Atwood Hammond High School - Post Yearbook (Atwood, IL)

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Let me arid that the time is soon to comr, or rather is al hand, when township high schools must be introduced everywhere in this State. The needs of the rising generation require them and must have them. Colleges and many high schools are too far away and too expensive to fulfill the needs of the great mass of boys and girls, and the time has come when it is necessary that there be better educated in the future than in the past. There are numerous other reasons why we should have a new school house in Atwood, but space forbids that they be named. Let me again ask you to consider deeply this question before you refuse to support the plan to erect a new school house in Atwood. This is a question that must be decided by you in the near future. ill you refuse to do the right and miblic spirited thing when this question is set before you to be voted on ? For come to a vote it must, and it is sincerely hoped by the writer that it will be considered before the close of the year. Look at this question from the broad side. Consider the great and unending good that it will do and do not refuse to push on the movement on account of the loss of a few paltry dollars. He is a poor citizen who measures the educational and physical welfare of the rising generation in dollars and cents.

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present needs! One that will make the heart of every Atwoodian swell with pride? and one that will last for years to come? Why not build it now and let your own cliildren enjoy the benefit of it ? It is a well known fact that the old building, which is now in use, will not last but a few more years at the most. Why wait until it crumbles and fall, possibly on the heads of your children ? You have but one reasonable excuse to offer for not building a new school house, and that is the same old complaint that has been heard ever since humanity needed school houses, viz: it will cost too much. Did you ever figure out just what it would cost you to build ; now public school in Atwood? No, you have not. You imagine that it will almost bankrupt you and therefore you kick like a broncho when a new school house is mentioned. It has been estimated that a school building such as we need in Atwood, one that is equipped with modern facilities and adapted to the needs of the pupils, teachers and the public in general, would cost about twenty thousand dollars. This may seem like a large sum when viewed as the debt of one man to he paid in a year’s time, hut it does not need to be paid in one year or even two, nor by one man. It could easily be paid in ten years at the rate of two thousand dollars per year, and the school tax would not bankrupt anybody nor even put them in stringent circumstances. Can you, Mr. Taxpayer, with honest convictions, stand up and say that we do not need a new school house in Atwood or that we cannot afford it? Will you continue to blight the hopes and opportunities of your children by . ending them to study in an old grimy, dirty, weather-beaten shack that ought to be used for a hog shed? Do you realize that you may be endangering the lives of your children by sending them to study in such a foul, ill-lighted, poorly constructed, overcrowded, noise-producing shell? The Atwood school has a reputation of being a good school, but you cannot hold that reputation if you do not have a more substantial building, one that meets our advanced requirements. .Just because the old school house has answered in the past does not signify that it will answer in the future. There ought to be a new building in order to maintain our present standard of school work and there must be a new building before that standard can be raised. The limit has been reached in the old house. While speaking of a new school building in Atwood, it occurs to the writer that a township high school would be a good thing to organize. Township high schools are attracting a great deal of attention at present and since we need a new building so badly in Atwood, why not put up a school house that will not belie its name? It seems that Atwood could not be better situated for a double township high school. Being situated as it is on the line between Garrett and Unity townships, and about five miles from the north line and three miles from the south line. Would it not be possible for the people of Garrett and Unity townships to form a coalition with the Atwood school district and in connection with putting up a building to accommodate the pupils of the grades, build a high school department that would accommodate all the high school pupils of the two townships, Atwood included? The departments for the grades to be paid for by the Atwood school district and the high school part to be paid for bv the aforesaid townships and the Atwood school district in proportion as they are benefited. By making a building of this type it would not only be possible, but it would be expedient to introduce agri culture, domestic science and practical educational courses. Such courses as are now attracting a great deal of worthy attention in up-to-date high schools.

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The Preliminary Contest. Fern Mastkrson, ‘11. The preliminary oratorical contest between Beinent, Hammond and Atwood was held April 21, in the First Christian Church in Atwood. The program began about eight o’clock with a song by the Atwood High School, after which Rev. Thom vs gave the invocation. The essays we e i x . and tlire • contestants. Miss Audrey Whistler of Bement, Miss Fima South of Hammond and Miss Winifred Wilson of Atwood entere 1 for this event. The essays were all very good, and showed that considerable time and thought had been spent on them. There were only two entries for the declamation, namely: Mr. Paul Flower of Bement and Miss Rita Storev of Atwood. The rendition ol their selections displaced individual talent and the interest of the audience was held throughout. Next came the oration, but since neither Bement nor Hammond were represented in this. Mr. Augustus South of Atwood had no competitor. TTis oration was interesting, and he delivered it in a forcible manner. The contestants for the piano solo were Mdss Nelda Lamb of Bement and ML -Me’en Dam of Atwood. Helen’s pre sen tat ion of “be Re”eil D’amour,” a seventh grade selection showed sympathetic interpretation and received benrtv applause. As soon as the contest was over the .judges, who were from Champaign. Illinois, repaired to an ante-room to make their decisions. While they were discussing the merits of the contestants, the Hammond and Atwood High Schools and also the alumni of the Atwood High School, entertained the audience with various school songs and veils. After about forty minutes of impatient waiting by the audience the judges reappeared and their decisions were announced by Mr. Samuels. Miss Audrey Whistler of Bement won first place in the essay with a grade of 8!) 2-3, while Miss Winifred Wilson of Atwood was a close second, having obtained 89 1-3 points. Miss Rita Storey of Atwood was victor in the declamation, having a grade of 95. while Mr. Paul Flower of Bement had 9+ 2-3 points. Mr. Augustus South of Atwood won the oration without competition. Miss TTe'en Davis of Atwood easilv won the piano solo over her opponent, Miss Nelda Lamb of Bement. Tbe former obtained 96. while tbe latter bad a grade of 91 2-3. Atwood was well pleased with the victorv of her contestants, and all departed from tbe preliminary contest with a feeling of pride and expectation of greater victories at the final meet on May 19tli.