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From the top left, Bob Priestley, Brown '42; Dan Calt, Bob Thayer, Charlie Holt, Russ Priestley, Ed Cahoon, Jack McNamara and Lou Spadafora. Second row: Barbara Carter(second in), Eleanor Riley (fourth in), Olive Marie "Tiny" Priestley, Edythe Solberg, Florence Greenlaw. Bottom row: Barbara Aaron, second in, Dottie Virgin. The remainder are unidentified. It is necessary for me to take umbrage with the recent statement and belief that there has never been a girls' hockey team at Melrose High. Although there was no publicity at the time (1939-40), I show a photo of that group. This was back in the days when Ell Pond was frozen from late November to mid-February. It provided a great place for people of all ages to skate or play hockey. As is the case now, the girls felt neglected during the hockey season, except they did not go to the school's athletic director and demand "equal rights." They formed their own team and bought equipment (or swiped it from their brothers). They bought jerseys and had their team name, "Slay Belles," stitched on the back. The money was earned from baby sitting and other chores. Helmets were not even considered. These girls could be found playing hockey on the pond, but they were pioneers with no team of girls to oppose them. A short distance away was the MHS varsity team practicing on a rink set up on the pond. The side boards were only about twelve inches in height. Any puck going over that height had to be retrieved. The Park Department tried to give us a new surface each day. Compare this to nowadays when ice time must be rented and players must be transported to that out of town site. I mention the close proximity because it gave the girls an idea. They went to Coach Poole, surrounded him and pleaded (as only females can do) to have a game against the guys. At first he was adamant... but he wilted under that pressure and stated, "Go ahead. Most of them play like girls anyway." I hope I was not considered one of the "most" because I was the team's captain, ending the season as one of six on the All-League All Stars. The girls who had this brainstorm of a team of their own included my own sister and Edythe Solberg, who later added Ghen as her last name. It was Edythe who dug out this information and had it published in the Melrose Free Press, February 12, 1998, almost 60 years later. (Those of you who don't recycle may have a copy lying around). She was able to convince the editor of the Beverly Times to print a repeat six days later. She was a resident of Beverly and quite a reknowned watercolor artist. She and I had kept in touch over the years as we both worked on our annual reunions (MHS '40). Together we struggled over the names of some of the girls for identification. Today, neither my sister, Marie Ryan, nor Edythe Ghen is among the living. So much for the longevity of girls who "have to" play hockey. I'm reminded of a favorite saying of Jimmy Durante, "Everybody has to get into the act!." {For a review by a neutral source of the Priestley family, click here). 3/03/06
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