Maynard High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Maynard, MA)

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The Screech Owl 7 mediate aid was rushed to the stricken zone from the northern and eastern states. They were under no obligation to help, but no sooner was the need expressed than food and clothing which more than exceeded the demand was donated. Now we are giving our financial support so that flood control projects can be rushed to completion. In the terrible Hindenburg crash many Americans risked their lives in attempts to save the German ship’s passengers and crew. In the hectic day and night that followed, all else was put aside while Americans tried to bring relief and comfort to dozens of sufferers. In countless similar cases we have faced emergencies and overcome them. In England and most of the Euro- pean countries our American “cocki- ness” is the butt of many jokes, but after all, I think we have something to be “cocky” about. Don’t you? — C. King, ’37. HORACE MANN— A PIONEER IN EDUCATION The year 1937 marks the close of a century of educational reforms which began with the creation of the Massa- chusetts Board of Education and the appointment of Horace Mann as secre- tary to the board in 1837. This year we shall observe our national celebra- tion planned by the National Educa- tion Association in co-operation with state departments of education throughout the entire United States. Strange as it may seem, Horace Mann’s life greatly resembles that of our greatest president, Abraham Lin- coln. His boyhood was spent on his father’s farm in Franklin, Massachu- setts, unfamiliar with riches, but living the care-free life of a country boy. Very early in his youth, young Horace was taught by his father to hate evil, ignorance, and intemperance. At the age of thirteen, Horace’s father died, leaving the boy to provide for the family. Loving his family, he naturally desired to help as much as a boy of his age was able to, but his inborn desire for education was not killed by the great responsibility placed upon him. In 1816 he entered Brown University and graduated in 1819 at the head of his class. Brown University today remembers Horace Mann as one of its outstanding pupils and instructors. After teaching at Brown, he was at- tracted to the study of law, and in 1827 he was admitted to the bar. This led to his election to the House of Rep- resentatives and Senate where he ad- vocated social and humanitarian re- forms, undoubtedly having his own boyhood in mind. Other officials were also interested in educational reforms, so when the Board of Education was finally established, Horace Mann was selected as its chief executive. He at first hesitated because this position had very little promise and a very small salary. However, he accepted because it was a fine opportunity to do great service to humanity which had been his most ardent desire since childhood. On June 30, 1837, Mann accepted the office and on the following July 1 he began his work of making people desire better schools, and improving methods of teaching. At first Mann wondered how his long awaited reforms could be accom- plished, as almost everything depended on his actions. His methods of bring- ing these about was by lecturing, writ- ing, and by publishing a journal of education. Common-school Journal, at his own expense out of his very small salary of one thousand dollars a year. Eleven years later, when Horace Mann resigned as secretary of the Board of Education, a marked im- provement could be noted in all fields of education and in the great num- ber of new schools that had been es- tablished, including three normal schools at Lexington, Barre, and Bridgewater.

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BUY MAYNARD! As most of the Screech Owls go into the students’ homes and are read and enjoyed by the parents, we would like to call special attention to the adver- tisements put in this magazine by local merchants. Since our publication was started, these merchants have helped us out by generously putting in ads three times a year. It costs considerable money to put out such a magazine and without the local aid it would be finan- cially impossible for us to publish the Screech Owl. The Screech Owl is written just as much for you parents as for the stu- dents. It keeps you informed of school activities, and all articles are written by the students, many of whom you know. We urge you to patronize stores ad- vertising in this magazine. This is no boycott against the merchants who have not patronized this particular is- sue, for nearly all have at some time or other inserted advertisements ; but we mean by this that you should trade in Maynard. There is a saying “Buy goods made and sold in Ameri- ca”, and we would like you to “Buy goods sold in Maynard.” The next time you have a little shopping to do, don’t pick up the city newspapers to see what bargains you can find. Just remember the Screech Owl and trade in Maynard. We are sure you’ll be just as well satisfied, and your trade will be appreciated. — W. Palmer, Editor. AMERICA FACES DISASTER What is it that has through the years enabled the American people to survive their hardships and to turn a new and undeveloped country into one of the most powerful nations in the world? Has it been a streak of luck, along with a few men who had great ability in leadership, or has it been our great country itself, with its seeming- ly inexhaustible natural resources? We have something — what is it? I say it is our amazing ability to meet apparent disaster and to go on seeking greater success. Within the last hundred years we have passed through several major catastrophes and innumerable lesser ones which would have wiped out a less hardy race. Wars, floods, fires, economic depressions — we have had them all, yet somehow we conquered them and emerged a stronger and bet- ter people. How we have done this is rather difficult to explain. No one person or organization is responsible. None could be found to carry on such a great work. It is just our universal desire to help a fellow being in distress. In the terrible floods which so lately devasted our Mississippi Valley, im-

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8 The Screech Owl In 1848 Horace Mann took a seat in Congress, filling the vacancy caused by John Quincy Adams’ death. By doing this, Mann left one field of hu- manitarian reform only to enter an- other — the prevention of the exten- sion of slavery. Although Webster was greatly opposed to the re-election of Mann, he was elected by a great majority to continue his good work in Congress. This, however, was not the last political office that Mann at- tempted to hold. In 1852, he ran for the office of governor of Massachu- setts but was defeated. When Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio, was established, Mann, although already middle-aged, accep- ted the position of president of the new college. He would have earned great glory in the field of college edu- cation had he not already earned greater glory by his work for the pub- lic schools. Horace Mann died in August 2, 1859, a winner of glorious victories for humanity. He was buried at Antioch College but was re-interred at North Burial Ground, Providence, Rhode Island. Thus in this brief sketch of the life of an educational trail-blazer we see that he merits as great honor in his field as Edison and Franklin did in their own distinctive fields. — Laura Salminen, ’37.