New Bloomfield High School - Beacon Yearbook (New Bloomfield, MO)

Page 26 text:

In the third year, owing to an old educational custom, the Sophomores became Juniors, and their promotion made their sense of importance increase all out of proportion. Great indeed was our scorn for the Freshmen and Sophomores. It must be admitted that the aforesaid Freshmen and Sophomores, completely ab- sorbed in their own process of being explored, were in no wise embarassed or concerned. This was a year of hard work, and the dreaded ordeal of examinations was passed with few casualties. The social functions during the year were a class play and two parties. The play, “Missing! One Pair,” was a great success. The first party was held in Memorial Park with a picnic lunch after which we attended a show. The second was at Reed's Lake. On May 10th, the Juniors took the Senior class to St. Louis on Junior-Senior Day. We visited the Highlands, the Jewel Box, and attended a night ball game. And now we come to the fourth and greatest year in the history of the class. We automatically became Seniors last September. With the gaining of this title, we became more serious. The organization of the Senior Class was noteworthy, officers being: Carl Thomas, President; Donald Sweeten, Vice-President; Velma Hampton, Secretary-Treasurer. The social events were of marked brilliance. Those most worthy of note were a play and two parties. The first party was a picnic lunch in Memorial Park after which we attended a show; and the second was at Reed’s Lake. The play, “Corpin Round The Mountain” was a huge success.

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History o the Senior Class The discovery of the Class of 1951 was an accident. Four years ago, early one morning, on the sixth of September, 1947, the members of the faculty of the New Bloomfield High School were strolling aimlessly through the corridors, chatting about the past vacation and wondering whether there would be any startling changes in their work during the coming year. Suddenly they caught a glimpse of four famil- iar faces, Harry Baker, Billy Trammell, Geneva Cain, and Bob Holt, huddled together in mute embarrassment and anxiety. There were eighteen of us in our Freshman year: Harry Baker, Carrie Baker, Jackie Bommel, Geneva Cain, Margaret Dooling, Beverly Drum, Bonnie Gray, James Gray, Bobby Hamilton, Velma Hampton, Bonnie Hartman, Bob Holt, Virginia Hurley, Donald Sweeten, Carl Thomas, Billy Trammell, Jeanie Yancey, and Howard Berry. The most unpleasant thing about the Freshman year was the contempt in which we were held by those who had been residing in the school for a longer period. However, understanding that this was a custom of the country, we ignored it. We were permitted to form an organization of our own, and elected officers, who fulfilled their duties well: Bob Holt, President; Harry Baker, Vice-President; Bonnie Hartman, Secretary-Treasurer. The chosen colors were red and white and the flower chosen was the red rose. Motto: “Here We Take Off, Where Shall We Land?” The social functions of this period were delightful, the most important being an outing at Town Creek. Later in the year we held a party at the school. With the coming of the next September, we received a new name. Because of our skill in acquiring the customs of the school, we were named “Sophomores,” and the process was called by a native name “promotion.” The social functions of this period were delightful, the most important being a party at Earthquake Hollow and later in the year one at the schoolhouse and attended a show afterwards.

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Prophecy of the Senior Class of 1951 Classmates, it is a well-known saying, often proven true, that “coming events cast their shadows before.” Therefore, it is not so hard as many people suppose for one who takes the trouble to study the comings and goings of his fellow creature to be something of a prophet and to form some idea, more or less correct, of what their future course of action will be. Having for some time been possessed of a strong ambition for the brilliant career of a detective, I have, just for the sake of practice, or as a means of pre- paration, kept a sharp eye on all of you, when you were perhaps unaware that you were being observed or studied at all; so I feel that I can judge with some degree of accuracy of the lives into which your personal characteristics and inclinations will lead you in the years that are to be. The pleasure and satisfaction of looking into the future is always liberally mixed with pain. We long to know what lies before us, and yet when the knowledge comes to us we tremble, fearing that we may not be able to bear our part in the ordeals to come as faithfully as we should. The one question in our minds is sure to be, “Shall we be prepared for these honors, or these prophecies? Shall they bring you a word of hope?” I am sure you will each accept the simple offering in the same spirit as I present it: HARRY BAKER is now in Hollywood, making movies, having taken Clark Gable’s place. He is very good looking—similar to Clark with his mustache. He has been married three times. He is now living with his third wife, but there are rumors that they aren’t getting along so well. JACKIE BOMMEL, one of the fishermen of the class of 51 and is now to be found in a large fish market on Market Street in St. Louis. Jackie has won quite a reputation for his smoked herring.