Hartford High School - Hartford Key Yearbook (White River Junction, VT)

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FRESHMAN YEAR It is September, 1939. You see a group of dazed-looking students wandering around the maze of halls of Hartford High. What are these creatures? Who are they? They are the Freshmen! We all had our misgivings and doubts, would we find our classes, friends, and ourselves out of this well-organized chaos? We did, and got through our first year quite happily and successfully. There were many new faces among us—a new contingent from Wilder and North Hartland, and students from out of town. Our first class meeting held in the auditorium October 4, elected the following officers: President, Roderick Stinehour; vice-president, Robert Curtis, (Robert moved later and Anne Davis was elected in his place); secretary, Mary-Mock; and treasurer, Bernard Whitney. At a later meeting John Bomhower was elected to S. A. B. The annual Freshman Reception came for us November 6. We were sufficiently initiated by being made to do various stunts and the usual trips (one way) to Jericho for some. Mr. Holland and Ernest Stockwell, Senior Class President, spoke to us, welcoming us and reminding us of our responsibilities. Stunt Night came early in December, and as Freshmen we did very well, winning second prize. Our stunt was “The Lamp Went Out”—not highly original in plot, but originally done. The cast (and sound effects) was as follows: Catherine and Carleton O’Connor, Priscilla Boivin, David Smith, Janet Brouil-lette. Mary Mock, Lester Bryne, Roderick Stinehour, John Abbott, Anne Davis find Virginia Albanese. Incidentally I doubt if many will forget Rocky’s out-at as the M. C. By this time we realized the loss of several of last year’s friends. Marjorie Gauthier and Bartlett Sargent did not enter with us, Stanley Peck, ( arleton Adams, Lucille Plamondon, Evelyn Chabot, Leonard ilhelmsen left during the year. Norma Ahern and Bertha Manning were new and left later in the year. Our class was well represented in the field of sports, girls’ and boys’ basketball, baseball, and football. And not only were we active in sports, but in the various clubs and organizations of the school Debating Club, (dee ( lub (many of our members went to the Music Festival and also sang at Graduation) F.H.V., Cheerleading, Band and Orchestra. In April we gave an extremely successful Poverty Party with Catherine O’Connor as chairman. Everyone looked lovely—dressed in their best rags, and soleless shoes. From both a social and financial angle we out-did ourselves. The Home Rooms continued to flourish. The Freshmen home rooms sponsored record dances, and one group furnished its room with a bulletin board and an electric clocU. At the awards assembly Evelyn Bemis won the Home Economics Key for outstanding work, Mary Mock and Christine Regione won letters in basketball, Carleton O’Connor in basketball and football. The year ended with the annual and inevitable trip to Lake Morey where most of us got sunburned and all tired out. Oh yes, remember when Anne, Priscilla, and canoe went head first into the lake? However, it certainly was a great way to end the year, and who could have been happier? 16

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Class History KIGHTH GRADE The term of 1938-1939 marked many changes and new ideas in Hartford High School. “Something new had been added” in the form of the Junior High. This consisted of the seventh and eighth grades in the four upstairs rooms of the new wing. The class of ’43 is the first class ever to be graduated from this high school that has been here for five years. I mean the whole class! The members of this first eighth grade hailed from all over the town of H.irtford—White River Junction, Wilder, Hartford, and West Hartford. It was a new experience for all of us, as we all had to make new friends and adjust oursel»es to a senior high class schedule. Later on in the fall we organized as a class and elected officers which were as follows: President, Mary Mock; vice-president, Christine Regione; secre- tary, Anne Davis; and treasurer, Catherine O’Connor. Assemblies were new to us too, and we had many of them during the year. There was a variety of them one put on by the music department for Christmas, a first aid assembly by the General Science classes, and another by the English Department in the form of prize speaking. Grade eight was well represented-Priscilla Boivin. who won first prize for girls, Kay Rogers, Marjorie Gauthier, Donovan Beede, Stella Powers, and Albert Carlisle who won first prize for the boys. The Junior High boys organized their own basketball team and were coached by Mr. Farnham of the Grammar School. They did very well, for it was considered one of the best Junior Varsities around. Still later in the year, “something new” again was added. This time it was Home Room programs. At first they were more or less a period of general discussion, then they evolved into periods with a business meeting and a planned program. The Junior High boys took the initiative again, and in the spring organized baseball leagues. There were three or four of them all over the town; the “Point” league would play the South End. and so on till everyone had played everyone else. They were coached by Mr. Peterson. In May the Annual East Central District held its Festival in W hite River under the direction of Alan Carter of Vermont Symphony fame. It was quite a feat. because none of the singers were of high school age. Some members who left during the year were Jane Hunt, Georgia W arne, Dan Hughes. Avis Harrington, and Bartlett Sargent. At the awards assembly some of us received State Reading C ertificates for completed and extra reading. Roderick Stinehour won the American Legion Auxiliary National Defense Essay Contest locally, and also the State Contest. Kathleen Rogers was presented her award for the Good ( itizenship Student also. We left the eighth grade complete with class pins and all, a trip to Lake Morey at the end of the term, and something to look forward to our entrance into Senior High as Freshmen. 15

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SOPHOMORE YEAR We we re now one step nearer to being upperclassmen and what a year this turned out to be. You might call it our “Golden N ear. We entered with many' new friends—Mary Jane Daley, Roland Preston, Richard Brockway, Marie Geddis, Theresa Beliveau, and Dorothy Raymond. Everett Chapman, Joyce Beattie, Rol ert Pyer. Concetta Scelza, Virginia Jack-son, Alan Livingston, Russell Lamere, Edna Horton, and Shirley Lunderville did not enter in the fall or left during the year. The first class meeting was September 25, and the election of officers resulted in the following: President, David Smith; vice-president, Priscilla Boivin; secretary, Carleton O’Connor; and treasurer, Catherine O’Connor. Mary Mock and Roderick Stinehour were elected to S. A. B. In November the Music Department presented an operetta, “The Gypsy Rover.” Three sophomores had solo parts, Priscilla Boivin, Janet Brouillette, and David Smith. Many sophomores were members of the chorus. At Stunt Night we really went to town—winning first prize. Little Willie Now, and Little Willie Twenty-five ’tears Hence” was very cleverly written by Mary Jane Daley and Anne Davis, and presented as cleverly by the following: Priscilla Boivin, David Smith, Janet Brouillette, Roderick Stinehour, Mary Jane Daley, Anne Davis, Catherine O’Connor, Mary Mock, ( arleton O’Connor, and Kay Rogers. The American Legion sponsored an Oratorical Contest for the first time this year. David Smith and Mary Jane Daley were in the preliminaries here. Mary Jane winning, went to the Windham-Windsor County Contest, and winning there she went to Montpelier for the State contest, which she also won. Her last and final stop was Portland. Maine, for the Regional Contest. Although Mary Jane didn’t win there, we were proud to have had her go as far as she did, thus bringing note to herself and the class. Sophomores took part in about everything. The band, newly formed by-Mr. Frank Bush, had sophomores for some of its members. Along with the band went the Majorettes, and Cheerleading. Sophomores were in the Glee Club and the concert in February, in boys’ and girls’ basketball, football, and baseball. There were members in Patratores, Debate ( lub, F. H. ., The Nutshell”, Bug Club, and the Chess Club. Priscilla Dutille and Ursula Dulac were in the Allstate Chorus at the Burlington Music Festival. March 7 was the Sophomore night, and being in March we made it a St. Patrick’s Dance to which the “Irish” turned out in great numbers. David Smith. Janet Brouillette. and Catherine O’Connor were chairmen. The members of Mrs. Ryan’s English II class presented “Thanksgiving With the Upsnoots” for the Thanksgiving assembly. It had us rolling in the aisles. The Latin Classes had an assembly also, and the Home Economics class gave a style show in which Sophomores took part. Home Rooms still continued to sponsor record dances and buy bulletin Ixiards and clocks in order to improve the Home Rooms. In February, 1941, our good friend, Mr. Osgood, died. We felt as if something had been taken out of the school in his death, for his kindness and fatherliness had become an institution in the school. 17