Salesian Catholic High School - Saldet Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

Page 18 text:

The '58 Senior Class Officers -QT! 5 N'-. 1d F l- L. to R., Greg Stempien fVice-Presidentj, John Maierle KP:-esidentj, Jim Murphy fTreasurerJ, and Dick Massey fSecretaryJ are making plans for the Senior Activities of 1958. Good planning backed up by plenty of work always results in a good time for all. Q ' pull I ,,..ov-- ,.-ly.- 6 5' 11 5 John Maierle listens intently while Greg Stempien makes a few points before the final vote. There is plenty of give and take at our senior meetings and you can be sure that most of our meetings are not as peaceful as this one looks.

Page 17 text:

The Four Steps To Salesian Knighthood ln the Middle Ages, when military feudalism held sway in Europe, the sons of nobility were educated for chivalry. The education of a future knight was begun at an early age. When he was still a child, he was sent to the castle of his father's overlord where he was trained in all the arts of knight- hood. For the first few years, his education would be in the hands of the lady of the castle, whom he served as a PAGE, and who taught him polite manners and the social arts. At fourteen, he began the really essential part of his train- ing-the handling of arms. He then became one of the SQUIRES of the lord who had undertaken to train him. He accompanied his lord everywhere, serving him at meals and when he rose in the morning or retired at night. It was the squire's duty to keep the weapons and armor of his lord polished and in good repair. He also followed his lord when he rode to war, carried his shield, helmet and spear, and led the great war-horse, which was not mounted till the time came to charge. lf the lord were thrown from his horse in a battle or tournament, he was expected to rescue him and help him into the saddle. He was not expected to take part in the fighting except in an emergency. The third and highest rank of chivalry was knighthood. This was usually not conferred before the twenty-first year. The per- son to be knighted prepared himself by confessing, fasting, and keeping vigil all night. Religious rites were performed, and then, after promising to be faithful to his lord, to protect ladies and orphans, never to lie nor utter slander, to live in harmony with his equals, to protect the church, he received the accolade , a slight blow on the shoulder with the flat of the sword, from the lord who dubbed him KNIGHT. These then are the historically accurate steps to knighthood. The necessity of discovering or inventing a fourth step to Salesian Knighthood is the result of the modern classification of high school students into freshmen, sophomores, iuniors and seniors. For our fourth step we have chosen serfdom, and the indi- viduals who are part of this step we have dubbed SERFS . Al- though serfs ordinarily never had any chance to become knights in the Middle Ages, We the Class of '58 hereby decree that Salesian Knighthood can only be obtained by passing through an additional step henceforth to be known as Serfdom. On the following pages you will find the knights in their twentieth century uniform of chivalry - the tux. The Squires, the Pages, and the Serfs are shown in their class pictures and their respective intellectual duties that are but the steps to knighthood here at Salesian.

Page 19 text:

The '58 Graduation Ring This year's graduation ring was changed in keeping with the adoption of ihe new school symbol fthe knightl and the new school seal. Both of these are engraved on the '58 gradua- tion ring. ,M O .n...,,,,mw 1 Father Coyle, the Senior Class Moderator, IS handing Father Kelly the blessed ring which will soon be placed on Jose Fouchia's left third finger. Joe Wozniak rhecks to see that no mistakes are made.