Springfield College - Massasoit Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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THE M A S S A S O I T OF 1909 25 anti profitable hours have been spent in getting better act|Liaintetl with those whose influence has made a deep and lasting impression upon us. Our class has not been lacking in interest of the religious life, and yet it is a dirticult matter to mention in a comprehensive way wherein it has been diflerent from that of other classes. We who are here studvm£ to he relitrious leaders are first and last interested in Christian work. I bis must of necessity he so, else we would not he giving three of the best years of our lives to study along this distinctive line. Our weekly prayer meetings have always been a source of inspiration and encouragement and many times some of us have been helped over rough places thru the genuine fellowship shown not only at our meetings hut at all times. Nor has our interest been confined within the school, for we have given of our time to the various church and Sunday school activities. By so doing we not only aided others hut ha e received a great deal more than we were able to give. We feel that we are )ustly proud of our athletic record. From the first the outlook was very good. Three out of every four of our number came here to take up the physical course. Nineteen haye captured the coyeted yarsity emblem in the various sports of the school. We hold the record for the number of class championships won. During our |unior year, we concjuered the class of ’o8 seven out of the eight times that we met them in competition. With 1910 we were not quite so fortunate. We met them only five times, and were victors in football, ice hockey and indoor track, while they won from us the outdoor track meet and the baseball game. On Feb. 12, 1909, under the guidance of Professor Affleck, we ran off what we hope can be termed, “The First Annual Interscholastic Meet.” 1 here were 45 men entered, representing si. of the high schools and acad- emies in the vicinity of Springfield. As to the result, apart from our opinion, we have only to (|uote from the newspaper and the contestants when we say, “Tt was a decided success.” It was largely thru the efforts of one of our number that T. S. was permitted to have a representative basket-ball team. Knowing as we do, that the game was invented by a student of the school, and that the first game was played upon our own floor, the importance of the decision is clearly seen.

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24 THE M A S S A S O I T OF 1909 sorry ro lose rheni troni our midst and to those who are now out in the work we wish tor nothing less than that they he crowned with success. We almost envy the men who are coming hack to spend still another year, tor we realize how much it means to them. I hen too, men have come to us trom other classes and have done much to toster thegood telllowshipthate.xists among us. Aside trom securing what will he ot great help to us in our chosen work in the wav of training, the polishing process thru which we have gone, is no small tactor in our education. We came with many rough ideas and characteristics that needed to he ruhhed tlown and smoothed out. As we look hack we can see many improvements m each other, and even in those who came trom countries so tar remote trom civilization as Washington and British Columbia we Hnd this to hold true, tor they have “rounded out’’ into men f f brilliant ideas and large proportions. As new men enter the school it is very gratitying to find no open rivalry between the ditf erent classes, d here is a prevailing atmosphere ot welcome and good teehng that at once disarms any misgi ing that a new comer might have. 1 his tact, together with the comparatively small number ot students lessens the necessity ot many class activities. We have eii)oyed many happy occasions in conjunction with the other classes in the way ot Chestnut limits, 1 hanksgiving dinners and “Open Nights,’’ besides one or two functions each year that were confined to members and triends ot our own class. Our .Middler han(|uet was the largest thing that we attenijited. Lvery- thinsi went oft in trood order even tho our toastmaster lett us hetore the programme was completed. We readily torgave him when we learned the real cause ot his early departure. “1 he best yet,’’ as many expressed it, was the skating party given in our honor by Professor and Mrs. Berry. The skating was fine hut the climax of the evening came when we gathered around the campfire. 1 lot dogs, rolls, coffee and many other good things, served by a genuine heathen Chinee, imported especially tor the occasion, disappeared with remarkable rapidity. I hen tollowed an impromptu entertainment ot song and readings that hrot the evening to a happy close. I he homes ot the taculty have been thrown wide open, and many pleasant

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26 THE M A S S A S O I T OF 1909 It was under the manaj ement ot another man of ’09 that all records were smashed when at the close of the foothall season of ’08, $500.00 were turned over to the Student Association. 1 he much needed improvement in the Jubilee Room made possible by appropriations frtmi this amount, will he appreciated tor many years by the men who are privilef ed to come here. And now a tew words about the Senior d rip. Most of us hoarded the train tor New d ork wondering it the loss ot twenty “bones” and the hard week’s work hetore us was really worth while. Hut such was not the case, as we came hack one by one, tired hut happy, with very little in our pockets, yet teehng that we had matle a valuable investment. From the outset until the very end ot our tour we enpyyed every minute. Many times we were tired out trom unaccustomed tramping around, hut the benefits that we received and the kind treatment that was shown us greatly exceeded our expectations. W e had a genuine good time at the d Oung Women’s Christian Association 1 raining School, and feel that it was (|uite an honor to he entertained by the first trraduatmtr class of that institution. 1 he blasts of the little pink whistle seemed to have no effect on that occasion and it was not far from “tomorrow mornm( ;” when we said tiood night. It can he hut with thots of sorrow that we look back upon the one sad event that marred the brightness of our history. No one will soon forget the shock that came to us all when death entered our ranks and took from us our beloved president. Ileimsath held a place in our hearts as only a man of such sterling (|uahties as he possessed could have. His life was a constant source of inspiration, and to know him was hut to he helped by the influence of such a character. It is hard for us to understand pist why one whose life was so beautiful and whose future seemed so bright and full of hope should he taken away, hut a lo ing Father tleemed it best to intrust his mission t o t)ther hands and we can pay no better tribute to his memory than to pledge ourselves to take a share of his work and carry it on as best we can. And now that we are to leave “Old Massasoit,” where we have spent so many busy yet ha|)py bours, may the ambition of every man be summed up in these words, “(five diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not tt be ashamed.” With this motto before us let us all strive to make for 1909 a bistory that our Alma Mater will be proud of.