Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 23 The success we have enjoyed in all our undertakings has been entirely due to class and school loyalty, our heritage from the hundreds of men and women who have preceded us. Nothing could make our last few moments as undergraduates happier than the knowledge that we in turn have transmitted to our successors that same spirit. Without it a school loses character and its students are deprived of the experiences that foster real patriotism. For now, as we stand on the threshold of life, we realize that the history of the class of 1920 has been a series of happy progressions toward ultimate success. A capable, sympathetic faculty, loyal fellow classmen, and advantages unknown to our fathers have created an atmosphere conducive to thorough education. When each member of our class has found his life work and the complete history is written, we shall better understand our debt to Alma Mater. John L. Davoren, ’20. VALEDICTORY. RECONSTRUCTION—American Phases. At the close of the past great war nearly every country of the world was con¬ fronted with the vast and weighty problem of reconstruction, the rebuilding of its government and refashioning of its conditions to a pre-war basis. The dawn of peace after four years of war may be said to signify the beginning of the modern world. This new world must naturally resemble the old but its character will essentially be moulded by the nurses and teachers that guide it. Our own United States is face to face with an immense task in undertaking to solve its profound problem of reconstruction. Since America is one of the freeest and most democratic nations in the world, she will require some time for her necessary deliberations. It has been said that we have rushed into peace as unprepared as we rushed into war. However, the signing of the armistice found us with new possessions on our hands, all of which were demanding a satisfactory solution of their destiny. First and foremost, four million young men in uniforn separated from the futures that they had planned for themselves, have had to return to civil life under conditions radically different from those at the beginning of the war. During the absence of these soldiers abroad, women had taken their positions in factories, offices, and elsewhere. Thousands have been disabled who must be provided for. The rehabilitation machinery which was set in motion in 1918 has been in continual operation. It has been far from idle, yet results have been below our expectations and criticism has been directed at America for lack of provisions to give work to discharged soldiers, and to tide over our industries and our labor from a war to a peace basis. The Federal Board of Vocational Education, which has charge of this work, has placed only 30,000 men in training up to the present time. Everyone must admit that the task of providing adequate training for a vast army of disabled men is a gigantic undertaking and full of perplexities, but there seems to be little excuse for the general failure of the work. The great entanglement of red tape must be removed and the attitude of those engaged in the work must be changed before the Vocational Board can hope to be successful and accomplish its duties. Our vocational training must be administered by experts unafraid to meet such issues. The program of reconstruction must of necessity include the prevention of future wars, the more complete democratization of governments, the harmoniza-

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22 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. ly and the pale light of the summer moon wafted its soft beams upon the droop¬ ing head of my companion. After all, he had just cause for weariness and great was his reward, when in after years his singular and truly wonderful discovery was mutually heralded by an appreciative people on this dim sphere. Deep was my realization what fortune had been mine in my recent experience as I stole softly from the presence of my slumbering classmate, and homeward di¬ rected my course towards an abode that had no atmosphere of wealth or loveliness, but whose doors had at last trembled with the knock of golden opportunity. Willard C. Frost, ’20. CLASS HISTORY. The history of the class of 1920 is a not uncommon example of the effect of war upon education. Frequent interruptions of the school curriculum, the loss of valued teachers, and an unparallelled decrease in class membership are directly traceable to wartime conditions. No martial hysteria, however, has been per¬ mitted to interfere with the established courses offered by the Milford High school. Despite all difficulties, the faculty by their untiring efforts have given the class of 1920 a preparation for business and college that is second to none. From September, 1916, to the successful completion of our courses tonight, we have been under the influence that brings out latent qualities, that prepares for the bigger things in life, the influence that a good school has always exerted upon its students. For four years we have studied among scenes enshrined in the heart of every graduate of Milford High. We have endeavored, and I be¬ lieve we have succeeded, in maintaining her noblest traditions. In athletics and in scholastic contests of all kinds, members of the class of 1920 have been prom¬ inent. Our efforts, and they shall never cease, have been to enhance the prestige of our Alma Mater. Her standard we have kept aloft. In victory and in defeat we have practiced the rules of true sportsmanship, for which her students have always been noted. I he accustomed routine of our school life was soon disturbed by the clarion call of war. Our principal, sub-master, and a member of our own class, answered its summons and took their places beside other true Americans pledged to beat back the bloody hordes that menaced civilization. Mr. Christopher FitzGerald, by the earnest ability and leadership that had already distinguished him as prin¬ cipal, soon won a commission as lieutenant and served overseas. Mr. Berry throughout the war was stationed at Newport Naval Training School. Here he worked faithfully for the advancement that was halted by! his discharge soon after the signing of the Armistice. John Early, of our own class of 1920, enlisted in the balloon section of the air forces. His action was, indeed, a fitting climax to the many honors he had won for himself and for Milford High on the athletic field. During the absence of Mr. FitzGerald the school committee secured the services of Mr. Thomas j. Quirk as principal. Mr. Quirk, a graduate of Milford High School and of Holy Cross College, was a competent instructor and a man whose kindly interest in our welfare we shall never forget. As we progressed each year toward our final goal, ties of friendship begun as Freshmen united our class. We conducted successfully the different functions sacred to upper classmen and as a result of our efforts are now able to present a substantial sum of money to Milford High School, the gift of the class of 1920.

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24 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. tion of capital and labor, the greater equalization of wealth, and the complete emancipation of women both politically and industrially. Ihese represent the goal toward which society must move in the future. Foremost in enumeration of the flaws in our present social system stands poverty with its attendant evils. Poverty is an evil and as there is plenty of wealth for all, let it be more evenly distributed. The use of alcohol as a beverage was evil; the United States has succeeded in gaining at last national prohibition. Clashes between capital and labor are evil and can be prevented. So it is with inequality of the sexes; let the women enjoy equal rights with men. The impending food shortage presents a very alarming situation. The pres¬ ent civilization seems to be blindly urban. A population of many thousands flows into the city from the farm every year. The higher wages secured in city work naturally attract the people away from the land. Labor being unavailable, the farmer is forced to do only what can be done by his own labor and that of his family. Never since the Civil War have the farmers faced such a shortage of help. The people must soon realize the grave need of farm labor, or the scarcity of food next winter will be greater than any time during the war and prices instead of coming down will mount higher. The suggested compulsory military training would take the boys away just when they are needed most for the cultivation of farm lands. The end of the long period of inflation of prices seems to be at hand. How¬ ever, the chief danger is that the desirability for low prices as an end in itself may be so exaggerated as to lead to the attempt to force prices down through harmful measures for the control of credit. The conditions that have caused the high prices, many believe, are now disappearing and the deflation has at last come. Ap¬ pearances now seem to indicate that the trend of prices will be downward. America must soon decide with other World Powers as to the size of navy to be maintained. Now that the war has ended there seems to be little cause for in¬ creasing our navy, as the result of such a procedure can only cause a jealousy be¬ tween nations. Ever since the close of the war there has been a most chaotic state of social unrest present in the United States as in every other country of the world. Unrest may be said to be a “symptom of a persisting urge indicating a will to live, to have power and to be free.” When social unrest ceases, very often a social stagna¬ tion ensues. The strikes that every day are announced in the papers are evidences of a nervous disorder and perhaps more. It is certain that they will become de¬ cidedly more serious unless some strong sedative is found to cure this nervousness. The delusion that all wealth is due to workers is widespread throughout the entire country. During the past year on account of the high living costs, the pur¬ chasing power of the American dollar has dropped about half. The majority of workingmen being unversed in the elements which determine the value of money, think that when the value suddenly changes, that someone has been meddling with the currency. The inflation of currency and the ' credit mediums are the big causes behind the general spirit of unrest. This inflation is partially caused by the destruction of property incident to the war. The one means of increasing a nation’s wealth is by production, and the idea that inflation of prices can be remedied by seizing upon the capital accumulations of the country and that such a procedure would benefit the working classes is wholly untrue and can be maintained only through a lamentable lack of knowledge. The main problem which now confronts our great statesmen is the devising of a plan to restore all classes to a political as well as a social equilib¬ rium, a plan which will benefit all alike and not one at the expense of another. The only way to overcome our deficiencies is to increase our wealth and the one way to increase our wealth is to increase the facilities for increasing wealth.