Gloucester High School - Flicker Yearbook (Gloucester, MA)

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“ Its an ill wind that blows no one any j ood,” — thus goes the old saying and just so it seemed to us, when the coal supply gave out just at Fair time and brought us an unexpected vacation. Ah, those happy days when idleness was in fashion, and school work took a back seat ! That blissful Fair week when we could be abed mornings and dream of good times at night ! The three weeks ended all too soon, and reluctantly we took up our busy life again only to find how good it felt to be really working. A very interesting affair took place along the middle of the year, that is, the initiation of ten of our boys into the deep and awful mysteries of the Phi Mu Theta Society, under the direction of the Seniors ; also the great and memorable banquet held at the Point, where, we understand, such eloquence prevailed as was only equalled by a secoiifl appearance of one of the participants a few weeks ago, when he spoke in defence of Charles Sumner. With spring came Prize Speaking and Composition Writing, from which we modestly retired with one prize. The Battalion F ' ield Day came soon, with the Sergeants’ Party in the evening, and shortly after. Regimental Field Day at Chelsea. Soon after wc closed the remarkable career of our .Sophomore year, wiser fools than when we had begun. Junior Year. At last we were really Juniors and changed our dwelling for one more befitting our rank, farther up the hall, and here we became quite grand with a Sophomore janitor as the crowning glory of the new establishment. Moreover, we began to take pride in our orderly files led by Miss Allen, especially as our corridor was very dark and to hold one’s way successfully against the surging crowd was quite a feat. And now our work began in dead earnest. No more idle stud) periods for us with those dread college exams, looming up in the distance ; no more vain frivolity ; we had now reached a place of so much importance in the world that we felt strangely humble. We said good-bye to gymnastics this year, and our athletic girls, parting from their beloved “ gym,” established a system of walks and aesthetic dancing. On Mondays, clad in sweaters and short skirts, they ‘‘did Gloucester,” and on Fridays they daintily ‘‘ skipped the light fantastic toe.” After a time hockey at Stage Fort took the place of these sports, and then you may be sure, the Juniors were in it. 19

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place about them, for several of our members had important ideas of their own artistic ability. Besides we usually held the meetings at one-thirty, when hunger lent its madness to the excitement, and frequently drove us home before we had arrived at any definite con- clusions. Yet, whatever our attempts, they were well rewarded, as we made an amount at the Fair second only to the high and mighty Seniors. The next event for us was Regimental Field Day. Dong had we anticipated this great day, and great was the excitement among our humble ranks. Some of our girls actually dared risk themselves on the streets of Lynn, where several of their flags met with disastrous results. Quickly following came Battalion Field Day, when we won the Junior medal. Then came the closing day when we should part for the vacation. We had certainly lived up to our name for we were declared the freshest Freshmen yet. But we considered this very complimentary — for did we ever do anything by halves ? SopHomore Year. How grand we felt on our return the next fall to be referred to as Scjphoniores — it had such a delightful sound and made one feel so important. We took care of the Freshmen in fine style until they could stand on their own feet, and then after carefully consigning them to Miss Howe’s tender hands, we proceeded on our busy way. Class politics took up our attention for a time, and we established officers, a constitution, and committees in endless variety. After we had selected our class colors, red and gold, and had bought pins, we considered ourselves capable of anything. As Sophomores we formed the precedent of holding the best socials in the school ; whether it was that we held them at Harmony Hall or because certain Seniors were always present, we cannot tell. But once alas! — the ice-cream disappeared — apparently it melted, but at all events some of us went home hungry. Yet in spite of our frivolity we took up the practical side of life, and second periods often saw us mixing dough and sweeping rooms under the careful su])ervision of Mr. Parsons. Even the boys adapted themselves to this culinary branch of study with surprising energy, and “Jimmie” hatched up a most delicious chicken-pie, while the girls tried in vain to tempt our instructor’s appetite with all sorts of cakes and candies. i8

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Meanwhile Mr. B. held his gaslight sessions on the study-room platform, and after hockey and football we plodded wearily through Manlius and Archias. Nor shall we ever forget the afternoons of college exams, with Miss Woodbury, for woe unto us if our papers were not corrected up to date ; we state this as a warning to all of our would-be successful followers. However, as a bit of encouragement, we add that we had many jolly good times those afternoons and sadly missed them our Senior year. Fall soon passed and almost before we realized it we found our- selves at Prize Speaking, Here we did ourselves proud by carrying off all the prizes in declamation and two in composition, a deed unequaled in the annals of any former class. Acting on the suggestion of ’04 we made the “ Crimson and White ” a school rather than a class paper, and although the impor- tant positions were filled by Juniors, every class was represented on the board. In this way we gained the support of a larger majority than the paper had hitherto had, both in regard to subject matter and subscription, and the experiment was in everyway very successful. At last came the closing days of Junior year with college exams, for some of us. Certainly we plugged faithfully tho se days and did not waste much time in sleep, but ah, what bliss when they were over — the Summer Vacation ! Senior Year. Here we were back again in September, parading the halls and greeting old friends in much the same way as ever. Yet, strange as it may seem, we did not feel much more dignified than before ; but we certainly had grown, for our histor} ' teacher informed us that we filled up our seats much better than four years ago. The boys were now really Officers, which we had been trying in vain to realize for the last few months. But when at last the uniforms arrived, we can- not attempt to describe the brilliance and splendor of Senior class- rooms ! Then indeed our Senior dignity revealed itself in all its glor ’. The first thing on the year’s program was the Battalion Fair, for which we labored weeks beforehand. We decided on a Bohemian Booth, after much discussion, and started in to make a red canopy, intending to have all in readiness for Fair Da} ' when we should merely have to hang it. So far we succeeded and when the day approached, confidently we set about the simple job ; — but lo and behold — our 20