High-resolution, full color images available online
Search, browse, read, and print yearbook pages
View college, high school, and military yearbooks
Browse our digital annual library spanning centuries
Support the schools in our program by subscribing
Privacy, as we do not track users or sell information
Page 16 text:
“
Now It Can Be Told The problem of finding a suitable theme around which to develop a detailed class history is indeed a weighty one. The his- torian must plan to have his theme coincide with that of the entire annual, and vet it must not copy an idea used by some preceding historian for, as some great philosophical mind has stated. “A twice told tale is never good. One of the past historians tried to picture the entering freshies as lowly savages who, because of the excellent influence of our high school, gradually became civilized citizens, and. after reaching their ultimate goal of graduating seniors, they had acquired a shining polish to remain everlastingly a tribute to Hastings High School. Your historian has for obvious reasons discarded this pro- cedure and declined to make use of these rather vulgar ways of picturing a class of freshmen entering the portals of Hastings High School. Instead he intends to eliminate all artificial characterization and present to the reader not savages, not explorers, but one hundred forty-four slightly l ewildered ninth grade Americans seeking the free blessing of an education. These beginners, or freshies as the upper- classmen so unceremoniously clubbed them, set about the business of learning the necessi- ties of life, aided by twenty-seven slightly more advanced freshmen who had a semester start. Being democracy-loving individuals they immediately elected their presiding officers and. with the help of Mr. Knopf and Miss Schreiber, began to put the grinding wheels of progress into motion. Believing in the saying. All work and no play. etc. , the newly-initiated frosh l egan to look on the bright side of life or what is more properly known as the world of enter- tainment. To provoke laughs for the whole school Bill DeC'ou. Bill Dibble, Rachel Mal- colm, and Cyntheal Reed gave ample proof in one act that You Never Know What a Woman Will I)o. With the able Mr. Aten as coach a fresh- man nine proceeded to trounce the faculty twice, much to the latter’s consternation, in our great American game of baseball. Another athletic event of importance was the West Central League freshman track meet in which our lads edged out Ionia to win 38 to 36. With the coming of summer the once very confused frosh began to get their bearings, and they really got into the social swim at the water carnival. The summer fled by and another fall faced this band of lean, bronzed, and reassured sophomores returning to Hastings High to take up their duties as the guiding spirits and initiators of the new freshmen. It was hard to Indieve that these domineering and sophisti- cated tenth graders were the same cowering freshmen of the year before. To climax an illustrious year Bill Dibble won the declamation contest and gained more glories for himself and for his class. To im- press upon the people of our community the value and need of good lx oks, the annual Spotlight was entitled “Am 1 Red. The sophomores gave a modernistic version of Booth Tarkington’s hilarious Seventeen , in which an outstanding feature was the pre- sentation of “The Big Apple” with Elayne Knapp doing a little rug-cutting on the side. When January and a new school term rolled around, the tenth graders were informed that they constituted the largest class in school with a total enrollment of one hundred sixty- three students. Soon after this the sophs were cordially invited to attend the first of a series of dime dances, with the then-function- ing, school swing band providing the music. Upon returning to the sweat and toil of classes in the fall, the juniors decided to mix entertainment with an expression of com- munity pride and they took part in the S{x»t- light. Our Town. Slidst a swirl of dust and the clatter of hooves the eleventh grade ex- posed to the audience the complicated process of putting on a county fair as their portion of the presentation. The home economics division of the eighteenth annual Ag-HE was organized and directed by chairman Joan Erway. a very competent member of the junior class. Then came romance, tragedy, comedy, and drama. The juniors were presenting Little Women under the direction of Mr. Wheater, with Cosma Newton, Marjorie Cogswell, Florence Wright. Neva Warner, and Lyle Hathaway the principal characters. With the financial rewards from this master- piece. the juniors entertained the seniors with great pomp and ceremony at the annual J-Hop, the last school party of the year. To conform with the theme of When You Wish Upon a Star. the gym was decorated as a fashionable roof garden. Glittering stars twinkling from the ceiling and a wishing well added atmosphere to the memorable occasion. As the time for nomination of school officers approached, the juniors put in their nomina- tions for positions in the coming year’s govern- ing body. When the last echoes of the cam- paign speeches had died away in the shadows and the hustling election managers had com- pleted the vote tallying. Bill DeCou emerged from the fray as mayor, Bob Parker prepared to give justice to all, Maxine Brandt began looking for unsanitary situations to correct. Bernard Whitmore continued his ditties of traffic direction, and Ronald Conklin became the public service chief. Just before the end of the term all classes were caught in a storm, or rather a shower, of dusty and tattered old books. To provide future classes with new instruments of printed knowledge the Kellogg Foundation offered one new book for every five old ones collected. After a summer of expectant waiting the former juniors returned to carry on the tradi- tions left by the graduated seniors of the years Indore. With a profound determination to leave the school in a blaze of glory they pitched into both the school work and the
”
Page 17 text:
“
extra-curricular activities and. helped along by the advice of Mr. Damson and Miss Rowe, as- sumed many responsible positions. The 1940 football team, winners of the West Central League championship, had nine seniors in the regular starting positions, and the twelfth graders took the lead in many other sports. A superb cast, working under the direction of Mr. Wheater. presented in three acts the comedy “Galahad Jones” as the annual senior play. Then came that terrible fifteen hundred word essay for economics, at which time Mr. Rein- hardt’s ears burned fiercely from things spoken behind his back. One more hurdle overcome, the socalled essays were handed in. Seniors Bill DeCou. the mayor, and Joan Erway received the Hi-Y and Girl's League Scholarhip cups for the first semester. Because of their excellent records in scholarship and school activities, the second semester winners were Ronald Conklin for the boys and Ruth Beck for the girls. After a formal announcement of the J-llop the seniors came to realize with a start that their triumphant school careers were coming rapidly to a close. It would soon be time for graduation and a venture into life as American citizens. They would leave the friendly halls of Hastings High and, as each individual re- ceives his diploma from the president of the board of education, he realizes that he is no longer a part of the group, but is on his own to make his mark in the world. CLASS OF 1941 MOTTO The seniors of today are the citizens of tomorrou COLORS Red and White FLOWER American Beautv Rose OFFICERS First semester Second semester Richard Fingleton president Bernard Whitmore Beverly Bross vice president Don Johnson Beatrice Ball sec retu rv Rachel Malcolm Ruth Beck treasurer Lois Clouse Marie Rowe advisers Carl Damson SENIOR HONOR LIST FOR 1941 Don Hildebrand! 2.555 Harold Bolter 2.167 I ' ii ■ i iniv oi i Ruth Beck 2.552 Betty Kidder 2.147 Joe Wilcox 2.417 Florence right 2 116 Barbara Babbitt 2.412 Mildred Gaskill 2.062 Dorothy Schantz 2.409 Cosma Newton 2.055 Elayne Knapp 2.397 Frayne Gross 2.041 Beatrice Ball 2.375 John Erway. 2.025 Rachel Malcolm 2.300 Loretta Dryer 2.024 Richard Fingleton 2.277 Lois Anderson 2.014 John Lockwo(xl 2.277 William Crawford 2.011 Ronald Conklin 2.259 Marquita Marshall 1.991 Rol ert Barker 2.208 Richard Hinkley 1.950 Maxine Brandt 2.181 L. T. Jarrard 1.917
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
