Gloucester High School - Flicker Yearbook (Gloucester, MA)

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THE SENIOR FLICKER 31 Teacher: Your memory is remarkable; there are a few more facts, but time will not allow us to include them. I may add that Clifton Christen- son and Harriett Ingalls won Sawyer Medals in their Sophomore year. Did your Dad tell you much about his Junior year? Pupil: Oh yes, Frances Morong won the Roosevelt Trophy with a wonderful prize essay. Incidentally she won it again in her Senior year, and thus the class had the trophy for two years. Howard Curtis and Natalie Moulton, being really clever with pen, brush, and charcoal, drew many instructive cartoons for the Beacon. Curtis in his Senior year gave some fine chalk-talks and Natalie Moulton created interesting covers for the Beacon in her Junior year. Gee, my Dad used to tell me a lot about the Operetta. I wonder if I can give the name§ of the leading stars? Er — there was Ford Martin, he was a melancholy sailor-lad quite madly in love, — but vainly so. Then there was Donald Phillips — he was a shepherd — and danced gracefully, even though a bit heavily, across the stage; and Frances Morong the Captain’s daughter, — and quite above Martin’s affections. And then there was a fellow with long curls — er — er — I guess that’s all I remember. Teacher: That was Frank Jenney. But didn’t your Dad tell you about Charles Pew — as Deadeye Dick — Pew was a new comer that year ; he entered from Exeter. And then, Eugene Publicover as the Mikado of Japan, and Lelia Silveira as Mabel, and Priscilla Moore as Peep-Bo, who chattered away in company with two other Japanese maids? Pupil: It all comes back to me now. Dad said that the Class of ’24 were always striving to achieve something worth while. They organized in their Junior year, and influenced by the revolutions of that time, elected a girl, Evelyn Wilkins, as President. It was decided that the class rings or pins should be bought that year. Designs were submitted by several members of the class, but Magdalene Nunes had hers unanimously accepted. Thus a member of the class designed the rings, which were bought through a local dealer, showing the remarkable good sense of the class in patronizing Glouces- ter merchants. A committee was also appointed to choose a class motto. “Facta non verba” was finally selected. In their Junior year a get-together social was held in the girls’ gym. Teacher: Very good; I thought I would find you all woefully lacking in these important matters, but it seems your Dad instructed you well. Is there anything else you recall as happening in the Junior year? Pupil: Oh yes, Mary Steele and Donald Phillips went away to school, — but not to the same one. Gilbert Viator and Dorothy Tucker received Sawyer Medals in their Junior year. Teacher: We must hurry; you forgot that at the end of her Junior year Evelyn Wilkins left school to enter the matrimonial ranks, — and that Harriett Fall became President. What about the Senior year? Pupil: Well, the Senior year started with a bang, with Harriett Fall as President, Frank Jenney, Vice-President, Gilbert Viator as Secretary, and Paul Polisson as Treasurer. A committee was appointed to arrange a Senior-Freshman Social. The class of ’24 took a new step in giving a Freshman class a reception. The committee worked hard and it was a howl- ing success. In fact, Dad said one could scarce hear himself talk. Also, that year, Mr. Ringer worked out a plan, whereby, every Monday and Friday morning there was a half an hour devoted to home room activities. During this period topics of both local and universal interest were discussed. Through

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30 THE SENIOR FLICKER Teacher: What work are you responsible for today? Star Pupil (standing) : We were to discuss Labor Unions, and in- dustrial conditions of the present time. Teacher: That is fine; I have a friend who is prominent in such af- fairs. Do you know the most vigorous labor agitator of this age? Pupil (standing, pauses): Charles Pew! — yes, and you know he was graduated from this school, too! He was in my Dad’s class, the class of 1924 — that was some class, so my Dad says. Why, my Dad said that when his class came in, the school had to be rebuilt and an addition made, because of the intellectual greatness of the students. Then the principal, thinking he could not do the class justice, resigned. They had to search high and low to find one who was suitable for them. Finally they discovered Mr. Ringer, who, with his “master hand,” guided them over many a rough bit of the way and stood always as an understanding friend. Teacher: If you could improve upon your English, you would perhaps do as well as Priscilla Moore, who won the inter-class Prize Speaking contest in her Freshman year. The pupils of Gloucester High School, especially that marvelous class of 1924, have always been known for their literary ability, and through the Beacon many have gained fame and fortune. You recall also that Priscilla Davis and Francis Jenney received Sawyer Medals in their Freshman year. Pupil: Yes, my Dad told me about the Beacon. He said Ruth Ricker won out in a competition naming the new magazine. They had to start a school paper that year because the Seniors were unable to keep up with the Freshmen, and they needed something in which to record the events. They had a boys’ cooking class then, too ; Waldo Story started it, and all the prospective bachelors joined. Gee, those were happy days. Teacher: Yes, those days were jolly and light-hearted, but they were suddenly saddened during the Sophomore year by the death of one of their classmates, Myron L. Quinlan. Pupil: My Dad told me that part way through the career of that brilliant class, their thoughts were dangerously disturbed by the toot and hissing of donkey engines, the fall of bricks, and the incessant pounding of the eight-eighty-a-day carpenter. That was when the addition was being built, and the students suffered terrible inconveniences by being forced to walk to the Peabody Building and the “Y” in all kinds of weather. But Dad said that that only dampened curls and feet ; the spirit of the class re- mained intact. Teacher: You surprise me with your knowledge of these really im- portant events. We have wandered ' somewhat from our subject, but I am sure there can be no harm in studying these things that matter. Do you know anything about the athletes of that day? Pupil: Why — yes, in his Sophomore year, Ford Martin began to work up in track, as did Frank Jenney also. Margaret Peeples began to reach out for laurels in basketball in her Sophomore year. Then Martin, Jenney, and Connors, won their first recognition in military drill. In 1922 Connors got into football and stuck there. Raymond Wardrop came out strong in football, too, but at the end of his Sophomore year Wardrop left school and went on the Massachusetts Nautical Training Ship. Ruth Brown also left then and went to Mt. Ida for a year, but returned again to G. H. S. in her Senior year. r .

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32 THE SENIOR FLICKER this, pupils were brought in contact with important material, that perhaps ordinarily would not have reached them. This also helped to bring about the remarkable Christmas atmosphere which prevailed that year. In every Senior home room and in many others, a Christmas tree blossomed forth in many colored bits of decorations, and caused a contagious smile to spread from face to face. Even Santa Claus was there, and the pupils dropped back into the lower grades — and were happy. Officers were elected for a Debating Club, but because of the lack of time, the club was not fully organized that year. A splendid Literary Club was organized and met with undeniable success. It had a membership of about fifty. The Battalion worked faith- fully and students who had shown themselves worthy became Cadet Officers and instructed the underclassmen so that they might carry on the glory of Gloucester High School. Harry Magnuson received highest honors for the four years, Priscilla Davis next highest, and Francis Jenney next. Teacher: I did not tell you that I was a member of the Class of 1924, that I often think of those four short years. I can recall how we entered, young, hopeful, energetic, and wide-eyed — and, how we left young, more hopeful, more energetic, and with eyes expressing nothing of wonderment, but with a touch of joy, — and with a touch of sadness. The time is up — let us go. (Curtain) H. Eugene Publicover, ’24 Elizabeth Rowe, ’24