Athens Community High School - Athenian Yearbook (Athens, IL)

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 ©hr Athenian i HENRY V. PORTER Mr. Henry Y. Porter, the Principal of the Athens Community High School for the past nine years, is to leave A. C. H. S. this year to take the responsible position of Assistant Manager of the State Athletic Association. Mr. Porter is a man who truly merits any honors you might place upon him. He has been Principal. Coach of Basket Ball. Director of Athletics, Orchestra Leader, and teacher. He has done more for the community than any individual man, he has made many friends, friends who admire him, friends who respect him. and more than all. friends who love him. It is a very difficult matter to express just what is in our hearts when we realize that he must leave us. It is filled to overflowing with many conflicting emotions, love, admiration, respect, sorrow, regret, gratitude, and pleasure. Our love and respect as a group, and individually, is so deep that the result is intense regret. Ye feel much as a large herd floundering around on a vast range. leaderless. He has been our leader, at the head of every undertaking, with whom we have worked, played, studied, entertained, and quarreled. Tie has always been ready to advise us and settle our petty quarrels. Our gratitude for what he has done for us. as individuals especially, is uppermost in our hearts. What should we have done? Could we have accomplished so much and gone so far? The answer is obvious. Our own personal traits and talents have developed under his hand we act as individuals, think as individuals, and work as individuals, and not as a mass with only one mind. While he has developed our individualities, he has continually stressed the spirit of cooperation. When there is anything to be done which takes a group, such as the planning of a festival or carnival, or the cheering at a Basket Ball game, everyone pitches in with a will to do his part. When anything is staited it is finished, and if Mr. Porter is at the head it means success. We admire him for the man that he is. Every boy or girl has his set standard of an ideal man. 1 can say, with the backing of the student body and the community, that he is the embodiment of all our ideals. Only a few of his main characteristics which have endeared him to us can he listed. His enthusiasm is among the first. Whatever is undertaken, whatever is suggested or done, which will promote the interests of A. C. H. S. or the students, he will back, and give his advice and encouragement. When we need a new stunt for a program, or a way to make money, we go to him and he easily and quickly devises some original plan which Is sure to be a success. In his treatment of the students, whether under pleasant or unpleasant circumstances, he plays fair and square. He is honest with himself and everyone else. He is an untiring worker, never gives up. and never becomes “rattled.” He takes an individual interest in each of the students, and studies their characters. As has been said, his work in and for the community has l)een unsurpassed. e have yet to meet a more honorable and upright man. one who is loved and admired by all with whom he comes in contact. Our regret at his leaving us almost reaches the point of selfishness. In our hearts it is warring against the pleasure we feel at his success. We arc glad he has the opportunity but down in our hearts we would rather he stay with us. This spark of selfishness is forgivable, however, because of our sincere appreciation of what he has done for us and those who have already gone out into the world. At last we settle down to think of the future without him. to wonder what we and many others will do without him. He has been looked upon as “being a part of Athens.” and we wonder if we shall go on with our progress after he leaves us. We must leave that to the future, forget our own emotions, except that of pleasure. We must know that he could not go on with us forever, we realize that he will continue to grow and progress in life till he reaches the very top of the ladder of success. We. who have been under his guidance and instruction for four years, hope to carry on in our lives and develop the ideals which he lived and taught. With the approval of the whole student body. we. the Seniors, extend to our beloved principal and instructor. H. Y. Porter, our sincere and heartfelt congratulations. We hope that we have made an imnression in his life also, have helped, even in the slightest degree, to influence and mold his life into the success it is and will continue to be.

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