Charles W Baker High School - Lyre Yearbook (Baldwinsville, NY)

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6 THE SENIOR LYRE Again came the most dreaded thing of all—the examinations, which made us lose many more classmates. We, the honorable ones, as third year students, again entered the Assembly Room, aware of the notice we received on August thirty-first: every seat was filled. Indeed, the demand for training in mathematics was so great that the Board was forced to hire a supplementary instructor to teach a half day. Miss Sherwood filled the position. This fall many of our men robbed the Seniors of the honors of the football season. The girls were permitted the privilege of join- ing the Literary Club. But after becoming members of that organ- ization they were informed, much to their dismay, that Juniors were not allowed to hold office. However, despite this fact, the Seniors could not prohibit the Faculty from selecting Junior members for participants in the “Rhetoricals.” In the spring, we had the honor of having one of our class chosen as a county representative in the Spelling Meet between Madison and Onondaga. Miss Shapero’s solution of that problem in mathematics must have been attractive; for Miss Kiley also announced her intention of proving that two can live as inexpensively as one. After having been a schoolmaster in such an exceedingly large city for seven whole years. Principal Miller, thinking he needed a change of atmosphere and occupation, decided to become a mer- chant in his own home town. Three days before the close of school came the most important event of the year. The Principal was summoned to the office on some very pressing business, namely, to see some roses. But on his desk, much to his astonishment, he beheld a beautiful gold watch, which bore an inscription expressing the good wishes of the teachers and students. His surprise was so great that he lost his power of speech, thus being unable to conduct his classes. 1 he teachers, since they now had a merchant in their midst, thought they might have an inexpensive farewell banquet in honor of the one who had done so much for the welfare of the school at a very critical time. Many of the guests at the banquet, desiring to see the gift from the students and teachers of Baldwinsville’s 1 hree Schools, asked Mr. Miller whether he would not allow them to pass it around the table. Fearing something would happen to his precious treasure, he felt very loathe to let it go; but finally he gave his consent. When the watch reached the president of the Board of Education, Mr. illiams said, “Seeing the students have put a watch on Mr. Miller, my colleagues on the Board will chain him.” 1 his June, instead of losing many of our classmates through the nerve-racking exams, we found that, to our good fortune, we had added many to our number. On September seventh, we, the stately Seniors, entered the Study

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THE SENIOR LYRE insignificant pieces of humanity we were beside those great big Seniors. As school progressed, the football season opened. Then for the first time in their lives, some witnessed, much to their astonishment and horror, a real football game. Indeed, to think we were allowed to yell with the older students, for the team, which we soon dis- covered, belonged to us just as much as to them, made us feel more at home. While the Chapel Exercises seemed to delight us, there was an exceedingly weighty question burdening us. How were we. who had been accustomed to cpiiet, uninterrupted study hours, to endure that huge study hall? .... In June came those awful exams which were to decide that many of us should no longer he counted in the Class of 1916. The following September we came together for the second time, although some of our number were not present. They had left the dear B. H. S. never again to return there as students. Now we were given new seats in the middle of the hall, much to our pride and joy, and then permitted to cal! ourselves “worthy Sophomores.” To our regret Miss Kinney was not present. But who was that important looking person standing at the desk? There had once been a “Fish” among the students: now we were to have the pleas- ure of tasting “Pike.” A few weeks later. Miss Shapero, our mathematics instructor, announced that she had decided that two could live as cheaply as one, and that, when she subtracted Miss Kiley was the remainder. Miss Kiley caused much excitement because of her stately black gowns and diamond ring, which we guessed was transferred to the right hand for some purpose for which we could not account. But our conjecture was wrong. As now we had reached a higher degree, we were permitted to enter into club activities. The girls in the Social Culture Class were instructed by the teachers on “How to dress,” “How to conduct themselves properly,” or to sum it up. “What they should and should not do in public as well as in private life.” We also joined, at this time, the Glee Club under the supervision of Miss Roth. The boys had the privilege of becoming members of the Debate Club. Through one of this club’s social activities, one of the songs which had been having a hard struggle, burst into full glory, so that for some time “I Don’t Want To” could be heard on every stu- dent’s tongue. One of our classmates, striving to gain honor for the school, de- livered an oration, which thrilled more than one audience and car- ried off the highest honors at Skaneateles.

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THE SENIOR EYRE 7 Hall, with all the dignity and pride of being the recognized members of the school. At the desk was our new principal—A. Wesley Armitage, who seemed strangely out of place to us. Miss Sherwood had taken Miss Kiley’s place, while Miss Chaffee was to be the supplementary teacher this year. There was a scramble for seats and oh ! such a time—until Miss Hyatt, our preceptress during our High School career, had given the Seniors permission to sit together till more desks could be placed in the Study Hall. Many of the young men of our class shone in the 1915 football squad. The girls became prominent members and officials of the Literary Club. The boys in the “Boys’ Debate Club,” during all the fall and early winter months, were silently but surely prepar- ing for their great victory in March. Three of our class mates were chosen by the High School for the Council of the Athletic Association. The Literary Club, which had been reorganized in January under the supervision of the Training Class and Seniors, entertained the Boys’ Debate Club on March 16. in honor of the victory in the Solvay-Baldwinsville Debate. This banquet was one of the crowning events of the year. The Debate Club, not to be outdone by the girls, who, from the experience of the boys, had learned not to “trust mules.” retal- iated by inviting the girls to a joint meeting. The entertainment furnished by the boys brought out some remarkably fine pros- pective lawyers. These same young men, who had again and again proclaimed themselves such capable business managers, proved in April their efficiency for raising money, by having, instead of a profit, a deficit of twenty dollars. . When the eighty members in our Glee Club decided that our school must be up-to-date in at least one thing, ancl therefore set about raising money with which to purchase a victrola, some of the boys, who could not resist such a good example, found imple- ments enough to organize “Our Wonderful Drum Corps.” During this year Mr. Armitage, who believes that all knowl- edge can not be obtained from books, secured some splendid slides and pictures. These were shown by an excellent lecturer who was kind enough to allow some of the profits to be used for our library, in which every standard magazine, with the exception of those portraying “The Latest Parisian Styles” and “How to Become Beautiful.” can be found. We girls always said that the boys were the teachers’ favorites and now we’re sure they are. The greatest surprise, which almost surpassed Mr. Miller’s of the preceding year, came on May 22. when the Glee Club gave a party for Miss Roth and presented her with a leather traveling bag. Meanwhile, however, the Senior Class, which had organized and chosen its officers, was carrying on its other important busi- ness with discussions so heated as to raise the thermometer to a higher degree than ever raised by “Sunshine” or “Sunfish.”