Governors Academy - Milestone Yearbook (Byfield, MA)

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.1fi5e.'53-. x f 'Q ff-- be -, eg :noel '- I X ' f ! X X 1 I X ff if , , Q , In , , . I - .au -..N ga. f ff v' ,Y ' 0 1 ' Q X- 1- f ' ' 1.11.97 A 'Us' x . 'hff W Governor Durnmer at War War has brought about many changes in the life at Governor Dummer. How- ever, since the school was awake to the situation long before Pearl Harbor, the changes have been so gradual that there has been no definite break with the old ways. In fact the basic program of hard work and thorough preparation remains unchanged. A series of current event talks by members of the faculty and some- times by visiting speakers was instituted during the fall term, not to stimulate the boys' interest in the war but to satisfy and guide an interest that already existed. Immediately after December 7 the language of the school changed abruptly. Instead of football and soccer terminologies, the boys quickly developed a vocabu- lary of military terms and out-of-the-way geographical names. P-40's, B-l9's, 1A, and 4F were more discussed than athletics for the next few weeks. Shortly after- wards Mr. Clark Neily of the faculty left to join the Navy as an Ensign, and early in the spring term he was followed by Mr. Jules Luchini. Before June Mr. J. Chand- ler Hill and Mr. Cuyler J. Hawkes were also commissioned as Ensigns in the Navy, and Mr. Harold Curtiss and Mr. Frederic Stott were completing plans for joining the British Ambulance Corps and the U.S. Marines respectively. Changes came more rapidly during the Winter Termg but they were accepted without comment, even when, as in the removal of the sugar bowls from the dining room tables at luncheon and dinner, some personal inconvenience was involved. The possibility of enemy air-raids was promptly recognized. Under the guidance of Mr. Benjamin Stone indoor and outdoor stations were assigned each boy, suitable signals were arranged to send each boy to the appropriate place at the first warningg fire-prevention and first-aid patrols were organized, and many drills were held until the school was rendered as safe as foresight and drill could make it. Additional fire-control equipment has also been placed in each school building, and the boys in each building have been organized and drilled in black-out procedure. During the winter the Selectmen of the town of Newbury, in which Governor Dummer is located, asked Mr. Eames if it would be possible to use some of the older boys as auxiliary firemen to aid the volunteer fire department of Byfield, explaining that because so many young men of the village were already in the service and so many more engaged in defense industries at Portsmouth, Lynn, and Ipswich, it 6 ,y , , , , ,-,?'f1':4iLi,XC,: i1 'fn . , , . , . .- , 5, . 11.0, . - . Q ,- 1 ' . ,,,-,-71:1-5.'x7-QQ.: ' .- ,..'-3 Q-. li 'if 7 .... -S.. - - '-.- 4 ..,. ',i , - 41

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5 . If l-108 X 'L L'-ggzwlf i . is c fb-' Qi' 3.2. . W 'f, VV' 'L'-. i we , - . - wi-if W I ' V- was often impossible for more than one or two men to answer fire calls. Mr. Eames immediately gave his consent to the formation of such a group but decided that for the group to be really effective it must have instruction. Accordingly he secured through the State House in Boston Lieutenant Louis A. Larkin of the Somerville Fire Department, who came to Governor Dumnier for a series of ten two-hour sessions on Saturday mornings. WVhen actual handling of equipment was involved, the sessions were held in the Byfield fire station: otherwise in the New Building. The Auxiliary Fire Brigade now consists of two companies of ten boys each. one led by Mr. Jennings and the other hy Mr. Sager. Only one company is to be absent from the campus at a time: and they are subject to call for ordinary fires only during the working hours when the regular firemen are absent because of ein- ployment in distant defense plants. In case of actual air-raids Mr. Eames has con- sented to let them answer calls wherever and whenever they are needed. For the control of fires which might occur on the school property Mr. Eames purchased and lent to the Fire Brigade an historic handtub, the famous Refi Wing, originally built for the town of lVIilton in 1827 and last used by the volunteer fire company of Salisbury. The Red Wing has been put into first-class working condi- tion, also at Mr. Eames' personal expense: and in their first drill with it, the tire companies threw a one-inch stream over the roof of Parsons. With more drill they expect to be able to maintain a hundred-pound pressure at a standard fire nozzle. The Spring Term brought more small changes, but no such spectacular ones. The Episcopalian boys have had to forego attending the Episcopal Church at Ipswich because of the ban on chartered bus trips. With a cheerful all-in-a-war attitude they now trudge up the road to the Byfield Parish Church with the rest of the school. The tennis team has been disbanded for the same reason, and one glee club concert and several athletic trips have also been cancelled. At the end of our first war year Governor Dummer has learned to adjust itself. The seniors, for the most part, are entering college almost immediately, without that summer vacation on which all had planned. Many of the upperclass- men are planning on a summer of work on the farm or in the factory. But in honor of the many alumni already in training or already fighting on distant fronts, the school and the students are making adjustments and sacrifices as called on for them. cheerfully and willingly. E. YV. S., III 7 ' V' A gy., X, 713.2 , . ,A kk l 1.1 1 . up-5:5 '5'5f. 'i .1