Orleans High School - Sword Yearbook (Orleans, VT)

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money alone, but in human lives and suffering—must be taught unsparingly to all concerned in accidents who are still able to take lessons. The pessimist says, Nothing can be done! There have always been accidents! There will always be accidents!” The optimist says, It must be done! Accidents can never be prevented entirely, but the number can be reduced decidedly!” When a large number of persons begin to study safety, and to practice safety, our accident toll will decrease. The last is particularly important, for Portia was correct when she said, I can easier teach twenty what it were good to be done than to be one of the twenty to follow mine own teach- ing.” Is the young man Absalom safe? About three thousand years ago King David asked this question concerning the fate of his rebellious son. In this machine age any parent who reads the news- papers must be seriously concerned much of the time for the safety of his children. Who can feel safe upon our highways today? Who can be sure that his turn will not be next? It is the outstanding scandal of American life, the supreme shame of the nation. It cries for attention and redress from everyone of us who drives a car. It seems that our only way of reducing the number of accidents lies in teaching pupils to think about safety, to practice safety, and to preach safety to others. What then is more logical to teach them? Study the causes of motor accidents and at least one remedy appears clear. Two-thirds are due to errors in driving. Too many drivers have not yet learned the exacting and difficult task of oper- ating high-powered cars safely in modern fast-moving traffic. It is up to each of us to learn the technique of driving for him- self. No matter how much or how little you have driven, make sure you have mastered it. What subject today is more worthy of study and mastery than the art of driving a car? Nothing in your lives can so directly touch the safety of your family, your friends who ride with you, and yourself. Do not leave it to policemen, judges and hospital internes to make a good driver of you. If you are not will- ing to assume this fundamental obligation of American citizenship, be fair to your fellow human beings. Turn in your license plates and never drive a car again. We fail in our duty if we fail to remember that every man, woman and child ruthlessly slaughtered in the name of insane care- less speed or drunken driving is somebody’s mother, father, wife, husband, or child; and that those left alive, mutilated or not, will spend the rest of their lives mourning the hideous slaughter. Conditions like this must end, and this is the responsibility of the community of which every one of us is an integral part. The lesson should be learned from this moment forward—by the driver, the other occupants of the motor vehicle, and the pedestrian alike. PAGE TWENTY.SIX

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in a ceaseless campaign in carelessness which alone can end careless- ness. Someone has said, Accidents do not happen; they are caused.” One of the causes is carelessness. We are in too big a hurry. Selfish- ness or lack of thought for other persons is also a prominent cause of accidents. Many people are courteous when we meet them in the home or office, but they are boorish and utterly selfish when they et behind the wheel of an automobile. The person with an infer- iority complex causes many accidents. He feels that he is not very skillful, and he takes chances to cover up his lack of confidence in bis own ability. The young man may become a show-off” when driving with a young lady. Alcohol in a driver and gasoline in an automobile combine to cause many accidents. One of the two must be given up. Then there is our craze for speed; we must do things in a hurry. Perhaps the best one-word definition of civilization is courtesy, for courtesy is the epitome of all that is implied in the golden rule. Many of the tragedies that have occurred on our highways have been due to lack of courtesy. The very foundation of our American civilization is built on the solid rock of equal rights. Our highways are common property planned and built for the convenience and pleasure of the people as a whole. No one has the right to deprive any individual of that convenience and pleasure. To do so is not only bad sportsmanship, but bad Americanism. Another very dis- courteous act is the failure of a driver to dim his headlights when he meets other cars. In this case, why not do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” Carelessness and speed—not defective cars—cause the most accidents. As to what speed is too fast, this depends on traffic conditions. High speed is clearly improper after dark, when pave- ments are wet and icy, through villages, at intersections, where chil- dren are playing in the street, rounding curves or corners, especially blind ones, or surmounting the top of a hill with no view of the road beyond. In the last two instances, follow the slogan of a famous car producer: Never drive faster than you can see. The Irishman said, It is not the falling so far that hurts but the sudden stopping.” In a similar manner one may argue that it is not the fast driving which hurts but the impact when we collide with something. But remember, the speedy driving increases the chances of colliding. Since there are no walking tests for pedestrians—and we are all pedestrians part of the time—to correspond to the driving tests of drivers, they must use good judgment and follow regulations in crossing streets, etc. Negligence in driving, which results in accidents, must be punished rigorously. And the dreadful cost of accidents—not in PAUK TWENTY-FIVE

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Better roads and streets, better laws and enforcement—and above all else, better driving—will bring this evil under control. No sudden or temporary crusade will do it, but the persistent effort of millions of people, each doing his part, will. In this movement for greater safety on the highways every one of us is needed. And the least we can do is drive our own cars just as well as we know how— and let’s start tonight. Greta Messier, ’46, Salutatorian. Valedictory JUST TALK? Rather than speaking about an international problem, or the atomic age, about which I know practically nothing, and quoting uninteresting figures, I’d like to think with you for a few minutes tonight about this once prevalent idea of a new gymnasium for Orleans High School. It’s certainly a problem with which we in Orleans are concerned, from you townspeople, who could act now, to you future students, who would benefit directly from results of such action. This subject has been discussed openly in the American Legion and Auxiliary, the Chamber of Commerce, the P. T. A., and prac- tically every organization here in town. In the beginning we hoped that enough interest would be aroused, so some course of action would be taken. Unfortunately, this new interest diminished; all discussion was dropped, and talk of a new gym simply died away. Although it faded orally, publicly, in my opinion there is still a great deal of thought and real interest. Therefore, let’s consider the question again, reviewing the advantages. In the first place, is there a need for this gymnasium? Our present gym would suffice—but that’s what everyone thought of the horse and buggy before the automobile came into use. Progress is definitely not made without change or improvement. One advantage, concerning the basketball games particularly, would be the use of a larger floor with ample seating conditions. You fans realize what a limited capacity we now have. It is practi- cally impossible to enjoy a game which is well attended. Without any obstructions, such as stairs or a balcony, we could possibly wit- ness a good game. It is very difficult to practice on a small floor and become accustomed to a larger court, like the one at the tourna- ment. It takes time for the boys to adjust themselves to the differ- PAGE TWENTY-SEVEN