Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

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this year doiTl know whether or nol they will he able to get a job or finish their education before they go to work for I ' ncle Sam. The girls are affected by these uncertain patterns of life, too. Life has moved at a fast pace during our life- time, imich faster than it did for our parents and grandparents. It seems not too long ago that our grandparents talked of the horse and buggy era when they were children. In the space of a few years we ' re in the jet-propelled age. We are heading at a terrific pace ... to what? We the graduating class of 1954 must fathom this fast pace, and keep up with it, and grasp it, too. In a few more years we will be electing our repre- sentatives and running the government and we must know what it ' s all about. We must watch this changing world, learn by its mistakes, and keep our country safe for our children. SHOULD THE VOTING AGE BE LOWERED TO EIGHTEEN Robert Loring, ' 54 Should the voting age be lowered to eighteen years? That is one of the most controversial questions of the day. Many people think it should and many think otherwise. It is my con- viction that the age should be lowered. Young people of today are being called on to serve their country and sometimes to sacrifice their lives for our kind of life and government. Does it seem unreasonable that young men who proudly wear the uniforms of the Lhiited States armed forces should ask to have a say in the government that they may have to die to pre- serve? Taxpayers all over the nation are paying hard- earned money to educate the youth. Some of this money is going into courses covering civics, good government, and problems of democracy. In our own State of Massachusetts, a one-year course in United States history and civics must be passed before a pupil can graduate from high school. By these courses and the further educa- tion of radio, television, newspapers, and by the fact that after receiving a diploma from high school most boys will be subject to the draft, an active interest in government is aroused in our modern teen-agers. This interest will be stimu- lated if we can vote at eighteen, but if we must wait three or four years, we are bound to lose some interest in the running of our government. Perhaps if the vote were given to the eighteen- year-olds when they were so vitally concerned with the problems of their country, their attitude toward political affairs in the later life might be more active. There are many arguments against lowering the voting age, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Governor Herter and Pres- ident Eisenhower have declared that they are in favor of lowering the age requirement. I think that we should take the advice of these wise men and give our young, but able, citizens a voice in the running of our g(jvermnent. THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR EDUCATION James De iker, ' 54 Although most students have the proper atti- tude toward school, all too many look upon edu- cation as a distasteful medicine, taken only to fulfill the requirements of the law. They feel that an education is unnecssary and that they are smart enough to get along without all this school- ing. ( A comedian once commented that such in- dividuals are at the age when they are too dumb to know that the rest of the world couldn ' t be that stupid ! ) Later on, those who dislike school will be very thankful for whatever education they have. We should all bear in mind that, in this highly- competitive society of ours, true success is at- tained only by those who take full advantage of all their opportunities. Right now, our biggest opportunity is a free education. How much we get out of it depends entirely upon the amount of effort put into it. How about you? Are you putting forth your best efforts? Now is the time to take stock of yourself, before it is too late. If you are planning to attend college, the better your high school preparation, the easier you will find college work. Then again, if you aren ' t going to college, the knowledge gained in high school will be invalu- able in your everyday life. Although, in these troubled times, there is a tendency to think only of today, think of the future . . . your future. A GREATER SCHOOL LOYALTY FOR OUR LARGER SCHOOL Charles Rodgers, ' 56 Just exactly what is School Loyalty? To an- swer that question would take more than a few words or sentences. One way to explain school loyalty is to compare it to the building of a house. All good houses have a solid foundation. Therefore, before we build our house of School Loyalty, we as individuals, must have a firm foundation, based on reliability, truthfulness, sportsmanship, and all-round good citizenship. These qualities should already be an integral 19

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EDITORIALS SENIORS LOOK AHEAD Rulh Mitchell, ' 54 High school days are now ending for the mem- bers of the Class of 1954. For the young people now graduating, these )ears in high school have been years of preparation, years in which they have been guided in making important decisions. Courses and activities in school have prepared today ' s graduates for the responsibilities of the life ahead. Looking hack, the Seniors find that these have been happy )ears. during which they have made lasting friends and built treasured memories. However, the members of the class are now ready to look forward, not back, except to recall a basketball game, a dance, a party, or other happy memor . The years to come take on new importance. Some of the boys see in the immediate future two years in T ncle Sam ' s service before the can start work in the field they have chosen. Others in the Class of 1954 will enter college, where they will prepare for various careers. Some will go directly to work. Colleges and secretarial schools will be the next step for man of the girls who are now seniors. Some will start working, while others may get married in the near future. A few of the girls may join the armed services along with the boys. Whatever the individual plan, every member of the class will look ahead with high expectations. After graduation, the decisions of the students now lea ing Scituate High School will ha e to be their own. These young people are entering the world of adulthood. The day the doors of S.H.S. close behind them for the last time. the will start forward on the road of their new life. es. the Seniors are looking ahead. SUCCESS FOR TOMORROW f.elilia Bernard. 55 Toda as our seniors are preparing f(»r gradu- ation and colle ' ie. we wonder what their futures will be. Will they become good leaders and in- telligent adults? These are questions that onl) time can answer. Just what is necessar} to be successful in the world toda ? Is it power, monev, or strength? Contrar) to many people ' s beliefs these factors sometimes really hinder rather than promote success. If a person is to be a true success, he need only possess three qualities: a good char- acter, the ability to work, and respect and love for his fellow men. These are not qualities which )ou just happen to possess. They must be acquired thrcjugh hard work, understanding, and sacrifice. The) are not built in a day, a week or a month. They are obtained only after years of unceasing eflfort to- wards the goal of success. Perhaps we ha e made mistakes in the past. This is no reason for failure, for there is no better time than now to start working towards success. Start now, for through hard work today, success can be secured for tomorrow! A CHANGING WORLD Betty Foster, ' 54 For main years graduating classes of our high school have written and spoken, in different words, but with the same thought, of the great difference between life in the familiar halls of our high school and our venture into the cruel world. ' It alwavs was a great change from the sheltered life of high school years to go to a different town or (it) to work or to further ones education. But as drastic as the change was, the world was the same — comparativeh secure and holding the i roliability of the c()mj)letion of college edu- cation, or other plans. But the graduate of 1954 looks forward to . . . what? A world that changes o ernight — ma be in a few hours, b) new developments of science, b communist in- filtration, or b bloodshed. The boys graduating la

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part of our charaLter: and if not. they should be made so. because these ideals are essential if we are to work and live happih with our fellow men. Having secured a firm foundation based on good character, we are ready to begin building our house of School Lo alt . What are the ma- terials for our house? First and foremost is you. The only person who can build this house of School Loyalty is you. You may ask. How do I go about it? Prim- arily, we can help our school in whatever wax we can. Too many people are under the impres- sion that, to be loyal to our school, we must go out for sports, or if we can ' t do that, we must at least go to the games and cheer. Certainly, ath- letics is an integral part of our school. However, it is by no means the only way we can show school lovalty. Especially in the last few weeks when we are adjusting to the new school and tr - ing out the monitor system, we shall have to work harder than ever for our school if we are to re- ceive the full benefits of it. Through the windows of our performance in the classroom, others will be able to see the care with which we have built our house of School Loyalt) . Now we are ready to move into our house, keeping in mind that it cannot stand long with- out constant re|)airs and additions. When we have lived in our house for a while, we will realize that its benefits are two-fold. First, the lessons learned in Iniilding it will help us greath in adjusting to adult life. Second, if we have all built up our School Loyalty faithfully, there can be but one result for our school — a bigger and better Scituate High. SCHOOL SPIRIT .loan Turner. ' 36 S is for School Spirit in which we are not lacking: Each and everything that ' s done needs everybody ' s backing, t is for the credits from our French anfl Chemistry : But how many of us could graduate with our credits from lovalty? I is for the interest in our schoolwork and our teams; It s up to us to get ahead — not sit around and dream. T is for the time well spent on practicing each sport To give our school a good name on the field or on the court. J is for the understanding among the students themselves : That will keep those traffic tickets King idl on the shelves. A is for the addition that we ' ll all have to impress; Loyalty and School Spirit will be our secret to success. T is for the teamwork that it takes to get things done: An S. A. dance, producing pla s. or games that must be won. E of course, is for everyone: we all have a job to do. Let ' s paint that new addition s [h the spirit of white and blue! ASSEMBLIES 1953-1954 Sept. 17 — S. A. Assembly Oct. 15 — Columbus Day Program b Room Bl of Junior High Oct. 22 — Program by English Department Nov. 10 — Armistice Day and Education Week (Room 201. Junior High) Nov. 23 — S. A. - ' To the Arctic b Canoe Nov. 2.5 — Thanksgiving Da Program Dec. 3 — Awards AssendiU Dec. 9 Conx ersation Concert Dec. 10 — Junior High Program l) Room lOl Dec 22 — Christmas Assembly - Music Depart- ment Jan. 15 — Good Goxernment l)a . guest speaker. Nathaniel Huruitz Jan. 21 — Television .Skvvvays presented bv New England Telephone and Telegraph Co. representatives Jan. 2J5 — Play - Junior High. Room 202 Feb. 3 - - The Life of a Clown. Lew Hershev Fel). 15 — McCrea Marionettes Mar. 11 — Blue and White Week - Avvar Assembly Mar. 19 — Concert by Pruth McFarlin Mar. 25 — Awards Assembly Ajjr. 8- - Eastern States Exposition Apr. 13 — The Electric Narrator Apr. 15 — Occupational Information Apr. 15 — Plav - Junior High. Room 102 20