Eau Claire High School - Beaver Tales Yearbook (Eau Claire, MI)

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Class History On the second day of September, in 1916, thirty-three trembling and frightened boys and girls entered the Eau Claire High School as Freshmen. We felt out of place and were quite awkward, and furnished much amusement for the other high school students, by going to sleep, forgetting to go to class, and all the other things that Freshmen do. Of course the matter of class meetings was altogether new to us and late in November we were informed that we must have one in order to elect out class officers. Mr. Conkling and Miss Keppler aided us in this task. Victor Abbs was elected president; C. B. Dibble, vice-president; Lois Clark, secretary and Louise Col- lins, treasurer. Our colors were old rose and white and our class flower the white car- nation. We suffered much from the pranks of our upper classmen all during the year. Our president thought that, as we had been invited as a class to the Commence- ment, we should give the Senior president a gift, but he was informed by our more experienced elders that this w’as not customary. When school opened in September 1917, there were twenty-two of us, of whom two. Leona Shaffer and Ruth LaPlant were new members. By Christmas four had dropped out, but we managed to keep the remaining sixteen throughout the year. Upon having our class meeting we chose Lois Clark, president, Lora Kendall, vice- president and Ruth LaPlant, secretary and treasurer, with green and white as our class colors and the white rose, our class flower. But being dissatisfied with these colors we changed them to maroon and white. Ruth LaPlant won first place in the declamatory contest on March 8, bringing the honor to our class for the second time, Victor Abbs having received the honors the year before. In the fall of 1918, we as Juniors, enthusiastically met and planned a full schedule for the year, electing officers as follows: Bradford Dibble, president; Juanita Goins, vice president; Leona Shaffer, secretary, and Arvon Collins, treasurer. Among the studies attempted by us that year were American History and Chemistry. Both of these classes as well as American and English Literature were shared with the Seniors, so we had to dig! dig! dig! in order to compete with them. Several weeks of vacation were necessary on account of the “flu” epidemic, and this together with the burning of the school building, made it necessary for us to do the required work in a much shorter time than usual, but we came through with fair success. In January we gave “The Call of the Colors,” the first Junior play in the history of the school. A few weeks later we enjoyed a party at the home of Leona Shaffer, and were in- itiated into the intricacies of several new and thrilling games. All thoughts were then turned to preparations for Commencement, and the Juni -Senior Banquet. Leona Shaffer and Alice Rodell having left school by this time, only ten of us remained to give the Seniors the final send-off. Our banquet was a successful one, being said by those in a position to know, to be one of the best that the school has ever known. On September 8, we returned to school in the Christian church, for our last year of hard work, with ten left in our ranks to share the honors of graduation. We at once began our active Senior work for the class by electing officers. Lois Clark was chosen president, Juanita Goins, vice-president; Lucile Kelsey, secretary and Arvon Collins, treasurer, with Miss Kortering as our class chaperon. On November 24, we decided to give a play, but as our number was small and the Sixteen

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Class Officers Freshman Year President.....................VICTOR ABBS Vice President..................C. B. DIBBLE Secretary.....................LOIS CLARK Treasurer......................LOUISE COLLINS Sophomore Year President....................LOIS CLARK Vice President .... LORA KENDALL Secretary and Treasurer - - - RUTH LAPLANT Junior Year President........................C. B. DIBBLE Vice President .... JUANITA GOINS Secretary - ... LEONA SHAFFER Treasurer.......................ARVON COLLINS Senior Year President...........................LOIS CLARK Vice President .... JUANITA GOINS Secretary' .... LUCILE KELSEY Treasurer...........................ARVON COLLINS Class Roll LUCILE KELSEY LORA KENDALL ELMIRA HOADLEY RUTH MERRILL ARVON COLLINS LOIS CLARK JUANITA GOINS CORAL MINER RUTH LAPLANT CLASS CHAPERON ... Miss Kortering CLASS FLOWER - - - Lily of the Valley CLASS MOTTO.........................“En Avant” CLASS COLORS ... Maroon and Gold Fifteen

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Class History Juniors were likewise hindered in this way, we decided to join forces, and the play “Ruth in a Rush” was given April 16. On December 8, we received our class rings, which will be a constant reminder of the last happy days we spent together in the old Eau Claire High. Having been entertained by the Juniors in the fall, by a weenie roast in Elizabeth park, we returned the favor by giving a party at the home of Bradford Dibble, where all reported a fine time. The class honors this year fell to two girls, Lois Clark having received the honors of Valedictorian, and Juanita Goins, those of Salutatorian. Although wre have had to study under great inconveniences, for the last two years, we feel that we have not failed to accomplish the kind of work which wrill do credit to the school. It is our sincere hope that the future graduating classes of Eau Claire High may enjoy all the advantages of the new school building, which we as a class have missed, and it is with pride and real regret that we leave the place where we have spent four years of work and play with our school-mates. Opportunity This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream: There spread a cloud of dust along a plain; And underneath the cloud, or in it raged A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince’s banner Wavered, then staggered backward hemmed by foes. A craven hung along the battle’s edge, And thought, “Had I a sword of stronger steel— That blue blade that the king’s son bears—but this Blunt thing!’’—he snapped and flung it from his hand And lowering crept away and left the field. Then came the king’s son. wounded, sore bestead. And weaponless, and saw the broken sword. Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand. And ran and snatched it and with battle shout Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down. And saved a great cause that heroic day. —Edward R. Sill. Seventeen