St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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HOCKEY. BASKETBALL BANQUET March 16, 1947 chronicled the details of a fire which broke out in the basement at 3 o'clock on the morning of November 6th and caused the four resident priests to leave the build- ing. The January edition gave the particulars of the Annual Retreat conducted by Fr. Lawrence P. Sullivan, C.S.C., while the May number recorded the School's consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a fitting conclusion to the May devotions of the year. From time to time it also acquainted its avid readers with the progress of The Arrown which, due to the labors of Bob Higgins' staff, add- ed new features to be even more enthusiastically received than its 1945 prede- cessor. We turned into the home stretch of the year when Baseball made its appear- ance in the Spring and proved that Bob McNabb's hurling feats of the year before were not a mere flash in the pan. Pitted against premier competition, The Thin Man enjoyed another remarkable season that brought him eulogies in the Bos- ton press. Fifteen times the Red and Black nine took the field and only twice did they leave it defeated. The outstanding athletic memory of the year will always be the 5-4 defeat inflicted on mighty Phillips Exeter, although triumphs over Groton, Middlesex, Thayer, Malden Catholic and Cranwell were also important. To the undefeated j.V.'s, Dick Griffin, joe Ford and Dick Watson made stellar contributions, Griff earning the right to toe the slab in a Varsity contest against Sacred Heart which he won handily. In recognition of his role in our successful year, Bob McNabb, just recuperating from the effects of a fall over a concrete playground bench during a game at Newton Centre, was honored with the cap- taincy of the '47 team. An injury, that also will long be remembered, claimed as its victim our Frank O'Donoghue who suffered a slow-healing broken leg the day before he was scheduled to break into the starting line-up. Incapacitated for many weeks, Frank took consolation in the success of the team and the individual work of classmates Ed Quirk, john Ellard and jack Cremmen. Almost before we knew it, another Graduation Week was upon us and we followed the activities of the Seniors with interest, knowing that our turn was to come next. A Senior Prom, which many of us attended, prefaced the Fathers' and Sons' Day game with St. Columbkille's and the Class Outing at Swampscott's

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SECRETARIAL DEPARTMENT Miss Kenney, Miss Meuse await the annual onslaught of College Applications. marked the last of Mul's dazzling performances on the glassy surface for St. Sebastian's and it was with deep regret that we saw Mr, Hockey terminate the most brilliant individual career in the Catholic League. john Ellard, as usual, was a tower of strength on defense and gave our class important representation on the sextet. To celebrate the accomplishments of our Winter sports teams, a Hockey- Basketball banquet, attended by the parents and friends of our heroes, was held in the School refectory on March l8th. Walter Brown of the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation was the principal speaker, while the court and ice stars recounted the highlights of outstanding contests. After the Hockey team had received jackets emblazoned with the St. Sebastian insignia and the Basketball quintet had been honored with letters, individual Red-Blue game plaques were hung in position by Jack Mulhern, Lane McCarthy and Jack Cremmen. An outstanding success from every point of view, this testimonial affair provided a welcome opportunity for friends of St. Sebastian's to spend a social evening at the School. Another pleasant feature of the Winter of our Junior year was an expedition of the Alpine Club to North Conway under the supervision of Fr. Keating. Tak- ing advantage of the Washington's Birthday vacation, a group of eighteen ski-ing enthusiasts spent a week in the North country and returned with many legendary tales that testified to the good time enjoyed by all. On january 19th, John R. Kirk of '47 represented the School on the junior Town Meeting of the Air Program which was broadcast over Station WBZ. The subject under discussion was Are Comic Books an Educational Menace? and scholarly representatives of various schools presented their views in panel form. In competent fashion, jack pointed out the menace involved and was most direct in his replies to questioners. Early in April, the School gained added prestige when the St. Sebastian Choristers made their debut at the Hotel Vendome under the auspices of the Mount Alvernia Mothers' Club. Their rendition of sacred numbers, under the direction of Mr. Leonard Whalen, was warmly appreciated and, to reward the songbirds, the Headmaster made them his guests at the annual concert of the New England Preparatory Schools' Glee Clubs. In literary circles The Walrus continued to be highly entertaining and re- vealing. Under the caption of Smoke Gets In Their Eyes, the November issue

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68 GRADUATION CONCERT jesus Maria Sanroma delights a large St. Sebastian audience at the Hotel Bradford Concert. New Ocean House. The night before the big day itself, the School sponsored a delightful concert by the world-famed jesus Maria Sanroma and drew 1200 people to the Hotel Bradford for the occasion. Fittingly inaugurated by the Baccalaure- ate Mass and Sermon at the Cenacle convent, the Graduation Exercises culminated in the awarding of diplomas at the Archbishop's House in the afternoon. Once again, His Excellency, Archbishop Cushing, was our gracious host and delayed his departure for a college commencement to greet the graduates and wamly felici- tate the Faculty on a work well done. In his absence, Monsignor MacKenzie pre- sided over the ceremonies that featured an address to the graduates by Professor Louis Mercier of Harvard University. The Salutatory and Valedictory orations were given by Robert Higgins and Myron Bullock respectively and Monsignor MacKenzie awarded the hard-earned diplomas. After Solemn Benediction had closed the exercises, we had an opportunity to take a reluctant leave of grand companions like Myron Bullock, Bob Higgins, jack Mulhern, john Pickard, Mike Barrette, Paul McGrath and Lane McCarthy who had meant so much in our student lives at St. Sebastian's and who were now enrolled in the ranks of the Alumni. As we left the scene, it was only natural that we should reflect with mingled emotions on the fact that our St. Sebastian span had contracted now to a single year.