St Peters Academy - Veritas Yearbook (Saratoga Springs, NY)

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GBLAS$ HISTORY The History of the Class of Forty-Nine may be likened to a novel with characters, plot, length, and a happy ending. Our novel is divided into four parts: F reshman Days,'We're Sophomores Now, Junior Jamboree and Triumphant Seniors. The setting is St. Peter's Academy; the time: a period of four years from 1945 to 1949; the characters: the' boys and girls of the class and the climax: our graduation. . . ' Part I entitled uFreshman Days brings back memories of our initiation into a high school career. As we turn the first page we glimpse ourselves, a group of bewildered boys and girls, trying to act a part of the crowd, looking completely unaccustomed to this new way of life. But it wasnTt long, under the guiding hand of Sister Fidelis, before we were launch- ed into the maze of A2-322C2, rosa, rosae; H20 and Ivanhoe . Then came official Wel- come by the upper classmen and the Freshies were an integral part of life at St. Petefs Academy. Time flew and at Christmas, we participated in the school production of The Birds Christmas CaroP, The over all importance of strengthening spiritual life in high school was pointed'out in the retreat conducted by Father Sellman, to which the High School Communion breakfast was fitting climax. As Sophomores, we, the chief characters in this novelx, came under the wise and loving guid-

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Class History tcontinuedi anee of Sister Agnes Clare. Sister soon made us realize that though our Freshman days .were past, a year of serious study was ahead of us before we could truly be called upper classmen,,. The first high light of the year was the Christmas Party ,traditionally managed by the Sophomores at which The Night Before Christmas , acted in pantomine, was thor- oughly enjoyed by the student body. Conducted by Father Burns, our annual retreat which came at this time strengthened our spiritual values and motivated many of our New Year: Resolutions. Between Christmas and Lent, the other classes entertained and soon it was the Sophomores turn again. On St. Patrickis Day, Old Erin was transported to the stage of St. Peters with reels, jigs, community sings and monologues in the dear old Irish dialect. Our succ'essful Sophomore Spring Dance helped to finance the annual All School Picnic held this year at Lake George and - suddenly! another year was over! Upon entering St. ' Peters High School for the third year, we found a wonderful surprise awaiting us. At the desk in the Junior Room was Sister Agnes Clare, who was to direct Part III in the drama of our high school career. Now that we were Juniors we had big things ahead of us. Our first problem concerned the raising of money to entertain our soon departing Seniors. A Thanksgiving Dance, a social and financial success, and a large scale Junior Food Sale solved this our first problem.. In October, we celebrated Book VVeek in never to be forgotten fashion with colorful, inviting displays and a program of skits. Christ- mas Play and Party were enjoyed by us as spectators this year. The Senior Ball pictured above merited superlative comments. In the role of hosts and hostesses, we sponsored the final social event of the year, the Junior Senior Banquet at Newmans Lake House on May 22 1948. Our priests and nuns were the honor guests at this joyous occasion which marked 011r official farewell to the Seniors and was featured by after dinner talks, skits and singing. In June, we battled our way thrdugh a barrage of heavy Regents exams, managing to come through on top, and as victors fell Heir to the Senior Class Room. As we entered St. Petefs Academy for the fourth and last September of our High School Career, a swarm of conflicting feelings and fears arose in our mind. These were an as suaged however at the sight of Sister Agnes Clare e whom incredibly enough we were so fortunate as to have for our Home Room Teacher again. One tholight was upper most in every Seniors mind that September of 1948: the planning of this our very first school year- book. While our business committee was about soliciting ads, our literary and art staff were shaping up the book itself. The EVENT of the fall season wasfof course our unpre- cedented football record and the resulting Victory Dinner at the New Worden. C. Y. 0. also sponsored two very successful sport dances. Pre-Christmas activities included: French class production of HBernadette of Lourdes for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception; Amer- ican Oratorical Contest which saw our own Anne Driscoll climb to CountyiFinals; and next -we heard Sleighbells Ring , saw classrooms transformed into bowers of Christmas beau- ty, enjoyed the Sophomores Nativity Play and found ourselves caroling at our Sisters Con- vent: it was Christmas, 1948: January exam week left us fancy free to spend most of our time finishing up Yearbook copy, rehearsing for inne Mad Night and engineering a CYO Dance. In the month of May came our annual tribute of love to Our Blessed Mother in our fifth annual May Crowning, most beautiful outdoor spectacle of spring. Again Senior Ball was a superlative affair; and soon ,We were being feted by the Juniors at the climactic