Lawrence High School - Lawrencian Yearbook (Falmouth, MA)

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6 The Lawrencian PROGRAM The Honor Legion Vance Invocation Rev. Rudolph L. Samuelson Welcome Stephen Papp, President The Constitution — Honor Essays Introduction and History Phyllis Graham Gould Rights Granted by the Constitution Stephen Papp The Influence of the Supreme Court on the Constitution Phyllis Wood The United States Legislature in Comparison with the French and German Legislatures Bernice Elaine Jones Constitutional Amendments Frances Mary Williams O Belle Nuit Offenbach Senior Chorus Orchestral Accompaniment Class Favors Claire Anna Hewins; Robert Joseph Perry The Future Casts Its Shadow William Dean Hart Presentation of Class Gift to the School and Farewell Stephen Papp, President L. H. S. Hymn of Loyalty Davis-Walch Senior Chorus Announcement of Commencement Awards by the Principal Russell Burgess Marshall Presentation of Diplomas by the Superintendent of Schools Paul Dillingham Class Ode Jones-Abbott Class of 1938 Benediction Rev. John J. Boyd Loyalty Honor Service

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Lawrence High School 5 MANUEL PENA LYDIA ALBERTA PERRY PETER RODERICK PERRY ROBERT JOSEPH PERRY LOUIS RABESA, JR. i PAULINE SABENS Ql DONALD EVERETT SAMPLE RUTH G. SANDERSON LOUISE MARGARET SCANNELL BARBARA SCHARFF KATHERINE ANDREWS SERVIS ROBERT L. STEVENSON BERNIECE E. SYLVIA JOHN RAPOZA TAVARES, JR. GEORGE RADCLIFF THAYER, JR. MANUEL WHITE, JR. FRANCES MARY WILLIAMS - PHYLLIS WOOD - — BARBARA LOUISE WRIGHT Honor Pupils Class Motto Live to Learn — Learn to Live Flower Red Rose Colors Red and White

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Lawrence High School 7 Honor Essays— The Constitution INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY As you all know, we are celebrat- ing the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. For this reason we of the class of nineteen hundred and thirty eight have chosen various as- pects of that Constitution as the theme governing the five essays to be presented this evening. By means of these essays, it is our desire to give you a clear, complete view of the value of the Constitution and the part it played in making the United States the democracy that it is today. I, myself, shall deal with the his- tory and developments which sub- sequently led to the adoption of the document. We young people of America are a cynical lot, being inclined to take many things for granted. Among other things, we are indifferent to- ward those blessings of peace and liberty willed us by the framers of the Constitution. It is hard for us to realize that there hasn’t always been a Constitution, that at any time in the history of our American nation the idea of such a nation was abstract. Only through books may we discover the conditions that encouraged the creation of the gov- ernment under which it is our good fortune to live today. Previous to the Revolutionary War, the Thirteen States in America re- sembled those states of ancient Greece in that they were entirely independent of one another. Differ- ences in race, language, and religion were in a large part to blame for the prevalence of this condition. The geographical situation of the colo- nies, each colony having its own har- bors and coastline, also had much to do with their separation, since each, under such conditions, had little cause and less necessity to de- pend on the others. These things are an explanation of, and perhaps a partial excuse for, the lack of national feeling in the colonies be- fore their war for independence. With the advent of the Revolu- tionary War, however, came a rush of patriotism. For a time the colo- nies were united — fighting against what they considered unjust and abominable taxation — fighting for a common cause. With the end of the war, came the end of the only visible force capable of establishing union in the colonies. After winning their cause, people in the colonies immediately displayed their tendencies to drift back into their former mode of living. It was then, in 1775, that the members of the Second Continental Congress, convened at Philadelphia, made a last, frantic attempt to pro- long thoughts of union, by creating what they termed “a plan of general federation and perpetual league.” This plan — The Articles of Confed- eration — was by no means definite, being only a statement of powers which the Continental Congress might exercise (those being very few), and giving the rest of the power to the States. It was presented to the states for ratification in 1777, but it did not go into effect until 1781, since the unanimous consent of the states was necessary to ap- prove it, according to one of the provisions of the Articles. Thus, even before the newly born govern- ment went into effect, one of the