Ravena Coeymans Selkirk High School - Memoirs Yearbook (Ravena, NY)

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THESE PAST FOUR YEARS in Ravena High School have been spent by the members of the Class of 1940 in carefully laying the foundation leading to a brilliant future in which they may obtain everything their hearts desire. But you have often heard of the old say- ing, The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agleyf, Let's look into my prophet's crystal to see what fate has in store for my classmates. The mist is clearing. A village scene appears. I see a church. The bells are ringing. It is Sunday morning. I see a lawyer-a fine looking man-and by his side walks his wife. They are much loved by the congregation. Her face is turned away, but I can see it is some one we know. Now she turns 5 I see her face. It is Lois Jackson, looking very happy and appearing to be an ideal lawyer's wife. The mist turns gray, then clears to show the dome of the United States Capitol. A bus passes slowly by. There's a sign on the side reading, Pemberton Tours, Successor to Tuttle Tours. I did think there was something funny when Pemmy talked confidentially for four hours to Mr. Tuttle on our Senior Class trip. Now the scene changes to a corner in Washington. A crowd gathers around a man mounted on a soap box. He holds their atention by declaiming, When I am president of the United States Cwhich I am positive of beingj I will give you anything you want-five dollars a day and beds instead of shovels. Yes, Henry Blenis was always a generous fellow in school. The mist clears to show a football practice. The school is Ravena and the year is 1960. One of the players is saying, Listen to me, fellows. I've been playing for four years-I'll show you how to play. He reminds me of a fellow I went to school with. A little short man shouts, You go to the showers. I don't allow bragging here. Is that little fellow the coach? Yes-he is! It's Carmen Sgroi. Soft lights-beautiful colors-music-and a group of costumed people. The great stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. A man steps to the front of the stage, he pauses, he stretches out his arms. As the orchestra plays softly, Antonio Stelvatcho, the greatest tenor of all times, bursts forth into melody- I's a-coming. Unbelievable, but true, no one but dear old Anthony Scalzo. Who is the man at the door of the garden who is being interviewed by that group of reporters? It's John Tompkins, the antique collector, who has just purchased a clock that Louis XVI made. I see an enormous room with a large desk in the center. On the desk is a huge pile of letters. A middle-aged lady opens the letters, reads them and busily dictates answers to them. The lady is Anne Whipple, who has taken Dorothy Dix's place in giving advice to the love-lorn. There's a little parlor forming in the crystal, as I look I see two old people. This seems to be the year 1990. The little old lady says, Mel darling, isn't it wonderful how we stuck together ever since we left school. He answers, Yes, Jeanie darling, it's because I couldn't find anyone as nice as you. Do you know who these two old people are? Of course you do-they are Melvin Hotaling and Jean Van Slyke, graduates of the class of 1940. The scene becomes noisy. Buzzings and ringings fill the ear. I see a long room around the sides of which are seated many girls. It is a telephone ofiice. And the head operator is Dorothy Meyer. I knew her as soon as she said, Line's busy. She always did spend most of her time telephoning and seems to have concluded she might as well make some money at it. It's census time again-I see a door being slammed and a man hurriedly rushing down the porch steps. He mops his perspiring brow and wearliy plods on to the next house. Poor Dale Setford is decidedly unpopular as the census taker with bigger andbetter questions. In the cool, clear waters of the North Sea a yacht lies at anchor. Its name, Ravenean, makes me think the owner must be an acquaintance of ours. A very substantial figure now appears on deck and scans his surroundings with an approving eye. He beckons to a steward and says, Tell the captain we'll sail for Ravena tomorrow. I have some old friends there I'd like to see before I start around the world again. It is Howard Westervelt, a multi- millionaire chicken fancier. But something is happening. A crowd of people are coming on deck. He has been home and brought his old friends back with him for a cruise. I see them all-every one of his classmates. They look prosperous and happy. The sun sets and the light fades grad- ually. The crystal clouds and I can see no more. Carmen Albano Page twenty Iwo

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CLASSES and ACTIVITIES