Gratz High School - Gratzonian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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wfzzazwmp M helped in tin can and paper salvage, and continually bought war stamps and bonds. So busy were we in our school and war ac- tivities that the end of the term came sooner than we had anticipated. We were now high juniors, ready to be greeted with those three little, but significant words-'lLincoln, Whitman, and Democracy! Can they ever escape us? Will llB English live with us forever, due to them? Yes, we can assure our English Department that Lin- coln, Whitman, and Democracy are as familiar to us as are Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. lt was in llB, too, that We became active in school and class activities. We were look- ing ahead, realizing that graduation wasn't too far ahead. fWhat optimistic students We werell Money had to be had, and we started to collect. The Iunior Hop, our first trial ai dance arranging, was, to our surprise and satisfaction, a success. At last We were on our way, the class of 34-'45 had some finances. 'Twas in l2A, however, that our activities acquired more importance. We were Seniors. After eleven years of gradual climbing, we had reached the l2th rung of the ladder- our senior yearl As soon as we were settled in 12A the S. A. plaque for 1007, member- ship in the Students Association was awarded to us and We kept this honorable trophy through our 12B term, also. We at- tribute our cooperation to the excellent school spirit our class displayed. We were proud that 34-'45 was recognized. Our excellent record in student activity and i.n our daily scholastic work, would not have been so great were it not for the en- couragement and inspiration offered us by our principal and friend, Dr. Werner. Each assembly address he delivered gave us the little urge we needed in order to assume our scholastic responsibilities. His encourag- ing Words made us feel more self-confident and more determined, We couldn't let such a wonderful person down, and we didn't. Thank you, Dr. Werner, 34-'45 will never forget your inspiring words of advice, and we shall always be grateful to you for spur- ring us on to success. x QJX 2 I itll -r VV 4 J-2' lb Q. vi ull, f '-FV .. Q lr fd 5 o X i 1 .,. A ,,A I I ,I J - Q 2 l td l E, H f! - ',v l 'U f 1 , Ov 1 A Pl' x ' ' ' 4 f . I 1 fl! if L . -f-' xfnwf' .7 pew!-' f L H1 7124 Qff- Aff Cftemns .f 5211752 Scene- WiI3i'rd,e ey Arf Sf-ode f' ttsays eve In Pine mf

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all dlwazpi ml NCE upon a time, not too long ago, and yet not yesterday, a throng of eager novices in search of knowledge and adventure congregated in the vicinity of Luzerne and Hunting Park Avenue await- ing the moment which had long been antici- pated. All were to become part of the in- vading force of freshmen whose inevitable union was to form, with the Grace of God and the mercy of their teachers, the gradu- ating class of 34-'45. It was a new experience, a different ad- venture! That first day, in which we as- sembled in the large auditorium of Simon Gratz marked the beginning of an entirely new phase in our youth. Here began the great process of assimilation in which the hopes, hardships, and experiences of our school lives were to be intermingled so as to affect each and every student. Notwithstand- ing the fact that we felt like small fish in a huge pond, our freshmen complexes were lightened by the warm welcome we received from the S. A. prexy, who was then Estelle Malerman. Her warm, friendly smile and understanding nature helped imbue us with the strong, indomitable Gratzonian spirit, which has, through our high school years, aided us in our most trying times. It was also at this memorable meeting that we met for the first time the principal of Gratz High, Dr. Werner, who impressed us as being a most tolerant cmd understanding person. Through our years at Gratz this simple but sincere impression of Dr. Werner has been verified and broadened. His amia- ble smile and ardent interest in the students and their activities have reflected the very spirit of Gratz High, and his wise guidance has served as a beacon to lead us on the way to. greater heights. We have realized the privilege of associating with so fine a person, Whose efforts have been instru- mental in aiding and retaining the standards of our high school. Miss Murr, our class sponsor, was also on hand to welcome her fledglings. We thought Miss Murr a charming personality, whose familiar smile and cordial welcome made us feel more like high seniors rather than the inexperienced frosh we were. We drifted hazily through that term and in 10B we considered ourselves old hands and veterans since there was now present in the school a class upon which we could look down. We elected our second senator and were by this time quite acquainted with the system of petitioning before the final elec- tion. Duplicating our 10A term, we scored a high percentage in S. A. membership and were beginning to feel more or less in the groove in regard to our status in school. For the first time, we witnessed a Color Day, which made quite an impression upon us. In September, 1943, we reached the half- way mark in our school careers. With our junior year, however, came new and more complicated subjects in our respective courses of study. True to our school spirit, we again renewed our faithful membership in the S. A. and showed a marked increase in our scholastic record. With the transition from 10th graders to juniors came a greater knowledge of our many school activities. We also became aware of the many war or- ganizations which have been active in our school. The Victory Corps was the by-word of the day and took the spotlight. All of our class members, moved by patriotism, joined and worked on many drives to hasten that day to' victory. We helped raise funds for a bomber to be named for Simon Gratz, solicited blood donors, aided in clothing drives for those less fortunate than we,

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6011! dlwazp QA 11 See., 4 S s 'F ,. bf' V5 ' M, ands! ,go 4:4 ,g f -I - I C 'V +-f e l-97 l f f g ag X ', t li sz sm- l ' f' f f f 1 f A I I V - 5 z Qi y X .IL 0-nuvwd Gmc def X 'I if membef' Mic for mf me amflfltlefacs -fllmosf,-Zia A Or' E 9E From the very beginning of our senior year, things had to be done. Graduation pic- tures Were taken. How Well we looked in our caps and gownsl- It was a thrill to see ourselves decked in commencement attire, and the robes increased our previous deter- mination to see 12A through successfully. It was While we were low seniors, that Iunior Miss was presented. Our class felt proud to be so Well represe.nted in the performance, having over ten actors and actresses from our group. The evening was an exciting one, and our profits were great. In 12A We began to realize the nearness of graduation. Dues had to be collected and more money was to be raised by our Thanksgiving Class Dance, The Turkey Trot. This affair was even a greater success than our former dance, and our cash box was getting there. 34-'45, however, was different in many ways. We gave birth to Myrtle. For the first time in Gratz history, a graduation class selected a mascot. Class buttons were ordered and Myrtle decked our attire-going with us from class to class, sharing our good times and hard tests! After experiencing another locker inspec- tion, our l2A term was over. We were glad to see the seniors leave, that is Myrtle and We, for now we would be filling their steps. In February, 34-'45 became high seniors. Pinching ourselves twice, or more, to prove to ourselves that it wasn't all a wonderful dream, We settled down to business. Com- mittees were organized and nearly everyone had extra curricular responsibilities. All our material for the Record Book was compiled and made ready to be printed. Our class dues collections progressed well and money, again in demand, was raised by the Candy Stand Committee, the Publicity Com- mittee, and our Dance Committee. Our 12B class dance, the Shamrock Shuffle, was held on Friday afternoon, March l6, and it was a huge success. Our 12B class activities could not have been carried out successfully without the help and guidance of our class sponsor, Miss Thelma Murr. Throughout our three-year stay Continued on Page 84