Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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le gffjn lQlS:fIl rqgtf, Q.-X . I HE BEHCDN ' XJ neon: semzia. . a paid circulation of 950, that could easily be explained by pointing to the novelty of the thing. lt won't happen again, they said. Since the appearance of the first number, two numbers have been pub- lished each year, except in I9I9, when it was made impossible by the closing of the schools for a long period on account of the inffuenza epidemic. No issue has failed to pay for itself. For the issue of January, l920, the boys and girls secured advertising to the amount of 551,083 and, in a school of not quite fifteen hundred pupils, bought over fourteen hundred copies of the book. Already we have secured for this issue more than 51.200 in advertising and we are planning to print eighteen hundred copies. This brief review of the business his- tory of the Beacon is given because of what it signifies. From the beginning, Cleveland boys and girls have been push- ing this venture of theirs with a tremendous enthusiasm. If anyone doubts the exist- ence of such a thing as Cleveland spirit. let him take note of what it has done for our book. Our former Superintendent of Instruction, Mr. Ben Blewett, who for many years prior to his becoming Super- intendent was Assistant Superintendent, was an earnest believer in the value of voluntary student activities in the High School. Vve are confident that the value depends first of all and ultimately upon the attitude of the Principal. If lVlr. Herman F. Hoch, our retiring Principal, will be remembered by Cleveland pupils for one thing more than anything else it will be for his fine understanding of this very thing. What could a student ven- ture like this do but thrive under the kind- ly appreciation and inspiring enthusiasm of this man? The success of the Beacon, therefore. becomes part of the record of achievement of Cleveland High School boys and girls. And upon every page of that record are evidences of the fine personality of Mr. Hoch. As he leaves us he takes with him our most earnest wishes for his happiness. ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY. Among the good qualities which a good citizen must possess, probably the most necessary is that of assuming responsibil- ity, or holding himself responsible for as- signed tasks. It is, no doubt, considered the most valuable because it is absolutely essential to success. Not that success can be attained by this quality alone, but it does play an important part in the achieve- ment. Take for instance, the citizen in his business relations. If he intends to make a success of his business, must he not hold himself responsible for his assigned work. see to it that it is done, that it is done well, and that it is done in the time allotted him? Or may he neglect his work, and do it when it is convenient for him, or leave it undone, and still be successful? He need not foster the hope of being ad- vanced if he continues to act thus. The same case applies to a man holding a political office. If he is given an office it is his duty to assume the responsibility for the work of that office. He cannot hope to retain his position, when time after time he neglects the public needs and at- tends to his own affairs. This quality, however, is necessary not only for good citizenship in the business world but also for good school-citizenship. Work assigned in the school-room does not differ from work assigned in the office, so far as the duty to see that it is done is concerned. Then why should lessons so often be considered secondary matters which should give place to personal af- fairs? Why should they be neglected or done carelessly so frequently any more than other work? Nothing exercises so direct an influence in shaping a man's future as his early training. lf, while a student he neglects his work, he cannot be successful when he goes out into the world, because he has never developed this valuable quality of assuming responsibility. If, on the other hand, he does develop this quality to the full, he will not only attain success at school, but will continue to reap the re- wards of his merit after he goes out into the world. Edith Faszholz. June '20. Page Nine

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