Hallowell High School - Venture Yearbook (Hallowell, ME)

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18 The VENTURE The secretary who is connected with great public institutions may fill many different kinds of positions. Religious societies or educational foundations furnish opportunities for a secretarial career, as Well as do commercial organizations. The secretary who is connected with a large company or corporation, is often called in England the com- pany secretary 5 but in this country he is called simply secretary. Such oflicers are chosen more for the re- sponsibilities of an executive posi- tion than for their ability to perform technical secretarial duties, which are usually attended to by clerks and stenographers. The secretary who is associated with a woman whose rank in society requires someone to look after her correspondence and social affairs is known as a social secretary, if she is placed in an office and trusted with confidential matters, she is known by the name of private secretary. Perhaps the best definition can be attained by studying the various du- ties and responsibilities of the office of secretary, the training demanded, and the special qualifications needed. When one speaks of a secretary, he thinks of a person of ability and judgment, trained to carry on the business in an office. Secretaries are, of course, familiar with the most modern ways of conducting office work. In some cases, they manage the office. They should be familiar with the principles of shorthand and typewriting. They carry on all cor- respondence, handle telephone calls, just to save their employer from drudgery and leave him free for more important matters. We ask, What are the qualifica- tions of the ideal secretary? With- out question, she must have a good education. Business men are seek- ing more and more college graduates for their secretaries. Besides the usual training, it would be helpful to the secretary to take a short course in psychology, which is, in reality, a course in the understanding of personality, for a secretary must be interested in people, and must under- stand the working of their minds. She should also have a keen sense of humor. Loyalty to one's employer is a very important matter, for employers are more anxious to hire honesty than efficiency, if they cannot have both. Upon the loyalty of the department rests the success of the business. Certain characteristics of the good secretary may not seem very impor- tant, but they are absolutely essen- tial to success. A neat appearance is necessary, also proper food and exer- cise, even sufficient sleep. The sec- retary must have patience, be quiet and orderly, know her employer's personality, faults and good points, and deal with them tactfully. She must know how to get on well with those around her and not impair the efficiency of the working day by un- necessary friction. In closing, I can think of no better summary than that given in a poem taken from The Evening Sun, en- titled The Efficient Secretary : Who can find an efficient secretary? For her price is far above rubies. The lheart of her employer doth safely trust er, For she shall do him good all the days of her life, Sweet is her voice on the phone. Her countenance is cheerful to visitors, her manners cordial. She tattleth not, private matters are safe in her keeping. To the Master of Assemblies she is eyes, ears, memory, encyclopedia, and infor- mation bureau. She keepeth. note of his engagements, tell- eth him where to go, come and what to take with him. The ofiice force rise up and call her blessed. Her employer, also, and he praiseth her. 'Many secretaries do well,' says he, 'But thou excelleth them all.' She receiveth a good salary, ' And a bonus at Christmasg -And her own words praise her.

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The VENTURE 17 enter more intimately into those af- fairs, which, while they are not a part of your school curriculum, are, nevertheless, most essential to the school as a social organization. Do not underestimate the importance of these affairs, and their share in your training for life. When asked to do outside work, remember, too, how much you owe your school, and work diligently for its interests. Sophomores : You are at the half-way mark. Two short years and you, too,will be finishing your high school career. Look back over your two years' work and consider whether you are satis- fied with the results. As Juniors, you will be intrusted with the con- of the school. duct of social affairs The annual reception and other im- portant social functions will be under your management. See to it that these events are conducted in such a manner that they will be an honor to the school and an inspiration to the student body. Juniors : At our graduation you will have risen to that much honored position, the seniority of the school. But as Seniors you will have increased re- sponsibilities. To you, the whole body of undergraduates will look for advice and leadership. You must never fail them, if you Wish to hold their respect. The success of the school year will depend largely upon the example which you set. Now, a last word to you under- graduates as a body. Always re- member that while you are in school, study is your work. Your lessons should come first. But do not neglect other things, go out for athletics, do your best to support the school paper and the other interests of the school. In doing this, you will be helping not simply the institution but yourself. The training gained will be of value in life work. When representing your school in other communities, conduct yourself always in a manner above reproach. On such occasions, the good name of the school is in your charge. Do all these things, and more, for Hallowell High, and when you grad- uate, you will be able to look back with pride over four years of accom- plishment, of pleasure, of true com- radeship. And your achievement will be an example that others will be proud to imitate. Albion Wright. THE PRIVATE SECRETARY The private secretary has an as- sured place in modern business. Her position is one of vast importance and many responsibilities. A secre- tary of a woman's educational and industrial union says, To the college graduate, with good training and ex- perience, there is no field which to- day promises more of a future than that of secretarial work in business. The occupation of secretary is not new, altho it has gained increasing importance in recent years. One may find numerous illustrations even in Biblical literature. The word secre- tary probably takes its origin from the Latin Secretarius, used in the middle ages to denote one closely as- sociated with the household of royal personages or nobles for whom he performs special duties of confiden- tial nature. At the present time, the Word secretary is used to designate four distinct fields: The government, the public, the company and the indi- vidual employee. In politics, the secretary is a dis- tinguished person, whose duty it is to administer the affairs of his par- ticular department.

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The VENTURE 19 To young men and women who have ambition, a pleasing personal- ity, and no fear of hard work, a sec- retarial career offers an open door to success. Ella Prentiss. THE RELATION OF LATIN TO PRACTICAL LIFE A study of Latin makes the Eng- lish language more intelligible, for it helps us to see the real mean- ing of some of our Well-known Eng- lish words. For instance, the word manicure comes from the Latin manus, which means hand, and curare, to care for, hence it means a person Who takes care of people's hands: so, also, the word fine comes from the Latin finis, which means end , hence it means a sum of money paid so as to make an end of transaction, suit, or prosecution. Thus it is that We find a vast number of such English words coming di- rectly from the Latin. A study of Latin is also of supreme value to the mastery of literary Eng- lish. We find many English poems written on classical subjects or with a Latin title. Poems such as Keats' Endymion and Lamia are exam- ples of this. Isn't it altogether likely that if you can't understand Latin references, you will have a tendency to avoid books which contain them? But by so doing, you will be deprived of much of the best English litera- ture from Chaucer to the middle of the nineteenth century. The modern literatures have so grown up under the influence of the Latin language that the forms, fashions, notions, wordings, allusions of that language have got deeply into them, and are an indispensable preparation for un- derstanding them. The thorough study of English literature is hope- less unless based on an equally thor- ough study of Latin, to know Shake- speare and Milton is the pleasant and crowning consummation of knowing Homer, Catullus, and Virgil. And upon no other terms can we obtain this knowledge. Every great Eng- lish writer of prose or poetry from the time of King Alfred to the time of Alfred Tennyson has-almost without exception-been schooled in the Latin language, has known well some of the Latin masterpieces, and, consciously or not, willingly or not, has written under the influ- ence, sometimes indistinct, some- times overmastering, of the Latin models. Furthermore, Latin affords excel- lent mental training. It develops the critical sense and a feeling for relations, a training which is of the greatest possible value. The ability to write decent Latin prose, with dictionary at elbow, simply cannot be acquired without at the same time inducing the kind of mental organ- ization Which at length enables a person to go anywhere and do any- thing. If we think of the study of language not merely as the search for a tool, but as a method of learn- ing to read difficult English, and a discipline of the perceptive and rea- soning powers, the classical courses offer a better training than can be obtained by the ordinary student from any modern grammar. No dis- cipline of the mind has been found more effective in its training than that gained from the study of Latin. Work thou for pleasure, paint or sing or CaI'Ve The thing thou lovest, though the body starve. Who works for glory misses oft the goal, Who works for money coins his very soul. Work for work's sake then, and it well may be That these things shall be added unto thee. VALEDICTORY D Now, at last, we have come to the time when it is fitting for us to close