Ben Blewett High School - Brochure Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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amrsrrzraat mnriszm words A spelling match was suggested which was approved by the boys and the instructor proposed that any two of the boys organize the group for a match Two boys stepped out and after a conference in one corner of the room proceeded to organize the group and ln a few minutes the group was divided and the two sides were combating each other the two leaders pro nouncing the words and the instructor acting as umplre Upon inquiry I found the two leaders had been pupils at Junior High Another illustration of the process by which self starters are made is that of the work seen during advisory periods Very recently I visited a certain group during the advisory period at Junior and saw the following President took charge of group Two or three pupils spoke of the an nual number of the junior Life emphasizing the importance of assisting in making it a success Three new pupils had just Joined the class one from a junior High in Los Angeles The President called upon different members to explain to these pupils the program of the school Certain pupils volunteered to escort the new pupils to lurch room and other class rooms The pupil from Los Angeles was invited to tell of the junior High from which he came questions Certain representatives of clubs spoke of the advantages of clubs and encouraged members to be more active The following clubs and actlv ities were discussed Paper Collections Savings Bank Use of Library Auditorium Sessions and Behavlor in the Lunch Room A pupil was requested to prepare a forceful speech for the next day setting forth reasons why the group should have its picture in the Annual of the Junior Life During the last twenty minutes the teacher took charge of the group and the problems of the class rooms were discussed The work of each class period was taken up and diiliculties encountered by pupils removed as far as possible In one case the assignment in Mathematics was not clear to a few pupils and was cleared up by other members and the teacher One pupil said he was falling behind in History Others endeavored to offer suggestions to him and one boy who seemed to be his pal said the trouble was in a lack of preparation He advised his friend to spend more time in study The teacher then offered some valuable suggestions as to how to do home study The entire hour was spent in discussions of matters relative to the development of a better school spirit and in assisting pupils who needed help either in bringing about better conduct or class room work Other subjects of vital importance to the work of individual pupils and the morale of the school were laid over for the next advisory perlod I have always been interested in the boys found in Dickens writin s as compared with those of James Whitcomb Riley The process of education ll! I 1 I - ' ' A I t . l O' , D 1 ' 7 y . , . . ' ' ' Lt 97 ' H . . ,, . . . . . . 3 l 1 . . . After he had told of its leading features, the other pupils asked him numerous . I .U . . . . I . . , . . pn S

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sm UBIRUV' i 0: The fdunwr Lie Bear knob PUBLISHED ANNUALLY BY 'rr-IE BEN BLEWETT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ST LOUIS MISSOURI Stll Stllttls Hb, Blewett jurxcr IS closmcf tts fifth year Many of 1ts students Q C who attended durmff 1ts first year are now finlshlng thelr Erst gig year of a un1vers1ty educatlon many others durmg th1s tlme have left school at the close of the mnth year and are found 1n mdustrlal occupatxons down town where I frequently meet them I have been deeply mterested rn th1s school smce 1ts orgamzatlon and xt has been my prwrlege and dehbht to have been assocnated ln an ofhcxal capac 1ty wlth 1ts work durmg three years of 1ts l1fe I am therefore mterested ln the future l1fe of the boys and glrls of jumor and never fall to note the degree of success of these pup1ls after leavlng the jumor Were I to attempt to express ln one word the leadmg character1st1c developed 1n a. majorlty of the pup1ls of jumor Hlgh lt would be that they are made self starters I speak from exper1ence when I say that th1s IS not a school where the teachers turn cranks that set pup1ls 1n mot1on An opportun1ty IS glven each pupll to exercise an 1n1t1at1ve whlch makes that pupll a self starter Many d6H1'11lClOI1S of a Jumor hngh school may be found 1n books and magazlnes but I shall here be presumptuous enough to com a new one a jun1or hlgh ns a school so orgamzed that puprl 3CtlVlty results from self starters and not from the use of cranks Here IS your opportun1ty wh1ch lS to determme later whether you are to lead or to follow whether you can thlnk and act for yourself or whether your employer or overseer must always turn the crank that sets you 1n motlon Thrs power of 1n1t1at1ve I see 1n pup1ls of Ben Blewett both ln school and out of school I recently v1s1ted a group of boys rn the auto mechamcs shop of the Con txnuat1on School In makmg certaln drawmgs lt was necessary for them to use some techmcal terms Thrs called for the spellmg of some qu1te drfficult l -- ...- Y I 0 XS ' v , . v r - . 1 , 1 . I I L . , . -1 . . . . . Q : ' 1 b . 1,1 . . . . . nu' - ' gg. iff . . . . . . . , ,: ' ' ,E .,, l . . . . SJ , ,-JN I I Y . . .U . . - - v - y , . . . . . U ,, , . . . . .. . . . H ,, , . . . . U ,, .. N v v - Y

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mama, maj as revealed IH Dlckens boys was far dlfferent from that offered the boys descrxbed by Rlley The Dnkens boy was anythlng but a self starter wh1le the Rxley boy always possessed certam lflltlatlVE whnch IS revealed ln the above lllL1StI'3tlOllS For 1llustrat1on httle Paul Dombeys educatlon was adapted to adult hfe mstead of that of chlldhood Thls novel lb mtended to depnct the prxde and selfishness of old London merchants Old Dombey when l1ttle Paul was but 8 hours and 40 mmutes old sand Dombey and Son would be the name of the firm Old Dombey thought the world was made for th1s new f1rm to trade rn and so Paul was tramed for the hrm Hls mother dxed when he was but a few days old and the father became h1s tutor When just able to talk hls f1rst lessons 1n language and ar1thmet1c by hls father were such e ons as would endeavor to gxve the youngster som 1dea of the purchasmg power of money H1s father would talk to hxm about the great value of money One day l1ttle Paul sald Papa can money do anyth1ng9 and when old Dombey replled Yes l1ttle Paul sald Why dldnt If save Mamma? This set the father to thlnkm to play 1n the sand but she would never perrnlt the l1ttle fellow to ask any questlons One day when he dared to ask her a quest1on she told hmm the tory of a l1ttle boy who was gored to death by a bull for asklng questlons How rephed l1ttle Paul could a bull know that the l1ttle boy asked questlonsu Upon thls the ugly old nur e gave Paul a slap on the head and told him to attend to hxs own buslness Old Dr Bllmber the old professor one day sald to old Dombey who w1shed the professor to deal wlth Paul as an adult Instead of a boy Shall I make a man of your son before he 19 a chxldj Mr Dombey kept pllmg cares upon l1ttle Paul untxl he became old fash1oned and dred very early 1n hfe How could a self starter b p 0 duced under such a system of educat1on9 Thmk for yourselves 1n performmg the tasks ass1gned you by your teachers Meet determlnedly the rebuffs and dnsappolntments as they come to you In your thmkmg before drawmg a concluslon seek the advlce of cxperxenced persons A Self starter IS one who dares to take the mltlatxve m carrymg out convlctmons whlch he has reached through clear thmklng whlch comes as a result of such tramlng as you are recelvmg at un1or Be a Self starter 1n llfe mstead of always wartmg for some leader to turn the crank wh1ch w1ll set you m ITTOIIOU L W Rader I I Y 5 1 Y A YY N Y W rf- 4 'wg I -:tri ' X ' . - ' 9 1 ss . ' ' e ' ' ' hs V! ' Q ' .A ' ' ' 18 Mrs. Pitchin, an ugly old nurse, would take Paul down to the sea shore . A Q , ' ... . 4 . 4. ' 4 S ' , 4 I Q . . . . . H Q 1 . L4 4 4 l L. l L4 y '5 . . . . A ,L - ,, S r -