Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

Page 18 text:

TO A DAFFODIL Fair as the radiant morning star That clear and bright sliines from afar Within my memory lingers still The thought of you, O Daffodil. I seem to see you even now As in the breeze you used to bow Beside my mother ' s garden gate, Where you were queen in royal state. Upon your slender, swaying stem Of tender green, like fairest gem Your flower face of golden hue Is sparkling in the morning dew. Oh fragrant flower, so dear to me. Whene ' er your laughing face I see, Then does my heart begin to sing, O Daffodil!— For then ' tis Spring. JEAN M. WHITTET, ' 27. SCHOOLS OF SO. READING (WAKEFIELD) Just think back to 1680, and you will re- member that there was a complaint against Wakefield for deficiency of schools. Can you remember? If you can ' t, I assure you that there was. The town fathers, including the First Parish, bestirred themselves and arranged for school- ing for their youngsters. The first school ou record was built between the years 1G94 and 1707. The Parish paid and kept the school going. In 1G93 a law was passed that a free school should be started. Master Nicholas Lynde was the first master. Sessions were held in empty houses until a schoolhouse was built for the pupils. Master Lynde was the only teacher for the whole town. In 1799 the First Parish provided three new schoolhouses: one for the Center District, one for the West District and one for the South. The windows were built on all sides of the room and low enough so that the pupils could observe all passing events. The school in the West District was later sold and moved to Lafayette Street to be used as a woodshed. Since then all those schools have been either sold or torn down. In 1829 the South Reading Academy was built where the Lincoln School now stands. The academy was later moved, and is now the Grand Army Hall on Foster Street. At one time the vote was taken not to have any school dances; but they soon did away with that law. The school committee made its visits and its reports were of the same brief nature from 1798 to 1803 ; at that time a little more was added. The West Ward school is the oldest wooden school ))uilding in Wakefield, with the Lafay- ette, formerly the old High School, coming next. The Hamilton School was the first brick one to be built; the Lincoln followed. Then came the Greenwood School, which has since had an important addition. The Hurd, Fi-ank- lin, and Woodville buildings were erected in the order named. The Franklin School has also had a large addition, and the new Wood- ville building is thoroughly satisfactory and up to date. In 1923 our present High School was completed. It ranks with the best in the state in equipment and teaching staff, and we are very proud of it. LUCIA E. CARTER, ' 28. OUR LIBRARY It has been impressive to note the improve- ments and additions to the Charles H. Howe Memorial Library during the past year. The circulation of books has increased rapidly, and at the present rate should reach 4500 by the end of the school year. This in itself is an astonishing proof of the popularity of the library among the students. Because of the great number of debates that have taken place this year, the reference books, and particularly the periodicals, have been in almost constant demand. This is very gratifying, for there are several maga- zines of worth in our library which have formerly been overlooked by the students. Now that the custom has been formed of us- ing them, it is hoped that it will be continued. Several gifts have been received, and they have been very gratefully accepted. At Christmas time an anonymous donation of $100 was added to the book fund, and will be spent for a miscellany of books which the library h as long needed. Among the other gifts received are: seven books from Mrs. Ida Farr Miller; a collection of forty-six liooks from the library of the late A. H. Tliayer, given by his sister. Miss Nancy Thayer; a memorial collection of twenty- eight books given in memory of Miss II. Gertrude Lee by her parents. Miss Lee was for many years librarian at the Beebe Me- morial Library, and her death was mourned by all who knew her. The library is in constant use during scliool liours l)y the students, and in ad- ditioji, it is used for many other activities. In March, our librarian. Miss Kohl, who is 14

Page 17 text:

withdraw. Forty-six boys are enrolled as members of the band. They range from nine years of age to seventeen years. Mr. Perkins prefers to get young boys because he can do more with them and can keep them in the band longer. On February 3, the whole band played to- gether for the first time, and after only three rehearsals they made a fine appearance before the public on February 18. The audience was very favorably impressed with the boys ' per- formance and there were many comments on the notable progress made in so short a time. The Framingham Rotary Club Boys ' Band also played. They sliowed remarkable talent and the result of Mr. Perkins ' training was very evident. The Band Committee comprising Mr. H. 11. Hovey, secretary; Mr. A. K. Comins, and Dr. E. A. Fessenden, plan to provide uniforms for the boys as other Rotary Club Boys ' Bands almost always have uniforms. The Rotary Club in general and the Band Committee in particular, are deserving of mucli credit for the work they have accom- plished. The large attendance at rehearsals is proof of the boys ' enthusiasm, and the prog- ress already made clearly demonstrates what an opportunity of this sort can do for boys possessed of musical ability. ISABEL L. ATWELL, ' 27. THE FIRST FALL OF SNOW Come, boys and girls, and gather round. And I will tell to you A funny little fairy-tale That some folks say is true! It happend up in Cloudland, once Upon a frosty night, A 1)and of little fairy folk Began a pillow fight! They thi-ew the pillows all about In riotous fairy fun. In much the same way, boys and girls. As you, no doubt, have done. And fierce and fiercer grew the fight. Till all at once — r-r-rip! Tht sc pudgy little pillowkins Just split from .tip to tip! And lo, a million feathery flakes Fell down on earth below! And that, dear boys and girls, was called The first fall of the snow! MARY BONFANTI, ' 30. THE HALFWAY HOUSE Just beyond the bend of Winter, Where you hear the robins sing, .lust before you get to Summer, Is the Half-way House of Spring. It ' s a House that lovers cherish ; It ' s a place where dreamers dream ; It ' s an atmosphere where poets Find Romance on every stream. Oh ! how often we would linger Where we hear the robins sing, Just around the bend of Winter In the Half-way House of Spring. DOROTHY DOUCETTE, ' 28. SPRING While walking through the fields that day All living things just seem to say, ' Tis Spring! I watched a bird his course a ' winging, Whose song came down in gladness ringing; ' Tis Spring! A woodchuck from his home crawled out And mumljled as he clumped about, ' Tis Spring! A rab))it came and did not flee, But said in rabbit talk to me, ' Tis Spring! The flowers decked in colors gay. With nodding heads all sang the lay ' Tis Spring! And everything for miles about Was happy for without a doubt ' Twas Spring! STEPHEN ROGERS, ' 30. NOX Est iam nox; curru vectatur Diana argenti, Nubes avia per stellati caeli expellens. Luce coruscant fluetus lunae alte trepidantes, Astra sues ignes caeli atro ab velo ostendunt, Quaeque avis in nido parva tranquille quiescit. Non crepitum praeter sonitus arborum auditur Et leniter oram in strepitus tundentium Per muta auditur stellati undarum noetis. Mox Lucifer languidam colore Auroram inducit Et nox languescit leniter diluculo adventu. EUTH GERSmOVITCH, ' 27, 13

Page 19 text:

chairman of the Boston and Vicinity Group of School Librarians, held a meeting of that committee here at school. The members present were very favorably impressed with the beauty and convenience of our library. The Masque Club and Le Cercle Francais have held their meetings there regularly during the last year. This plan is a new one, and promises to become an established custom because of the size of the room and its adaptability for impromptu plays. The Art Department has had various exhibits of pictures and of the original work of students now at A akcfield High, also of graduates who are continuing their studies at art schools. All these thing.; go to show that our library most assuredly I, olds an imijortant place in our school life, and Avill continue to be a great source of help and inspiration to the students. SYLVIA NUTE, ' 27. SCHOOL TROPHIES Visitors to our library are sure to notice ikc silver cups on the shelves near the fire- place. I have often wondered how they came into the possession of the school, but it was only recently that I had sufficient initiative to satisfy my curiosity by perching on a chair and reading the inscriptions on Ihem. As probably few of the present pupils or the school know much more about these trophies than I did, it may be of interest to them to learn how the cups were acquired. The oldest one there was won April 7, 1892, by the Wakefield High School Athletic Asso- ciation in a tournament between Melrose and Wakefield. The names of those who repre- sented Wakefield in the meet are given on the cup as follows: E. K. Bowser, W. Coon, W. Copeland, S. Gowen, L. Gomng, W. Kele- her, W. Harper, A. A. Morton, C. H. Sweet- ser, and A. Wheeler. The seconti oldest cup was won on March 28, 1896. The occasion was the second annual indoor meet at Salem, to decide the cham- pionship of the Essex Interscholastic Athletic Association. Wakefield High came out ahead with thirty-five points. T lie next cups were won in 1903. One is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cup for Interscholastic Individual Drill . The other was for winning the championship of the Suburban Baseball League. This trophy has a distinctive appearance because the handles are bone instead of silver. The following year (1904) the school again won the baseball championship of the Suburban League. Later, in 1911, 1912, 1913, and again in 1919, the baseball teams won the cham- pionship of the Middlesex Baseball League, and we have cups for all these years. In 1905, the William Barron Eogers cup was won by Wakefield in the Champion Ice Polo Tournaments. The team members, whose names are recorded on the cup, were : George Maloney, James Maloney, John Griffiths, Raymond Nichols, George Sheehy, Nathan p]aton, and Mason Southworth. This cup is doubly interesting because on the back there is an engraving of boys playing ice polo. i debate was held between Wakefield High ScliDol and Everett High on March 6, 1908, and the Wakefield debaters carried off the tro hy.. Aga)in the names of the partici- pants appear on the cup, and they were Mar. ' us Beebe, ' 08, Clyde G. Morrill, P. G., Ha.i ' )]d G. Watkins, ' 08, and Joseph Low, ' 08, alternate. The athletes of the school were also pro- ficient in running, as is shown by the cup awarded in 191.5 to the victors in the Middle- sex Gross Country Run. Another cup for running is that offered by the Knights of Columbus for their annual cross country run at Worcester. The Wakefield boys evi- dently won three years in succession, as a school must have won three years in order to own this cup. Wakefield also won the cup at a cross country run in Belmont. Those parti- cipating were : Harvard 1921 freshmen, Providence Technical High, Wakefield High School, and St. Benedict ' s Preparatory School Athletic Association. The run was held November 10, 1917. This was the year that the Wakefield runners were coached by Eddit Farrell, who is now the varsity coach in track at Harvard University. The last cup in the collection was awarded to the winning high school relay team on Welcome Home Day at Woburn, June 17, 1919. The victorious Wakefield High runners were J. E. Batten, A. Burke, E. Draper, and J. G. Brown. I was baffled in my quest for information by two cups on the shelves which have no inscriptions of any sort. Also, the high school used to have a rifle team and its trophies were wooden shields with silver centers containing inscriptions. The shields are not in the school and, although the curi- osity of the writer has prompted her to make 15