Reading Memorial High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Reading, MA)

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PAGE TvVO OPINIONS THE PIONEER The most important part of school is not the number of facts we learn and remember—although they are im¬ portant—but the training we get in thinking things out for ourselves. Tea¬ chers are always cautioning us not to be afraid to form our own opinions about things. We don’t always have to think the other fellow’s way, but we must have good reasons for our opinions. We must look over all the lessons we study and see how they are con¬ nected with real life. They show us what problems grown men and women have to solve, so that when we are called upon to solve our own problems of government, of the home, or of business, we will know how to do it. M. M. ’30. AN HOUR IN THE LABORATORY The bell rings, keys jingle, desks scrape open—and another laboratory period has begun. To some, a selected few, this will be an hour of bliss; to others it will be merely another hour to struggle through. Fortunately there is a happy medium between these two, those to whom chemistry is still much of a mystery but worth being solved. They will enjoy this period to the ut¬ most, even though they make a mis¬ take in the middle of the experiment and have to begin again. The “initiated few,” mostly boys, are held very much in awe. They know all about the experiments beforehand and just how they will come out. But no one dares to bother them with questions. Besides, questions would do no good; the explanation would be too far beyond ordinary understanding. There are crucial moments in the laboratory period (just as crucial as any in a Latin recitation.) Take, for instance, the time when, after working for two solid hours on an experiment, you bring a jumble of figures to the instructor. Perhaps they are one-tenth out of the way. He looks rather un¬ decided (of course you look hopeful:) “Well, I suppose—no, I guess you had better try it over.” Then there are those little slips, “breakage slips.” Perhaps you have been trying to conceal a crack in your test tube and are heating it in a busi¬ ness-like manner. The instructor, com¬ ing a r ound to see how your experiment is working, observes pleasantly, “Brok¬ en your test tube, girls?” You sigh, “Yes,” and think to yourself, “Another slip.” All these trying moments are offset, however, in the joy of completing an experiment successfully. When the figures do work out to something you can understand or when your acid and base evaporate nicely to a salt, it is enough to repay all your labors. The bell rings again, and the period ; s over. An end to working out the fascinating secrets of science for today. N E W S A general assembly, opened by the singing of “America,” was held on November 8. Mr. Sussmann gave a short talk after which everyone joined in singing “Step by Step.” After these Armistice Day Exercises we all had the extreme pleasure of hearing Walter Damrosch in one of his Friday morn¬ ing concerts. Everyone voted that he would be glad to have the privilege of hearing him again. A special assembly was called at two

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O Vs vV ' jl) v p) r The Winter Number In appreciation of the time and effort they have given freely to us, we re¬ spectfully dedicate this number of the Pioneer to the faculty. PIONEER BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vincent H. Whitney ’30 ASST. EDITORS Philip G. Parker ’30 Katherine Spencer ’31 BUSINESS MANAGER Herbert B. Downs ’30 ASST. BUSINESS MANAGERS Bernard Bailey ’31 Robert Stewart ’32 NEWS EDITOR Ina H. Bergquist ’31 EXCHANGE CRITIC Lillian Chamberlain ’30 ATHLETIC EDITORS Girls.’—Dorothy T. Perry ’30 Boys’—William Burpee ’30 JOKE EDITOR Walter F. Ingalls ’30 ART EDITOR Francis Merritt ’30 POEM EDITOR Patricia Littlefield ’31 PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER Ina H. Bergquist ’31 TYPISTS Mary Murphy ’30 Dorothy Perry ’30 LITERARY EDITORS Sadie Birnie ’30 Mary Murphy ’30 Truesdell Fife ’30 Barbara Boardman ’31 Mildred Davies ’31 Jeanne Else ’31 Jean Marshall ’31 Irvin Brogan ’31 Raymond Nelson ’31 Dorothy Crosby ’32 Barbara Jewett ’32 Patricia Sussmann ’32 Ross Chapin ’32 Kenneth Latham ’32 FACULTY ADVISORS Elizabeth Batchelder Frances Greenhalgh Luke Halpin Hermon T. Wheeler HONORARY MEMBER Helen Beals, first Editor of the Pioneer. Published by the Pupils of Reading High School 1930 READING PUBLIC LIBRARY READING, MASSACHUSETTS

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THE PIONEER PAGE THREE o’clock, November 18, to show us a film presented at the Rotary Club that noon. This film gave in pictures a resume of all the important news of the last twenty years. The purpose of this picture put out by the Boston Traveler is to show that newspapers do contain news of real value. On December 6, Mr. Talbot, a rep¬ resentative of the Massachusetts Au¬ dubon Society, came to us through the courtesy of Mr. Ross Chapin to give a lecture. He gave a most interesting talk concerning bird protection and he showed pictures of many birds, some of which, not long ago, were very plentiful but are now extinct due to man’s carelessness. Let us, who heard his talk, protect our little friends, the birds. On December 16, the Junior Woman’s Club presented to the High School the play “The Elopement of Ellen” with a cast consisting of Ruth Folsom, Alice Poole, Gloria Wilcox, Betty Wilcox, Mary Devaney, Dorothy Wright, Elea¬ nor Quigley. Olive Spear prompted. The play was very well done and much commendation is merited by Miss Pratt and Miss Smith who coached. The cast was well balanced and the male impersonations offered much enjoyment to the audience. The annual Junior Promenade was held by the class of 1931, on Friday, December 20, in the High School Hall. The hall was most appropriately deco¬ rated with evergreen trees, which were banked around the sides of the hall. Snowballs were suspended, very real¬ istically, from the ceiling. Lanterns of the class color hung from the ceiling. Candles in the win- down also lent a festive appearance to the hall. The decorations in the opinion of several persons who have attended previous proms, were the most attrac¬ tive ever. Music was supplied by Ben Kittredge and his broadcasting orches¬ tra. The committee in charge consisted of Patricia Littlefield, chairman; Ger¬ trude Wright, Thomas St. Louis, Elea¬ nor Quigley, Frank Cate, William Stewart, Betty Scott, James Perry and Paul Swanson. The matrons were Miss Batchelder, Mrs. Quigley, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. St. Louis. I. B. ’31. BASKETBALL On Thursday, December 6, Coach Aldred called out candidates for the basketball team. About 50 boys re¬ ported. This included only two of last year’s lettermen, Merritt and Sias, who are expected to form the defense. Among the most promising forwards are Pierce, Burhoe, Wheeler, Dunn, Pomfret and Temple. Pierce, a former Deering High player, has shown up well in practice. In view of the very successful foot¬ ball season, it is expected we will have an equally good basketball season. The schedule, to which a few games will probably be added, follows: Dec. 21 Alumni Jan. 3 Winchester Jan. 8 Belmont Jan. 10 at Lexington Jan. 15 Melrose Jan. 17 at Stoneham Jan. 22 Lowell Jan. 24 at Wakefield Jan. 29 at Belmont Jan. 31 Lexington Feb. 4 at Milton Feb. 7 Stoneham Feb. 11 Malden Feb. 14 Wakefield Feb. 18 at Fitchburg Feb. 21 at Winchester Middlesex League Games. The High School basketball season started on December 21, when the Or¬ ange and Black took on the Alumni, which team had its usual quota of stars. Almost immediately the gradu¬ ates took the lead two fouls to one. The rest of the half saw little scoring, but at the end of the period the High School led 6-2.