North Andover High School - Knight Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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1938 YEAR BOOK CLASS HISTORY 131 - $J£«3SS UST an ordinary sunny September morning to the average citizen but to many anxious boys and girls it marked the beginning of a new life. The long awaited first day of high school had arrived. The first day wasn’t bad, lasting only about half an hour. Too bad every day wasn’t like that. The next day we were introduced to books, bells, teachers, and upperclassmen. Naturally the upperclassmen looked down on us, especially the lordly soph¬ omores, who had had a whole year’s experience. We were expected to get lost and to talk in spares, which we very obligingly did. At our first class meeting, after being warned to keep quiet, a dozen times, we elected Tommy Sullivan president, Buddy Barwell vice-president, Frances Campbell secre¬ tary, and Hazel Blanch treasurer. The seniors welcomed us with a dance, but before the dance some of the seniors got together and decided to be kind to their proteges by teaching them to dance. After many feet had been trampled on, we managed to strut around and we were ready for the party. We were not disappointed and an enjoyable evening was had by all. Natur¬ ally we returned the dance. We did ourselves proud at that dance and showed the seniors that we too could put over a successful party. At Stunt Night we again showed the upperclassmen what we could do by walking off with the prize. Our amateur night got ’em. Some of us went out for sports, and the rest of us did our parts cheering them on. Of course we did a little studying, too. By the end of that year the teachers declared that we were the worst class that had ever entered the sacred portals of Johnson High. No longer as freshmen, but as full fledged sophomores we returned to school in the fall of 1935. Again we were in high spirits and found it impossible to behave, especially with the new teachers. For our officers that year we elect¬ ed Tommy Sullivan president, Buddy Barwell vice-president, Barbara Hains- worth secretary, and Frances Campbell treasurer. We united with the juniors to enjoy a combined dance, and balloons and broomsticks aided us in having a good time. We weren’t so lucky at Stunt Night. The sophomores and the seniors were tied and we lost in the draw. No fault of ours, just bad luck. Again sports and studies took up quite a bit of our time and our reputation as naughty pupils was carried on with flying colors. Our junior year and the important question to be decided on was rings. When we at last possessed them we would be next in importance to the sen¬ iors. That settled we turned to a semi-public dance which we put over with a bang. We combined with the sophomores for a sophomore-junior dance which was very successful. At Stunt Night our boys gave a style show and showed us girls what the well dressed young lady was wearing. The boys were excellent models and succeeded in winning Stunt Night for us though it was difficult to pick the most beautiful member of our enviable group. As spring approached everyone began to talk about the class supper. At last the important night arrived and we listened breathlessly to, the will, prophecy and the history. To the surprise of everyone present the mischievous junior class acted like ladies and gentlemen. To gain experience some of us attend¬ ed graduation. Some of us juniors came in for rewards. Martha Curran Kvon the chemistry prize and Buddy Howard won the Harvard prize. Some of the juniors who were elected for important positions in sports were Tommy Sul¬ livan, football captain; Freddy Coram, bask etball captain; and Russell Don¬ nelly, baseball captain. Tommy Sullivan again was our president and Buddy 23

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JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL friendly world, becomes resentful and cold. Another cut awaits him when he prepares to enter the world of industry. He has been tutored, taught, and in every way possible prepared to take his place in his economic order. Here he finds himself a victim of circumstance—he is an innocent sufiferer of an econ¬ omic breakdown—a depression. All his training of no avail, his ambition trampled, his hopes frustrated. There is no room for him. A further bar¬ rier which stands between youth and its success is the mistrust with which it is surrounded—a barrier which is constructed entirely out of the minds of men. Youth to many, seems to be a synonym for communism, radicalism, so¬ cialism, facism, in fact for every system or idea which would destroy the nat¬ ural order of events. Every innocent change or variation suggested by youth is grossly exaggerated and misunderstood to be a radical desire for absolute change. Until this misunderstanding is withdrawn, one of the greatest hind¬ rances to youth’s progress remains. The last and perhaps the most disheart¬ ening obstacle to youth, is the disillusionment which follows in the wake of the other three. In school, in the home, youth is protected from life’s harder knocks. It is assured that room will be made for him in his chosen field of work when he is prepared. He is encouraged, he has ideals, he has determina¬ tion. This protection plus the present advanced civilization weakens him and makes him more susceptible to the “knocks” of the outside world which are in the form of mistrust, resentment, and coldness. We would not do away with the protection given us; therefore the alternative must be then, to do away with these obstacles. It is hardly necessary to say in conclusion, that there must be a place made for youth, people must place some trust in youth, and youth must be aided to adjust itself to an order made chaotic and discouraged through a depression which it had no share in bringing about, if it is to be the “light” in the dark of this present era, and if it is to succeed against overwhelming odds. Mr. Hayes: You, who have seen us through four tempestuous years of re¬ adjustment and change, have been our guide,, our aider, and abettor. Your unrewarded help, advice, and guidance will make you ever beloved in the hearts of this graduating class of nineteen hundred and thirty-eight, and we hope that we too, may deserve a place in your heart. Faculty of Johnson High School: Your influence and cooperation will nev¬ er be forgotten, and we can only pray that we may justify your faith in us, as successfully as our faith in you has aided us. Parents and Friends: Your encouragement and understanding have been the bulwark of our achievement and our success. You have never failed to inspire us to our best and we can never repay you for your magnificent in¬ fluence. Schoolmates: Tonight we leave in your trust the honor and joy of carry¬ ing on the name of your beloved school. Through our happy association together, we know you will uphold everything we have all held sacred through our gay years together. Classmates: We have tonight, reached the last road which we shall ever travel together! Despite this saddening thought we know we shall never for¬ get the happy hours we have spent together, the obstacles we have overcome together; all this which now seems to have gone so swiftly, which will be but a memory. Though we shall all take different roads of life, no matter how far we may go, we shall ever remember our joyous days at dear, old, Johnson. ANNETTE SILVERSTEIN 22

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JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL Barwell, vice-president, while Hazel Blanch was our combined secretary and treasurer. At last the long awaited famous senior year arrived. One sunny morning we returned to school and found ourselves seniors at last. We had respon¬ sibilities. We managed the “Journal” and the “Year Book,” our athletes led their teams to victories or to defeats, and we had to set an example for the underclassmen, especially the freshmen. Unfortunately, after the first glam¬ our wore off we began to slip back into our old ways. We did our duty in welcoming the freshmen and gave them a dance. Of course we had to teach them how to dance first. Like polite children our young proteges returned the dance. We also managed to put over a successful Journal Dance. Along toward spring the annual play appeared and out of a cast of twelve, seven were seniors. Perhaps the poor coaches thought that we might have a little dignity and behave, but alas, we were a bad influence on the five junior mem¬ bers of the cast. We had the distinction of having no two rehearsals the same and even the performances weren’t alike. The first night that we ap¬ peared on the stage on time was the night of the first performance. We all enjoyed ourselves enormously but the coaches are still recuperating. Miss Neal declared that she found ten grey hairs and Miss Green confessed that for weeks later she would wake up suddenly in a cold sweat dreaming of poor “Lucky” and its mischievous cast. It must have been catching, because even Miss Colburn was affected. At least they won’t forget us. We hope that th e other teachers won’t forget us either. (They shouldn’t. They heard enough from us.) As May drew to an end the question of graduation came up. The boys decided in about five minutes what they wanted to wear, but the girls squabbled and talked for about two weeks over whether to wear sport dress¬ es or blue jackets and white skirts. After much wrangling the jackets and skirts finally won out. About this time Stunt Night appeared and for the first time we went down in disastrous defeat. We came out third. Now at our last party together our thoughts turn with regret to he happy days we spent at Johnson. Our lively actions and wagging tongues which so disturbed the teachers we will turn into machines to help us in the cold, cruel world. In later years I’m sure that we shall have all made names for ourselves and our teachers will talk about us with pride. MARY GRAY CLASS WILL w E, the Class of 1938, having mental stability and gastronomic fortitude, mgr do hereby, hereon, and henceforth bequeath, endow, and bestow upon 2223 our successors, the Class of 1939, with due consideration of our unde¬ served reputation but wonderful appreciation of these aids to our character, these various and sundry gifts, to wit: John Ford to Stuart Stillings, his miles of smiles, his world of weight, and his broad understanding. May Stuart fill his shoes as we know he will even though they are size IIV 2 . Stella Kozlowski leaves her quiet but successful school career to Esther Forgetta. “Mike” Koroskys, the speed demon of the highways, wills his permanent wave with all the trimmings to Walter Kozlowski. Mary Dandeneau endows her persistent good nature and her basketball ability to Rita Fogarty who will have to make the best of it. 24