Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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Golden Rod Staff JUNE 1945 Literary Editor-in-Chief . Assistant . Literary Editor . Assistant . Activity (nonft Pictures Alumni Notes . Art Editor Senior Activities Senior Glossies . Secretaries Staff . Douglas Payne . Marie Benedetti . James Moulton . Arlene Brackett Edith Jacobs Beverly Johnson Elver a Bosworth . Mary Boyd Priscilla Peterson James Powers Margaret Tiiebideau William Eng I ,ois Stewart, Chairman Leatrice Hindmarsh Nancy Hobart Mary Testa f Evelyn Sachetti ( Josephine Salvaggio Helen Lynch Kathleen Parlin J ’ 1 Eleanor Peachey 1 Nancy Pugliesi Business Staff Circulation Manager ........ Annette Savard Secretary .......... Mary Coyne Elizabeth Ballou, Alfred Bertocchi, Betty Bonney, Mary D’Antonio. Alberto DiMascio. Richard Dube, Lorraine Ferris, Joan Folan, Helvi Fredrickson, Bar- bara Hamalainen, Nancy Hayes, Natalie Smith, Geraldine White. Advertising Manager ....... Miriam Koski Secretary .......... Dolores Tosi Josephine Barone, Arlene Brackett, Grace Green, Evelyn Hutchings, Doris Linnell. Mildred Maguire, Dorothy Papile, Donald Russell, Geraldine White. Faculty Advisors Joy L. Nevens, Chairman, Isabel S. Browne, Lottie Page, George Phillips, Mary C. Turner, Catherine I. Walsh.

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Golden Rod Staff

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“Compulsory Military Training I he history of military training has been long and arduous. It is only fair to say that history has proved it unsuccessful in its past forms. The system has found loyal supporters from the military school, but equally loyal debunkers among the pacifists. Differing methods for the common defense of this nation have been employed since the First Continental Congress sug- gested that all able bodied men between the ages of Hi and 50 be formed into companies of militia. George Washington in a message to Congress in 1787 — this has only recently been uncovered and the dust shaken from its moldy potency — suggested a rather well thought out plan for compulsory military training. A haphazard compulsory program was attempted by both the North and South during the Civil War. 1914 found us still militarily unprepared. Only through the slowness of the aggressor’s charge were we able quickly enough to muster an army — supply, train, and push men onto a battlefield. They were to save the world for democracy: they did, or, at least, thought they did. This brings us to the present world conflict and a still unprepared America. There were to be no more wars — remember. Do not blame our present leaders: just be thankful that someone was there to put the ball in motion, when our aggressors had already gained alarming momentum. We must assume that there will be a World War III: it is better that we should face this anticipation. We do realize that the lime elapse between attack and counter-attack must be shortened to the vanishing point, if we are to emerge the victor. Military training is an inter- national political instrument. It may be used to prevent wars as well as start them. Compulsory military training must be designed and administered by civilian as well as military experts. It must be a program which will make us conscious of orderliness, discipline, health standards, and the organization of an army. It must not be a program which will make us conscious of the aggressive spirit, the military theories of might over right, or the necessity of wars. There is no reason why it should. Technological warfare is reaching a point where national unpreparedness spells Disaster. There is no reason to suspect that military training should be any more undemocratic than paying taxes. In one case, we sacrifice a portion of our money, in the other case a portion of our time. In either case we are not sacrificing our rights as individuals. The training period will come at a time in our life when it will not interfere with any vocational aims we might have. It will rather come at a time when we are positive in our newly acquired rights as citizens, at a time when our minds would be able easily to absorb the aims of such a training program. For those who wish to enter college, there will be alternate courses: R. O. T. C., summer opportunities. If entered upon intelligently, it will not kill liberal thinking, foster militarism, or interfere with our present system of education; it will rather serve as a melting pot for religious, racial, or economic differences. We have tried other plans in order to prepare ourselves against war, and all have failed. Let us switch from a negative to a positive plan of defense. — Douglas Payne.