New Britain herald., 1927-12-03
SOCIAL LIFE AT SCHOOL CHANGES
Old Time Dances Different at
 N. B. H. s.

Events which have occurred at i the New Britain High school during it's long history would make mate rial for an interesting column and daily the material is growing. Fraternities. athletics, socials. al 1 though sidellghts 10 the schools 1 chief function, study, have all play 1 ed an important part in the schools activities and in the life Of almost every individual who has attended { the institution.
 Today. however the school does , not have the socials which were i'm portant in the life Of pupils Of the other days. With the passing Of the freshman class 10 the junior high school under what school authorities term the 6-3-3 plan which is six lower grades, three instead of two junior high school grades and three rather than four New Britain High , school years. there also went the : freshman reception.
 l "Dime Dances" Go Too Probabl the most popular social of all went by the wayside q few i years ago when the afternoon or | dime dances We're discontinued be- cause the pupils showed d lack o, i interest. Pupils used 10 go to the : school gymnasium after school Fri { day afternoon and dance to the tur. of two piece orchestra. One of the countrys most noted musicians today. got his start al these dances 1 in 1920. Lewis Chapman of phila- ! deiphia used to play the piano and Walter (Wamp) Carlson played the drums in the middle Of the floor and the couples used to dance around them.
 Those Were tho days when the boy or girl 'sat out dance" when circumstances made il necessary. Every boy danced every dance if he could get someone agreeable to his ambitions.
 About this time the R, O. T. c. military training was in vogue at the school. The boys came 10 the dances In the uniform many times and in ciNies on many occa = sions but they always wore the F pound shoes.
 The promcnades were something which the students awaited through out the year. This was the only dance where i. vas necessary to have an automobile to take the girl. Girls walked to the fraternity dances. but on account Of the boys being dressed in white flannel trous- CTS. it was found better 10 be driv- on away from the neighhorhood in an automobile rather than by rocks etc, thrown by some Of the gang.
 Football Celebrations
 4 change has heen noted in tho way a football victory over Hart ford has been celebrated. In th, early days when a ride on a trolley car was a rare treat, tile players fans and hangers-on used to board trolleys furnished by the Connect cut Co. and ride all over the lines Singing. cheers and all other kind of noise making methods would b, employed
 Probably about 1n o'clock that night, the celebration would be ovei and the boys and girls would be home in their beds at the time when the boys and girls of the present I1N- net hae~in,,iy,c, ,;rrb '. activities.
 For many years. the great cele- Dration after q victory over Hart ford was the victory dance at the high school which would be follow cd by the bonfire at the Rockwell avenue intersection. Freshmen used 10 have to gather the wood and would be glad 10 do so for they were filled with the ''od school spirit The thought Of a dance in another part of the town was out of the question.
 II is only within thc last five years that dances in other parts oi the city Were being held in ceebra ton of the victory. Up until last year only one outside dance was held, and at that time there We're two dances. but this year four dances Were held in this city and everyone Of them went over tinan- ctally, showing that in these modern days. the means Of celebration Is not trolley ride but q dance.
 Fratcrnities
 Probably the worst thorn in inc side of the administrative body has been the school fratcrnities. Thes. organizations have their packers who swear they are good influence on tho life of q boy while h.. is in school. There are others who are opposed to these organizations ey- pressing their reason for such a feeling by stating that the "frats' are factional and are working in tho opposite direction to that which the United States government stands democracy.