Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

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The Senior Year Book — 1938 wa H| j gave our Junior Prom! That was a success—the first in five years! MARCELLE—I’ll never forget that Prom! Remember how funny Fred Ulles looked when he pulled the ventilator cord and the whole attachment fell down on him? And how we had to tease and beg and threaten Bud Clarke to lead the Grand March ? THELMA—I bet that’s one time he wished he had never been elected president of our class! MARCELLE—That was the least of his worries, I imagine. Being president of any class in both Junior and Senior years is no easy job—(Bud at this moment appears in the doorway)—Well, well, if it isn’t the president himself. Don’t tell me you’re alone! BUD—Henry and Angelo were with me, but I lost them on the way. Mind if I join you? Keep right on gossiping— who was the victim? THELMA—As a matter of fact, we were talking about you, Bud. MARCELLE—Yes, do tell us how it feels to be president of a class for two years in succession. Bud. I might turn out to be a reporter, so I might as well get experience in interviewing people. BUD—Be glad to, if you’ll tell me how it feels to be elected Editor of the School Magazine. MARCELLE—Well, ah — maybe we’d better get back to our Junior Prom! That’s a much safer subject. THELMA—We’ve been reminiscing, Bud. What did we do during our Junior year besides giving our Prom ? BUD—I suppose you socially-minded females have forgotten all about the special exams we took. THELMA—How could we? A whole day of examinations just to rate our school with 50 million others in the United States. BUD—And the athletics just don’t count in your memories—David Lownds was awarded the Hi-Y cup, lucky fellow! Frank Sammataro was captain of the basketball team for two years. Junior and Senior. He certainly merits just a little space in your book of memories. MARCELLE — Oh, yes — Margaret Brown won the Blazer for athletic ability in her Junior year, too! THELMA—We certainly walked away with the honors that year—Jean Sherman won first prize in both the prize speaking and Martha C. Babcock contests—Carolyn Crandall was second in Prize Speaking, and Lynthia Browning second in the Essay Contest. BUD—What are you doing? Having a contest to see who can talk most? I’ve never—Here come Henry and Angelo with Frances Westman. (To the three who now appear in doorway) Where have you been? FRANCES—They stopped to save me. I was drowning in my tears. ANGELO (sarcastically)—Reminiscing, don’t you know. Thinking of all the good times she’s had in High School. MARCELLE—That’s what we were doing, but our memories were rather funny. HENRY—Funny to us, but I bet the teachers are glad we’re graduating. FRANCES—There you are, mentioning graduation again—I can’t seem to realize that it’s June—Why, it seems only yesterday we went on our class outing. BUD—What an outing! We had three fires going at least half an hour before the class arrived—I was afraid we would have to build new ones by the time you finally came. THELMA—Well, they lasted long enough to roast the weenies, anyway. ANGELO—A match could have roasted those — they were so small — and the doughnut disappeared before I could say “Peter Piper.” MARCELLE—Well, if you hadn’t eaten so many hot dogs you would have had time for a few doughnuts. HENRY—So you’re the one who ate the extras, Stella—and I was so hungry all through the show at Wakefield I couldn’t concentrate on the pictures. THELMA—There was too much noise to concentrate on anything—Hello, Catherine. What are you looking so glum about ? CATHERINE—Gosh, I can't write our will—Who wants to leave what to which? HENRY—That’s good English, Catherine. Miss Hanson would be proud of you if she were here. MARCELLE—Henry might will his superb use of the English language, Catherine. —4( io )3 ™

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The Senior Year Book — 1938 IGaat Aftrnuunt at thr “Uagabmtif’ (As the scene opens two waitresses are seen arranging the tables. The room has a gypsy atmosphere, for it is the imaginary Gypsy Tea Room which the Class of 1938 has been patronizing since its Sophomore year. Dick Parnigoni, who plays the part of proprietor, enters and watches the waitresses.) DICK—That looks very nice, girls. I want you to do your best today. The Seniors will be coming in for the last time, since they graduate tomorrow. WAITRESS—The flower girls were looking for you, Mr. Parnigoni. They have the gifts ready for the Seniors. DICK—Thanks, I’ll go and see them. Narciso should be here any moment now. Call me when he comes. WAITRESS—Wasn’t it nice of Mr. Parnigoni to arrange all those gifts for the Seniors? I'll miss them—it’s been so pleasant waiting on them and hearing their laughter during their three years in Westerly High School. WAITRESS—It certainly has. Oh, here comes Narciso. He told me he was planning a surprise for this afternoon. What do you suppose it is ? (Alfred Narciso, featured singer of the Tea Room, enters, greets the waitresses, and hurriedly asks for Jean Sherman and Erika Heyder, violinists. One of the waitresses calls them. They enter in costume, with violins under their arms.) ALFRED—I managed to get a copy of the Senior Class Song. It’s written to the tune of “The Gypsy Trail.” Can you play it ? (Violinists and waitresses exclaim; players immediately start playing the tune. Alfred sings to the accompaniment. Dick Parnigoni and flower girls stand in doorway, the waitresses stop working, and everyone listens. Alfred sees Mr. Parnigoni, and when he finishes, turns to him.) ALFRED—Do you like it, Mr. Parnigoni? It’s the Senior Class Song; I thought they would appreciate it today. DICK—It’s perfect. Sing it after the “Gypsy Love Song.” Most of the Seniors should be here then. Does everyone know what his or her part is this afternoon ? I want this to be a gala afternoon for the Seniors—one they will remember for a long time. (Flower girls disappear; violin players and singer go towards back, where they arrange music. Waitresses take one last look and go towards kitchen.) (Dick inspects the room. Violins are playing softly as Thelma Kenyon and Marcelle LaMarche enter; waitress comes in from kitchen.) THELMA—Don’t tell me we are the first ones here, Mr. Parnigoni. I was afraid the tea room would be overcrowded. It’s our last chance to come here, and not one Senior will miss our last afternoon together. DICK—We’ll certainly miss your visits. It’s been delightful to hear your happy voices these last three years. MARCELLE—I’m sure you haven’t enjoyed it any more than we. It’s been a real haven, where we’ve planned our work and fun, and talked about our escapades. THELMA—Remember the first time we came here? It was after we elected our Sophomore officers — Owen Donaldson, president, and Keith Low, vice-president— I can’t remember the others, can you? MARCELLE — Well, let’s see — Jean Marriott was secretary, and Barney Holliday was treasurer, I think. We really should remember the officers, because electing them was about the only thing we did that first year. THELMA—Why no! We bought our class rings, didn't we? And Bud Clarke and Roddy Hemphill won first and second prizes in the Speaking Contest. And what about the Junior Board?—I hope you haven’t forgotten that. MARCELLE—What a memory! No wonder you’re such a good student! I don’t see how I could have forgotten the Junior Board—we were the first Sophomores ever to be elected on one! My, weren’t we proud! THELMA—Not as proud as we were -4 o

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The Senior Year Book — 1938 BUD—I pity the fellow who inherits it. HENRY—Ha! Jealous again, Bud! Why dop't you will your knack of managing the Senior activities? FRANCES—He has a knack—look at our Senior Prom; that certainly was a success. ANGELO—Of course, the band was a little late; just about an hour, wasn’t it? BUD—Well, you can't blame me for that. CATHERINE—I could will the joy of returning a second year to the new building to the Juniors. FRANCES—Will them our sympathies when they try to decorate the gym— they’ll need it. MARCELLE—Or a little courage whep they tackle the Senior Play. HENRY»—Never mind courage. How about acting ability? ANGELO—Pride and Prejudice was a success, wasn’t it? I enjoyed it almost as much ak the Varieties. BUD—You mean almost as much as the football chorus. Nothing will ever best thflt CATHERINE—I’d will the grass skirts the team used, but I’m afraid there isn’t much left of them. Help me write that will now, won’t you please? You’ve talked about everything we ever did. THELMA — Everything? Why, we haven’t even started yet. There was the Student Council Convention in the new High School—with Eddie Coyle playing host to the representatives from the State. ANGELO—Eddie certainly did a good job of the Student Council presidency. Buying that electric phonograph was a wise step; and the Amateur Show was a great success. MARCELLE—It’s surprising how much hidden talent was discovered. Just think, some day students of Westerly High may hear those same people over the radio. CATHERINE—Do you mean any radio, or the one that the Senior Board donated to the school this year? FRANCES—That radio will probably be an antique by the time we reach fame. Let’s hear your will, Catherine. CATHERINE—I’ll read as much as I have written—and please don’t laugh until I—Oh, hello there! I was just to read my half of the will, Stanton. (Stanton Langworthy, Mary Helfrich, and Barbara Edmonds come in and take the last available table. Stanton speaks.) STANTON—Go ahead, Catherine. I have mine here, too. CATHERINE—(after everyone has quieted down) We, the Class of 1938, do hereby make and declare this our last will and testament and revoke all previous testamentary dispositions made by us”— and that’s the correct form, in case you’re interested, Stanton. “We give and bequeath to the Faculty an old family album in which to keep their yearbook pictures of past, present, and future teachers. These should unquestionably be preserved for future generations of instructors so that they may enjoy a hearty laugh when teaching appears staid and lugubrious. “To our Alma Mater we bequeath a copious supply of fur hats and coats to be distributed to the frailer members of the school while they shiver in the icy blasts during the all-too-frequent fire drills. “We impart to the Junior Class our initiative and cooperation in which they proved themselves so sadly lacking by their failure to have a Junior Prom. “To the Sophomores we send six of Walter Winchell’s well known orchids for demonstrating themselves anything but inconspicuous, unobtrusive, and inferior. “To the girls of the Junior and Sophomore classes we leave numerous Charlie McCarthy dolls with Fred Astaire’s dancing ability so that they may not have to stage the first stag prom in the history of W. H. S. just because the boys won't dance. “Our contributions to the Janitors is a set of vacuum cleaners whose suction ability enables one to pick up papers without the bending of the hips. “We, the girls of Room 7, reluctantly will our seats in Coach Mudge’s home room to any girls lucky enough to receive them, but with the assurance that those less fortunate than they will find excuses to visit this attractive room several times a week. (This added remark made after a year of experience.) —«8( 11