Chatham Central High School - Flight Yearbook (Chatham, NY)

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Thirty-t'w0 T H E T A N A G' E R Class prophecy HE airplanes were being warmed up for their hop from San Francisco to New York. The loud droning of motors was a very pleasant sound for the traveler anxious to be on his way. Last minute orders were being issued, the dispatcher was calling in a thunderous voice, Plane FD-27 ready for flight to New York, first stop Kansas City, All aboard, all aboard, all aboard. Passen- gers hurried along to the ship, and were strapped into safety belts. The stewardess proved to be Julia Burrows, four years graduated from nursing school. The co- pilot entered from the cockpit to see if everything was ready for the take-off. It was none other than Thomas Red O'Connell, a very good pilot and due for a promotion soon. The hop was to last for about seven hours so everyone looked around to take stock of his fellow passengers. As I turned to glance at my neighbor, I noticed something familiar about him. It couldn't be, but it was .... a very dashing young man that I had known in school. Why, of course, Freddy Eames, only different fro-m the one I remembered. Freddy had just completed a big construction job and was on his way to great fame as a civil engineer. The Schlegels, our own Hank and Ruth Borden, had just celebrated the fifth anniversary of their mar- riage. That harum-scaruni Peggy Arnold had settled down to be a very respect- able law-abiding citizen as a dentist in Albany. Robert Miller, our dashing Lo- thario, had just turned to the ministry to help his foreign brothers and sisters, and Dick Crellin was practicing medicine hoping someday to be a second Dr. Dafoe. Charlie Wyman was a chemistry teacher, and Dorothy Dennis, Fred told me, sat home waiting until they had saved enough money to be married. Helen Dennis was already married, and social leader of Valatie. Margaret Hoff- man, who was writing scripts for all the big radio programs, was, as usual, dividing her affections between Alfred Binsse, a professional dancer, and James Creighton, cashier in the Chatham Bank. Aglae Binsse was a rising young actress with many successes to her credit. Kitty Petry and Dorothy Alamillo had become private secretaries in a large firm in Pittsburgh, and Clare Hughes was matron in a day nursery in Hudson. The discussion drew to a close as we put down at Kansas City where I was to wait a few days before going on. I stopped at a charming hotel where we received excellent service .... no wonder. NVhen a Chatham High School grad- uate serves you, you know that you have been served, and who do you suppose was managing the hotel? None other than Frankie Curry, matured into a very polite young man. While touring around the city, I visited a night club and there I heard Loyal DnVal singing with a very prominent orchestra. Back at the hotel again I met Nathalie M nnsey, one of my old friends, who was a com- mercial buyer and traveler for a large clothing firm in New York. She told me of the happenings in her locality. Virginia Frederick had just received a position as a dietician in a large hospital, and Virginia Este, was librarian in a library some where in Massachusetts. Marlin Gelbert had settled down to be a farmer who set the country girls hearts aflutter whenever he came near them, and Edward Ostrowsky was doing much the same thing. It was then time to leave Kansas City and start my long trip to New York. When I arrived, it was rainingg and people were hurrying to and fro getting into cabs and having their bags taken by willing porters. As I was impatient

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Thirty-one With the largest cast in the history of the school, and a new set of scenery built entirely by high school boys, the Senior play, Growing Pains , was an outstanding success. The Dramatic Club was formed as an outgrowith of the friendship-s and associations gaxined during rehearsals, and its ambitious program promises to increase interest in dramatics. Social, dramatic, and scholastic successes are not all that we will be re- membered for. Long years will pass before the names of Petry, Alamillo, B-insse, VVyman, Eames, Curry, Callahan, Ploss, Everett, DuVal, and Callan, vanish from the field of basketball, track, baseball, and soocer. Representative of the precedents that we have set during our high school career is our yearbook. Through cooperation and special effort, we have en- deavored to make our completed work a good example for the other classes who may wish to follow in our footsteps. Our class has not been without loss. Among those who made a splendid start in Chatham High, only to move or discontinue school for some other reason, are Bob Moran, Jay Pinkerton, Efthel Huson, and Bill VVhite. To compensate for this loss, however, we have several new arrivals, among whom are Nathalie Miunsey and Carol Brady. Pausing for a moment, as june draws near, we reflect that Commencement night will bring four years of work and play to a climax. No longer will we be able to skip classes, invent elaborate excuses, and dawdle through the day with careless gayety. We will emerge from the protection of Chatham High, rich in its tradition, to take our places in life. The deeds we have accomp- lished in high school are only the groundwork of -our future, yet they are the cornerstone on which we will build the monuments of our lives. Conse- quently, many of us will contribute brilliant edifices to the world about us. -MARGARET HOFFMAN. '37

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T H E T A N A G' E R Thirty-three to get home, I decided to leave at once, as tired as I was, and soon I was on a train bound for Chatham. I wasn't too tired, however, to welcome the sight of a friend, and even a train conductor isn't so hard to look at if he is as hand- some as Andrew Van Alstyne. Andy gave me bits of information about my friends f between punching ticketsj. It seems that Harold Spickernzan had just been elected Mayor of Ghent for a third term: Charles Wilber was Commis- sioner of Public Welfare and residing at the County House in Ghent. Lena Staate was a Public Health nurse, there too. The journey seemed twice as long as had the trip across the continent, but that was because I was weary from seeing nothing but trees and buildings go past me at a terrific speed. Bed was the first place I went when I reached home, and I left my investigating until the next day. When I arose, I glanced at the Courier, and noticed an announcement that Carrie Van Ness had just married one of the local swains. Carol Brady twho had at last decided to give up a career for marriagej had been entertaining in honor of Lieutenant and Mrs. Thomas Wall fthe former Molly' Hardingj. Tonuny was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, then on shore leave. Among those present that I knew were Albert Callan. a journalist on a large New York newspaper, and Genevieve Garvey, Chatham heart-throb. She had been engaged several times but just couldn't seem to settle down. A walk through the village showed me that a hospital had just been erected, the nursing staiif of which consisted of Dorothy' Petry, Betty Hornans, Doris Buckbee and Dorothy Sitcer. Many changes had been made in the teaching staiif at the local school, Clara, Watdrwortlz was music teacher, Donald lfVhiteman, Latin teacher: Florence Moshirner, Business Instructor, Harriet Crosby, History teacher, and Jane Williamison, Librarian. Main Street looked much the same as ever except for some changes in the proprietorship of the stores. William Smith Sz Company had replaced Christensen's, and Roy Baker was manager of Delson's and would probably own it some day. I noticed, too, the law offices of Malcolm Alarnlllo, Russell Hatch, Calvin Thayer, and King Van Deusen. Howard Ploss was the same man about town he always was. William Pitcher was Sheriff of Columbia County, and was known as the toughest honibre around these here parts . Franklin Ostrandcr was the County 4-H Leader, and Frances Shufelt was running a very smart dress shop in Chatham, assisted by Pauline Stalker. I heard, too, that Mary Dellea. operated a restaurant in Flat- Brook and Wilfred Sheldon was running a very successful fruit farm out on the Kline Kill road. As for politics, Cecil Everett had just been elected C for a third termj Mayor of Chatham, while Charles Dorland was Chief of the Chatham Fire Depart- ment, and the town's 'leading photographer, and last but not least, Teddy Callahan, was Chief of Police, and the best plumber in this section. DOLORES CASEY '37