Leavitt Area High School - Angelus Yearbook (Turner, ME)

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12 LEAVITT ANGELUS In closing: It has been through your help, guidance, and friendship, and the mercy of God that We have been able to go on from day to day, struggling to overcome the trials that are always awaiting one. Through your help, We have been able to reach, at least in part, the goals of education. It is because of your ef- forts that we are here today. As we leave school life for life's school, let me say once again to everyone of you: Welcome to our graduation exercises. Esther Dunn. 1-...O-.-.T HONOR ESSAY Out Of High School Into Life's Military School Time was when an innate noble of the Dark Ages could hire a profes- sional army to fight his bloody bat- tles. However, as time went on, the poorer classes of men filled the ranks of the nation's armies, while its no- bility contributed the officer mate- rial. World War 1 changed this pio- ture in many respects, so that no longer were battles confined to small armies on small battlefields, and no longer was the man with the gun the only combatant. Then Whole na- tions were mobilized and, to some ex- tent, civilians were also actual com- batants. Our people fought this war with t'he earnest hope that it would make the world safe for democracy. After twenty-one years of peace, the barbarous German armies once again started on the road to world domination. Their march into Poland in September of 1939 touched off the powder keg of Europe which explod- ed with a force never equaled in his- tory. Peace was no more. True, there were a few nations like ourselves that tried to take a neutral stand but this status lasted for a compara- tively short time. Whether it would advisable to enter have been more the War in '39 or to wait for the war still being debated. to come to us is However, all our debate on the pro's and con's of entering the war was settled for us by the Japanese War Lords . On that fateful Sunday af- ternoon of December 7, 1941, t'he ar- guments were closed. We were at- tacked while their peace emissaries were in Washington discussing ways and means of keeping Japan and our country at peace. The yellow Devil sons of Nippon gave us but one choice and to this day, I think, we have nobly met their challenge. For the greater part of us fellows who are graduating from Leavitt this June entering the military sen- vice seems to be our chief goal. Last year at this time, it seemed reason- able to our military leaders that older men than ourselves could speed this war to a successful conclusiong but, lessons to the contrary have been taught us on the world's battlefields, lessons which have cost us precious American blood. America needs young men to fight its battles. It is only the younger men, those from 18 to 26 years, who can best carry this war to our enemies with the violence and velocity that today's all out war demands. And so as we reach the age of eighteen and go before our draft boards to discover who s'hall serve on the battlefields and who on the home front, we do so with the hope that by putting our shoulders to the wheel and by working with all our might we may bring to our land the long hoped-for peace and may preserve our threatened freedom for ourselves and our posterity. Edward Murphy.

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LEAVITT ANGELUS 1l1 'Z5llZiii7Eifz1i'rUiEEQQl . Doioioioioioirxiuifrioi SALUTATORY Trustees, Members of the School Board, Teachers, Alumni, Parents, Friends, and Schoolmates: We, the class of 1944, extend to you a cordial welcome to our graduation exercises. We are glad to have you present at this time. This is both a joyous day and a sad one for us, the graduating class. Joyous, because we have reached an- other goal in our life, and because you, our loved ones are here with us to share our good fortune, sad, be- cause now we must say Good-bye to the wonderful friends we have made, and to the good times we have shared here during our days at Leav- itt. Sad, too, because now many of us are saying Good-bye to school life forever. Yes, we are leaving school life with its aims and ideals. We have reached another goal in life's jour- ney. At some things we were pleased, at others displeased, but we have come this far on our journey and there is no turning back. We must go on and take advantage of the new op-- portunities presented to us. Thanks to our training here, we are better prepared now for the fu- ture. We shall be better able to make a wise decision. Today we reach the cross-roads. We separate to travel North, South, East, and West, but whatever way we go, there will be decisions to be made and problems to be solved. The fact that the country is at war adds to the abundance of these prob- lems. Agencies require that their em- ployees be well trained in order to speed the war effort. The armed u101o11rio2m13o:1xioi4 viuiuiuinisrioc forces require that their members be healthy, and, if possible, be spe- cialized in some occupation. Many of the boys in our class will be joining the armed forces, others will be going into the mills or onto farms. The girls may take up nursing, which requires a great deal of prep- arationg they may go into office work, in which a large amount of skill is required, they may enter a dozen different occupations, or they may even join the armed forces. Any of these branches of life's school demands that one be able to meet certain rigid requirements, make wise decisions, and meet trou- bles calmly. Our school life with its aims of good health, mastery of cer- tain fundamental subjects, apprecia- tion of home life, training for a voca- tion, lessons in citizenship, proper use of leisure time, and especially that aim of developing a good char- acter have all helped to prepare us for the future. It has trained us in such a way as to enable us to meet those demands, which are so impor- tant, and which are different for the various vocations. It enables us to meet also the basic requirements which are the same for all employ- ments. Whatever road we take, we will find that our days here aft Leav- itt will be helpful to us as well as full of happy memories. F. As we leave here, we pass on to you, Undergraduates, the torch we have been trying to carry for our school. Try to do your jobleven bet- ter than we have done ours and in so doing raise the standards of Leavitt Institute higher.

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LEAVITT ANGELUS 13 HONOR ORATION To each of us our motto has a dif- ferent appeal, according to our tastes and abilities. To most of us it means out of school into life's school of business, and with that point of view in mind, I think first of an old saying, Beginners cannot be choos- ers . What we need is experience. No matter how hard the task we under- take, the success depends upon our own efforts and initiative. There are, without doubt, a few abilities and skills which We should cultivate if we expect to be success- ful. Among these is that of self dis- cipline, which is very valuable for each one of us to possess. Upon accepting a position, we should not think about the job in it- self but consider it in relation to the business as a whole. We must real- ize what our Work means in connec- tion with other departments. No mat- ter how small our job may be, it plays some part in the whole scheme. If we are able to fill a small position steadily and efficiently, We shall be more capable of handling a larger one when the opportunity offers it- self. We must cultivate an interest and liking for whatever we are doing. If We put all our attention on our work, we may be surprised to see what a difference it will make in our whole attitude toward our position. We shall feel that our job is as im- portant as that of the next person. Wherever we are placed, there will be things about the oHice and work that may not please usg things that are distasteful and difficult. Self dis- cipline demands that we force our- selves to do our work satisfactorily? give the best that we have in usg never be satisfied with work t'hat is half done. We may never be praised for the good Work we have done, but there is the satisfaction which accompanies a task well performed even though others do not tell us about it. In other words, let's not give up if the going doesn't always seem smooth. Rather, let's go on and con- quer. If there is in us a feeling of inse- curity and lack of preparedness, now is the time to do something about it. With the splendid educational oppor- tunities which we have, there is no reason why we cannot improve our- selves. It may be impossible for some of us to continue as we wish, but busi- ness is a broad field. and there are night schools which one may attend a few nights a week for a small fee. Of course, one must have some recrea- tion and rest, but along with this we should plan to improve ourselves. It has been done by many who have cared enough about their future ad- vancement to make a determined ef- fort. To sum up we should be alert and learn all that we can. Success in a smaller job soon leads to a more im- portant one. Then no doubt some- thing better is likely to develop. We will do our best to remember that the only way in which one may obtain success is through his own earnest efforts. Crystal Reed. l..-0...-1. PROPHECY FOR GIRLS One afternoon in the last week of March, I strolled off into the depths of the woods where I could be alone to peer into the future and discover what might take place in the year 1950. Then out of a chaotic mental confusion, a panorama was unrolled before my eyes. Within the haziness of my vision I could plainly see, rush- ing before me, the classmates with