, someone al- ways saved two stools just for Tiny. So, she really did have a problem. Once more the bed creakedg another page was tumed, and time marched on. Tick . . . tick . . . Order requires intelligence, design requires intelli- gence . . . Tick . . . tick . . . Therefore, order and design require intelligence. Tick . . . tick . . . tick . . . Ding-a- lingl Like a fish Tiny was on the scream- ing clock and had it silenced. With another sweep of her chubby arm, she had the bed cleared of all the books. The witching hour was here. Tiny surreptitiously drew a book from un- der the mattress, locked the bedroom door, and picked up the alarm clock. The title of the book was How to Reduce with Bells On , but Tiny thought a more appropriate title would be For Whom the Bell Tolls. When the alarm was set and the book opened to the exercises, Tiny set to work. l..2..I'vegot...3..4.. toget...S..6..realthinor ...7..8..I'llnever...9... get a . . . boyfriend . . . IO. Tick . . Tick . . Tick . . The obe- dient timkeeper worked on faithfully. Boy . . . toe, ankle, knee, rest. . . . IwishPeggywould...toe... ankle, knee, rest . . . do this with me . . . toe, ankle, . . . she needs it yvorse than I do .... rest. In the midst of a deep knee bend, she heard her mother's voice penetrat- ing the locked door, alarm clock, and 1..2..3...4. Tiny, a call for you. It's a 'you know what'l Mrs. McShain didn't have to say any more. When a boy called Tiny, no encouragement was needed to get her downstairs. She reacted like an atomic bomb on a successful trial run. She was at the 'phone before her mother could put it down. Hello, Yes, this is Tiny. Who? Buddy? Why of course I remember you. How could I forget! It was at Wildwood this summer. Oh, you're calling from Pittsburg-hg you're living with your aunt for a while. Thatfs line! Say, how can you talk with all that smoke out there? Oh, I see, they've got smoke control. What, Buddy, you're having a special dance and you'll be back here in time for it? That's sharp! Who? Me? With you? Why, I'd love to go. Three months from now? Oh good! That'1l give me plenty of time to get ready. And you'l1 check with me again be- fore then? Wonderful! 'Bye now. Mom, I've got a date, it's a dance. Yes, I heard. But Mom, do you think he re-

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THE 1951 SILVER SANDS To the dance, of course. You did ask me to go to the dance with you, didn't you? ' Well yes, in a way. That is, sort of. Why didn't you tell me what hap- pened to you? Golly, Tiny, we ca.n't go to the dance now I We ca.n't? But why not? Don't you know what the purpose of the dance was? Tiny, the name F.G.C.B.F. means FAT GIRLS CAN BE FUN. But, golly, you're not fat anymore I don't know what to do! Well, I do, Buddy. I know a place where they sell positively heavenly jumbo banana splits with all the ice cream you can eat, and next door, there's a movie with the biggest candy counter in the city. When the next F.G.C.B.F. dance rolls around, yve'll be there with bells on. Come on, Buddy, let's go! 8 an at Blessed be God- For the earth we love, For the stars that .shine 'W ay up above, For the gentle .round Of quiet rain And the brilliant dawn Of sun again- Blessed be God. Blessed be God- Far the light to see, For the faith infused I n you and me, For the gift of grace When trials sting, Blessed be God For everything. Jon: Rurmm 'r, '52 NANCY Conn, '52