Blake School - Reflections / Call O Pan Yearbook (Hopkins, MN)

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Sunuiiirrs’ 9ag, 1913 The second annual Founder s Day celebration of the Blake School was held at the School on the afternoon and evening of October 30th, 1913. While in intent and purpose it was not as formal nor as serious as the celebration of 1912, still it was in many ways a memorable and delightful occasion. Theories of education were not indulged in at this time. No didactic and learned treatises on pedagogic methods or voluminous reports of school officials were heard. The true ideal of the Founders was perhaps better exemplified by the sort of celebration indulged in than it could have been in any other way, for this School was conceived to be a builder of character first and then a great link between father and mother and son The air of homelikeness that pervaded the campus on this day was more characteristic of Blake than would learned disquisitions and dusty theses have been. May we ever keep the proper blend of seriousness and frolic in our school life. May we ever seek to realize the lofty ideals of those who so generously have contributed to make this school like a light set upon a hill. The function began with a luncheon in the school dining room at one o’clock. The student body exhibited its talents here musically and otherwise. A picked team from the Faculty rendered a few vocal selections with much enthusiasm and little harmony. The operatic numbers that they gave were well received. The audience was kind and tried to enter into the spirit of informality and unpreparedness so well exemplified by the quartette. Then there were numerous songs by the school, wonderful tests of lung capacity if nothing else. Lord Jeoffrey Amherst was again disinterred and his praises sung with much gusto. The Princeton Tiger would have hied himself back to the shady copses in some Indian jungle could he have heard the imitation of the sounds he is popularly supposed to emit. Yale also came in for her meed of praise, not to say adulation. Taken altogether it was a very musical affair and would have done credit to almost any kind of an institution, county or state. The main feature of the luncheon was a humorous address by Mr. F. Smoyer. of the English department. Mr. Smoyer was at his best and did not disappoint the crowds of eager hearers who hung on his every word, listening for bits of humor that seemed never to come, waiting for scintillations that seemed ever reluctant to be released. Fie spoke at some length and although some were unable to remain for the final peroration, still those who did avail themselves of this exotic pleasure announced that they were satisfied. Of course there were other speeches. Gregg spoke with great eloquence and real feeling of the work of the Senior Class and of how they were endeavoring by force of word if not example to bring the institution up to that noble place which she ought to occupy and so on. B. Clifford delivered a masterful effort on school spirit as related to our anatomic and physiological condition. Stowell ex-1913-16 and 17. discussed at some length the proper relation of our scholastic

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FIFTH FORM FOURTH FORM

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efforts to the extra-curriculum affairs of the school life. He showed clearly that while the great emphasis should be placed on athletics and school spirit, each member of the student body should attend some classes at least during one semester. It is good to get these points of view. It keeps a school from taking itself too seriously. The luncheon was a huge success. During the last hour of Mr. Smoyer’s address, the weather had changed noticeably and the football game which had been arranged had to be postponed. Just to prove to unsuspecting parents that Blake was a versatile institution and was developing the power of concentration, an impromptu debate was staged immediately after the address. The subject was one of perennial interest to those interested in school affairs. Resolved that “the Voice is a greater factor in school life than muscle. Winter and Staples supported the affirmative of the proposition while B. Clifford and Puffer contended for the power of muscle. The teams were well matched and were sincere and forceful in their presentation of the arguments. Never has Winter appeared before the school to such advantage as on this day when he was defending his very right to existence. His extreme reluctance to display of any kind being overcome and his natural modesty for once being sacrificed, he really made a great impression on the audience and had the judges been at all competent and a little less timorous, Voice would have triumphed, but sic semper tyr-annis. Staples too emerged from the quiet of his everyday existence and lifted up his mighty voice in righteous protest against the ever growing prestige of mere physical power. Fairly exuding wit and bristling with sarcasm, he moved his hearers to pity at least. Puffer and Clifford, made up to look like Ajax and Hercules, overpowered the audience as well as the judges by the weight of personality rather than by the force of argument. In fact, there is a great question whether they did not in a way endanger their chances of success by speaking at all. Had they merely stood there like physical giants armed only with bodily power and like the giants of mythology, totally devoid of any reasoning power or any eloquence, then might their task have been an easier one and the debate would have been sooner ended. The judges awarded the decision to the negative and so muscle once more triumphed as it has so often in the past few years. After this orgy came the Frolic. When all the young hopefuls had arrayed themselves in garbs most grotesque and humorous, there was an extensive parade and numerous contests in the play room. Mr. Kernan, made up to look like the traditional Hashimura Togo, directed these festivities and added greatly to the gaiety of nations by his unbounded enthusiasm and genius for play. It was a genuine delight to see the boys casting off for the nonce the seriousness of their everyday life and frolicking. The wan faces of the overworked beamed with happiness. Lines of care seemed suddenly to be removed as if by magic. Little bodies strained from over application to their tasks seemed to straighten up and brows sicklied o’er with the palecast of thought became invested with real joy. And later the huge bonfire and the scrap between the Browns and the Whites —it was a joyous day and one long to be remembered by all who were privileged to attend. The day was brought to a fitting close by a Father’s Dinner. Here again the spirit of seriousness was tempered with a spirit of frolic, here again the ideals of the school were made manifest and with song and speech the