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

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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

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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 Prophecy As I was returning home last night on the train, from teaching in the Grand Summer Consolidated School, in Polk county, Iowa, I met Lora Kendall, one of the 1920 high school graduates. My! how long it seemed since we were classmates to- gether at the Eau Claire high school, yet it has been but ten years. She was on her way to Salt Lake City, where she was going to take a week's vacation from her work as private stenographer for the governor of Iowa. What an interesting chat we did have! And we were wondering about the rest of the class of 1920 when my junction came and I had to leave her. But on my stop at the postoffice I received this circular letter of the class of 1920. How anxious I was to get it tom open so that I might read the contents! I found that Ruth LaPlant, after spending a number of years at the Michigan Agricultural College, is in charge of the Home Economics department in Berrien county Elmira Hoadley had three years commercial training in high school and is now the chief bookkeeper and stenographer at the Eau Claire Basket Factory, where she has seven assistants. I notice that Juanita Goins, after six years of strenuous!?) study of Law at the University of Michigan, has become a successful lawyer, and at the last election war chosen congresswoman from the fourth district of Michigan. By the speeches she har already made before congress, she has proved her ability in handling the interests ol the people, and at the present time is busy with a bill concerning higher standard tests of education. This letter also states that Arvon Collins, after graduating from Michigan Agri- cultural College, is located on an up-to-date farm near Naomi, where he has specialized in pedigreed stock and I noticed in the last Michigan Farmer that at the state Live Stock Show at Lansing, he received the first prize for one of his thoroughbred Guernseys. Lucile Kelsey is a successful kindergarten teacher in New York City. Juanita writes that, on her way to take up her duties as congresswoman, she stopped in the metropolis and visited Lucile in her schoolroom and witnessed the strong interest which she inspired in her pupils by her patience and influence over them. I am delighted to learn that Coral Miner is a talented painter, and is artist for the art section of the Metropolitan Gazette published in Eau Claire. Recently one of her paintings was displayed in the Gallery of Fine Arts in Chicago, during the Inter- national Art display. It was purchased by the Prince of Wales and presented to the Art Museum at London. Lois Clark, regardless of all her scientific work, still finds time to keep up her correspondence in this circular letter. At the present time she is engaged in her own laboratories, completing a powerful telescope which enables us to see the inhabitant? of Mars. —R. Merrill. —R. La Plant. —L. Kendall. fiitrhlccn