Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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26 THE ECHO figure slyly enter and make his way across the floor towards my bunk ; still treading step . . . step . . . step until I felt two sinewy, icy fingers slowly placed on my wind pipe. Then, like bands of cold steel they began to tighten — tighten . . . tigh ten . . . tighten . . . and then — and then I woke up!” Marjorie Kohl, ’39. EDUCATION Education is the formal word for schooling. Training means practice to gain ability, endurance, or natural performance. Discipline suggests strict and systematic training with an aim toward right be- havior and ready and efficient action; breeding implies preparations in the civilities and courtesies of life. Education really is a develop- ment of character acquired by a course of study and discipline. It is not a product of this or any recent century. Rather it has come down through the ages. Classical education was foremost in the early Greek ideal magnificence. The Greeks loved beauty in all its forms, art, architecture, and literature. They applied their intelligence to every problem, and it was they who first strove to live by reason. Socrates and Plato are outstanding examples of classical courage. The youth of Greece, after completing his education and developing his mind and his body, took the Athenian Oath of Allegiance. In the year 64 Joshua B. Gamlo, high priest of the Hebrews, established the law that all Jewish boys must go to school. It was from this race that the modern world acquired the essentials of free personality, that is, an acknowledgment of each person’s own moral duty based on religious beliefs. During the Middle Ages the monastic education came to the front. This was a time of coarse discipline, lawlessness, and warfare. Might was the rule, and the monasteries alone offered an opportunity for rest and study. The only scholars of that period were produced by these monasteries. Nestor, a monk of Russia, turned his attention to teaching during the eleventh century. He specialized in history and wrote a chronicle in his own tongue; this has been the foundation of Slavonic history. The first town to raise money for the conduction of a school by public tax alone was Dedham in 1648. Upon this early example the whole public school education is based. Later Horace Mann, born at Franklin, Massachusetts, became in- terested in the public school system. The revival of this system be- came his life work. His report of the ignorance of the people and the incompetence of the teachers stirred the people strongly to the need of reform. Through his influence many important changes were made in the school system during his eleven years’ term as secretary of the State Board of Education. His labors have been acknowledged by giving him a place in the New York Hall of Fame. Without education the world would be a dangerous place to live in. With free education the world has become a safer place in which to dwell. Ann McGaughey, ’39.

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THE ECHO 25 iFtrahmatt (Hlaafi FRESHMAN CLASS OFFICERS President — Richard McKinnon Secretary — Virginia Berry Vice-president — Marjorie Kohl Treasurer — William Franklin A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE “Mother, please tell me a story,” begged the small child eagerly. “What kind of story do you like?” queried the kind, elderly woman. “Let me think. Oh ! I know ! Tell me about yourself when you were a little girl just like me,” she said expectantly. As her mother’s clear, blue eyes took on a distant look, and a thin smile twitched on her lips, little Carol curled up comfortably in the nice, soft lap and prepared herself for the exciting story of a terrify- ing experience. “When I was a child in the long ago, there was only one store for miles around,” began her mother. “The particular house that I lived in was on the edge of a wood which was about two miles long. One day immediately after lunch I walked through the woods to the store, where I bought a new pair of rubbers, some groceries, a new kerchief for mother, and some cough syrup, but, hazard of all hazards, I forgot the oil for the oil lamps ! By the time I had walked home through the cheery woods, white with snow, and deposited the articles on the kitchen table, it was fast growing dark. “When my step-mother discovered my forgetfulness, she ordered me to go straight back after the oil. I was nearly frightened out of my wits, for I was to walk back through the long woods in the dark. “Shiverin g with fear, I started on my journey. Suddenly every nerve in my body became taut, for I had heard a footstep! Hardly daring to move, I started forward again, remembering the old hunter’s shack where all hunters usually bunked for the night during the opening season. As I cautiously picked my way along, I could still hear the steady step . . . step . . . step ; now a crackling of a branch ; now a scratching of the shoe against the snow crust. Then for a few moments I was almost relieved as I did not hear them, but as I reached the creek and was just about ready to leap across, my heart jumped into my throat, for I heard a tiny ‘splash !’ as if a pebble had been knocked off the bank into the water I “Breaking into a run, I headed for the cabin, but I could still hear the patter, patter, patter, of the feet coming faster and faster. Creep- ing into the cabin, I closed the door as silently as possible — such a moment of anxiety I have never since felt — and climbed into one of the bunks. Nearly collapsing with fright, I heard a small ‘crr-r-r-e-eee-e-k !’ and the door slowly — very slowly — was being pushed open. Too frightened to move, I lay there gritting my teeth and trying to scream, but no voice would come. Then I saw a slouched

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THE ECHO 27 FIRST ATTEMPT TO RIDE A HORSE How big that horse is! How will I ever get on him? Do you suppose I can stay on after I get there? What if he runs away with me? All these thoughts raced through my mind as I approached the horse. At last with the help of two men I found myself astride a huge horse whose width was greater than anything I ever dreamed of. I then started down over the hills very peacefully feeling a little bit superior to my fellowmen going down over the hill, admiring the beautiful sky, trees, and green meadows. Turning around to come home, to my great horror a herd of cattle was between me and home. I decided to go back, hoping the cows would go home in the meantime. After a number of times going back and forth, I decided to brave the cows. With fear and trembling I headed the horse toward the cows. They looked gentle enough until one lowered her horns and started for the horse. The horse bolted. My feet came out of the stirrups, flew up in the air. I threw both arms around the horse’s neck, and we raced for the barn. I was calling “Whoa 1 Whoa 1” in a very shaky voice. When we arrived at the barn, the horse stopped as if nothing had happened. After I slid off with trembling legs, I went into the house, doubting if my horse-back ride was much of a success. Barbara Boardman, ’39 MY DAY WITH JACK AND JAN “You won’t mind staying. Will you, Jean?” asked mother. Although secretly longing to tell her I most certainly would, I answered, “Of course not. I’ll have a fine time with Jacqueline and Johanne to amuse me.” Thus I settled myself for a day of abject misery. “Keep them in the kitchen, see that they don’t fall, and don’t let them cry!” Such orders! As soon as they left. Jack put herself in a position of dire peril near my rockers. I no sooner moved her than Jan was at the dining room door. On bringing back Jan, I settled myself to try to read, but there they were standing, holding my chair. With a longing glance at the stolen chair, I settled down between them to keep them from falling. Immediately Jan fastened both hands in my hair and sought to very earnestly remove it by the roots, while Jack found my features most interesting. When I finally made them desist, they cried for their lost plaything. I tried to amuse them with their toys and was rewarded with a quarter of an hour’s unceasing howling. Finally, I picked them up, and with one on each knee, rocked them ’till mama and grandmama came home. Jean Gagnon, ’39. NATURE’S ABILITIES Howling winds, groaning trees; Dancing snowflakes, whistling breeze; Beautiful sight on gray, fading trees — Some of nature’s abilities. B. Boardman, ’39.