Axton High School - Axtonian Yearbook (Axton, VA)

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THE AXTONIAN In connection with health, recreation must be considered also. The school should become the community recreational center to which young people could come at speci- fied times and learn to mix and mingle. Another important thing which must be a part of all school curriculums in the post- war world is technology or industrial science. The changes brought about by aviation, radio, cable, and other technological inventions, from the standpoint of community rela- tionship, makes our world no larger, perhaps, than the Thirteen Colonies at the time this republic was founded. Our veterans, no doubt, realize this more than we on the home front. “With the modern methods of warfare, a despot could rule the world as easily as a small state in the eighteenth century.” 9 To really be a good citizen, youth must be given a greater vision of our American fore- fathers and the future of our America. Democracy must be translated into the work and life of our schools. The American ideals of the dignity of the individual, the brotherhood of man. and the equality of races must be grasped by all Americans. To make this pos- sible, there is no better way than to teach in our schools the great laws of human behavior as found in the Bible. In teaching these, non-sectarian principles must be followed ; the re- sults, if these are taught rightly, will be a realization, by the citizens of tomorrow, of the way one should treat his fellow men. The golden rule is the basic principle for a world peace. Americans must also grasp a conception of the world at large — a world that has be- come a community in which all nations must learn to live together. Isolation is no longer possible in this modern world. Fellow classmates, we must get this grand conception of the world if we have not al- ready grasped it, in order to help rebuild this war torn world. As we bid you, our friends, farewell, we want to ask your help in working with us, and the graduates to come, in bearing the heavy responsibilities that will be ours in the postwar world. Farewell. 0 Gladys Talbert, Valedictorian 1. Virginia Journal of Education, (February, 1945), p. 229 2. Reader’s Digest, (February, 1945), p. 321 3. Virginia Journal of Education, loc. cit. 4. Ibid., p. 246 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid., p. 244 7. Mother’s Home Life, (February, 1945), p. 2 8. The University of Virginia Neivs Letter, (February 15, 1945) 9. C. S. Counts, Education in Postwar World The World Order, ed. by F. E. Johnson, (Harper, 1944), p. 133 Page Thirty-two

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THE AXTONIAN qualified teachers, to meet the great need for better instruction, higher pay must be given all teachers. Furthermore, qualified teachers cannot instruct pupils effectively unless they have more and better equipment. As an example of what the best equipment can do, the army and navy have reduced to six months some courses which in our public schools or colleges require one full year of work. Our educators understand the reason for the difference. Dr. Dabney Lancaster, our State Superintendent of Education, has said : The armed forces have all the teaching aids needed: maps, charts, diagrams, pictures, equipment, regardless of cost. Give public schools the same facilities, the same skilled teachers, and the results will follow. 4 In order to secure better teaching equipment, our State Board of Education is backing a program for the postwar consolidation of high schools; that is, the six hundred recog- nized high schools may be consolidated into two hundred, “so that better academic, tech- nical, and vocational courses can be offered.” 5 The cost of this program cannot be borne by the state alone; the local communities must do their part. There are many counties whose support of education does not correspond with their ability. Our county of Henry, I am confident, will not fall into this list but will carry out her part well in putting over an ef- ficient postwar educational program. The federal government will also expand educational opportunities at the youth level after the war, but not along the same lines perhaps as the N.Y.A. and C.C.C. Camps of the depression. There are, for example, the postwar vo- cational schools to serve rural communities as proposed by the George Dondero Bill. Presi- dent Roosevelt’s statement, made before a White House Conference on rural education, that “the federal government must provide aid to schools where needed” 6 is another evi- dence of the federal recognition of educational needs. Adult education will also be given more attention in the already established vocational schools. After the war we shall see an advance in the conception of education, not only in the schools but in non-school agencies also. Greater emphasis will be placed on the home, the church, clubs, recreation centers, travel and other types of personal contacts as educational features. In the postwar years education for democracy will receive greater emphasis. Democ- racy is measured by the number of true leaders and one of the ways to produce these is to seek out the talents of our young people and develop these for true leadership in our gov- ernment. How to train young people to be better leaders is an important problem. The Dean of Columbia University says: Training does not mean turning out bright young men who have been taught pat answers. It means developing in scores of thousands of men the talent for bringing intelligence to bear on our national needs. 7 If young people are to have the ability to solve our nations’ problems, the curriculum must be enlarged to include more basic things. First in everyone’s life is health. A healthy body and mind is needed by everyone to enable him to be a happy and useful citizen. If the larger number of people is to benefit by health education, it must be included in the schools for both veterans and school chil- dren. Veterans must have psychiatric as well as medical care to enable them to overcome their war experiences. School children must become more health conscious. Lois Benedict, Director of the Children’s Bureau of Virginia’s Welfare Department, says that children committed as delinquents are not in good physical health ; only 4.8 per cent need no medi- cal attention. 8 There is no doubt but that children in general need more physical care both in school and out. More people can be reached through the schools by physical education programs and clinics. Physical education instructors and school nurses must be provided for in every public school. The responsibility must not rest on the class room teachers alone. Page Thirty-one

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OUTSTANDNIG SENIORS — (1) Mary Elliott, salutatorian. (2) Gladys Talbert, valedictorian. (3) Lee Agee, best all-around senior boy. (4) Cinderellas in senior play: Edith Gravely and Lois Grant. (5) V. L. L. debating teams (L to R) : Helen Gregory, Randolph Jones, Lee Agee, Billy Barrow, Ellen Earles and Mamie Eanes. (6) Anne Starling, best all-around senior. OTHER CLASSMATES — (7) Engle Hankins, as we knew him. (8) Buddies, Agee and Norton. (9) Our fun- maker, J. T. Richardson, holding up “a rat”. (10) Sam Robertson, ’43 classmate in the navy. (11), (12), and (13) Classmates who were with us through the junior year (L to R) : Gladys Hodges, Elizabeth McDaniel, and Hazel Brumfield.