Dighton Rehoboth High School - Golden Log Yearbook (Dighton, MA)

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Sa lu mtory THE WORLD AND THE GRADUATE Today, many of the nations of the world are in a restive state due to important problems set before them for decisive action. The cause of this predicament rests upon an important issue which has been introduced for adoption. This is the choice of two ways of living: the American way of life or the Soviet way of life. Our method yields friendship, co-operation, equality and unity, the other yields meaningless promises and domination by force. These nations, before considering a choice, should visualize and weigh the possible benefits of each plan. They see the Iron Curtain drawing down and pressing westward across Europe, threaten- ing its neighbors politically and economically. Then, in the opposite direction, they perceive our in- dependence and progress. We are attempting to procure salvation from the Iron Curtain for these nations with the Marshall Plan. A problem arising before us under these circumstances is whether the domination by Russia of these oppressed nations will produce a conflict between Americanism and Communism. Is war the only alternative? This seems to be the question uppermost in the minds of Americans today. We must realize that, for the present, we face rivalry between our way of life, our ideals, our sys- tems of industry, our form of government and those of the Soviet Union. This rivalry may result in war. Yet we must be aware of war and should consider the factors of preparedness. Robert S. Allen, a noted columnist, points out that the Iron Curtain is not as impervious as the Soviets want us to believe. Facts indicate that Russia is having great difficulty in rebuilding and re- organizing its war-ravaged industries. The industrial wealth which Russia lacks lies in rail equip- ment, in motor transport, in new plants and equipment, in machine tools. These items form the fun- damentag ingredients of a nation's war potential, and Russia does not possess these in sufficient quan- tity at t is time. Another factor in determining the capability of a country to wage successful war is the degree of military advancement in the most effectual and modernized method of waging war. Upon the sub- ject Stalin has this to say: The second World War was merely a prelude to modern war in this age, which will be based on the complete domination of the air. Aviation will play the primary and deci- sive role in this type of warfare . . . Entire armies will engage in the air . . . The nation which can put more men and machines in the air will have the greatest chance to win. Yet, we may think Russia has two advantages. First, it has the largest standing army in the world and, second, it has the greatest land area. But this great standing army does not measure up to Stalin's own statement. Its extensive land area would not necessarily hinder air invasion or bombard- ment. This great army would not be an asset in an atomized war or in a war of jet propulsion. A nation could easily destroy an army with germ invasion and devastate a country with atom bombs. Pondering upon our questions of war, a feasible solution should include action upon the Marshall Plan, aviation progress, and military training. It is obvious that the Marshall Plan may provide the best way to preserve or at least to improve the prospects of world peace. This is not too large a price to pay to maintain free nations in western Europe in the traditions of democracy , in the principles of human dignity , and in the respect for individual rights . We must not forget that there will be no western world fit for free man to live in unless we keep the avenues open to freedom and prog- ress of the individual by our example. If these statements of Mr. Allen, Stalin, and other commentators are true, we can see that war with Russia is not imminent. What does all this have to do with us, the graduating class of 1948? This problem of Russia and the United States faces us perhaps more forcibly than any other. We must be patient and broad- minded in order to meet new problems of our challenging world. We are confident because we are enabled through the efforts of our parents, our teachers, and our friends to meet our nation's demands for intelligent citizenship. It is our duty to fulfill this trust by improving ourselves further by wisely using our education in determining our path in world living. Then, and only then, can our democratic institutions endure and become strong enough to withstand any form of attack. -EMILY DULAK Twenty-seven

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Va ledictor THE DIGNITY OF WORK Graduation marks a transition, a change from one stage of life to another. It is consequently a sub- dued group of students that you see before you today, forwe, the Seniors of Dighton High School, like thousands of other graduating classes, look askance into the future and await the opportunities of to- morrow in a spirit of awe and expectation. All of us dream of high accomplishment-be it in one field or another-that will at the same time increase our powers and broaden our capacity for understand- ing, for service, and for enjoyment. However, the future is built upon the past and at a time when we are ready to take a step forward, it is only logical that we cast a look backward. In taking stock of past achievement, we realize that nothing has been accomplished except through work. Work is a necessary factor, not merely for purposes of survival, but for the higher pur- pose of fulfillment. This realization, however, need not be distressing to us if we consider work in the true role it plays in our lives and if we prepare conscientiously to perform it as well as we can. For the quality of our work depends largely on our attitude toward it. Now work may be toil. Toil involves drudgery and is mechanical and perfunctoryg it is devoid of personality, beauty or power. Toil is submitted to, as an unescapable evil. Man's heart and mind turn away from it in aversion and disgust. He cannot use it as a medium for self-expression and consequently feels stunted and thwarted by a continued expenditure of effort from which he derives no power, no pleasure. It may be well to point out here that under the regime of a totalitarian state, where freedom of thought as well as freedom of enterprise is banned, no activity can be anything else but toil, toil that even degenerates into slavery since slavery is any activity carried out carelessly by compulsionof fear, tyranny, or starvation. Anyone who is always subject to the direction of another and who does not have the freedom to govern his own actions is a slave. A democracy on the other hand, offers freedom of enterprise, that is, the right to choose one's work and to perform it in the manner which to the worker seems most efficient, providing it does not jeopardize the common good. As contrasted to toil, work involves thoughtful planning, organized skill, and the sense of per- sonal growth through productive effort. True, no one is born with skillg it must be acquired through practice. Practice means directed purposeful effort. Now many of us do not like the word effort. That is because we look at its meaning too superficially. In deeper analysis, effort indeed is living. We all love life, the activities that life makes possible. Yet none of these activities can be performed Without effort, from learning to walk to learning to read. Effort is the testing of our physical and mental powers to overcome difficulties in the process of growth. The presence of a need, the birth of an am- bition, the desire to render service are all incentives to effort. Skill in a given field is developed through courageous persevering effort in that field. Those who are afraid of this effort will never gain the freedom of skill, nor achieve the real status of a worker. Work can and should be raised to a still higher level. lt can be made the source of deep personal happiness by the realization of service to society. Aworker conscious of the value of his work to his fel- lowmen is happy in his contribution to their welfare and happiness. Everyone strives for happiness, and to be able to derive it from one's work seems to be the highest achievement of active life. The worker, in fact, always thinks of better ways of doing his work, of enriching it with the gifts of his best endeavor, of stamping it with a truly personal seal. Thus art, the doing of useful work in a spe- cially beautiful and outstanding way, is born. Work then, far from being a task, becomes the mainstay and the zest'of life, the worker, no matter in what field he may be engaged, is an artist, one who works as though he were at play. In this respect man can take some hints from nature at her graceful work. Nature never rests and yet is always in repose, she never ceases to work and yet always seems to be at play. The amount of power involved in the change from winter to summer is incalculable, but the change is accom- plished so quietly and gradually that it is impossible to associate the name of toil with it. The com- plete ease of nature at her work is unbelievable. The secret of this silent, invisible, easy play of force lies perhaps in perfect adaptation of instrument to task, in complete harmony between power, meth- ods, and ultimate aims. It appears, then, that whatever we have envisioned for the future, our first concern must be to face work unafraid, to undertake it with unstinting energy, and to recognize the dignity of any en- deavor that not only develops character through self-discipline in the practice of a skill, but which also becomes a source of happiness in the value of the product to self and to society. --RUTH ROUNSEVELL Twenty-six

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Class irtory Twenty-eight Lest We Forget! DEAR DIARY September, 1944-Dighton High School, here we are. Accepted without qualms into the class of '48. Smiling faces-friendly greetings-terrifying tur- moil! Stairs and bells. Comical confusion on wrong room, wrong time. Classes, small and large. Teachers in all variations of size and disposition. We like it here. 1944-A month of homework and fun. Friendships molded. Life begins even for Freshmen! An era of leadership led by james Dutra, assisted by Robert Patterson, Ruth Rounsevell, and john Dutra. November, 1944-Freshman superiority in salesmanship in the Magazine Drive. What did we tell you? Those also serve who only stand and wait. We stood in lines too as was the custom of the day, but we bought our bonds and waited as we did our bit for Victory. December, 1944-Winter yields its power in Dighton. Brr! First big dance for little underclassmen. Thrills, frills, chills. Anticipa- tion is better for worseb than reality-they always find our feet. Christmas and a rest! 1945-Alas and alack-mid years! Why? Peace is never lasting. The month of work first, then pleasure. One bright spot-the gym and bas- ketball. Freshmen represented by Pete Cummings and Jim Dutra. February, 1945-Hearts and flowers! A social must- The Mardi Gras . French Club formal providing exotic evening, exotic gowns-gee, just exotic! Rose Evangelho and Robert Cummings looked simply divine as our rep- resentatives in the court. Mid-winter relaxation. We need it, but definitely. March, 1945-One, two, three, four. Push ups, push downs, swing from the raft- ers. Ah yes, the annual Gym Meet. More laughs-the Talent Show. Outstanding actors were Joe Cambra, john Dutra, jim White, and Ruth Rounsevell. April, 1945-School work? Yes, we occasionally attend classes. What are we say- ing? Toil and trouble-slave and save-just cogs in the wheel of educa- tion. Parade of cottons. Winter must be over. May, 1945-Spring fever. Sulphur and molasses. A festival in the form of the junior Prom. Imagine but one more month of acute freshmaness! june, 1945-This year has flown. Its memories, poignant and yet passive, will never fly from us. To climb into the Sophomore class is our next flight. Thanks for our outing at Crescent Park. Whee! A lovely way to end a happy year. We like it here. DEAR DIARY September, 1945-Hi! We're back. No longer green and dewey-eyed. Poor Frosh, you'll learn. We did. We have increased. We have Miss Laliberte to help us, and Rehoboth has arrived with laughter, luck, and promise of a successful year. October, January,