Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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more than ever convinced that “vocational education,” so called, is the constitutional right of public school children who are unable, or for any reason, unwilling, to attend college and the private professional school. The atmosphere surrounding a training school for a business man must be as significant as to the vocational aim of the school as that of the normal training school for the teacher, the technical school for the engineer, the medical school for the doctor, or the theological school for the minister. Because of sharp competition in all forms of industry and commerce, in order to compete successfully for a fair share of trade in any occupation, a high degree of skill is required. This makes special training in the schools almost imperative. Business men are coming to insist that in addition to general intelligence and general training the boys and girls who seek employment must know some things specifically about the work they are expected to perform. The day of apprenticeship is passing. While, of course, the boy just out of school cannot be expected to do expert work to begin with, yet he should be of some value to his employer at once; at least he should not be a burden because of ignorance of the fundamental principles of trade and the best methods of recording transactions. He should come to his employment with a degree of confidence in his own ability to do accurate work. The school of his preparation should be so permeated with the business atmosphere and the practices of office and store that the pupil shall experience no shock in his transition from school to office, from the simulated business of the school room to the actual business of life. In the High School of Commerce the work is so planned and the departments so correlated as to give emphasis to the supreme purpose of the school, namely business and social efficiency. The cultural and disciplinary value of a study is surely rot lessened by placing before the pupil a motive for its mastery. On the contrary the motive gives greater significance to the subject, and thereby increases the pupil’s interest and consequently induces greater effort on his part. To illustrate: A pupil studies English, why? Language, both oral and written, is a business necessity. The pupil needs, therefore, a large and varied vocabulary. It must include the names of commercial articles along a great many different lines of trade. The acquisition of these words to his vocabulary takes on a new interest entirely lacking if the thought of the future use of these terms in commercial transactions is not before the pupil’s mind. For instance he now has in mind a possible dictation from his employer in which these terms shall be rapidly told eff in commercial correspondence, and he must make no mistake. He dare not interrupt, and he must know not only how to spell, but he must know the meaning of terms employed. He must also know how to punctuate and to paragraph. Clearness, conciseness, and forcefulness of style are daily impressed as among the cardinal virtues of business correspondence. Again he is made to understand that oral expression is, if possible, of greater importance in business negotiation than the written message. Hence his 9

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f e €t itors Some beautiful day in the middle of May, You’ll all find The Annual a book that will pay. Don’t think of forgetting the editors, bright, But take them in turn and, observe, in my light. There’s little George Groman, who did all the working, And “Tcughy” Frank Crebbin who liked to do shirking. And our friend Clara Pfister, the dear little mite, Who when standing by Leopold was quite out of sight. And next comes Joe Bernstein, our solicitor, jolly, And also George Hach, superintending our folly, Then Christine Eggleston, preserved the decorum, And Romanis, the Roman brought good topics for ’em. Elsie Mead oft blue-penciled the Annual art, And Murphy wrote history from finish to start. Don’t forget Lionel Russon, of the class called “Wise Fools” Who missed not a meeting and obeyed all the rules. Homer Twitchcll, the freshman or otherwise “Flat” Is last on the list but he’ll never mind that. We’ve completed our work and we hope it will last, As a gentle reminder of things that are past. ELSIE MEAD, 1911. 3TU o earfi of probation WITH the present term, the High School of Commerce completes the second year of its existence. Notwithstanding the fact that the school started in an unattractive building, inconvenient of access to the larger number of its patrons, and inadequate to care properly for its pupils, the school has not only held its own, but in spite of this handicap, has, in its two years of existence, steadily increased in numbers much beyond the capacity of the present structure. These have been two years of probation. We have been on trial. Have we justified ourselves? As a school we are answerable to the school board that authorized our establishment, to the advisory committee that assisted in our organization, and to the business community that employs our graduates. We are also responsible to the boys and girls themselves. Arc we fitting them adequately fer the life they are to lead? Do the opportunities afforded them in this school give them the right sort of preparation for the occupation they are to follow, and does this preparation tend not only to make them efficient in their chosen vocation, but does it qualify them for useful citizenship? We believe these questions can be answered in the affirmative. We are 8

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interest in oral discourse and debate is aroused. He secs a new meaning in his English exercises. It is now not simply the will of his teacher that he should prepare his lessons in English. He is no longer studying his lessons to satisfy his teacher and to make a passing grade. He is working for himself. He is personally interested and wants to know for himself. The same is true in mathematics, science, etc., subjects apparently only remotely related to his expected occupation; they now take on a new meaning. He sees that all these subjects are vitally related to the affairs of life and human activity. Mathematics, including arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, is presented so as to show the relation of these subjects to each other and to give the pupil knowledge of the equation, drill in demonstration, and skill in the manipulation of number, especially the latter, to the end that the pupil may have ready control of numbers in computation. So with science. Chemistry and physics are made to give up their fundamental laws whereby the student is enabled to test the purity of articles of commerce, to detect adulterations, and to determine the quality of goods offered for sale. Modern languages are studied not primarily for their literature but rather for the sake of acquiring the ability to converse, and to carry on correspondence in business negotaticn. Art is studied “not so much to give proficiency in the arts and crafts as to give a discriminating taste and judgment.” In this department the pupil is taught, among other things, how best to display goods, cleverness in advertising, how to attract and retain trade. The pupil is encouraged to self expression. Whatever creative talent he may possess is developed without the sacrifice of originality. In addition to the more technical subjects such as bookkeeping, shorthand, and typewriting, courses arc taken in “Local Industries” and “Municipal Activities.” Classes in local industries make excursions to the important manufacturing plants of the city and study the methods of production. They visit the larger wholesale and retail stores and study at first hand business organization and business methods. The classes in municipal activities study all forms of social activities, both public and private. They familiarize themselves with all the branches of the city government and their various functions; study institutions for social betterment, both public and private, penal and reformatory. The students are thus being trained for intelligent and useful citizenship. The founders of this school believed that results could be obtained that would justify the establishment of a high school devoted exclusively to preparation for a life of business. The two years of experiment have, we believe, to an extent verified their judgment. While all our ideals have not yet been attained and perhaps never can be realized, yet we feel that progress has been made and that in the years to come the judgment of the founders of this type of vocational school will be more abundantly justified. THE PRINCIPAL. 10