Greenfield High School - Evergreen / Exponent Yearbook (Greenfield, MA)

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10 THE EXPONENT they are more serious than we con¬ sider them. The future of these re¬ publics is most promising. Europe already realizes how valuable their trade is and she has done everything within her power to create a friend¬ ly feeling toward South America. We have stood aloof too long but the time has now come when our attitude must change and a better feeling be created between the two continents of this new world. MADELEINE FIELD, ’21. CLASS POEM (Melody “Massachusetts; Soil of Glory!”) Greenfield High School—Alma Mater Strong and steady beams her light, She has led us o’er youth’s pathway Ever pointing out the right; Now we leave behind forever Jolly days at Greenfield High, But this parting ne’er can sever Loyalty to Greenfield High! On life’s roadway if cares greet us If clouds blot our sunny skies, Memory softly will infold us Bringing days at Greenfield High; Happy days and golden hours Joyful moments gleefully spent; Full of hope and inspiration On life’s sea we now embark! Ties of love will ever bind us Closer to you, Greenfield High. Must we leave your walls forever? Why does time so quickly fly? Now we bid you fond adieu To climb the steep ascent of life, But we never can forget you Farewell! Farewell! Greenfield High! REBECCA EBERLEIN.

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THE EXPONENT 9 This same trait is found in their dresses, manners, and customs. They always take to the brightest colors— regardless of the quality. One South American has said that if an Amer¬ ican was to buy up a lot of second hand cars, paint them bright red, green, purple, or orange and send them to South America, he would surely make his fortune. When these South Americans or¬ der a shipment of black cotton and another of reds and greens , they wish, naturally to receive what they have ordered. But American manu¬ facturers have the absurd idea that anything will pass in South America. An American once traveling in Chile said to a Chilean merchant—“Just what is the reason that you don’t import more goods from the United States?” The Chilean then told of this incident. It seems that the women of Chile either wear black or some very bright color—never any dull shades. An order was placed with an American merchant for a shipment of black cotton and one of bright green. When the ma¬ terial arrived, they found the green to be grey, with a note stating that the American merchant had pre¬ sumed that the Chilean had made a mistake in ordering green and had really wanted grey! Needless to say the order was returned and placed in the hands of an English firm who delivered the goods ordered and without any delay. The American manufacturers are altogether too independent. They try to do business with the South Americans in their own way, with no respect for the South American way. They must learn to respect the “manana” and remember that courtesy and friendliness go a long way in South America. Before we can hope to build up a trade, we must learn the people and learn their ways. Germany and Eng¬ land send hundreds of young men every year to become their repre¬ sentatives there, and they do not expect them to make just a flying trip. In the city of Buenos Aires alone, there are over 50,000 English¬ men, while the Americans number but 300. One American manufac¬ turer, horribly ignorant of South American ways, conceived the idea of doing his business by mail. Ac¬ cordingly, he had his catalogue print¬ ed in Spanish to send to Brazil! Now almost everyone knows that the Brazilians are Portuguese and speak only Portuguese; anything having to do with Spain offends them very much. This American has since wondered why he has never received an order from his Brazilian friends! People always say that, when in Brazil, if you can’t talk Portuguese, talk either French or English and you will get along much better. We are severely criticized by prominent men of South America for not requiring our students to study Spanish. They say that either French or German is taught and that the foreign language taught usually stimulates an interest for that coun¬ try in the student. Why not require them to learn Spanish and thus turn their eyes toward their Southern brothers? In most of the South American republics, the children are taught French and English with a view to getting them interested in us. Why then, do we not do like¬ wise? When it comes to investing money in South America, the people of North America have gone about it in the wrong way. They have been afraid to extend credit and therein they have made a mistake. The Ger¬ mans and the English have been will¬ ing to take a chance and have won, but the Americans are too cautious; they have denied credit and have se¬ riously offended the people. Before America can accomplish anything in this hemisphere, she must establish some banks. The people of South America judge a country by the number of its steamship lines and banks, chiefly the latter. Not only would these banks help those people, but they would be a very profitable investment. America must gain the trade of South America, but only by conforming to South American ways can she do it. These are but a few of the facts of our South American problem; but

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THE EXPONENT 11 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS OF WELCOME In behalf of the Class of 1921, I extend a very sincere welcome to all those who have seen fit to attend this, our last informal gathering be¬ fore our graduation. Graduation will, we all know, mean the parting of the ways for us, of the class of 1921, but it will not mean the dislodgment from a prominent place in our minds of our school motto, — Loyalty, Honor, Scholarship. This motto, and what it means, along with other pleasant memories, will always linger with us. The longer we live and the more often we go over again, in our dreams, our younger days, the more and more of our thoughts they will occupy. As to the benefits we have de¬ rived from our period in High School, they cannot be fully de¬ scribed nor too fully appreciated. For we Seniors, on the point of leav¬ ing Greenfield High, know that we have received instruction and as¬ sistance of inestimable value. These benefits will figure prominently with us in our immediate futures and the results will , I feel sure, prove to you that we are not unappreciative. Thus will our debt to the school be, in part, paid. It is, however, to our parents for giving us financially the chance to go thru High School, and to the faculty and teachers for their un¬ tiring and unceasing efforts in our behalf, that we owe the most. The best and only way, to show our grat¬ itude is, we have decided, to make a striking success in overcoming the serious problems that will face us from now on. For our High School course has provided us with an edu¬ cation and knowledge that will easily solve the problems of life. Yet, all has not been hard work, for Vail work and no play make Jack a dull boy” and my classmates are anything but dull, I am convinc d We have had, under the friend! supervision of the Faculty, clean competition in athletics, outings and pleasure trips of all kinds, as well as social affair ' s and parties occa¬ sionally. These, along with the feel¬ ing of good fellowship, have made the past four years, four of the hap¬ piest years of our lives. This, we know, now that they are completed. And so now, classmates, let us do to all men in the future, as we have done to each other in the past, even tho they be our rivals. Let Us fol¬ low out our class motto and—“Lend A Hand.” ELPHEAGE V. KIROUAC. Pres’t ’21. THE DUTY OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE NEW AGE Class Oration The World War, in which the Allies so nobly, heroically, and at such a sacrifice saved civilization for the world, led us into a new epoch, the dawn of which we have seen spreading its growing light over the shattered and disorganized world. We cannot realize the immensity of the change which has been wrought in the economic, political, and social forces of the world. We live in a new age with the triumph of autoc¬ racy over democracy still uppermost in our minds. The effects of the war in changing the existing order of things can be fully realized by no one and only partly appreciated by a few whose minds are great enough to grasp the significance of the progress which is steadily going on around them. It is necessary in this great age for each to play his part in the prog¬ ress of civilization. The individual must do his share toward making the most out of his opportunities in or¬ der to become an asset to his coun¬ try and to the world rather than a liability. In order to insure to pos¬ terity the benefits for which the