Billings Senior High School - Kyote Yearbook (Billings, MT)

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T II E K V () T K inwit of all, oiu stillv night. while principal and touchers slumbered, i ne of this class, with tin upper classmen looking on in childlike wonder, climbed boldly through the transom of this Assembly loom and carried oil the bust of iReethoven. Think of the courage that required! What Freshman of today would dare attempt such a feat? Ft was during this year that the das established its reputation. Its pace became so swift and its powers of conception so great that only six out of the original number have survived, the others having fallen by the wayside. A gradual change came over us. seem to have stop|H d long enough to view the surroundings; at last we began to sit up and take notice. I he girls of the class discarded curls and the boys refused to tolerate knee trouser . They even went so far as to walk to school with the young ladies once in a while and sometimes a stray pa]xr wad would go buzzing across the Assembly Room. on wonder what had come over them all? Has not every Hophotti tv felt this palpitation of the heart i W by, we surely would have all perished if there had not appeared a means of deliverance. Again the scene were changed, a new a cl in our lives had begun. Some of you know what it means to b Juniors, What an exalted opinion they have of themselves! Text larks are cast aside and deemed unnecessary. The argument is that they should have practical experience. In the botany class two of our Junior omv concluded that it was nonsense to simply read of flowers and other plant life, that actual observation was necessary, so they tank n trip to the bluffs in search of heartsease. They found here an excellent sjxH’imen of the ( os(‘v ('orner, w hieli is a hot-air plant belonging to the Cuddle family. They also found a very few specimens of the cherished Proposal plant, which Ixdongs to the Lovo-you-lia family. However, all this vanity, haughtiness and pride is overcome by Junior classes! We realize that life is real and life is earnest and that we get out of it just what we put into it and that the bluffs is not its goal. As Juniors we were exceptionally patriotic. Who does not remember the holiday denied us iij oii Lincoln's birthday? Whv we considered it an insult to the Father rf our country; the conscience of each t)f us smote and we were cmupelled to take the day off regard- less of rules. We |Kaiit the day in song and dance and solemn parade. I his we thought a worthy tribute1 t Lincoln, hut the Ushers disagreed with us ami for our h.yulty we were rewarded with three zeros and as much extra work as possible. But we feel repaid, for we converted the entire faculty into tlu strongest patriots by our youthful enthusiasm and this year when Lincoln s birthday came we were given a holiday. 24

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I II E K V O T E i wish to thank the hoard of education for their generosity and in- terest in tiii school and in our Hass, especially during the last year. It will Is hut a short time now till the old class of 1012 will goto its reward, as alumni, never again to come together ns an organization, hut no matter where we go or what occupation we follow we will always have an abiding interest in the doings of the Billings High. Ogden F. Beecnau. History of Class 1912 What is History ? History may be defined as a written record of the lives and deeds of heroes, the events attending their brilliant career and the undying influence of such character upon the past, present and future life. The simple word history may not have meant very much to you. To some of us it means no end of needless toil and to others it is only a dry [Mistime. The cause for this lack of appreciation is due to hut one fact—that is, that we do not realize that we ourselves are makers of history. Hi w many of ns stop long enough to think even, that there an famous characters right in our midst ? We seldom appreciate any- thing which is not written or that which we cannot see plainly before Its. “Full many a gem of purest ray serene The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear; Full many a flower is l orn to blush unseen. And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” The lives t»f this type of heroes shall fill the annals of this history. To those who, unconscious of their greatness and “who have conquered because they have endured” we would sing praise. It has fallen to me to mention a few of the facts concerning the members of the class of 11)12, who are destined to even greater eminence. To break away from the ancient procedure of “Praise after death,' I would prefer to lay laurels at their feet while living. To be ignorant of such live i to continue in childhood all your days. So 1m- not dis- heartened, Freshmen; Sophomores take courage and live; Pause a mo- ment. Juniors, for as the ancients sought the fountain of | erpetual youth, so may you not only seek but find the path to wisdom. When school opened in the autumn of 1008 the largest Freshman class which hud ever entered the Billings High School wa admitted. It was a brilliant class with keen wit and humor and clear compre- hending intellects. Why even the upperclassmen were eamjxdled to gaze wide-eyed at some of the wonders |»er formed by them. To the amaze- 23

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T H K Iv V O T E Our Junior year closed with a grand flourish. Tliere were now twenty members and every heart beat with pride as we neared our goal. We were now Seniors; Diligent study and healthful training had developed our characters and heightened our aspirations. It would require columns in order to enumerate nil the characteristics and high ideals of the members of this class. I can attempt only vainly to do them justice. As time is limited only those wonderful achievements which the year has brought out can be related. To begin with, the president of the class, who has grown to lie a fitting model for us all, Ogden IVeeman. is worthy of his distinction. Besides this he was a member of the famous football team and editor- in-chief of the Kyote. Twice he has appeared in theatrical productions. In heated, turbulent class meetings it is upon his broad shoulders that lhe rest of the class rest their weary heads and weep. As two great minds link themselves together for broadening their ideas and for special enjoyment, so may we here associate another famous man. Ben I lager man, better known to us as Bennie. He is the favorite ;»f all the girls. Being a member of the Senior class we natur- ally have taken a great intensi in him. How hard we have tried to guard him and keep his inexperienced heart from wandering. And just when we thought our efforts rewarded we found he has strayed into the fold of the Juniors and dwells contentedly there as “The Man of I he I lour. ’ It is needless to argue the growing power of women. You see in your midst women representing every brunch of knowledge and every phase of industrial life. You will be interested to know' that even among you now there is one whose, ambition far out-reaches the average man’s. Daphne Van Ilouten is possessed of a wonderful versatility. She is secretary of the Senior class, and is much interested in the general improvement of Billings, particularly along the line of paving the sidewalks and building parks. She has never yet given up the idea of a hospital for cats and as these household j ets are becoming more numerous she still dreams of taking them all under her protection shim' dav. At least the Senior class may compliment itself upon having accomplished one good deed. For four long years there has been a growing infatuation between two of its members. And it is always the case, this affliction has affected their dispositions to a great extent But now Ruth Elliott and Leo Wallace are graduating, “As two souls with but a single thought. Two cabbage heads upon one stalk.” We all know and appreciate the orator of this class. During the 25