Grand Rapids Christian High School - Memoir Yearbook (Grand Rapids, MI)

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Presidenfs Address . . . llune 1944 Dear Parents, Teachers and Friends: What does the future hold? What does the future hold for us, the graduating class of 1944, as we pass this milestone in our lives and begin our journey upon life's pathway? These are serious times, and we know not what lies ahead, but regardless of what the future may have in store for us, we can face it courageously because of our Christian viewpoint on life. It is, therefore, that we as a class have chosen the appropriate motto, Service for God and Country. The first part of this motto is applicable to all of us, for we have been placed upon this earth to glorify our Father in heaven and this must always be our aim in life. The second part of our motto, Service to Country, applies directly to those of us who will soon be leaving to serve in the armed forces of our countryp but no matter in what sphere of life we may find ourselves, we must all keep Service for God foremost in our minds. With this as a class motto, we have something worthy to strive for, and we realize what a Christian education has meant to us in this connection. For this, we would like to express our deepest appreciation to our parents who have sacrificed and loyally supported our school. They knew what this Christian education would mean to us in the future. We also wish to express our gratitude to Mr. Post and the faculty who have so willingly and patiently labored with us during our stay at Christian High. We now realize what an important part they have played in the molding of our lives. We sincerely wish to express our thankfulness to our personal advisers, especially to our class sponsors, Mr. De Vroome and Mr. Vander Ploeg, who have devoted much of their time to the guidance of our class. We are also indebted to those groups who labor 'behind the scenes, to the board members who so willingly give their time and talent for the successful operation of our school, and to the Ladies' Circle and other individuals who contribute much to the well-being of our school. To them, we say Thank you. The time has now come to say Farewell and to bid Good-bye to one another and to our beloved school. As we look back on our short stay at Christian High, we realize it has been a pleasant one. We have made many new acquaintances and lasting friendships. Our studies were mingled with pleasures, ofttimes more pleasure than study. We have seen a transition in our lives, from boys and girls to young men and women. From now on, our paths will diverge. Some will continue their education. Others will take their places in the business world and some of us will be called to serve our country. But no matter where we are or what we are doing, may we always hold high the Christian banner and fight to maintain our Christian principles. Our class text will be a constant source of encouragement in carrying out this ideal - Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not upon thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths. RICHARD M. DE VOS 0290

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President's Address . . . February JI94-4 Ladies and Gentlemen: As president of the Senior Class it is my honor and privilege to address you this evening. As you may have noticed from your programs the motto which we as a class have chosen is- Service for God and Country. We feel that this is an appropriate and significant motto. It is appropriate because, though we graduate at a time when the world is passing through a period of tragic uncertainty, when nations are fighting against one another for varying and conflicting purposes, we still recognize this one abiding pur- pose of life- Service for God and Country. It is immediately appropriate for those who expect to enter into military service within the next few months. There are among the graduates tonight those who know definitely the time of their departure for the armed forces. And this motto is significant because it symbolizes our ideal and goal. It truly presents to us a worthy challenge to lead a life of service for God and Country. We have enjoyed these past three years at Christian. Enjoyed them because of new acquaintances made, the pleasant surroundings, and also because of the many changes that have taken place. When we first arrived here most of us did not have the privilege of going to chapel. We had to remain in our rooms and listen to chapel services over the loud speakers. Now, how- ever, we have this spacious auditorium in which the entire student body worships. Another change was the increase in enrollment. More and more parents want their children to receive a Christian education. We, of the graduating class, desire to express our deep appreciation to our parents, who have reared us in the Christian home, church, and school. Parents who have made sacrifices so that we might obtain that which we have tonight. To Mr. Post we wish to express our thankfulness for his capable leadership and understanding guidance in our school life. To the School Board we express our deep gratitude for successfully main- taining this institution. Our class also wishes to acknowledge its appreciation of the work of the faculty in their striving to lead us in the Christian interpretation of life. l say striving advisedly, but let me add-striving not without success. As a class organization we owe a debt of gratitude to our sponsors, Mr. De Vroome and Mr. Vander Ploeg, who have guided and instructed us in such a way that we were able to remain on the 'right track. Nor are we unmindful at this time of the guidance of our individual advisers. To the Ladies' Circle who have contributed to this school in a financial way, we say a hearty Thank You. The time has come, fellow-classmates, for us to part, to bid farewell to the school, and to one another. The friendships we have formed here we will long remember. We have passed another milestone on life's pathway. Some of us will be continuing our education, several will be going into military service, and still others will take their places in society. Wherever we go, let us remember the name of Christian High and aim to uphold its honor. Finally, let -us not fail to remember our class text- Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not upon thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths. WILLARD VAN ANTWERPEN 0 n

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Cllass History In September of 1941 A.D. in the honorable institution of Christian High, there were gathered one hundred-ninety young people, whom I shall hesitate to call students for reasons obvious to all instructors. Upon close inspection these young people were observed to be of a greenish hue. In fact, they were of that class of untouchables known as Freshmen. These young inno- cents were informed that for the next three years they would be under the patronage of Messrs. I. De Haan and I. Vander Ploeg. After considerable deliberation the class placed its confidence in Robert Knott by electing him to the office of president, which office he filled very ably. In the spring we celebrated the successful completion of our first year by a hilarious picnic at lohnson Park. And so ended our first year. After they managed to herd us back to school following summer vacation and we had stopped comparing tans and telling of the fish we did and didn't get, we settled down to the task of being juniors. We elected Don De Graaf as our president. We were informed that one of our patient sponsors, Mr. De Haan, had decided to resign. Needless to say we received this news with regrets but we were consoled by the addition of Mr. M. De Vroome to aid Mr. Vander Ploeg in his difficult task of keeping us in check. Our class made the Senior students honored guests at a banquet held in the spring. The seniors, the faculty, and the junior hosts-all of us had a very pleasant evening. Our class was visited with grief when a good friend and faithful classmate was taken from us by death. We missed Nella Kaashoek through the rest of our school terms. And so was our second year. We came back as learned and sophisticated seniors. We picked Willy C'I'hat Ain't Parliamentary Procedurel Van Antwerpen as president. Class meetings under the leadership of the renowned Willy were a joy. His insist- ance upon Robe1't's Rules of Order in the face of forced adjournments and skip day motion will long be remembered. We showed our industry in the fall by putting on a repeat performance of our popular Iunior Play, Almost Summer, for two nights. In February we bade goodbye to forty-two swell people including our president who from then on were to be alumni. As a farewell we gave them a hayride party. Although the weather was slightly dismal our spirits were not. The hayride was a great success in many ways. Need I say more? Christian High's glamor boy, Rich De Vos, was chosen as . 30 .