Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

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The Senior Year Book. — 1938 “Individual bequests of the Class of 1938 shall be as follows: “I, Grace Gallagher, bequeath my pep, vim, and vigor, which 1 attitbute to Wheat-ies, as well as my shame for originating in Stonington, to Prudy Dower of the Junior Class. “I, Gilbert Hicks, bestow my title of Most Intelligent Boy on Bill Clarke of the Class of '40, whose A's prove him worthy of such an honor. “After days of deep study and concen-centration, I, Pee Wee Smith, have chosen John Flaherty to be my worthy successor as maker of mischief. Despite his meek look. Jack’s pranks keep his friends amused and the faculty baffled. “To anyone who can drive it, I, Elinor Morrison, will my faithful Pontiac—with the added advice that the best remedy for a wrenched back is still the good old-fashioned mustard plaster. “On Gilda Garafolo, 1, Barbara Driggs, bestow my varied and numerous collections of tardy slips and excuses. “I, Robert Means Clarke, confer my knee-action kisses upon Stretch Harvey, who, I am sure, will find difficulties similar to mine if he plays opposite a small Juliet in the ’39 Senior Play. “To Fiametta Donati, I, Thelma Kenyon, give my air of reserve and dignity which will win for her the admiration of both faculty and students.” CATHERINE—Well, that’s my contribution—now how about yours, Stan? STANTON—Let’s have some music first—it sounds too much like a classroom to have both of us reciting. HENRY—You can’t fool us, Stan. You just want to get us in a good mood before you start reading your subtle slurs —but, anyway, it won’t hurt to hear Alfred sing—How about it, Alfred? ALFRED—I’m glad to sing for you any time. What will it be—old or nav. THELMA—Please sing the “Gypsy Love Song,” Alfred! (Alfred sings the song to the accompaniment of the violins. Goes from table to table.) STANTON (after song is finished)— Well, shall I read mine now? It’s better to get unpleasant things over with first, you know. ANGELO—Stop looking for compli- ments, Stan. Go ahead, read it. Has anyone a dictionary handy? I imagine we’ll need one. STANTON—“David Sisson, whose theme song is ‘Down With Love,’ leaves the position of president, treasurer, coach, manager, and bat boy of the Beach Street Hay Pitchers to Brindle. We hope he, too, will put on weight. “Every day is a holiday to Carrie Crandall. who gently mixes her school days with Holidays. A great favorite off, she tops them all when she walks on the stage. Carrie leaves her dramatic ability to Prudy Dower of the Junior Class. “Lightning Morrone, so named because he is always streaking and flashing around, donates his anchor, and several telephone poles, which he uses to stop his car, to William Jacobson. “Lynthia Browning, whose flashing smile and delightful personality would never make one suspect she has her ‘lows’, gives her easy charm to Pauline Merrill. “Frances Houser, whose love for flowers, especially buds, has been noticed, leaves this advice to Betty Krugler: ‘No matter how rosy the petal—don’t pluck while forgetting the thorn.’ “Richard Matzko, the Room 4 funster, leaves the school for the aged, which we have founded for his tottering jokes, to Eddie Hyde. “We, the Belle Monte Boys, who hold meetings daily in Room 5, want to advise the further study of Italian and French, for it has helped is appreciate the true beauty of the teaching staff. “We’ve had to do much coaxing, but we finally persuaded Catherine Dunn and Eleanor Morrison to confess all, and give Phoebe Cottrell some advice on bows (beaux). “Cupid Dolan and Pee Wee Smith have written a book entitled ‘Gone With the Spring,’ with hints on swimming holes, soda fountains, and a group of best-seller excuses for wary teachers. This they dedicate thoughtfully to the Junior boys. “Those philanthropic, phlegmatic, inquisitorial lairds of verbal manipulation, Gilbert Hicks and Roderick Hemphill, to facilitate the propitiation of commendatory verbiage, commensurately offer a Dog-eared Webster (second-hand) to Bud —«5{ 12 )?►-

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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

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The Senior Year Book — 1938 Saunders. May his perspicuity and perspicacity flourish thereby. “The chain of events leading to a man’s heart is as strong as its weakest link. Henry Jackson, the author of this historymaking maxim, appears to have only one link in his chain, but he seems satisfied. He leaves this little link to its namesake. “Those three husky dears, Betty Crandall, Kay (You’ve got to be a football hero) Hughes, and Dorothy Whalen, surely threw that S. H. S. football team for a loss. They have agreed to show the other girls the weak points in their defensive. “Eddie Coyle, that sleek, sporty, smoothstepping sheik, says swing is swell for shifty shoes. He leaves an ultra-modern dance book on how to do the shoestring swoop, the jazz bow pirouette, and do-ci-do, to Walter Miller. - - - That’s that.” MARCELLE—Those are clever puns, Stan, but it’s no more legal than Bud’s trying to steal my drink a few minutes ago. BUD—What? Me? Listen, pal, you know I wouldn’t even take a lollipop from a baby. CATHERINE—Go on, Bud, I bet you’ll be Public Enemy No. 1 by 19—say, that gives me an idea! Let’s have our fortunes told! Where’s Mr. Parnigoni? (One of staff goes to door and calls him.) DICK—(Enters smiling) Yes—what can I do for you now? FRANCES—Would you call the fortune teller, please? We've just decided to have our fortunes told. DICK—Well, he can't come right now. I’m afraid. But I have a surprise for you. (General murmur.) Come in, girls. (The flower girls come in, laden with gifts, and distribute them to patrons in the tea room and the rest of the class, seated in the auditorium—-After they give about four gifts, Dave Lownds and Robert Malaghan enter, and take the available seats—When the gifts have been distributed, both violin players render gypsy selections, after which the fortune teller enters, taking a long time to arrange his globe.) CATHERINE—While we’re waiting, do you mind if I read another page of my will? I just remembered it—it’s the final page. (Everyone assents and Catherine again reads.) “I, Keith Low, bequeath a gross of slips personally autographed by our esteemed principal, Charles E. Mason, to Miss Leach, without which I should never have been allowed in class. “After having persuaded my classmates to donate their pennies to a worthy cause, I, Stanton Langworthy, take great pleasure in giving a shiny new tandem to ‘Sheik’ Spargo, so that next year he will not pester a Senior boy lucky enough to own a car to drive him to White Rock as he has me during the past months. “We nominate and appoint executors of this will and custodians of the Class of 19.38, principal and faculty, whose faithful administrations have endeared them to us and established their qualifications and capability.” FORTUNE TELLER—If you are ready, I will begin. Please remember that the least noise will break the spell. DAVE—This is worse than a classroom —and I feel like talking. (Dave is shushed by the crowd and the fortune teller begins.) I shall look into the future with the aid of my humble Mystic Gypsofic Globe. As I have said before, any slight disturbance will have a tendency to weaken the stratospherical wave lengths that are created by a weak-willed environment. I might say—the atmosphere here is suitable for the reading. Ahem—now if someone will be so gracious as to lower the lights, I shall commence. Ah! I see a cloudy mist—I hear a terrific thundering roar—It must be a storm. No, it’s passing, it becomes clearer now—a smoky vapor—there are faces behind it—possibly a mob scene. What noise! Yelling, jeering, booing! Why it’s a boxing match in Cafone and Gentile’s Century Club. What a sellout! The customers are literally hanging from the ceiling and dangling from the spotlights. Perhaps the publicity managers, Robert “Tyrone” Malaghan and Joe “Smiley” DeFanti, are partly responsible for this sudden success. They are suspiciously eyeing each other. Both, in turn, are keeping close watch on the cash box and that good-looking “Pinky” Dotolo, who --•if 13 }