Vergennes Union High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Vergennes, VT)

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18 VERGENNES HIGH SCHOOL RECITAL On Wednesday morning, January 20th, the Vergennes High School had the unusual treat of listening to a recital given by Professor Dickinson, who has recently taken over the work of music instruction in the school. He gave an interesting account of the work of Edward MacDowell and played three MR. DONALD BARBER, U. February 5. 1932, an unexpected speaker, Mr. Donald Barber, imparted to us some of his knowledge gained through travel. Mr. Barber gave us some first hand information about the Panama Canal. He told about his dealings with some of the shopkeepers there and his visit to the ancient city of Panama. He next spoke about the destroyers of the Battle Fleet, giving a of MacDowell s compositions, interpreting each. The numbers chosen were: “To a Wandering Iceberg,” “XVI XX,” and “Indian Lodge.” His program ended with a vocal solo, “Song of Steel.” Elaine Beach, ’35 . AIR SERVICE RESERVE very good description of the ships and the torpedoes they fired. Taking us on the U. S. S. Mississippi, he explained the process of loading and firing the huge guns aboard her. Last came an explanation of how the airplane catapults worked on board ship. This talk gripped us with its account of thrilling adventure. Willard Adams, ’33 OLYMPICS Monday and Tuesday, February eighth and ninth, assemblies were held. The purpose of these assemblies was to bring to the pupils of the school first hand information on the Olympic Winter Games held at Lake Placid. Slips of paper bearing different topics for discussion were passed to those who had been fortunate enough to visit Lake Placid over the week end. For a half hour each day Vergennes High School pupils were brought to Lake Placid in imagination, where they saw the ski jumpers in action, shooting out into space 290 feet above the level of the ground; the bob-sled teams roaring down the dangerous mile and a half run at the speed of seventy-five miles per hour; and the flash of the skates in the arena as Shea and Jaffree swept the United States into four first places in the 500, 1500, 2000 and 10,000 meter races. There follows a list of those who spoke and their topics: Theodore Ralli, the Bob-Run; Robert Coty, the Bob-Sled Teams; Donald Clark, the Ski Jump; Miss Maxham, the Ski Jumpers; Floyd Cuison. the Arena; Robert Lar-row. the Decorations at Lake Placid; Mr. Fogg, the Dog Teams; Mr. Smith, the Stadium; William Garrow, Fancy Skating; Miss Rooth, the Costumes of Different Contestants; Aubert Hamel, the Hockey Games; Mr. Carter, the Hockey Goal Keeper ; Winifred Gaunya, the Skating Races; and Miss Delaney, Ski Jumping. Paul Jordan, ’32 January fourteenth the Juniors staged a sandwich sale to raise money for the annual Prom. January fifteenth and sixteenth Mr. Carter devoted the assembly periods to talks on sportsmanship. He elaborated on the sportsman’s creed: “Fair play for all and a sporting chance for the under-dog.” Divers members of the school pointed out the little courtesies which should be observed in order to make the visiting teams feel at home. Among these was refraining from “boo-

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BLUE AND WHITE 17 example. He told us that one should make his choice of his vocation on the intelligence basis. Then he urged us to fix our goal. We may change, but we ought to know what we’re going to do and where we’re to end. Lastly, he told us to work resolutely towards this goal and he “positive enough to be powerful, rather than prominent enough to be popular.” William Garrow, ’33 THE SOPHOMORE ASSEMBLY PROGRAM On Friday, December eighteenth, the Sophomores took their turn at putting on a program in assembly. They gave a play called “The One True Gift of Christmas.” The assembly opened with the singing of “The First Noel.” Then came the play. Great-Grandfather Baxter and Great-Grandmother Baxter, the parts taken by David Ryan and Barbara Bristol respectively, stand behind picture frames and look perfectly still. They are much talked of by the young folks, who wonder if they had any fun in the old days. Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother were married on Christmas, and-they think that the young folks never have any fun because they are so different in their ways. Then Bobby (Russell Kingman) comes to get Peggy Baxter, the flapper daughter (Eleanor Daigneault). and they say that they are going to “the show.” Mother Baxter (Shirley Haven) and Betty Baxter, a girl of about ten (Mary Parrish) get very sleepy waiting for Father Baxter, a successful business man (Billy Hamel) to come home. They go to sleep and Mother Baxter dreams that Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother Baxter talk to each other —a dream which the audience sees enacted—and she discovers that they loved each other. Father Baxter comes home and Mother Baxter wakes up. He visits with Mother Baxter until Peggy and Bobby come. Peggy discovers that her father has played Santa Claus to some poor people. Mother tells of her dream, and then they all find out that the old folks did have a good time and that the one true gift of Christmas is LOVE. The assembly closed by singing two more Christmas selections. George Noonan, ’33 MR. PATTERSON SPEAKS Thanks to the Sevens’ curiosity over some of Superintendent Patterson’s possessions, a very interesting talk was given by Mr. Patterson on January eighth. Illustrating with his own Turkish and Persian rugs, lacquer work, and pieces from Labrador and Canada, he described the processes in making these things. Certain ideas and customs are reflected in these rugs, such as family life and religion. No green is allowed in Turkish rugs, as this is a sacred color. The Turks use geometrical designs because they can not imitate life, but the Persians may, using, for example, fruit blossoms in the designs of their rugs. A small Moslem Turkish prayer-rug made by a Christian Armenian was shown that was a combination of Turkish and Persian designs and made from the natural uncolored wool. The rugs are all hand made, and each family has a loom in the house. No two rugs are alike, even in dimensions. It takes from one to three months or even more to make one rug. Mr. Patterson has an attractive and contagious store of humor which makes all who hear him enjoy his talks to the utmost. Helen Bigalow, ’33

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BLUE AND WHITE 19 ing” and “groaning. As we are all creatures of habit, the upper-classmen should respect the visitors’ feelings, and set an example for the younger and newer pupils. Cheers for the opponents were also advocated. The school song has been practiced with the hope of singing it at the games. We tried out cheering at the gym and have had “pep” meetings under the leadership of Mary Lance, our new cheer-leader. A very successful military whist party was held by the Juniors on January twenty-first to defray the expenses of the Junior Prom. Mr. Wesley W. Smith, who is State Chairman of the Americanism Com- EIGHTH GRADE On Friday, February twelfth, the Eighth Grade gave their assembly program. “Students of V. H. S.,” sung by the whole school, opened the program. Then followed the play, “Old Fashioned Valentines.” The characters were: Grandmother. Margaret Bodette; boy. Parker Leonard; maiden, Norma Bristol; lover, Theodore LeBeau; little maiden, Faith Kenyon; three girls in blue. Betty Bristol, Bessie Dugan and Gertrude Collom; bride, Joan Casey; groom, Truman Martin; doll. Ethel Sorrell; Cupid, Vincent Ringer; WASHINGTON On February nineteenth we fittingly observed the bicentennial of Washington’s birth by welcoming the Reverend F. F. Adams as assembly speaker. Mr. Adams spoke of our first president as a “great” man in more ways than one: as a man of great vision, in that he refused the title of king and would not accept pay for his generalship; as a man of creative power, originality and commanding personality in that he used printed forms for correspondence, was self taught in higher mathematics, and as shown in the ingenious ways in which he outwitted his enemies; as a mittee, recently announced that the Vergennes Post would award a medal to the pupil who should write the best comprehensive essay on “The Life of George Washington.” Rules have been drawn up and posted. The Lincoln Assembly, February twelfth, opened with the singing of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” under the direction of Professor Dickinson, Winifred Gaunya accompanying. Mr. Carter read several excerpts from the story of Hannah Slater Jacobs, the daughter of a crippled Civil War veteran. Lincoln’s reception of the earnest little girl showed the sympathy which lay behind so many of his acts. In conclusion the “Star Spangled Banner” was sung. ASSEMBLY PROGRAM door keeper, Jeannette Sullivan. The scene was in a living room on Valentine’s Eve. Grandmother described the various old-fashioned valentines of her girl-hood, which were then shown in tableaux, resplendent with lace, rib -bons and flowers. After this the boy begged to show her the valentines he was sending. Her consent was given, and valentines were distributed to the members of the faculty in this novel way. Faith Kenyon, ’36 PROGRAM man of faith, in that he attended church whenever possible and urged his men to do likewise, trusting God in darkest moments; and as a great statesman and man of truth—“a doer not a be-er.” He never replied to his enemies, but kept silence instead of trying to justify himself. Mr. Adams added interest to his talk by the use of humorous anecdotes. In closing he quoted Lincoln’s tribute to Washington’s name—“It will shine on through the ages.” Gertrude Fishman, ’32