Prospect Park High School - Prospector Yearbook (Prospect Park, PA)

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CLASS HISTORY JUNIOR YEAR .wg Our Guiding Spirit, the Old Prospector, now found us one more step QQ up the ladder of knowledge--our Junior Year! I5 Realizing from experience that we could do nothing without complete organization, we held our official election. Frank Martin was again chosen j J President, and the following eight classmates made up the Executive Com- i mittee: Dorothy Bowes, Dorothy Owen, Jeannette Ingersoll, Bernice Rath- J , bun, Carter Merbreier, Ted Johnson, Fred Meisel, and Jack Clark. Under their very able leadership we began our eleventh-grade activities. Early in September we were seen dashing around the halls proudly dis- 4 playing our cherished class rings. With prudent forethought we had ordered - 5,1 them the previous spring, thus receiving them early in the fall. JuNioR Since the war-time conditions had made everything so hard-to-get, we broke a precedent by uniting with the Seniors for the Junior-Senior Prom. The dance was informal, the music recorded: but all our lads and lassies, waltzers and hep-cats enjoyed a grand and glorious evening. Our Prospector took great pride in the fact that his Juniors had so many able representatives in the activities and social life of the school- the Band, Glee Club, and varied fields of sports. He predicted even greater things for us when we reached the coveted goal of being- Seniors, non Here we are at the top step of the first flight in life-Seniors at last! Fred Meisel was chosen President this year, and our Exectuive Com- mittee included Jeannette Ingersoll, Marian Megraw, Joan Thompson and Dorothy Bowes: Walter Riggins, Halus Ewing, Jack Clark and Carter Merbreier. ,N Our first problem was the Hot Dog Stand. Despite the hard work, the ration points, and the rain, our class by its spirit and co-operation made l ' a success of it. l We found the war really coming close as we saw our classmates enlist- 1 ing: Seven boys are now in the military services. rl, Q At a twin-boro dance on Thanksgiving night, by Prospect and Ridley, Hazen X2 throngs jammed the firehouse to cuddle and jive to the rhythm of Tommy lv' S Dorsey, Harry James and Glenn Miller-by way of record, naturally. A part of our Christmas Joy was the Christmas Dance, held at the ' ' Masonic Temple, where everyone enjoyed the frosty decorations and the if dancing. 5.1 Spring sped by on winged feet. Our Year Book took shape and landed .41 A' in the publishers lap Cwhether it be drawing, writing or selling, all can say, I helped make that book! J: personnel managers probed our abilities to gf ,dx handle summer jobs: our long-awaited trip to New York arrived on the schedule tAl1 had a glorious time and we saw everything from the Statue f' of Liberty to La Guardia Airportlg our class party, the last social gathering rf of our class as a unit, became a never-to-be-forgotten occasion. Class night, a joyous and rollicking affair, led right into that lung await- Q ed and somewhat dreaded event-Graduation. It was hard to believe that we Z were really Alumni at last! We can look back on our high school course, sometimes with tears and in ,SENIOR sometimes with laughter, but whichever it is, these four years of our life will stand out in our hearts forever. 29

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CLASS HISTCRY FRESHMAN YEAR We became Freshmen in 1940, and the Old Prospector, fwho has seen many classes come and gol, told us to waste no time in organizing our class. - The first step to be taken was the choice of a class adviser. Fortunate - indeed were we in securing the services of Miss Dorothea K. Wood, who promised to take us safely over the hardships of our high school career. 1 Now under capable leadership, we elected class officers. They were: Presi- dent, Frank Martin, Vice-President, Marian Megrawg Secretary, Dorothy - f Bowesg Boys' Treasurer, Robert Bakerg Girls' Treasurer, Betty Pyle. J' - Our first money-making venture was the Curtis Publishing Company's drive for magazine subscriptions. Everyone worked hard, so this proved to I il, X i 'F f s M17 6 W ig: 'L 4 be fairly successful. Jeannette Ingersoll and Bob McKenzie revealed them- 'F'RO,5H selves as high pressure salesmen by selling the highest number of sub- ' scriptions. When Hallowe'en rolled around, we entered into the social world by hold- ing a party for the eighth grade. Dancing, games, and refreshments rounded out an evening which was thoroughly enjoyed by both hosts and guests. Early spring found us giving our first public dance. On the afternoon N-' preceeding the gala event freshmen could be seen diligently decorating the - gym in a cheerful spring motif. Dancing to the mellow strains of Ziggy - -F - x x O'Nea1 and the Prospectors, none could complain of a dull evening. S , jk fx . X - ra At last the really big event arrived: Promotion from Junior High School! 6065081277: iff The Old Prospector was pleased with us as we closed our activities, and we eagerly looked forward to entering Senior High School. SOPHOMORE YEAR The Old Prospector told us that this, our Sophomore year, would be one g that would always live in our memories, and how right he was! Ei ' It was in the beginning of the year that we devised a new plan for con- A Aff ducting our class affairs. This was through an executive committee, with ,fi Frank Martin chosen President. The Committee included four boys and four ,T ,qi girls-Joan Thompson, Marian Mcgraw, Dorothy Bowes, and Esther Laugh- 2 reyg Fred Meisel, Jack Clark, Jack Frederick, and Carter Merbreier. Arif Our Prospector had reminded us earlier in the year that we should do P 4 1 something to boost the savings in our treasury. So-We held a bake. Flooded ' with orders and rain, the end of the day found us sodden but happy, and ' 4 our treasury S150 richer! ' , , gi , We h-ad all looked forward with eagerness fand some trepidationl to i my our Sophomore initiation in November. However, the reception was post- r' 6 poned till spring because of repairs to the gym floor. Finally the great day I dawned. We realized we all looked like comic book characters, but the fun 5 31 both we and the seniors had fairly compensated for everything. With our Sophomore Hop, we ended our activities in February. The dance, the first formal held by the class, was ia. wonderful success socially, A ,., if not financially, and we all had a good time. 6 Thus closing our sophomore year, we looked forward to our third year 5 in high school with much anticipation. 28

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CLASS PROPHECY fl? . As the sun is rising on a new world and a new day, we find A crowds of people hustling along busy Forty-fourth Street. Among xx Hy! ' them, buffeted by the scurrying crowds, is the Old Prospector. Amb- E' 2' ling along the street, he notices with an expression of amazement K , many names that bring back pleasant memories. Now he is entering ' 0 ' Doc Meisel's dru store :-Let's follow him. Ji ' m . . . . . . 9 9 J, Eager to see lf. 1t.1S his old friend, Fred Meisel, he walks quickly X 9 g , back to the prescription counter, completely unaware of those sit- Q Q f tmg around the soda fountain. The pharmacist looks up from his ' ,I . 1' I work and the recognition between them is instantaneous. The hearty T ' ----- welcome caught the interest of other former classmates in the store, and they all rush back to greet the old Prospector. There is Mildred McKeone, still a Meisel em- ployee, Marion Moore, still a popular customer, and jean LaBahn, whose appetite has shown no signs of diminishing. As the conversation progresses sleepy-eyed Alan Stearn moseys into the store for his weekly prescription of No-Doz Tablets. He finds that Alan is extremely success- ful, but still looks forward to his life long ambition of leading a revolution. When the Old Prospector asked about the other ,44 graduates, Doc suddenly remem- bers the Forty-fourth Street Radio Station, which is about to broadcast. They tune it in just in time to hear- Ladies and gentlemen, this is Carter Merbreier broadcasting from station VV.P.U., bring- ing you the orchestras of David Thompson and Milton Given fthe two most famous dance bands since Harry james and Tommy Dorseyj, brought to you by Elaine's Dancing Studio at 1944 Forty-fourth Street. And here, ladies and gentlemen, comes our good friend, Sparky Frederick, who brings good news to one and all. Can you dance, can you sing, can you truck, can you swing? If so, Elaine's Dancing Studio is holding a nation wide contest to make you the Toast of Forty-fourth Street. If you live in this vicinity, come in person or call Miss Helen June Foresman, our station recep- tionist. For those on the west coast, our traveling talent scouts, Marie Kaefer and Alyce Brown, will be near your community within the next few days. This radio station will keep you posted on their itinerary. The winner of this contest will be publicized from Maine to California by the world famous press agent Esther Laughreyg and will receive two years' free taxi fare from VValtz-johnson Taxis, used in all the principal cities of the country. This contest will be judged by Elaine and her partners, those two famous dance critics, Miss Helen Krause and Miss Ruth Marshall. Enroll now in this nation wide contest. More news at the end of the program. I now turn you back to our Master of Ceremonies and the scintillating' rhythm of our orches- tras. While listening to the music, Fred tells the Old Prospector that the former editor of the high school yearbook, Joan Thompson, is now a successful 'business woman owning several en- terprises, among which is this station. Thanking his friends for an enjoyable hour he leaves the drugstore and proceeds on his way. As he approaches Augie Schade's Bowling Alley one of the famous Waltz-Johnson Taxi Cabs pulls up to the curb to admit a passenger whom he recognizes as Miss Dorothy Bowes. She greets the Old Prospector effusively, but tells him she must be on her way to the dock to meet Walter Riggins, a silent partner in the Waltz-johnson Taxi Company, who is coming home from his latest yachting trip. Hurriedly they bid each other good-bye and the Old Pros- pector enters Augie's Bowling Alley. A friendly slap on the back announces the proprietor, Clarence Schade, and his partner, Kenneth Bluzard, who is all sharped up in a new zoot suit. Before a conversation could be started, our Prospector is alarmed by repeated pistol shots from above. By the grin on the Prospector's face we can imagine that Augie has just explain- ed the cause. It seems that Bill Machamer and Lou Riess have reached their life ambition,- owning an open-air shooting gallery. Here they spend all their time shooting albadritches. 30