Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

Page 22 text:

18 T II E S A S S A M () N are kiicl aside, it is woman ' s duty to aid in the great work of universal reorgan- ization. Women have always watched the men of the world ruled by revenge and hatred, suspicion and intolerance. Always they have decried the folly of war, but tomorrow, when peace does come, they will demand to he heard in all future conferences. When women have come into their own, when men realize that woman ' s work is indispensable in peace as well as war, then will woman exercise her true prerogative and introduce a new emphasis on love, charity, and tolerance to this war-stricken universe. Here in the United States woman ' s place in industry is in no way subservient to that occupied by man. There is no distinction between the sexes in matters pertaining to educational development. Our doctrine of educa- tion — a sound mind in a sound body — applies equally to both girls and boys. In every way, girls are being prepared to take the positions of responsibility that await them tomorrow. The girl of today is the woman of tomorrow — and when the morrow comes and brings newer and brighter opportunities, then will the women of the nation heed the clarion call of duty and rise to even greater planes of glory. These young women have the courage and intention of struggling for a better way ol living. We believe that much that is evil in the world today can be lessened through the steadying influence of women. When women take their proper place along with the rulers of the world, then will the pride of man be so harnessed that its danger of destroying peace will be at an end. We will do our allotted task well, as we face it steadily and bravely, seeing but not fearing its dangers. May we, the women of 1941, realize that first of all we must always remember our duty as Americans, our loyalty to home and family, and our everlasting patriotism to the nation that has made our freedom possible.

Page 21 text:

THE SASSAMON 17 WOMAN: THE HOPE OF HUMANITY Bombs bursting over London — radios blaring forth incessant reports of death and carnage — everywhere change. Here in America we stand aloof from the battlefield, but in a stronger sense we cannot remain aloof from the effects of the conflict, for we are living today in a world of modern inventions, a world made smaller by means of transportation and communication. We are sur- rounded by all the cunning and wiles that man can invent. And while we rest here in America safe within our own shores, we are doubly conscious of the fact that across the sea reigns chaos and confusion. As we gaze through the pages of history, we are confronted with the fact that women have had increasing influence on world events. Previous to the first World War the place a woman held in the United States was gradually changing. She who had been considered beneath the mental capacity of man now began to prove that she could not only compete with men, but in many cases improve their work. Ever since the World War the women of America have refused to be shelved and un- heeded. Consequently we find them in nearly every occupation, omnipresent in practically every field of endeavor. The woman of tomorrow, a phrase to ponder. What will she be like? What will she think? Most important, what will she do? If we are at all conscious of the newer trends, if we are cognizant of events across the water, then we must know that this is not a temporary change, but an event of major importance. A rather startling statement, that. Yet, as we consider it, it is far from startling because women have become an intricate part of all professions, and their growing influence during war has paralleled their advent in other fields. In the Crimean War Florence Nightingale gave invaluable service as a nurse in spite of High Command hostility. During the first World War a war hospital organized by British women in 1914 was turned down by the War Office, but later women were enrolled in noncombatant branches of the fighting services. When the present war broke out, women war workers were accepted from the beginning. In England today women are doing their own work and also filling the places of men who are needed in the army and navy. There are many indispensable organizations today which are composed entirely of women, such as the Auxiliary Territorials; the Women ' s Auxiliary Air Force; the Women ' s Royal Naval Reserve; the Air Transport Auxiliary, whose members pilot planes from plants to bases; the Civil Air Guard, which watches to detect Nazi planes before they reach objectives; the Auxiliary Fire Service, which has borne the brunt of the war since the air raids began; the River Emergency Service, which patrols the Thames River in ambulance boats; the Women ' s Land Army, which replaces men called from farms; and the Women ' s Voluntary Service, by far the biggest women ' s organization, whose members do war work of all kinds. The women of England are serving their country, 700,000 strong being employed in war-industry plants alone. Latest reports are that women are being drafted just as men. Similar conditions exist all over Europe. In Greece women fight side by side with their men. In summary, we may safely say that women are the strength behind the army. As the European war progresses, more and more women will fill places vacated by men. When the war is over — for it will be over — an even greater job will be waiting. Even as women now quench the flames of fire in London, so then they must quench the flames of hatred, of cruelty, and pave the way for lasting peace. We do not want war, because we know too well its hardship and futility. We can visualize husbands, fathers, sons, and sweethearts marching off to war; when it is over, we watch the soldiers come back, with depleted ranks, and disillusioned minds. In the interim women know the long wait and weary anxiety that even hard work cannot dispel. When peace comes and guns

Page 23 text:

THE SASSAMON 19