Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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true one. May each one of us seek his shall be able to look back on this memor- best approach to Success, and having able parting with joy in our hearts and found it, keep steadily on its path, never pride at having achieved our great end — branching off, nor turning back, until he success. has gained its farthest point. Then we ALICE M. DAVIS, 1920. VALEDICTORY— “NULLA VES No footsteps backward! What better motto could be ours? What could better illustrate our own ideals or those of the country in which we live? Indeed, from the time, three hundred years ago, when our ancestors landed in Plymouth with a firm resolve to found a country which they and their descendants might be proud to call their own, this spirit of progress has been instilled in the hearts of our people. It existed even in those early years of hardship and suffering and remained undaunted through the cruel In- dian massacres .which nearly annihilated the staunch little colonies. Glancing over the pages of history we can note the steady march of progress. From a few scattering settlements in the wilderness we have risen to what we are to-day, a great and powerful nation. Meanwhile the progressive ideal hidden in the recesses of men’s minds began to materialize in the shape of modern inven- tions. Many labor saving machines were in- vented, among them the cotton gin which revolutionized the cotton industry in the south. The steam boat and steam railway came into existence, then theories and facts about electricity were developed one by one and throughout all the intervening years the great men of every period have continued to study, plan and produce many electrical devices. The telegraph, cable and, later, the telephone system have resulted and brought all parts of the world into communication with each other. The progress made in education has TIGIA RETRORSUM” been no less marked. While the desire for religious freedom was the one great motive which led the colonists from the old world to the new, yet they were a peo- ple to whom education ranked second only to religion. Crude little cabins built by the pioneers from roughly hewn logs represented their first attempts, but in less than a century three of the largest colleges of to-day were founded. How- ever, for many years a grammar school education was considered munificent. Only a few were able to afford the advan- tages offered by high school courses and even fewer could bear the expense of a college training. We, the children of to- day, are alloAved the privileges of gram- mar and high school education at the ex- pense of the town and the commonwealth. With the opportunities that are ours, how easy it should be for us to build the house of progress — “To match our spirits to our day And make a joy of duty!” Honored Principal: We, your youngest children, greet you. You, too, are gradu- ating this year from the Manning High School and we feel that we are most for- tunate to have the honor of admitting you to the Class of 1920. We are glad that one of our classmates after a quarter of a century of faithful service here, can al- ready testifiy that he has successfully reached the goal toward which we are struggling. As we grow older and our visions broaden we shall think even more of the noble example which you have al- ways set us and we shall know that our 4

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SALUTATORY— OUR PROBLEMS We, the members of the class of 1920, wish most heartily to welcome you all to our commencement exercises. The fact that you are here this evening shows that you are our friends, and as our friends, you will be interested in the problems, the solving of which will determine the suc- cess or failure of our lives. Our chief anxiety is the choosing of a vocation. Fifty years ago such a choice was seldom necessary for most of the girls became housewives and most of the boys took up the life-work of their fath- ers. Today, there is hardly a girl who does not earn her own living at least for a few years and the boy who takes his fath- er’s place is now the exception rather than the rule. Literally scores of possi- bilities invite us — each with its own at- tractions and with its difficulties to be overcome. Some offer small salaries at first but promise rapid advancement ; others tempt us with a large salary, but repel us because they can offer little chance for promotion. Sometimes bril- liant financial prospects demand the sev- ering of home-ties and the forfeiting ol social pleasures and recreation. Again a position, the actual work of which seems in itself less attractive, permits a fuller life outside its bounds, a broader realiza- tion of ideals of usefulness and service. Each must choose for himself thp one for which his peculiar tastes and abilities are best adapted — the one in which he can make the most of his life. The problem is not an easy one and its importance in our lives demands that we bring to its solving the highest effort of which we are cap- able. When an architect is employed to erect some splendid building he uses all his science and his utmost skill — he spends hours and hours— working out the plans for the structure. Chosing a vocation is making the plan for the structure of our Jives, and our success as builders depends largely on the wisdom of our plan. Our first problem, then, is how we can make our lives most advantageous to our- selves. Our second — perhaps even great- er than the first — is how we can best serve our country. She insures us personal safe- ty, and freedom ; she affords numberless opportunities and privileges for our well being and happiness ; for twelve years she has provided us with free schooling that we might be better able to meet our prob- lems. We owe her much and we must pay our debt. When the United States entered the world war, her young men an- swered the call for volunteers with “We owe it to our country. We will pay our debt.” We graduates cannot pay our debt by fighting for our country, but we can pay it by becoming true and loyal citizens, by each giving his utmost effort to the solving of the problems of our gov- ernment. Bolshevism is not the final so- lution for poverty and ignorance nor is war the sanest way to answer interna- tional questions. Strikes will never end the disputes between capital and labor nor will continuously higher prices alone secure us from decreasing production of necessities. A definite foreign policy must ' be determined and immigration regula- ted. The coming generation must solve problems of government such as no na- tion in history has ever met successfully or our civilization must pass away even as have those of Egypt and Persia, of Greece and Rome. We, as future citizens, must solve these problems. Whether we shall succeed is a question to be answered by ourselves, alone, and, for the class, l say, “We can, we will.” Dear classmates, make my answer a 3

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lives have been better for having learned of you. A short time ago, your pupils of former years gathered here to tender their tribute of respect and honor. It is now our privilege to add to theirs our tribute, and may the knowledge of the place which you hold in all our hearts bring you the pleasantest of memories. Classmates: For four long years we have worked together with this common goal in view. Shoulder to shoulder we have pressed forward and now mat our years of preparation are over, we are standing upon the threshold of the world. Our common pathways will soon diverge but let us never delay with lingering steps over the performance of some great task, and may our motto, “Nulla Vestigia Re- trorsum ’ ’ help us to be true to ourselves, our school, our country and our God. MARY E. GORDON, 1920. CLASS HISTORY What a grand day Avas September 1G-. 1917, for the eighty-one of us Avho entered the High School as Freshmen. We had left the Junior High School to pass into a Avalk of life with which we were entirely unacquainted. We felt that we knew al- most eA erything and that Ave were going to have a great many good times. But our anticipations Avere soon proA ed to be false. The Seniors (as Avell as the teach- ers) soon told us that Ave knew nothing and AA r ithin a short time we found out for ourselves that we really didn’t know enough to hurt us. As for ambition, we ahvays had enough of that. We always did our best to prepare to the satisfac- tion of the teachers, or at least, of our- selves, the assigned lessons although we sometimes found them long and difficult. Our Freshman year was the most Aveari- some of all years. We were Freshmen and Avere treated as such by the upper class- men. The Seniors associated with us for the sole purpose of telling us hoAV little Ave knew and Iiqav much Ave thought we kneAv. The Juniors didn’t trouble them- selves to be agreeable. The Sophomores were civil and yet not noticeably sociable. But such is the life of a Freshman. Soon that horrible year Avas ended and Ave Avere given a chance to forget our Freshman trials and tribulations, altho’ they linger- ed in the memory of many. Forty-four Freshmen managed to sur- Auve our first year to become Sophomores. Our life Avas much easier in all respects. Another class had entered to take our place as Freshmen and Ave joined the up- per classmen in ignoring them. At the close of that year Ave lost many of our teachers, among them Mr. Pickup, Avho had a habit of making us write outlines in English, a plan to which every pupil ob- jects. He was calm under all circum- stances and if two questions should hap- pen to be asked of him at the same time he Avould simply reply, “Now, just hold your horses.” Several teachers left in June to be married, but Miss McKay could wait only until the last of May. One of our most beloved teachers was Miss Emerson who also left then, but not for the purpose of getting married though she Avas engaged to our Science teacher, Mr. GoodAA-in. She helped many of us to struggle through that much despised study, Geometry. She had been aAvay from us only a short time when Ave receiv- ed the sad neAA s of her death. Apparently many of our number con- sidered half the high school course enough for only twenty-eight came back the next 5