Strong Vincent High School - Spokesman Yearbook (Erie, PA)

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Torch Bearers President . . Robert Nichols Vice-President . Robert Lohse Secretary Esther Shannon Senate . Misses Mercer, Bryce, Warfel Mr. Coon, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Armogost Mr. President, may I present for membership in the National Honor Society ? If this state- ment applies to you, everyone knows that you have received the highest honor Strong Vincent may bestow. It means that you have excelled in the four points which are the foundation of the Na- tional Honor Society. These points are Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. Having a fine character includes conscientious attendance and behavior in school and is measured by your teachers ' impression of you. Your scholastic aver- age must be very high, depending on competition, but over 90 if you are an 11-2. It is obvious that those who are leaders deserve honors and almost anyone with ideas and the initiative to carry them out can be a leader. Service to Strong Vincent includes active membership in clubs and various committees and any constructive deed for the school. After the new members have been formally inducted in an assembly program, the whole society at Vincent enjoys an informal party. The organization meets several times a year for special purposes but has no definite schedule. This is not a very active organization for the very good reason that the members are selected for their activity in other clubs. However, last year a handbook, giv- ing information about the school, was edited and distributed by the Honor Society. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Strong Vincent chapter, number 81, which started in old Central High School. In all the ten years, only 347 students have been admitted. This shows how high the standard has been kept. Ten years is not so long in view of the fact that the first honor society was originated in 1776. At that time Phi Beta Kappa, an honor society for colleges, was begun, and later this inspired the organization of the first honor society in secondary schools, founded by Dr. William B. Owen of the Chicago Normal College when he was principal of the South Side Academy in Chicago. This idea spread all over the country and soon the National Honor Society was formed with the idea that na- tional recognition has more value than honors granted by individual schools. The goal of the National Honor Society is to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to en- courage the development of character in the pupils of the school. NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY— Front Row: Weaver, Speed, Wolford, Shores, Lohse, Rob ' t. Nichols, Shannon, MacDonald, Santomenna, Guthrie, Addessi. Row? 2: Arbuckle, Mead, Wagner, Nagle, Ster- rett, Britton, Hall, Miller, Greiner, Ny- berg, Nelson, Pearce, Lee, Birkland, Max- well, Henry, Beckman, Wagner, Snow. Row 3 : Neiner, Pratt, Merri- man, Lund, Saint, Krieger, Gallagher, Rich. Nichols, Sawdey, Parker, E. Lund, Wal- den, Feisler, Firch, Marlowe, Van Atten, Talarico, Driscoll. Twenty-one

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COUNCIL -Front Row: Guthrie, Addessi, Milloy, Kottrayer, Lipsett, Maxwell, Illig, Pratt, Gallagher, Arbuckle. Row 2 : Nichols, G. Wagner, Gabrielson, Nelson, Brownyard, Berenstain, Lund, Henshaw, Elser, Spath, Bruno, Thomas. Row 3: Bacon, Vigilone, Spadacene, Burger, Walden, Will, Bates, McDonald, First, Farrington, Ershler, Lund, Meyer. Row 4: Schacht, Shufflin, Geddis, Saint, Howe, Dunwoody, Stauffer, McCarty, H933, Arbuckle, Borland, Smith, Miller. Council : Democracy Officers First Semester President . Fausto Addessi First Vice-President Mary Illig Second Vice-President Richard Guthrie Third Vice-President Harriet Milloy Secretary . Treasurer Faculty Advisers Margaret Lipsett Robert Nichols Second Semester Gordon Wagner Margaret Lipsett Richard Guthrie Eileen Kottmyer Roberta Maxwell Robert Pratt MissE.Connell, Mr. Blake, MissWilson and Mr. Armogost. of the first moves was to assume the responsibihty of directing the hall monitors and to re- organize them under the Coun- cil ' s second vice-president. A government of the students, by the stu- dents, for the students is the goal of the Strong Vincent student council. Every community must have a government and its laxity or efficiency de- pends on the members of the governing body. Ever since its birth, Strong Vincent has had a student council. Some years it has done very worthwhile work, other years it has not. This year the Council members have taken up a challenge and have de- cided to make this Vincent community a truer democracy. To this end they have begun to ex- ercise more fully their constitutional powers. One An annual duty of the Council is to sponsor and pro- mote the Carnival with the aid of faculty and students. The annual musical comedy is under the auspices of the Council and an outside director. Many dances and other money-making projects are under the Council ' s direction and the proceeds are devoted to various worth-while causes. Supervision of activities sponsored by the Council is taken care of by specially appointed committees. New ideas are constantly being suggested at the regular Monday- after-school meetings. All of these ideas are considered, discussed, and acted upon. With the aid of the faculty advisers, the Strong Vincent student council is marching on to greater achieve- ments. Twenty

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Sweets from the Sweet Is there any Vincentite who has never been tempted by the Mounds, Clark Bars, or Pepper- mint Patties of the Candysellers? From three to three fifteen every day, ten sophomore girls under the able direction of Miss Willard Wright roam the halls of Vincent, holding assorted sweets under the noses of hungry students. Although the girls who serve Vincent in this capacity receive no recogni- tion or praise, they perform their work faithfully week after week. As is proven by the money turned in daily, their salesmanship is so convincing that the way of least resistance is simply to dig for those last five pennies. Girls disregard their complexions and forget those extra pounds — boys forget about that week-end date — teachers, too, have their favorite candies. The money taken in from these sales is turned over to Student Council where it is put into the general treasury — last year this fund constituted over one-hundred and forty dollars. Our Choir could not have such effective robes, our band and orchestra could not have such fine instruments or such colorful uniforms, and our stage could not be so well set without the help of this organization. By purchasing candy from our Candysellers, we are helping to make the activities of our school a success. Down the Aisle This way, please, to your seat in the Strong Vincent auditorium. Just follow the lad in the neat white jacket. Who is he? gushes the sweet young thing. My, he ' s handscme! Is he the lead- ing man in the play? Sorry to disappoint you, dear, but he ' s one of the Strong Vincent ushers. These boys volunteer their services for the semester long position of ushering at all assemblies, stage productions, and all auditorium activities sponsored by Strong Vincent. It is the duty of the ushers to find seats, clear all the aisles, maintain order, and keep out all uninvited persons and canine visitors. As occasion demands, the ushers have the added duty of acting as checking booth attendants and as a lost and found department. In cases of em- ergency it is the ushers who take charge and keep order. They have contributed a great deal toward keeping the auditorium in the fine condition so commended by visitors. Under the supervision of Mr. Shanor, their faculty adviser, the Strong Vincent ushers have become one of the most efficient bodies of this type in the city of Erie. Aside from the pleasure he gets out of serving his school, each usher feels that he is receiving many privileges and valuable training at all times. The qualities that make one a success at ushering are those which make one a success throughout life. Behind that Curtain Lights, Curtain, Action! The performance is on. With tremendous applause ringing in their ears, the actors depart from the stage. Excitedly discussing the performance, we leave. But what about the stage? Who were the unknowns who set up such beautiful scenery, and operated the powerful floodlights? Who is to clear the stage? None other than the Stage Crew, the unsung heroes of Strong Vincent. At all school assemblies these boys are busily engaged, preparing the mammoth stage so that we can enjoy the interesting pro- grams, operating the curtain, and remaining be- hind to clear away the wreckage. The boys who compose the Stage Crew of Strong Vincent are a group of hard-working, in- dustrious lads, who do this work, not only for the sheer love of working behind stage and helping the school, but also for the practical side of stage- crewing, which helps them in later life. Mr. Shanor, the member of our faculty who directs the Stage Crew, is also one who is never finished. If he is not helping to put up the scenery, he must be on hand to connect the many fixtures to obtain the correct lighting. Even during class hours, if an emergency arises, he must leave all class duties behind and remedy the disturbance. We are grateful to Mr. Shanor and his able Stage Crew. Twenty-two