Germantown Academy - Ye Primer Yearbook (Fort Washington, PA)

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1 .J 4.4.1 . 14+ +4-ALJ-Leg-1-4 Ladies IH: -ia.: .1 Q Scziutatory and Gentlemen: N behalf of the Class of 1927, I bid you all a hearty welcome on this occa- sion. The exercises tonight mark our final assembling as students of Germantown Academy. We have reached the goal towards which our fondest hopes have been so long directed, in token of which we shall re- 9.6353 .tv 'V' 4 I4, I I'CIl'l3ll'1 ceive tomorrow the treasured diplomas that are the mark and seal of the completion of our school work. VVe shall leave Old G. A. for new and bind us like links of steel in enduring friendship. and diverse fields of action, but the happy memories of our schooldays will always u B future. Suffice our cla other's times t c spirid o explain prologu ll ij If t it is not for me to dwell upon our past achievements or try to glimpse our In those fields our Historian and our Prophets will duly 'enlighten you. it to say that in accordance with the honored traditions of the Academy this, ss night, will be given over in a large measure to good-natured satire at each expense-to mutual mockery, and should our quips and cranks seem at 1 challenge even friendship, be assured that all is said and done in the genial f give and take and in the best of good-fellowship. As Bully Bottom s in Midsummer Night's Dream about the lion among ladies-in this, our e, we will tell you that our lion is no such thing. GEORGE W. HOFT H istory MERSON says that there is properly no history, only biography. In the same vein one may state that the history of the class of 1927 is really a collection of the biographies of its several members-of both leaders and rankers. Our leaders have supplied initiative and inspiration, the rankers i f v Fi of thep Board pattered us-his were b in getti to priz e so highly, were probably quite lost on us, that first eventful day. The dimpled Primar Truitt, say, we 1927, Cherub fledged grade, have supported them with the loyal spirit fostered in old G. A. Such is the team-work necessary for success. rst, a few words about our green and salad days when blissfully ignorant itfalls along the pathway of learning, most of all the giant despair of College Examinations, we crossed the Rubicon--I should say School Lane-and up the time-worn steps of the old Academy building. History in front of tory to the right-history to the left-history everywhere, but dazed as we y our sudden plunge into the mysteries of education and too busy perhaps ng mutually acquainted, these historical associations that afterwards we came cherubs in Buster Browns who thus first met as classmates in the Second y were our poet, Visscher Boyd, Howard Friebly, Nick Richards, Charley Charles Morris, Tom Skirm and your humble historian. These, may I re the Great Hearts in uknicksl' who formed the nucleus of the class of and as you, ladies and gentlemen, direct your critical attention to these same s now seated on the platform, there in all the semi-fitting dignity of full Seniors, you will, I am sure, concede' that it was some nucleus. Those early ssed quickly and happily, and if they were comparatively uneventful, they ost profitable. Under the guidance of our faithful teachers, we made the days pa were m advancing by annual promotion through the intermediate, which then occupied 4-2

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,. H. D --- ----- -- MM- --- y A-A-,..f 14.-'S' ., ,, ,,--A.,M V- ,,-,,--,,,-, ,mtv , -7 ... , , A., , ,. - ,gh , .A W H 3. -Q 4. 1... Y Ay ,L maxi.--, I1'.L'1.Z..L.L4LgAQ4.Z'4LQ., . ' - - -, Y 7, -...,.-.,..-Q,-,-.--, - . Claw Day Omtors GEORGE VV. HUFT ' VISSCHHR BOYD Srzfntzzfrzrifm Pwr XVILLIAM MCL. R.-XYNOR THOMAS H. SKIRIVI Hisfnrizm CYIVIJIJI' CHARLES S. TRUITT RICHARD D. HENKPILS Profwhrf ,Work Prrxwztrz' YVILLI.-UW K. NIQXVIVIAN CLINTON H. MILLER, JR VfIll'lliL'fUI'i1IIl I-:fy Umtnr 41 Qrv vb 4' ' xii - v 3 2 :', 3 5, 5: if-4-v-QP: ---W - , Y-fvf 3 3+ 7, .4-

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r tx. 'ff 'lf li -. -N - . ' ., , A .. t ' V' .:.-Lv -l' . ' 1 .4 7 , va. , - W .. ,, 4, ..,',e.. if i.. . . , Q , , f. ,. '- Jil- .. - ., j f.'f:, 511- I ' . - z- - me , . 4 , - l I , , , I -, . . , . L Q, wi- '3 5 - .., if . ,' ' - ' ' L l 4--r-ra-4-Jgfagn-4-+4 . the upper floors of the main building. The splendid gift of Moore Hall had not yet been made. We made our first dent in history by organizing the Hurd Club better- known as the 3 cube club, because of the class numerals. Inspired by our genial and dynamic Mentor, we did our bit for Education by contributing a huge set of encyclopedias to the school library that were not only impressive by reason of the cubic feet of space they occupied, but did us yeomen service when it came to writing original compositions of 300 words on any subject you may choose. It was on the social side that the 3 cube did its best work in promoting goodfellowship and spirit. Our meetings, held at the various houses, were always joyous affairs, per- haps overjoyous, but we who were present will not forget the spirit of these occa- sions when Peter Pan, he of the angel smile and velvet brown eyes, and another member whose saintly visage recalls Il Penseroso, uproariously enacted the roles of the Lords of Misrulef' On the principle of suspense, the most thrilling event of our intermediate career took place towards the close of the final year. VVe made the trip to Wash- ington, as most of the Intermedes and Persiansn had done before us, and like them, we distinguished ourselves by ill-managed merrimentn and riotous merry- making, not unusual, I may say, at the Kid Age. Great was our resentment because the President had thoughtlessly left town without waiting for our arrival, but we made up for our disappointment by shaking the hand of'Congressman Darrow and by nearly raising the roof of our hostelry at the witching hour of midnight. Here let me pay a tribute to the superb courage of Mr. Hurd who undertook to conduct the flalning kid of '27 to Washington and back again, safe and sound, to home and radio, but he turned the trick and here we are to-night. As we went into the Upper Forms, however, with their wider activities, the 3 Cube Club fell gradually into the discard, hut it had served its purpose and served it well, and its spirit is reflected in the present Academy Club, one of the most honored of G. A.'s organizations. It was about this time, when our ranks were greatly increased, that we began to make history. Initiative and leadership were well represented in the new material that came to l927 g Lee Berkman, Clinton Miller, Bill Eberbach, Bill Craven, Sid Woody, Joe Ingle, Bill Newman, alloc Hustead and George Hoft, our honored president, from that list of newcomers, brief as it may seem, came four prize debaters, a prize essayist, a playwright, two notables in the Colonel Potter book competition, four members of the football squad and our great Triple Threat in athletics, known doubtless to all of you. After we were duly organized as the Third Form, we came rapidly into the light. One outstanding event was the winning of the inter-class football trophy-- a victory all the more notable because we downed an eleven led by the redoubtable Kelly and McDevitt, now of Lehigh. The winning of the trophy, however, was only the forerunner of a more desperate conflict. Surreptitiously in the dead of night at a time when, as fantasy has it, the ghost o'f Hilarius Becker, all beruflled, glides up the old stairway past the grandfather's clock, our antagonist, stung by defeat, stole into our lair and with dastardly hands removed our prized banner from the wall. This challenge to battle we joyfully accepted, our clan was speedily marshaled under the valorous Hoft and an internecine war was threatened, but the school authorities intervened with a firm hand, the trophy was mysteriously returned, and the rival Formers shook hands across the bloody chasm. Happy days! 4-3 I, .I-,fp fa. ai ggi. .lm Gsvefk' ,.,.. 1-4.5 v tt, awww- V-1: r-in I'