Mathews High School - Clipper Yearbook (Mathews, VA)

Page 17 text:

Senior Officers Left to right: Sponsor, Miss Mildred Callis; Lynette Trusch, treasurer; Peggy West, reporter; Wayne Taylor, president; Joyce Lewis, vice-president; Margaret Tho¬ mas, secretary; Rosalyn Burroughs, historian. lass History rinoo All hands on deck! The ship v tloo “’ 47 ” W as leaving for a cruise in the Mathews Bay with its blue and white flag at the mast . . . Fresh¬ men from all parts of the county re¬ ceived their passports. We were the greenest of the green and white with fright, as the necessary preparations for the voyage began. Knowing that the winds would be high, the tides swift, we realized the need of a sturdy captain. Margaret Thomas, with a crew of hearty first mates, was chosen to lead us through the first unknown channels and high seas of our journey. Completing the staff of officers, our pilots, Misses Mildred Callis, Lucille and Dora Foster, took the wheel and our cruise was well under way. Being inexperienced sailors, we had to learn the rules—but as time went on our green¬ ness disappeared a bit. Good sailors, at last! But in the midst of our glee came a bugle blast from the conceited sophomores—“initiation” with all the upper classmen as witnesses. “Aye, Aye, Honorable Sophomores”, was our reply. Each mile of sailing encouraged class spirit. The dramatic performances found our Romeo’s and Juliet’s; the glee club captured our nightin¬ gales; athletics gave us a place in the sporting field; the newspaper found our journalists; the Home Ec Club found our future homemakers and other organizations discovered us too. Gradually we became first class sailors of the “’47”. Time passed as time does. Provisions ran low and our sailors were in need of rest, we docked for the Christmas holidays—our first real leave. After fourteen glorious days, we were aboard again and ready for work and play. We took part in many programs and entertainments. Time con¬ tinued to slip by and before we realized the first of our cruise was nearly over. Land was in sight. Trying to dock we hit upon some rocks—exams. But commencement conquered the blows, and with “Aye! Aye! Captain”, we saluted the blue and white flag for a leave of three months. Again the gang plank was lowered, as we sophomores boarded the “47” for the second lap of our journey. Standing in line for inspection, we missed our beloved Mr. A. R. Williams—the ship had lost a valued friend and inspiration who had been a guiding light to boys and girls for seventeen short years. We were inspected, dis¬ missed and ready for another year’s work. We were mighty sophomores now. Poor Freshmen! We found compensation for what we had suffered the previous year in making them grin and bear it. Hallowe ' en and other entertainments added pleasure to the sailors life, and Mr. H. A. New- land, our new light, saw that our course was clear for good sailing always. May rolled around and All County School Day was held on our deck with many of us participating in the gala occa¬ sion, there being a May court and a Bond Court, culminating a bond drive, as the second World War was raging beyond our seemingly calm waters. June came around again and with it exams and presto! the gang plank was down again. Another three months leave had been granted. 9 47 ( 13 )

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Kenneth Brown A. B.,Salem College, West Virginia New York University; Pitt. U. Physical Education Dora Foster Mary Washington College William and Mary College English Lucille Haynes Foster Mary Washington College Mathematics Richard S. Hall, Jr, B. S., William and Mary College Virginia Polytechnic Institute Agriculture Carrie Roane Hall B. S., Madison College Librarian, Latin Leslie Hudgins Mechanics School of Baltimore Auto Mechanics Myrtle Lewis Matthews William and Mary College English Eleanor Powell Respess Averett College Mathematics Preston Brown Twigg B. S., Mary Washington College Commercial Bernice Rowe White William and Mary College Science Evelyn Gertrude Wilkerson B. S., Madison College Home Economics ( 12 )

Page 18 text:

Program Committee Left to right: Paul Bla- nock, Betty Taylor, (chairman), Lucy Hud¬ gins and Anne Green. Decorations Committee Left to right: Barbara Kemp, Louis Diggs, Re- genia Rammell. Joyce Hudgins, chairman, (not pictured). Senior Personalities (Voted for by the student body on secret ballot) Left to right, standing: Betty Taylor, Margaret Thomas, Louis Diggs, Peggy West and Rosalyn Burroughs. Seated: Paul Blanock and Wayne Taylor. In September the “47” rocked with the greet¬ ings of the sailors. The voyage was now getting well under way and this time the sailors were allowed to place orders for jewelry to be worn during the last run of the voyage. Happy day for happy sailors! Productions, programs, parties all filled our deck but we will long remember the occasion when our deck was cleared of all else but life preservers, chairs, the ole anchor and many black shiny faces! There was also a wed¬ ding aboard our ship that day and can we ever forget our kindly minister, the Rev. James Les¬ lie Hudgins? Time again passed and very swiftly now as the merry month of May came to highlight this phase of our voyage. We were nearing port and another leave was coming up but before we left the “47” again we were to play a rather prom¬ inent part in All County School Day, taking a very active part in many of the special features. And on the twenty-fourth we really made our debut into society when we gave the Junior- Senior banquet and prom. Our upper deck was no longer recognizable as such, but was converted into a lovely improvised spring garden with long banquet tables extending the whole length of our deck with a canopy of red and white streamers, baloons and roses above and “graduate” figures graced our tables. From the band stand flowed soft strains of lovely dance music. The atmosphere was indeed one of gaiety. More rocks in landing—exams. This time there were heart¬ aches as we bid a final farewell to our friends— the Seniors. Now, as Seniors, we salute the blue and white flag of the “47” for the last of the voyage. Miss Mildred Callis continued to be our pilot and Wayne Taylor took the helm as captain with Joyce Lewis as his assistant. Mr. C. G. Gibbs be¬ came our new guiding light and constant inspira¬ tion through the remaining few months that stretched ahead. We took our new places in chapel and shouldered our new responsibilities for it was we who were giving to the big ship her major officers. Among the highlights of our year were our Christmas party just before we left our ship for our last major leave, our ambition to publish the first year book in the history of our school, our presentation of the broadway comedy, “Strictly Formal,” which we staged around the first of April, the banquet and prom which the Jun¬ iors gave us, our recognition and honors re¬ ceived at the press conventions and the invi¬ tation our journalists received to join the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor So¬ ciety. Our voyage now was nearly at its end as we made final preparations for commencement. We were quite pleased to have the Rev. Mr. Guy Foster, a native Mathews man, to come aboard our ship to deliver our Baccalaureate sermon. Our last social event came when we were guests at a reception given by our sponsor in the cottage. The last hours of our voyage found us tense with suspense as we marched down the aisle of our dear school, through the colums of advancing junior seamen who picturesquely arranged glow¬ ing candle light to guide our final advance on our last trip to our upper deck and, a few hours later, our final retreat from the dear old ship as we launched upon the sea of life. ( 14 )