Robert E Lee High School - Leeway / Record Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

Page 24 text:

Salutatory Hudson Haines RIENDS, teachers, and fellow students of Robert E. Lee High School, I esteem it a great honor to have the pleasure of wel¬ coming you here this evening. We are, indeed, happy in having you as our guests to enjoy with us the opening exercises of our graduation, our much desired and hard-earned goal. I say hard-earned goal, for our high school years have meant much hard work for us, yet at the same time, they have brought us much pleas¬ ure. It is, indeed, with sadness that we think of severing our connections with our beloved school. We have made strong friendships here which will, no doubt, last throughout the years to come, and link us with ever-strengthening bonds of memory to our school. Teachers, as we take our leave of you, we shall ever be mindful of the help¬ ful and encouraging advice which you have given us during our high school days. This is one of the most critical periods of our lives, for we must decide whether we shall continue our education in higher institutions of learing, or whether we shall, at once, enter the field of business, and further our education through actual experience. But, whatever the decision, let us establish for ourselves repu¬ tations worthy of our high school preparation. Although many believe that a college education is essential in the training of a young person for his life’s work, many of the world’s greatest men both of today and yesterday, started out in the world with but a high school education. However, I sincerely hope that every member of the class of ’29 will be able to continue his training along the lines of higher education. Regardless, however, of what future he has planned, I feel certain that, deep within the recesses of his heart, each graduate of the Class of 1929 has resolved to make a place for himself in the world, worthy of those who have had a part in his training. And may he, in the sunset days of his career, be able to feel as proud of his accomplishments in life as he is of his accomplishments here to¬ night. I feel quite sure that no matter what the future holds for us, we shall in later years ever cherish pleasant memories of our beloved school. Class of 1929, I salute you, and on your behalf extend to our friends a hearty welcome.

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V aledidlory Charlotte Taylor ODAY we have reached our long dreamed-of and eagerly desired goal; we have come to the parting of the ways. It is with conflicting emotions that we stand here at the crossroads of life. 1 he joy and triumph of victory is mingled with the sadness of parting. As we look backward upon the joys and sorrows, the struggles and triumphs of our high school days, we realize more and more what these years of training have meant to us. The lasting friendships and associa¬ tions which we have made here have helped to advance us along our highway to success. To the teachers we owe more than we can express. They have been our guides over the rough places and their patience and devotion have brought us to this great mile-post on the highway of life. As we look forward into the unknown vistas of the future, we foresee many new hard¬ ships and obstacles. In facing these, we must uphold the high ideals and noble principles we have learned here at Lee High. Now we have come to the cross-roads, to the time when each one of us must choose which way he will go. In choosing, let us take the road, not because it is easy, but because, it is one in which we can do our best, and at the end of which lie honor and success. At times our progress may he slow and hard. Sometimes we may sink into mires of hopelessness and discontent. And often as we travel along the same dull level, it may seem that we will never advance. But finally we shall come to the hill-tops where all lies bright and clear before us. And in the joy of achievement we shall forget the trials we have suffered along the way. On the broad highway of life there will he many temptations to go astray, to devote ourselves to ple asure and selfish interests. But we must remember that the same ideals, the same characteristics which have brought us safely through high school are those to which we must cling as we enter the new highway of life. We must lie loyal to our friends, loyal to our convictions, ready to help others. Only through loyalty and co-operation can we enjoy the fellowship of the finest and best people with whom we shall meet and travel on the road of life. It will take courage, true and noble, to face the obstacles and bear the burdens of our journey. Let us be resolved to face life squarely with the kind of courage that will never give up. Honor is one of the sublimest words in our language. We have learned here at school how essential it is to success—hut how much more we shall realize it in the great tests of life. And now, classmates, we must say “goodbye.” But wherever our way leads us, we can never forget our years here together. Let us part, resolved to face life squarely, to find and give the best. And let us remember—- “To every man there openeth A way, and ways, and a way, And the High Soul climbs the High way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low, And in between on the misty fiats The rest drift to anti fro. But to every man there openeth A High way and a Low, And every man decideth The way his soul shall go.”

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The La£t Will and Testament of the Class of ’29 E, THE Senior class of the Robert E. Lee High School of the city of Staunton, in the state of Virginia, having spent the past four years in arduous toil and tireless effort, and now being about to graduate from these portals of learning, do by these precepts hereby bequeath and assign all of our lawful rights and hereditaments, on this sixth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine. ITEMS Item —To Mr. Payne, our principal, we bequeath a substantial arm chair to be used by the speaker in Assembly Hall. Item —To Miss Eakle, our patient adviser, we leave a more ambitious class and one who realizes the importance of class meetings. Item —To Miss Sara W. Bell we leave a fur coat to be worn in her room on cold days. Item —To Miss Oliver we leave John Boyle’s “Ford” to he used in going back and forth from Glee Club practice. Item —To Miss Fifer we leave, with much pleasure, a picture of Dr. Samuel Johnson to be hung in her room. Item —To Mr. Bridges we leave a bottle of ammonia to be used when the girls have fainting spells in the corridor. Item —To the faculty we leave, individually and collectively our best wishes. OTHER ITEMS Item —We now leave Jack Doswell’s knowledge of science to Rockwell Boyle. Item— To Sarah Hyde Thomas we leave Griselda Arnold’s fondness for walking to school. Item —To Harry Greer we bequeath Kenneth Grim’s cppeal to the oppsite sex. Item —Audrey Bowman, after much thought and deliberation leaves her in¬ terest in the Modern Dairy to Laverne Ludwig. Item —To Lerry Perry we leave the frequent visits to the Sheriff’s daughter made by Hudson Haines. Item —To Dorothy Black we leave Virginia Brand’s originality. Item —To Leonard Chittum we leave Billy Hamilton’s height. Item —Frances Brown leaves her cultivated flirtatiousness to Dorothy Landes, with the hope that she will cherish and keep it always. Item— To Tommy Cox we leave Wallace Hook’s musical talent. Item —We leave Bessie Gochenour’s sense of humor to June Crickard. Item —To Mary Harper we leave Robert Knowles’ water wave combs. Item —To Beulah DePriest we leave Charlotte Harper’s “seeming indiffer¬ ence” to the world.