Norwell High School - Shipbuilder Yearbook (Norwell, MA)

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The Shipbuildor pm Nm., The following essay won the first prize of five dollars in an American Legion essay contest. What United States Citizenship Means to Me The low moan of the siren rises to a shrill crescendo as the bright beams of searchlights pierce the sky like so many huge fingers probing up into the inky blackness. People are yelling, brakes are screeching, and all about is a scene ofqutter confusion. Far off the drone of airplanes can be heard- as if a giant swarm of bees were returning to their nest. Then there is a loud crash near-by. The cries of the people increase twofold, and the whine of an ambulance echoes up and down the narrow streets. This, as so many of you have already guessed, is a brief description of an air raid such as is taking place in England and Germany at this very mo- ment. Now let us look in ongthe same city the next day after the raiders have with- drawn. As we walk through the streets, we notice many groups of people standing around discussing the attack and inquiring for the safety of their friends. Around one building, though, we notice a crowd larger than any of those seen before. What is the meaning of this crowd? The answer is simple. We find it in four words above the door - THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY. We are still puzzled. We go inside and, upon inquiring, find that the large mob wants to go to America, to the land of peace and freedom. These people and thousands like them are begging to come to America where they will have an equal opportunity to work toward success and to express their abilities to the full extent, a place where they will no longer be under the jurisdic- tion of a dictator who controls not only their public lives but their private lives as well. United States Citizenship! - the dream and ambition of every one of these downcast and miserable people, poor people and rich people alike. Now let us look at the people who have already achieved this dream, some of them unconsciously perhaps, but nevertheless, with pride in their achievement. The people of whom I speak are Americans in the true sense of the word - citizens of the United States of America. Most of them, people like myself, acquired their citizenship through heritage. I was born an American! Ever since I can remember I have been able to talk with my companions on any subject that comes into my mind, whether it he politi- cal, religious, economic, or of a personal nature. I have enjoyed the opportunities of this great nation: free education, equal- ity in opportunity, and protection from willful aggression. Q All about me I see evidence of the richness and beauty of my country. I see trains and trucks laden down with rich minerals, foodstuffs, and American-made articles designed to make living easier. In the shipyards and armories, I see evidence of unlimited protection of my ideals of life. Nature has lent a helping hand in our matter of defense by placing huge water barriers on two of our main boundaries. Even though I am too young to actually participate in the governing of our country, I feel that I am remotely involved through youth organizations, such as the Boy Scouts and the American Youth Federation. And so I say with the poet, Sidney Laneer: Long as thine Art shall love true love, Long as thy Science truth shall know, Long as thine Eagle harms no Dove, Long as thy Law by law shall grow, Long as thy God is God above, Thy brother every man below, So long, dear land of all my love, Thy name shall shine, thy fame shall grow! So long shall I, too be proud of the mean- ing of American Citizenship. William Turner, '42 us YOUTH IN AN AUTOMOBILE To have your own car is great! But unless youlre a millionaires son and have a shiny new convertible coupe to drive, with all expenses paid, you may have your troubles! To most people it seems wonderful to be able to drive to school in your own car. It is when the contraption goes! But it doesn't always go! just picture yourself on a cold winters morning waving at the gang going by in the bus, then getting in the jallopy only to find you're out of gas. There you are tive miles from nowhere, after the bus has departed at 8:45 A.M. trying to think of a good excuse to tell the principal that morning. Then again it always seems nice to have a car anytime you want it for dates. But since cars don't run on water, it takes most of your allowance each week to pay for gas. Even when you do have the where- withal for two gallons of gas, something embarrassing usually happens. You get a tlat tire miles from the nearest gas sta- tion, your car won't start when you get out of the movies, or you hit a bump in the road too hard and break a spring. Any one or more of these things can. and more often than no, does happen. Yes, having a car makes a swell life, but its a hard life, too! It wouldnt he

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pw, Ejghf The Shipbuilder CLASS HISTORY As we, the class of 1941, entered our Freshman year, we found ourselves enter- ing our first complete year in the New Norwell High School. We, Evelyn Ander- son, Joan Buckley, Shirley Butler, Walter Crane, Rodney DeMars, Constance Edson, Geraldine Dowd, Charlotte Dunbar, Her- bert Fredrickson, Kenneth Gauley, Eliza- beth Hall, Richard Henderson, Constance joseph, Albert Lapham, Ruth Morey, Frances Perry, Francis Peckham, Willard Osberg, Robert Sandberg, Virginia Scott, Florence Shaw, Russell Torrey, Samuel Turner, Harold Young, William Weather- by. At the end of the year we lost several members of our class. They were joan Buckley who left to go South, Constance Edson moved to Quincy and Walter Crane who moved to Bridgewater. Albert Lap- ham and William Weatherby left to go to work. Francis Perry moved to Scituate. The class officers for this year were President, Florence Shawg Vice President, Rooney DeMars, Secretary, Charlotte Dunbarg Treasurer, Richard Henderson. This year was our first in competition for the Inter-Class play cup. Although we did not receive the prize, it was one of the best plays presented that evening. At the end of our Freshman year, we went on a class trip to Nantasket, and a wonderful time was had by all. On entering school in the fall as Soph- omores, we found that we had lost one of our class members. Samuel Turner went to work and is now an expert garage man. We elected as the heads of our class, President, Virginia Scott, Vice President, Robert Sandberg, Secretary, Charlotte Dunbar and Treasurer, Wil.ard Osberg. This year we gave a Hallowe'en Social which proved to be the best social of the year. When june arrived we went to College Pond, Mrs. Ha.l accompanied us. This proved to be a pleasant close to our Sopho- more year. In the fall of 1940, we entered our Junior year. In looking over the class mem- bers we found we had all the old members, and three new members. The new members were Anne Mohler from Quincy, Mary Hallaren from Hanover, and Emily Smith entered from South Boston. For this year, the following pupils took the seats as officers of our class, President, Willard Osbergg Vice President, Florence Shaw and Secretary and Treasurer, Vir- ginia scott. In May we gave our first real dance, the junior Prom. The decorations were nautical, and proved very appropriate at this time as our Navy was in the public eye. Although this dance' didn't prove as successful as we hoped, everyone had a grand time. We ended our Junior year, with another picnic at College Pond. As this year ended we looked forward to September, when we could be the upper classmen. In September we came back to our school to find ourselves at last Seniors. We had the same members in our class, with no new additions. We had to settle down this year and con- sider who would make the best officers for the year. We elected President, Charlotte Dunbarg Vice President, Evelyn Anderson: Secretary, Ruth Morey, Treasurer, Robert Kenyon. We found that we could not give a dance unless we gave half our profits to the juniors. This was known as The Pauper Dance . We had a very large attendance and everyone had a very enjoyable time. We again gave the Tri-Town Plays, in which our class helped to win the cup for Norwell High permanently. The members who participated in The Red Lamp were Constance joseph, Florence Shaw, Willard Osberg, Robert Sandberg and Geraldine Dowd. In the mid-winter of this year we gave the first operetta to be held in the town for many years. This performance was very well received and splendidly performed, under the direction of Miss Myrtle Bowlin and Miss Frances Mayo. We are very proud of our girls' basket- ball team this year, because we were co- champions with Kingston. Virginia Scott and Anne Mohler were outstanding players. We received a beautiful bronze trophy. Q Everyone agreed that the production of Time 'l'antrum was the best ever pre- sented in the Norwell High School. Of course we received the cup. Although we have not completed this year, at the time of this book going to press we are quite sure that our com- mencement exercises will be most outstand- ing. We are giving a pageant for Gradua- tion entitled, 5outh Marches On . Evelyn .Af nderson. March March is a tomboyish maiden, With wind in her blowing hair. In the voice of the wind she is singing' We hear her everywhere. Y Florence Lawrenee '42.

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page 'ren The Shipbuildor quite so bad if you didn't get some criti- cism from every person you meet. You must have been driving too fast. ffWhy don't you keep your mind on the road?'l You were probably driving with one arm. Why didn't you check the gas last night? What were you doing on that road anyway? This is but a sample of what our critics say. A great many of these people talk before they think. In the first place most cars of the caliber within our budgets don't go very fast, say sixty at maximum, and since thev don't ride even tolerable well at this speed, it requires some great occasion to push the car to this limit. It sometimes might be considered that it is a little hard to keep one's mind on the road when the young lady next to you is a much more interesting subject. To drive with one arm is foolish: one should devote both arms to one situation or the other - as the case may be! If the gas gauge said half-full how were you to know the tank was empty? After all the gas gauge has only been broken for a week! Girls live in the darndest places some- times, and nine chances out of ten the back road was the only way of getting there! There always is some answer to these unwarranted questions. The obvious conclusion is that if people didn't find so many faults with the youth- ful driver there probably would be less mistakes made! The truth of it is that they put ideas into our heads that we never even thought of. So how about cut- ting down on the complaints about the things we do with the carg the darn thing causes us enough trouble as it is! James King, P. G. THE PERFECT CRIME The clock was striking three clear notes as Roger Marlowe committed his horrible deed. This was the first time he had ever done so daring and so ghastly a thing and although it was the time he had his plan of action distinctly outlined in his mind. As he reached the first landing a stair creaked and he stopped breathless, waiting, listen- ing to see if anyone had heard. After a moment of silence, he continued on his way. As he knew the house very well he made for the south end of the kitchen to the cellar door, opened the door and cau- tiously but firmly descended to the cellar. Ah, his tools of crime were neatly piled in the corner! He picked them up. They were, in brief, a large burlap bag and a hatchet. Seeing that everything was intact, he ascended the stairs, and went back through the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the room where his wife was sleeping soundly under the influence of a sleeping powder which Roger had slipped into her pre-bedtime milk. As he crossed the room toward the victim a dog howled far away. Shivers ran down Roger Marlowe's spine. Now was the time to act-or never! Would he not regret this ruthless deed all the rest of his life? Perhaps, but if he did not carry out his resolution he would regret the lost oppor- tunity even more. With one sweep of the hatchet the hated creature's head rolled onto the rug with a dismal thump. Again and again he hacked at the hated body until it was entirely unrecognizable. Roger then pushed the head and other parts into the burlap bag, tied the top and again descended the stairs, this time to go out to the back yard, down through the cedar grove to the hole he had dug that after- noon. Dropping the bag in quickly he covered it with dirt and as a final touch sprinkled some grass seed over the mound. He wiped his hands on his bathrobe and breathed a sigh of relief. At last he had summoned up courage enough to destroy that grotesque statue that his wife had bought at the antique auction. F. Lawrence '42. THE GATE OF THE ARABELLAH Four days out of port and one more day to go. It was the last trip of the Arabella to parts unknown. The Arabella in all her fifteen years of service had never met with an accilent, no matter how bad the storm or how thick the fog. This trip seemed to her skipper to be the smoothest, most pleasant of any during her long and hard career. Of course, one had to consider that the ship and its crew had one more day before she would tie up at a dock for the last time. The skipper, a middle-sized, dark thick- set man in his late sixties, was Captain john liowen of Boston. He had commanded the Arabella since she first set sail from Boston. ln every way she was his ship. The Arabella , old and weather-beaten, found it harder to brave the high seas with each new storm. Her skipper was still proud of her and was hoping that this voyage would be just as successful as or more so than any of her many others. Suddenly Captain Bowen gazed out of the porthole and was extremely amazed to see a dense fog. He wondered if the mate, who was taking charge while he rested, had given orders to slow up the ship. He also wondered if the ship had yet passed the dangerous shores of a group of islands that were on his course. He stood up and started to dress in his heaviest raincoat and rubber boots. He had just started to put his right boot on when he was thrown across his small cabin by a sudden pitch of the ship. He was dazed by the blow, but