North Coventry High School - Torch Yearbook (Pottstown, PA)

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HARRISBURG TRIP When we were freshmen, Mr. Gough, our civics teacher, and Mr. Grim, our principal, suggested that a trip to our state capital would be both educational and interesting. So, there we were at eight o'clock one cold Tuesday morning in March - the Union Township group on Mr. Clemmer's bus under the guidance of Mr. Gough, and the Norco pupils on a Yergey bus with Mr. Grim. Here is an account from the latter: From Pottstown to Reading, Mr. Grim briefed us on the history of our capital and the names of our representatives. When our civics lesson ended, we relaxed by chattering and singing. At Hershey, we waited in vain for the Clemmer bus. What could have happened? We ate lunch there, but still no second busg so, we started again towards our destination. Upon arriving at the Capitol, we went to the gallery and observed a joint session of the two houses of the Assembly. Everything was most interesting to us, especially hearing Governor Duff present his budget to the General Assembly. Near the end of the session the other group joined us, in time to hear the latter part of the Governor's speech. This is what had happened to the second bus: All went smoothly, with Mr. Gough entertaining us in his inimitable way, until we came to a detourg and then more things happened than you would believe possible. At ten o'clock the fan belt broke and we could not get another until we reached Lebanon. About a quarter of a mile outside of Palmyra, the bus broke down and we walked into the town to get something to eat and to wait for another bus. Sanders, McMullen, and Rupert tried to date waitresses and some high school girls that came along. Finally the bus arrived and we were soon in Harrisburg, where we joined our classmates. We all enjoyed a tour of the Capitol Building and grounds and the Educational Building, although we almost lost Mr. Gough in the revolving doors. A good meal about five o'clock helped us forget our fatigue. At six we started home with the Union group in a bus that looked like a cattle car. To climax the troubles of that part of the class, the lights blew out, and in the confusion Thelma fainted. Eventually, all students arrived home, worn out by the excitement of the t1'ip. But We all managed to be in school the following day to show that the members of the class of '50 had plenty of endurance.

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WASHINGTON TRIP At seven o'clock Monday morning, September 12th, the seniors, sleepy but eager to go, boarded a Greyhound bus. Destination-Washington! We borrowed two typing stools from the commercial room, then counted noses-one missing! The late arrival of Sandra Olsen settled that problem, and we were on our merry way. The first stop at Oxford gave us a chance for a second breakfast. Here we had our first glimpse of Mr. Alderfer's and Leroy's birdies and smiled for our first group picture. Now we were really awake, and the air was filled with jokes, discussions of buying cows, and plans for the next three days. At the Baltimore stop, boys combed their hair and girls put on their nats. Soon we arrived at the Franciscan Monastery, where we were delighted by the beauty of the interior and the gardens. Some of the group thought we were playing hide-and-seek in the catacombs. Another short drive and the bus pulled up before the Lafayette Hotel! The fellows were soon situated on the fifth floor and the girls on the seventh. A quick clean-up and change were followed by lunch. Then the call came, All aboard for Mount Vernon! We made two stops on the way to Wash1ngton's home: first, at the Jefferson Memorial, where a photographer took the group pictures, next, after a drive through Fort Myers, we visited the Tomb of vthe Unknown Soldier. We enjoyed watching the guard as he marched back and forth Qdidn't we, girls .J Finally we reached Mount Vernon, where we were given tickets and left on our own to go sight- seeing at our leisure. All were impressed by the furniture, house, and grounds. On the trip back to the hotel we were serenaded by Jack, our jovial bus driver. There followed another rush job on the dressing business, but we must have done well, for our hostess complimented us on the lovely fashion show. And didn't our boys look handsome in their suits and ties? After dinner, Mrs. Clark and Mr. Alderfer informed us that we could do as we wished for the rest of the evening, provided we were in the hotel by midnight. Yippee! Let's go, gang! Washington will never forget we were here! Some of us went to the movies, others to stage shows, and others in- vestigated the city of Washington. About 11:30 there was great hustle and bustle to get back by midnight. fPhyl and Thorpe, where were you? Was your watch slow, Thorpe?J Lights out! Now, Sandra, stop pretending you're Mrs. Clark. Sara, you don't need to sleep in the bath tub any longer, you may have your bed now. Two a.m. and all is quiet. O.K., Dilkie, attack! Sara just finished making her bed. Shirley, how did you get all that water on your pajamas? Put another quarter in the radio, Ellen. Look, girls, it's beginning to get light. We'd better get a little shut-eye. There goes the phone, Good morning. It's 6 a.m. Open those weary eyes, everybody, or we'll be late for breakfast. There were strange doings on the fifth floor, too, during the night. Ralph's nose-dive almost ruined a bed. Chester, be careful, you'll waken Leroy. Hey, fellows, what are those strange odors? Who answered the phone, George? Oh, you're too tired to remember? What kind of housekeeper is fPud, with all that rubbish in his bed? Steve had charge of the fellows in his room and took good care of them. A favorite pastime was giving one another cold showers, and playing catch with Salaneck as the ball. There were some weary people at the breakfast table, but we were all ready for the day's tour. So we dashed through the rain to our bus and were off to the F. B. I. Building. This was, to many of us, the most interesting and instructive part of our trip. We were convinced that crime doesn't pay. Then on we went through the Archives Building, the beautiful Pan-American Building and on to the Washington Monument. Some of the boys tried to prove that they could go up faster than the elevator, but to no avail. The outstanding memory of the trip on Tuesday afternoon was our visit to beautiful St. Albans Cathedral. Our class wished to contribute to the building of this magnificent structure and bought a stone to be placed in the church. Did we mention the rain that poured down upon us every now and then Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday? The rain ruined our expected night plane flight, and left us at liberty Tuesday night to entertain ourselves as best we could. We completed our rounds of shows, movies, and penny arcades and were glad to get back early and rest our tired feet. Most of us got a reasonable amount of sleep this second night. On Wednesday morning we were taken to the Smithsonian Institute where we could proceed on our own to investigate the many thousands of objects. This was like a new world to some, others went on to the Museum and Art Gallery across the Parkway. So back to our last lunch at Hotel Lafayette and into the bus. The ride to Annapolis was made memorable by Eleanor's spectacular fall from a stool. We were thrilled with everything at Annapolis: John Paul Jones' tomb, the Chapel, grounds, and of course, the middies. In spite of our fatigue, we had a hilarious ride to Oxford, where we enjoyed a last dinner to- gether. Regretfully we set out on the last lap of the journey, filling the night air with music, har- monious and otherwise. Forever and Ever will always touch a chord of memory in our hearts. Here's the familiar red school on the hill, with parents and friends waiting for us. Yes, it was good to see them. Still our thoughts went back to that beautiful city that captivated our hearts-our capital, Washington.