Mepham High School - Treasure Chest Yearbook (Bellmore, NY)

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eme Our cover represents a door which opens to reveal a Treasure Chest of memories of the past year at Mepham. It is intended, however, to symbolize more than that. The doors of Mepham, opening to the freshman, unfold for him new horizons and interests. First, the neophyte discovers the opportunities present in the school itself. He takes the first steps in choosing a vocation and selects courses to prepare for it. Extracurricular activities offer recreation and supplement his studies. The school also undertakes to help furnish the moral armor with which the American citizen must gird himself today. The student learns enthusiastically to endorse those ideals which we regard as the American way of life, for they alone ensure the continued progress of our country in the fields of business, of politics, and of international relations. The youth begins to appreciate the unusual opportunities which arc his simply because he lives here, in this spot, this community, these villages. Increasingly, within the boundaries of Long Island, little further than his doorstep, a whole col- ony of commerce and industry is growing. From foundries to printing plants, from aircraft manufacturing to department stores, the Island has metamorphosed from a suburban residential district into a commercial center as well. In seeking educational institutions he finds that colleges and technical schools flourish on Long Island as well as in the city. Indeed, many industries have established their own training facilities. Business men are cooperating with schoolmen to inform the student of the qualifications they require and to answer his questions about the nature of the work. He will discover that Mepham’s students who have gone before him have earned respect for the school in leading institutions of learning as well as in great business organizations. Mepham also increases the student’s awareness of our culture. He learns that a wide range of cultural institutions are available to him ranging from places of worship to museums, playgrounds, parks, beaches, theaters and musical festivals. The boy or girl at Mepham, then, enters the door to an expanding world, with opportunities offered in few places elsewhere. Page four

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2b J, ication The freshman entering Mepham soon learns that the high school confers the ultimate in recognition upon those students who have done most to enrich the lives of the members of the school community. This honor is membership in the local chapter of the National Honor Society. The ceremony of the induction of new members into the Society, which is a solemn and impressive one, marks the occasion when laurels are awarded those who have served the school. At this time gold pins and Varsity M’s arc awarded the individuals selected for membership. The Honor Society has adopted four cardinal principles as its guide. The exacting standard used in judging if students have achieved these goals explains why student bodies, administrators and communities throughout the nation hold this organization in high prestige. The first of the objectives is character. A person’s honesty, trustworthiness, selflessness and dependability fall into this category. Scholarship is next. This applies the gauge of effort and intel- ligence by requiring the aspirant to rank at least in the upper third of his class. Leadership follows. Implicit in this requirement is the inspiring of confidence in fellow-students, the ability to obey as well as to guide others. Finally, the principle of service to Mepham weights heavily. The extent and quality of participation in the clubs, publications, musical organizations, and the sports activities of the school are involved in determining this objective. Increasingly the Honor Society plays a role in that vital function of the school which is concerned with citizenship. The members of the Honor Society offer a daily, living example of the American creed so that we may appreciate our American principles and ideals and may unhesitatingly weigh them against foreign ideologies. The class of 1953, then, dedicates this volume to a force which is working to mold young America and which has played a large part in advancing the standards of Mepham. We salute the Honor Society. A freshman witnesses her first Honor Society induction. Page five