North Reading High School - Golden Years Yearbook (North Reading, MA)

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these Zwo C’s have Spirit A Message to the Class of 1961 When I was asked to write for the Golden Years of the Class of ' 61, two thoughts came immediately to mind: This is the first graduating class which has spent all four of its senior high-school years in North Reading High School; and this is the first graduating class from which, at the time of this writing, more than fifty percent of the members will continue their education in institutions of higher learning. It is doubtless sheer coincidence that both of these firsts belong to you, the members of the Class of ' 61. Nevertheless, the simple fact places a unique responsibility on your shoulders. All four years of your high school education were gained at this young institution; therefore, your future successes, or lack thereof, must be laid at this doorstep. More than half of you are going on to educational institutions where you will provide, for the first time, a yardstick by which the officials of those institutions can measure the educa- tional products shaped in four years at North Reading High School. We, the present and past administration and faculty of your school, have done our best to produce in you educational products of which we, yes, all the citizenry of North Reading, may be justly proud. We are confident that the yardstick will measure well, and that you will forge for yourselves and for your school a path which will be well marked by accomplishment, one which future four-year graduates of North Reading High School can readily find and follow. Gregory C. Coffin Superintendent Edgar G. Craver Principal Needed — The Uncommon Man As you are about to leave North Reading High School, let us pause a moment and consider that imaginary creature, the Common Man. This is supposed to be the Century of the Common Man. The Uncommon Man is scorned and belittled. The Common Man stands for the negation of individual dignity and is the slogan of mediocrity and uniformity. Think for a moment of whom we want when we are sick — the uncommon doctor; when we are at war — the uncommon general; when we choose a president of a university — the uncommon educator. In such times and cir- cumstances we seek the leadership of the Uncommon Men or Women. It is your right to be uncommon if you can. Seek opportunity — not security. Take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. Prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of ful- fillment to the stale calm of Utopia. Do net trade freedom for beneficence, nor your dignity for a handout. When you get something for nothing, you do give up something — a part of yourself known as character . It is each individual ' s heritage to think and act for himself; to inquire and form judgment. Seek the truth; and when you find it, proclaim it and vigor- ously defend it. A nation is strong or weak; it thrives or perishes upon what it believes to be true. We, your teachers and parents, fervently hope that we have led you rightly in the faith of our fathers, in the t ' aditions of our country, in the dignity of each individual man. If we have succeeded in our task, then our power will be stronger than any weapon of destruction that man can devise.

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Spirit Among Wheels You think we ' re in the red? Dean of Boys Arthur Barresi Executive excellence Dean of Girls Mildred Barmby Dimples and double entries! The glasses make the difference , 5

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Zke Co-operative Spirit Jn ’61 In Tribute to A Dedicated School Man This year, Mr. Malcolm S. Stevens is con- cluding eight years of service as a member of our North Reading School Committee. During his years of service, he witnessed the growth of our school system from one school building and twenty-nine professional em- ployees to five school buildings and one hun- dred and six certificated personnel. When he was elected to the Committee, the school enrollment consisted of nine hundred and sixty-eight students in grades one through nine, on a double-session basis. Today, our town ' s five school buildings house two thou- sand, one hundred and ten students in grades one through twelve. Residents who have been here in North Reading during his term of office realize that Malcolm Stevens has played an important role in this period of dramatic, educational change. Unstinting of his time and effort, he had sufficient foresight to realize the need for additional school housing. Having been employed at M. I. T. for several years, where he had adequate opportunity to ob- serve a highly competitive admissions situa- tion in operation, he did much to advance higher academic standards in North Reading. His resignation from the North Reading School Committee is accepted with deep re- gret by his fellow-committeemen, administra- tors, and taxpayers in general.