Goshen Central High School - Yearbook (Goshen, NY)

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has shown tremendous respect and admiration for Mr. Oscar W. Gustafson, as principal, leader, and friend. Before that, for 21 years (interrupted only by military service in World War II), Mr. Gustafson was respected as gym teacher, baseball, basketball and football coach. The amount of respect and admiration showed him could not be greater. In return, Mr. Gustafson has contributed a great deal of effort and time into making Goshen's student body the best behaved and highest spirited in our county. Goshen has won athletic sportsmanship awards, sports championships, and accolades from different sources for fine work in academics, music, and countless other activities. Many of these things are taken for granted. If one thinks about the great number of praises given Goshen Central, one realizes that all of these things are a direct reflection on Mr. Gustafson's leadership. He has continually pulled the loose ends together and has kept Goshen's spirit at an enviable peak. This spirit, respect, and admiration were manifested on June 1, 1962 - Gus Day. On that day, after elaborate secret preparations, Mr. Gustafson was completely surprised by a party put on for him by the entire student body. Arrangements were made to have him called from the school and returned after lunch. At one o'clock the entire school jammed the auditorium to await his return. He entered the right rear door of the darkened auditorium, was spot-lighted, then escorted to the stage by Mr. Innocent as the high school band played For He's a Jolly Good Fellow. The ovation he received will probably never be equaled in our school. The student body proved its respect by coming to school in best clothes, presenting teachers with corsages or boutonnieres, and lavishing gifts on Mr. Gustafson. President Kennedy and our representative in the Congress, Mrs. Katherine St. George, helped us honor Mr. G. The President sent a letter of congratulations and best wishes and Mrs. St. George addressed the assembly. After the presentation of the gifts and Mr. G's heartfelt, yet lightly humorous, acknowledgement of them, all adjourned to the athletic field (now to bear his name) for refreshments and personal greetings. The Class of 1962 feels regret that Mr. Gustafson is leaving because the classes to come will not be able to benefit from his leadership and friendship. We are thankful, however, that we were able to work under him and feel proud when we say we were the last class at Goshen Central to have him as principal. For these reasons the Class of 1962 dedicates the 1962 yearbook, SATIO, to Mr. Oscar W. Gustafson in the hopes that he will never forget us because we will never forget him. . - :wt c „

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4 Very rarely does a school principal make strong friends with his students. He is usually the object of derision, the recipient of animosity, and, at best, a necessary figure in the administration of the school from the standpoint of the students. Oftentimes the principal deserves a little better fate, but on many occasions principals have only administrative ability and lack warmth of personality, true concern for students, and admirable character. School spirit and the system itself often hinge upon the relationship between students and principal. Student bodies for the most part don't change drastically. Their reactions to faculty and administrators are alike from year to year. For the past twelve years Goshen's student body

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SEPTEMBER, 6 With mixed feelings, some 700 well-tanned boys and girls entered the halls of GCS on Wednesday, September 6, some for their first year, some for their last. Like the blank pages of a new diary, their months lay before them, waiting to be filled with the events that would become precious memories of their future. The picture for September on the calendar in Mr. Musgrove's room showed a young boy and girl walking to a little white schoolhouse down a country road lined with autumn trees. Looking at this picture, we couldn't help wondering what had happened to our September. The green trees, the open windows and sweltering students made us long for the crisp, cool days of the conventional fall. September was a month of settling down to a new routine, of getting accustomed to many things. Alarm clocks were set to ring earlier than last year so that students might be in their homerooms by the 8 a.m. bell, and it seemed strange to be able to leave at 2:35 instead of 3:30 if no teacher made demands on us. Besides the usual confusion of changing schedules, the crowds in Mr. Kennett's office, the P.A. announcements lasting half of first period, the struggles with new subjects, and becoming acquainted with new students and teachers, we were also faced with the inconveniences and disappointments caused by the unfinished construction of our new classrooms and cafeteria. The majority, however, waited cheerfully in line for their sack lunches and, as if it were a challenging adventure, hunted for seats in our temporary cafeteria, the boys' half of the gym. Teachers patiently tried to take attendance in our mass study hall, the gym. No one paid any attention after a while when the walls and floor began to shake. It wasn't Russia, just the work of the construction men. We all looked forward to being able to use our new buildings as we endured these little inconveniences. September whizzed by like the rockets launched at Cape Canaveral. Success of our flight to Destination June depended on each one of us fulfilling his separate goals.