Enfield High School - Echo Yearbook (Enfield, CT)

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10 THE ENFIELD ECHO For the first time, mid-year exams were given. How studious we all were for two weeks before examination time. I can assure you that more hooks were carried home from school in those two weeks than were carried the entire year. Yule-time approached and with it many pleasing surprises. Out- class has not forgotten when Bug Furey walked up the aisle in Room 11 with his first pair of long trousers. He looked real grown up and attracted a lot of attention, as he still continues to do. However, our second year passed more quickly than the first, and again we were out to enjoy our summer vacation. We resumed our studies again in the fall as jolly Juniors, after a long, joyous vacation. This year we had the privilege of being in the same room with the Seniors, although we were obliged to fill up all the front seats. This was, of course, quite a punishment for some in our class. Take Furey, for instance; for when he is in the front of the room he is unable to play some of his little jokes. Again we took mid-year exams, hut this year we were not quite so conscientious about them. Consequently we did not study. 1 can safely say we knew just as much about them as we did the preceding year, when we crammed so foolishly. During the influenza siege our class was grieved at the sudden death of our President, Xeelans. Neelans was loved and respected by the entire student body and faculty. Indeed, we felt like a ship without a rudder, hut our class must go on with school activities; therefore we selected John Bright, whose name fits him perfectly, and who was very popular as President. A few other officers also had to be replaced, and Harry Grindle was chosen as Vice-President; Florence Gourlie, Secre- tary and Treasurer; and Idell Godard, Historian. Our most popular girl. Mable Kessner, made her appearance during this year. Never will any of us ever forget her mischief in classes nor her ever ready smile. When she first arrived in school she became very popular, especially with the male sex. but it was nothing then compared to what it is now. After our Christmas vacation, we all looked forward with great zeal to our dance, which was to be given in May. Great preparations were made and it certainly was classed as a great success. Just think, class- mates, our illustrious class was the first in Enfield to have a real financial success as the result of a dance for many a preceding year. Again we come to our play, which was given in June, 1919. Here we find another fine actress, Helen Stowe, taking one of the leading parts in “The Amazons.” In the dancing specialty. Mildred Blackburn starred. This crowned our year as jolly Juniors. In the fall we returned as dignified Seniors (if 1 may use that term), ready for the most important year, perhaps the last of study for many of us. Of course we were all given the hack seats in Room 1, which I must confess were very comfortable, as many of us had grown since our Junior year. A few more left our rank at the beginning of our Senior year.

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THE ENFIELD ECHO 9 Think back over the years when you were Freshies; then try to picture us when we entered the front door. We were very small in size, compared with our brains and high ambitions. Hardly had we entered the door, about 100 or more of us, when we started out exploring our new place of abode. Of course we were trying to live up to the motto that we had had drilled into us since we were knee-high. “Little children should be seen and not heard”; therefore we set about to explore without asking any questions. However, we investigated very little that morning, as we were politely informed where we belonged, and accordingly we went to Rooms 8 and 9. where we met our room teachers, Miss Atwell and Miss Porter, both of whom, I can assure you, seemed very pleased to see us all. The first few days were novelties to us. We learned many new ways of passing notes, for instance on our shoe-tops, but the greatest novelty of all was that of passes. It was by this means that we were able to skip classes and go down street whenever we took a fancy. We became very well acquainted with the soda fountains in town, as we visited them quite frequently during study hours. However, teachers never realize that, “A little pleasure now and then is relished by the best of men,” and as a con- sequence but few passes were issued. We elected our class officers this year, being the first class in Enfield High School to elect officers in the Freshman year. William Neelans was elected President; Dora Houle, Secretary and Treasurer; George Becker, Vice-President; and Jessie Brooks, Historian. Fellow classmates, has there ever been a class who could send two representatives to the “Yale Pageant” as we sent Florence Gourlie and William Neelans? We also found during the very first year that our class has many talents, among them being the ability to act on a real stage. What class can boast of having members of their class take part during the Freshman year? We can, for some of our smallest Freshies took part in the dancing specialties at the play entitled “Green Stockings.” We selected class pins and rings during this year. Thus we estab- lished the precedent for class pins. The year passed very rapidly, and without realizing it, we were elevated to the position of shy Sophomores. We started in our Sophomore year with the thought of doing better than we did our first year. Room 2, in charge of Miss Gear, was assigned to us as our place of abode. We were very much surprised, however, when we returned, to find that so many of our beloved classmates had left us. Among the absent members were our Secretary and Treasurer, Dora Houle. Later in the year our Historian. Jessie Brooks, departed from our midst. Miss Gear was very popular that year, especially with her own room pupils, for many a night she asked us all to stay with her for a short chat, or “to pick up the floor and put it in the basket.” which we still maintain is impossible.

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THE ENFIELD ECHO 11 They were President John Bright and Vice-President Harry Grindle. For the third time our class must elect officers, and of course Furey, who has a very winning way, was elected President and Jennie Anderson, Vice-President. We had our customary Senior Prom in December. This was not quite the success that our Junior Prom was, hut nevertheless it was a success financially. Our minds were greatly relieved this year when it was announced that no mid-year’s were to be given. To say the least, we were not sorry. We had another great addition to our Senior Class when Harold Nash, who both sings and plays, made an appearance. For a few days the female sex were rather shy of him, but now-------. April 14 was a banner day for our class. Will any of us forget it? I hardly think so, for it was the day Vera Woodward came prancing into school with her hair up. Vera is our class baby, and we were all greatly shocked to see her. Certainly she looked fine, although she is rather small in size to have her hair dressed in such a manner. A great many times small children try to look grown up, but it did not work, for Vera is still our class baby. We acquired great athletics this year, both in baseball and basketball. Thus the victories are due to a great extent to the Senior Class. The year was passing rapidly, and before we knew it, it was time for us to think about class day and graduation. We called a class meet- ing and it was decided that in order to raise money, which we needed, we must give an entertainment. Therefore, we gave a second Senior dance May 14, and by this were able to acquire some wealth. One-fifth of our class received an invitation to attend the High School Day at the Connecticut Agricultural College over the week-end of May 28th, but since few could go, the result was that no one went, which shows how loyal we are to each other. For the first time in years the Enfield High School gave “Pinafore,” a grand opera, instead of the customary high school play. The leading lady in “Pinafore” was from our class. Cardice had a very hard part to play, but the class is certainly proud of her work on that eventful night. Bunk Chouinard also deserves credit, as he kept up the comic part of the play. We know now that he could safely travel as a comedian. Besides furnishing the above important characters, we contributed “Little Buttercup,” of equal importance, and a few sailors, whose work was also commendable. We decided to publish a class book this year with all the class day parts in it. including one large picture of the entire class, which you may obtain tonight, undergraduates, as a souvenir of your beloved Seniors. Before concluding, let me say that the great success of our class is due wholly to the good will and influence of our teachers. Did you ever see a better set of teachers than they, any who were more willing to help us mount the ladder of success ? Both our Superintendent, Mr. Bowman, and our Principal, Mr. Bryant, have done all they possibly could to make our class, as well as