Archbold High School - Blue Streak Yearbook (Archbold, OH)

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ridor of the old school building. There was little teaching done. Students went out in the hall and pecked out their credit. It was precarious work for there was lots of interference from students passing by and the study hall teacher was always on the lookout for infringements of rules. The setup was anything but ideal, but even with that inauspicious environment, mar- velous things were accomplished. In 1926 a typewriter company conducted a state-wide speed contest. Miss Lucille Crouch, who had succeeded Weltha Beck as the teacher, gave her class the speed test. They did very well and so she sent their record to headquarters and entered our fastest, Viola Burkholder, in the state contest in Bowling Green. When results were an- nounced that evening we learned that Archbold had not only won class honors in the state, but Viola had placed second in individual speed, and was offered a trip to New York to the National Contest. just to prove that this was no accident the class entered again next year, 1927, and again won the honors, this time with Viola Rupp taking second in the individual contest. The school won first honors in the state in 1929 and again in 1932, Viola again taking second in her class. These contests were won against all competition, our nearest rival being Cleveland West Technical High School, which school took Mrs. Crouch Stuart away from us. She has since taught students who have won state, national, and even international honors. In later years the contest came under different management and was broadened to in- clude other commercial subjects---Shorthand and Bookkeeping. Not to be outdone by previ- ous classes our class of 1938 with Miss Catherine Brown as teacher won this state champion- ship and held the state plaque for a year. These are real accomplishments. State championship in any contest is difficult to win. Here are six of them earned by one department of our school in but a few years. In recalling the fame our basketball teams have won do not forget those other laurels won in less spectac- ular ways---long hours of pecking away at a typewriter, scrawling that illegible shorthand and adding those interminable columns in bookkeeping. Extra effort should have its reward in any field. GNWJTGTNMWD OFFICE SECRETARY Up to about 1927 the book work and correspondence of the school was done almost entirely by the Superintendent. This finally became too much work for the administrator, who felt that he had more valuable things he should be doing and so he appealed to the Board of Education to employ a regular office secretary. The Board complied with the request and Miss Viola Burkholder was employed, her salary being paid partly from school funds. Following Miss Burkholder the work was handled by some senior girls until 1934 when Miss Mary Kathryn Grime was chosen. She was followed in 1937 by Miss Marilyn Taylor. The position has grown in importance in the school until now it is almost indispensa- ble. The State Department of Education has recognized it as a necessary position in schools and the Ohio State Teachers Association has included a department of School Secretaries in its membership. This organization has been included in even the National Educational Asso- ciation. The present secretary is a member of that National School Secretaries Association. 6TVfD5WWfD MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS The program of music in the Archbold Public Schools has been a constantly developing one. While the history of it can not be traced back further than 1921, it is known that a part. time teacher of music was employed several years previous to that. During most of the 192O's, vocal music was the only thing taught. However, out of this school came some very fine tal- ent, due to the fact that the teachers specialized in this vocal work. In fact the reading of mu- sic by note is still lingering in many of those who were trained under the Tubb's method employed here.

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ed off for a room. Cupboards, stoves and cooking utensils were installed and a new department was begun. What matter if the physics class worked out their experiments in the same room--- sometimes even cooking the weiner sandwiches the Home-Ec girls had expected to have. What matter if the mice committed their daily depredations. The room was still the Home Eco- nomics Room. ln 1925, following the purchase of the old Peter J. Vernier property on Stryker Street, the home was furnished as a complete Home Economics Cottage and the department was moved to its new quarters. The building made a splendid home for five years, even furnish- ing room for another class room, until 1930 when the Cottage was sold and the New High School Building was erected on the site. The Home Economics Department now has a fine large room, equipped with the very latest gas and electric ranges, fine cabinets, tables, dishes and cooking utensils in one end and electric sewing machines, fine wardrobes, studio couch, book cases, filing cabinets and very latest sewing equipment in the other. A four year course in Home Making is offered, even to a short course in Home Plan- ning for boys. Students are fortunate in having their department so well equipped. GXMVD swears CAFETERIA With the consolidation of a part of German Township with the Archbold School dis- trict and the subsequent increase in grade enrollment it became evident that hot lunches would be popular with a large number of students. The noon cafeteria was started in Novem- ber 1936 with Mrs. Margaret Nofzinger and Miss Opal Rupp serving the meals. No attempt has been made to earn a profit by this enterprise. The only object has been to furnish a hot lunch to those who wish to buy it, at the lowest price possible. The follow- ing is a sample meal served: meat sandwich, mashed potato and gravy, jello salad, fruit and cocoa. The number taking advantage of this opportunity varies with the severity of the weather. The number has increased to such an extent that it is possible to furnish meals to student help who aid in serving and cleaning away after the lunch. CWMVDGWWID INDU STRIAL ARTS It used to be great fun to go down to the basement of the old building, back there in that cold, dark, corner room and work at Manual Training. What desks, chairs, cupboards and bric-a-brac we used to make. In 1931 the Manual Training Department was moved into what had been the first and second grade annex and about the same time blossomed out with a new name---Industrial Arts. Space had limited it. Now it could grow. Since then various tools have been added to the equipment. By means of funds from the Board of Education, together with money raised from candy sales, etc., the following have been purchased: wood lathe, jointer, circular saw, band saw, jig saw, drill press, power sander, belt sander, emery wheel, forge, anvil and a full set of planes, hammers, saws, and various other carpenter tools. This has equipped the department to offer training in woodworking, metal spinning, plastics, caning, architectural and mechanical drawing and designing, house wiring, auto mechanics and wood finishing. All these are taught. Students graduating from this course have gone to work in the woodwork- ing factories in town on practically full pay. C5075 5WWfD COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Our Commercial Department started in 1924 with the purchasing of a few typewriters and placing them on shelves around the wall between the class room doors in the upper cor-

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The first instrumental instruction was given during the years 1928-1930, when Miss M. Thompson, now Mrs. W. A. Rider, started a small orchestra. Somehow, this small germ de- veloped to the present instrumental program. 1t developed so rapidly after it was first started that the Board decided to employ a man, Mr. Donald Armstrong, who was a specialist in in- strumental music. So he, in 1930, started the first school band. 1t was quite a lop-sided or- ganization with the drums and brass instrumentation so much in evidence that no other in- struments could be heard. During two years, however, it took on a lot of shape and when the department was taken over in 1932 by Miss Louise Mignin, this organization had grown into one that could be shaped quite suddenly into a pretty acceptable music organization. ln fact, her continued drill and exacting demands developed the organization into one that took state honors in 1935. During those same years the orchestra took district honors in the state. However, the development of such organizations is somewhat slow after they reach a certain stage. Consequently, during the years 1935 to 1939 there was a slow but constant de- velopment in the instrumentation of the band and orchestra under Miss Lois Fees as supervi- sor. All other schools were uniforming their bands and the public demanded that we should. We did not undertake this task until about two or three years later than the other schools. The cost seemed to be prohibitive until 1940, when the task was accepted under the leadership of Miss Lois Fees, and uniforms costing 5835.00 were purchased for the 34 members of the band. This was one of the biggets improvements for the band and the musical department for several years. It stimulated and encouraged the band members and public to the extent that in the fall of 1940 the Board of Education hired a band leader, Mr. Donald Parlette, to take care of this one organization. During the month of February 1941, another attempt was made to raise money to pur- chase 8 additional student uniforms and a director's uniform. A campaign consisting of a ham dinner, band concert and play was conducted, the proceeds netting the necessary funds. The band and orchestra have been faithful and willing in producing music for every oc- casion. They have become something of a drawing card at the County Fair, Bryan Homecom- ing, our own Homecoming and elsewhere in the vicinity. They have carried the blue and gold of Archbold High School far and wide and have helped to make a wide circle of people conscious of the fact that Archbold exists and is doing things. The organization does not have as many members as some nearby schools. We have in- sisted on quality, not quantity. As funds are accumulated and musicians are developed, we hope to increase the number and eventually have complete instrumentation. Our aim is the ex- pression of the music that is in the heart of each student and thus make for a happier world in which to live. The following is a list of our music teachers and their approximate terms of service: F. A. Tubbs 1912-1924 Vocal only Helen Hartman 1924-1925 Vocal only Carmen Burk 1925-1928 Vocal only Marguerite Thompson iRi- derj 1928-1930 First instrumen- tal teaching--A small orchestra Donald Arm- strong 1930-1932 First band Louise Mignin 1932-1935 Band took state honors 1935 Kelvin Masson 1935-1937 Lois Fees d193'l- l?,ff,,ega,'2,40 n moi-1 SCHOOL, 1930 Donald Parlette, 1940 Band only