Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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Salutator . WARREN EUGENE GLANCY. Lannss ANU GEN'rLEMEN:- The class of nineteen hundred and nine bids me welcome you to these final exercises, and the welcome is a most hearty one. For four years, this night has held its place in a dim cor- ner of the mind of each person who graduates to-11ight. When we were freshmen, the time seemed far off, but now we can hardly realize that this is the last hour of our membership in the High School. In all probability, the period has seemed brief because the four years past have been years of pleasure and work combined. One needs only to take a course at the Waltham High School to find the real pleasure of school life. The pleasure of being a member of a school where the educational advantages compare favorably with those of any school, preparatory for college, where fortune has more than smiled upon athletics, where the social atmosphere is most agreeable, and where the student body does things that make everyone feel proud of his membership,-this is a pleasure that one first appreciates by comparing the lot of the pupils of our own school with that of scholars elsewhere, who do not enjoy these privileges. Many of the graduates of other classes have made excellent records in college and professional work, from this fact., it is easy to infer why our pupils are admitted to college on a teacher's certificate, wherever certificates are accepted. The success of the school teams in athletics during the past year has been nothing less than phenomenal 5 in football, the team clearly showed its right to the title, Inter- scholastic Champions of Massachusetts 3 while in base-ball, the success of the team has been greater than that of any other team representing the High School. It has been said that Waltham has a spirit which cannot be overcome, and it certainly seems so. Let us hope that the reputation of the Waltham spirit will be maintained. Not less important to school-life are social affairs, and the annual senior play. This year, Twelfth Night was presented and its production showed an excellence such as few high school dramatic performances attain. Dur- ing the past few months, lectures on subjects of world-wide importance have been delivered before the school by eminent men. The educational benefit of these lectures can not be over- estimated. It is to be hoped that this practice will be continued in the future. Another event which was an innovation and which excited great interest among the pupils, was the writing of prize-essays among the pupils in response of the kind offer of a friend of the school. Thus it may be seen that the class of the present year has had advantages and opportunities which no previous class has enjoyed. We do not infer that these advantages will cease with us, but fervently hope that they may be augmented year by year. In addition to these prizes, several gifts of statuary have been made by friends, but the gift which will give the most pleasure is yet to come. It is the new athletic field. When that is available, a great wish will be realized and a greater benefit conferred upon. our athletics. Then sports will not be confined to baseball and football, but let loose on such a range that every boy and every girl will have an oppor- tunity to indulge in his or her favorite exercise in a systematic way. Not only the general 0 .4

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CLA SS ODE. ALICE WELL COME. Upon a river wide we float, Soft dipping on the tide 5 Before our eyes, the misty glimpse Of ocean spreading wide J But now the light of youth's fair dreams Is softly shutting o'er, Thus hiding kind the ocean's waves, The rough and unknown shore. The bright sun glints upon the blue Of our fair river's waves, And sparkling, soft as morning dew, Our spirit gently bathes. By night, the moonlight's sweet caress, With cheering, healing balm, Allures us then with magic pow'r, And soothes us with its charm. And far ahead, with beck'ning hands, A fair isle calls us on ,' With tender, luring beauty there, It gleams as bright as morn. It is the isle of precious hope, We long to reach the shore, And in that fair, elusive land To tread its jewelled floor. 1

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Class of 1909