St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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In due time, we took advantage of our suffrage rights to re-elect Tom Green and Billy Gibbons to the Class Presidency and Vice-Presidency, but we practiced a share- the-wealth policy in choosing two new ofhcers, Hilt Collupy and Bob Murphy, as Treasurer and Secretary. Wliile our energy was still fresh, the Headmaster announced the institution of a Science Club, a French Circle and junior and Senior Debating Socie- ties, all of which were accorded an enthusiastic reception by the various classes. The feast of St. Michael the Archangel marked the sixth anniversary of the opening of St, Sebastians and our 160 students were interested to hear Monsignor Mclnnis describe the hrst day of the Schools life in 1941 when 19 boys constituted the entire enrollment. Meanwhile the Football program was already well under way in both Varsity and j.V. branches and we thrilled to the feats of our classmates on the gridiron. Bob Murphy and Bob Joyce shared the spotlight in our win over Cambridge High and Latin, while Fish Collupy was the lion of the hour when we tied Hopkins at New Haven, The Varsity season also was featured by a win over Hudson under lights and a fine showing before a Parents' and Friends' Day crowd that greatly appreciated our 12-0 triumph over Case, Defeats came at the hands of Lawrence Central Catholic and St. Johns Prep, but they were softened by a memorable week-end at Cranwell that was highlighted by a clean-cut victory. As upper-class men we were honored by an invitation to take an active role in the great Holy Name parade in Boston as assistants to the newsreel and radio reporters, and our othcial status permitted us to view the spectacle from the best vantage points. On the occasion of the twenty-seventh anniversary of Monsignor Mclnnis' Ordination, Bill Morrissey expressed our sentiments and presented the Headmaster with a Spiritual Bouquet from the entire school. Scarcely two weeks later, we were alarmed to hear that Monsignor had been rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy, During the operation we recited the Rosary in the Chapel and were soon gratihed to hear that BROTHER LY LOVE The Lanes, Keelans, Carrolls, Collupys tThreej. Cochrans, Schitfmans, Ketts, Oldfields. 1-1 78 I-:

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On Saturday, September 6th, the St. Sebastian world was startled to read in the head- lines of the Barton Traveler that four of our students were missing at sea. It developed that two of our classmates, Bill Gibbons and Bob Murphy, together with Jack Boyle and Vin Greene of the Senior class had set sail for Boston from Nantucket in a leaky catboat and were unreported since leaving Provincetown the preceding afternoon. The setting in of a thick fog and the fact that they were right in the shipping lane of the Cape Cod Canal made their situation more precarious and caused them to be listed as missing. To the relief of anxious parents, relatives and friends the quartet landed at Scituate Saturday noon and found themselves celebrities whose safety had to be reported on the front pages of Sunday mornings papers. Those of us who had to be content with what we read in the papers were more than anxious to hear the whole saga from the lips of the heroes themselves and it was no hardship for us to return to St, Sebastian's when School opened on Monday, September 22nd, By now the opening day ritual was familiar enough for us to know what to expect and, when we were assigned to first floor class- rooms, we scanned the ranks of our membership for new faces. As usual there had been some additions and it was a day or so before we realized that this was our complete roster: Junior A Junior B John Baker William Brooks Jeremiah Burns Paul Burke James Clifford Paul Clogan John Cochran James Coleman Richard Collu y Ralph Donnelly Gordon Doucette John Elston Richard Finnegan William Gibbons Thomas Green George Hayes James Heller Park Hurley Richard Keelan Robert Kelly Henry Lane Gerard McCourt Robert Murphy William O'Brien Murray Regan Francis Renaud Edward Ryan John Sherry Paul Sullivan Neil Campbell Robert Cochrane Hilton Collupy David Connor Paul Corcoran Clement Dore Francis Downey Bennet Driscoll William Flanagan Reed Gomperts David Hanron Bruce Harrigan Leon Hebert Albert Hughes Robert Joyce Francis Kett Russell MacDonald Paul McDonald Robert Neville Thomas O'Shea Donald Ring Charles Sullivan As the day proceeded, we learned that the School had several new instructors to take the places of Father Cotter, who had been made Headmaster of the Cathedral High School, Father Desmond, who had been assigned to St. Clement's Preparatory Seminary, and Fathers Stocklosa, Joyce and Dacey who had returned to parochial duties. Two of the new priests, Father Harrington and Father Sylvester, were assigned to us in Chem- istry and English, while Father Barrett and Father Gilmartin were assigned to the lower classes. At the same time we learned that Father Flanigan had been appointed Assist- ant Headmaster. When we received our academic program, it did not prove to be too different from other years except in the fact that Chemistry had replaced History, Five of our stalwarts were selected to pursue the study of Greek at the feet of the Headmaster and for the rest of us it was a relief not to find ourselves named Connor, Corcoran, Kelly, Kett or McDonald, I-I 77 1.1

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he was out of danger, His convalescence was a speedy one and we were happy to see him on hand for the Football banquet on November sorh. That evening proved to be a grand occasion with a capacity attendance present to honor our gridmen and to enjoy celebrities like Herb Kopf, Dan Kelly and Art Gore, The J.V.'s came in for their share of attention as well as the Varsity and they received letters in recognition of their fine play throughout the season, Each Friday during the Football season, dinner was enlivened by the rafiling of a pair of tickets to B.C, games and we were disgusted with the regularity with which Freshmen and Sophomores held the lucky stubs. When the Tennis Tournament was held, Jack Nawn again emerged as School Champion, and the ideal fall weather permitted Father Hannigan to exercise his golf proteges in a few matches that testified to Fran Kett's improvement. Meanwhile, Roger Vorce was producing newsy issues of The Walrus and the Honor Roll revealed the presence of two new intellectuals in our ranks, jim Coleman and Paul Sullivan. To prepare for the Basketball season, the School announced the appointment of an Assistant Coach, Mr. Robert Hogarty, former Holy Cross star, while the lettermen of the preceding year met to elect our Fish Collupy captain, Beginning their season earlier than ever, our hoopsters made their debut with a win over Sacred Heart at Boston Garden and then went on to a fine 13 and 9 season that carried them to the finals of the Private School Tournament where they were nipped by Browne and Nichols. The quintet had a distinctly junior make-up with Bill Brooks, Hilt Collupy, Bob Kelly and Fran Kett compiling 460 points among them. At the season's end, they were rewarded for this fine play with a trip to New York only to see their favorite Holy Cross forced to bow to Kentucky. On the ice, St. Sebastian's fielded a veteran sextet that was liberally studded with junior members: Bob Murphy, Bill Gibbons, Bruce Harrigan, Henry Lane, Bob Kelly and Murray Regan. Although the School had withdrawn from full membership in the Catholic League, we were a guest member and played the seven other teams in exhi- bition contests held for the first time at the Arena. Malden Catholic was our only con- queror during the season and we felt that that defeat could be attributed in no small degree to the fact that Captain Bob Egan's gliders had not recovered from our junior Prom of the night before, The proximity of Christmas occasioned the annual pre-holiday party in the refectory which was attended by 75W of the student body even though it came on one of the worst nights of the worst winter in the School's history. During the vacation, the Alumni sponsored their second Communion Mass and Breakfast at the School and heard a fine address by Rev, William A. Donaghy, SJ. As far as we were concerned, the high spot of the season was reached on january 3rd when we held our junior Prom in the charmingly festooned Dining Hall. Bill O'Brien and his committee did a superb job of promotion and we received loyal support from the whole student body. Hal Reeves' musicians were the melody makers and our fair guests gushed becomingly over the vanity case souvenirs. Speaking of melody makers reminds us that Father Barrett had our sympathy throughout the year as he strove vainly to form a School orchestra that would play in the same key at the same time. january 26, 1948 was an important milestone in St. Sebastian's history for on that date an organization composed of fathers of the School's students and named St. Sebas- tian's Association was formed. Adopting as its objectives the welfare and advancement of the School and the spiritual and intellectual advancement of its membership, the Association elected Mr. Harold Field, President, Mr. Paul Corcoran, Vice-President, Mr. Cyril Cochran, Treasurer, and Mr. Joseph Deignan, Secretary. Under the chairman- ship of Mr. Williani Morrissey, the new organization conducted a Penny Sale at Brighton High School in the spring and we juniors were happy to work at the tre- mendously successful affair which realized 35300 for the School, The membership also enjoyed a Day of Recollection given on a Sunday at St. Sebastian's by Monsignor Mclnnis. :-I 79 l-: