Ringgold County IAGenWeb Project ~ Mount Ayr Community High School ~ 1957 Ayrian

"A series of events telescoped in memory often leaves time, place amd face forgotten or confused. We hope you will recapture "on the wings of a song" a few memories as you glance through year 1957 Ayrian.

"Published by the Seniors of Mount Ayr High."

The Class of 1957 held its first meeting on Tuesday, September 9, to elect class officers. Kenny Lay was elected President; Garey Rice, Vice-President; Joy Stephens, Secretary; and Chuck Braby, Treasurer; and Su Jo Defenbaugh, Reporter.

During the latter part of September, the class initiated the freshmen, using the Nurseryland theme. October 9, 10, was the day set aside for senior pictures.

Homecoming is always a big event in the life of a senior. The float had to be decorated and there was the Queen and attendants!

Various money making projects were scheduled during the year -- selling at ballgames, serving lunch at the teachers' meetings, bake sales, picking up corn, collecting scrap iron, etc.

Work on the Ayrian also began. There was the selling of Ads, selling the books, taking the pictures, and committees working on various phases of the work involved.

The class voted to go on its senior trip to Chicago. Then came the class play, "The Robe," Class Day, Baccalaureate and Commencement.

The last football and basketball game has been played, the last music and dramatics contests have been entered, the last FFA project worked out, the last Student Ayr published, the last classes all attended, these and many, many more are all pleasant memories!

CLASS MOTTO: "Out of school life into life's school."

CLASS COLORS: Turquoise and Silver

CLASS FLOWER: Pink Roses

CLASS SPONSORS: Miss Jones, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Campbell

Shakespeare has said that all the world is a stage and we are its actors. Perhaps, then, we may think of all of life as a play, a novel sort of production which we, the actors, may write and interpret freely as we go along. For the senior class of Mount Ayr, the moment has come at which the curtain must descend on Act I of the 1957 graduating class' production. As we say good-by to our high school years, we are bringing to a close one of the most important times of our lives. Just as the first act of a play, the scene is set, the mood is created and the production is given a good or poor beginning so in these past years has the stage of our lives been set.

We are indebted to many people for the production of this first act. First of all, we feel a deep gratitude to our mothers and fathers. They have, with loving sacrifice instilled within us the inspiration for accomplishment, and ever worked that we might more nearly attain the ideals of character which guide and control the actions of all honorable men and women.

Our success is due also to the guidance of our directors, the teachers, who in public service never faltered from the course ahead; who, controlling the energies and fortunes of all students, have adjusted our problems without prejudice or partiality.

Thirdly, we are each indebted to the rest of the cast, our classmates and friends, who have performed beside us as the episodes of our drama unfolded. The memories of our experiences together bring many smiles, perhaps coupled with some heartaches, but they are memories which we will treasure always.

And now the curtain is down on Act I. Before it rises again on the second act in the portrayal of our lives, may I, as a representative of the class of 1957, say farewell and extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you who has so faithfully coached us through the years, shaping and molding our character for the roles we are to play on the stage of life ahead.

MARCIA FENNEMA

This afternoon we, the members of this graduating class of 1957, preceded in the usual manner our class day exercises. To you, our friends and relatives, our class day program at its best will be only one of many such programs which you may enjoy. To us it is a great occasion, a red letter event, and one bound to live forever in our memories.

For in this program and the other events of this week mark our commencement. The past has been the preparatory period of our lives; the future will be that which will measure our true worth. The future always has been and always will be a challenge to high school seniors. But never before has there been a greater challenge than that which we face today. We must control the might forces which have been discovered and use them in a constructive way. We must strive for lasting peace, and it should be our ideal to leave our country better than it was left to us.

We welcome you most heartily to all our graduation activities. We hope that you may feel in all that we do and say some assurance of your welcome, even though we, as a class cannot ask you to "Come again!"

PHYLLIS WASHBURN