Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 9 Our endeavors in the literary world have been shown this year by several articles in the AcA111eMv BE1.1.,the Edi- tor-in-chief and the Associate Editors on Alumni, Literature, Exchanges, Ath- lct cs, and the Art Department, were Seniors, as well as the Business Man- ager and one of his assistants. Today marks the end of the history of the class of 19223. Today we leave the dear old Academy. Won to the left and I to the right, For the ways of men must sever- And it well may be for a day and a night, And it well may be forever. , But whether we meet or whether we part tlior our ways are past our knowlngj, A pledge from the heart to its fellow heart On tlte ways we all arc going! Here's luck! For we know not where we are going. C1.1 1-'Foam GRAY. ORATION. TEN IMPORTANT DATES IN AMERICAN HISTORY. Among the dates in history which are important to every American citizen are: October 12, 1l92g the year 16203 July 4, l77tig September 3, 17833 the year 1i'SSg December 2, 18233 April 12, 1861, April 14, 1865, and April ti, 1917. l do not pretend to say these dates are the greatest ones in American History: lgut 1 do say that they are among the greatest. The hrst date, Octolger 12, 1-192, brings to every mind the discovery of America. Christopher Columbus, an ltalian by birth, after many disappoint- ments received the help of the Queen of Spain to equip a small Heet of three ships. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain and headed due west. He hoped to find the West Indies. Co- lumbus had two motives in sailing: First he wished to convert the people of the Indies to Christianity, and second, he hoped to establish a shorter trade route to these islands, Finally, 011 October I2, 1492, after many hardships, land was sighted, and Columbus landed on the Island of Guanahani. Thus was America discovered. My second date deals with the land- ing of the Pilgrims. In the year I62O a company of Englishmen had resolved to emigrate to America. The chief rea- son for going was that they might enjoy both political and religious liberty, ac- cording to their own standards of what was just alld right. They had pla1111ed to settle 11ear tl1e Hudson River, but upon reaching this coast they found themselves near what is now Cape Cod, and decided to settle there. lVhfle their ship. the Mayflower, re- mained at anchor. Captain Standish with a btzatload of men went out to explore. On December 21st they came to Ply- mtruth fiay and landed near a boulder which has since been called Plyniouth Rock. The Pilgrims declared them- selves loyal subjects of the King, but at the same time they made their own laws and elected John Carver as their first Governor. Thus the 11ew common- wealth began. They were but a few score people, but they had the strength that belongs to those who fear God and respect themselves. The next date is Indepenence Day,

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8 THE ACADEMY BELL cause of his white hair and gold tooth. Rachel Heath, Clifford Kimball, and Alice llallard joined our ranks and again we numbered forty-five. As the year progressed we found more time to take part in the Various activi- ent. My attention was soon called to one of our new members. He was a pale, thin, sickly looking fellow. Today as we look at Charles l-larmon we cannot help but marvel at the change two years of life at Fryeburg Academy has brought about. In place of a wan and beardless face, we ind a countenance with the amplitude of a full moon and with the whiskers of a buecaneer. VVe also welcomed Forrest and VVal- lace lllake, and Marguerite Marston of llrownheld. After a year's absence Charles Davidson returned to F. A., Marion Stokes and Lucille Locke regis- tered, but left soon after they had joined us. ties. The varsity basket ball team took two of our men, one of whom was the captain, and two others won their let- ters in track. Vlfhen the spring term ended seven boys had earned their let- ters in baseball. .Athletics was not the only thing in which we gloried, however. The gen- eral improvement prize was earned by Percy llurnellg Lillian Swan won the medal for excellency in Englishg Percy Burnell and Marion Charles won prizes in the annual speaking contestg Lillian Swan and Vashti Clement won the Latin prizes. When we returned as juniors in the fall of 1921, we counted and recounted the class roll and found only forty pres- Few were the functions of school life that did not find some of the Juniors in- volved. The improvement prize for girls was won by Doris lfernaldg the English medal was won by Vashti Clement, the first prize in Latin was won by Mary Eastmang and the first prize in the annual speaking contest was won by Raymond Cotton. Two Juniors served as literary editors on the ACAD- EMY BELL, while a third held the position of assistant business manager. Five Juniors, including the captain and man- ager, won letters in basket ball, and eight juniors earned letters in baseball. At the end of this year we heard of Mr. VVelch,s resignation with misgivings, for he had guided us through three years of our school life. At the beginning of our Senior year Mr. Elroy O. LaCasce took the position as Headmaster. Mr. LaCasce has proved himself wholly in sympathy with the scholars, and has thereby gained the co- operation of the entire school. Early last fall a debating society was organized by the Senior class. Percy llurnell was chosen President, Robert Eastman, Vice-President and Mary Eastman, Secretary. Un March 22 we presented a drama entitled His Unclels Niece. The parts were well taken, and from this drama and the dance which followed the class realized one hundred and sixty-one dol- lars. Un March 29, 1923, we were sad- dened by the death of Mrs. Alberta Mabry Abbott who had been the faithful and efficient head of the Music Depart- ment for the past quarter of a century.

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IO THE ACADEMY BELL July -1, 17713. England had endeavored to tax the Colonists against their will, and as a result the Colonists rebelled. The Americans did not seek separation, but the King of England forced it on them and there was no choice left. In june, 1776, Richard Henty Lee of Vir- ginia offered this resolution in Congress: Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states. A committee of live, Thomas Jeffer- son, john Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Living- ston, was chosen to draw up a declara- tion enbodying ythat resolution. Thomas jefferson did the work. On July 4, 17713, John Hancock, President of Congress. signed the Declaration of American In- dependence in that bold, decided hand which the King of England could read without spectacles. Later, the represent- atives of the colonies added their names to the Declaration. That completed the work. The thirteen British Colonies had ceased to exist. In their place stood a new nation. the United States of Amer- ica, and it has been a free and independ- ent nation ever since. September 3, 1783, marks the signing of the Treaty of Peace with England. ln a speech to Parliament in 1782, the King of England said that he was ready to acknowledge the independence of the United States, and that it was his ear- nest prayer that religion, language, in- terest, and affection might prove a bond of permanent union between the two countries. The treaty secured for us the thirteen states and the territory west of them to the Mississippi, in all, an area of about eight hundred thousand square miles. VVe were then free and independent, but we were not united. Congress had no power to enforce the laws that it made. At last, in 1787, a convention of fifty-five members was held in Philadel- phia to draw up a new Constitution. W'ashington presided at this convention, which consisted of the chief men from all the states. After a stormy session of nearly four months the great work was completed, and the Constitution was adopted. During the next year, 1788, all of the states decided to adopt it, and from that time on we were united as well as free and independent. About a hundred years ago Mexico and several South American countries had declared themselves republics, inde- pendent of Spain. President Monroe suspected that the European kings were going to help Spain regain control of these countries. In his message to Con- gress on December 2, 1823, the Presi- dent declared, that while the United States was resolved not to meddle with the affairs of the nations of the Old VVorld, we were equally determined that they should not meddle with the affairs of the New. That declaration is called the Monroe Doctrine. It means that we consider that America is for Americans, and any attempt on the part of Europe to extend her system to any portion of this hemisphere would be regarded as the manifestation of an unfriendly dis- position toward the United States. April 12, 1861, marks the beginning of the Civil War, that great struggle be- tween the North and South. Durinff b the four long years that the war lasted,