Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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“THE ANNUAL MESSAGE.” When school days we have left behind, And serious thoughts on work have bent. Memories clear shall flash to mind Of four years’ time at school well spent. Then, in this book a record true, Of our successful Senior year We’ll find. Our acts we’ll scan anew, And live them o'er with smile or tear. LELAND WISEMAN. FIVE YEARS OLD. THE HIGH SCHOOL OF COMMERCE closes the fifth year of its existence with the end of the present term. During these five years the number of students has been nearly doubled. We now have OVER EIGHT HUNDRED enrolled in the two schools, despite the fact that our facilities for properly taking care of these increasing numbers are grossly inadequate. Notwithstanding the lack of proper equipment and sufficient room for carrying on our work, we believe that progress has been made and that the year just closing has been the most satisfactory year of our existence. As teachers and pupils we are, alike, coming to have a better understanding and a better appreciation of our work. Then too, there are indications that relief will be provided ere long which encourages us to our best efforts. Recently at our suggestion the Board of Education appointed an Advisory Committee similar to the Committee that aided in the establishment of this school. We are pleased to see upon this new Committee the names of several gentlemen who rendered such excellent service in the organization of the High School of Commerce. We welcome with these the new members who, we feel assured, will interest themselves in the welfare of our school. We are looking to this Committee for valuable assistance along several lines among which may be mentioned, (1) In connecting the work of the school more closely with the business needs of the city; (2) In planning a way by which part time employment while attending school may be made more effective; and (3) In devising some way by which the necessary funds can be obtained to make possible the erection of a new building which will adequately care for our needs. We cannot allow ourselves to believe that an institution so admirably conceived to meet the business needs of Cleveland and which is so successfully carrying out the intentions of its founders will be permitted to o

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RESPONSIBILITY. O ESPONSIBILITY as an asset should be firmly imbedded in the char- acter. It carries a power that is sure to bring success. To wait until asked to do a thing shows weakness. To wait for the other fellow to do the work is fatal. But to go ahead upon one’s own responsibility means success. The rule, “Do the thing, and above all, do the thing right,” if adopted as a world motto would revolutionize human actions, for failure comes to an enterprise because somebody has lacked in responsibility. Do not be the underling of life, scorned by everybody; climb to the top rung of the ladder. One can reach this height only by having a clear conception of the word, “Responsibility.” FALSE PRIDE. A VIEW of the articles which have accumulated in the “Lost and Found” box in the office, leads one to believe that some people are proud, even to a fault. Rings, bar-pins, brooches, stick-pins, school pins of various shapes and forms, to say nothing of the numerous pocket-books, are in the collection. Each ornament was once treasured. Each purse had an owner. What is it that makes a person ashamed to reclaim these articles once highly valued? Were it diamond, ruby, opal, pearl or a solid gold ornament, a thing of great value to the owner, he would soon show that he had lost something; he would do his utmost to regain it. Articles of slight value, the owner cares not to find. False pride makes him refuse to acknowledge ownership, even when attention has been called to the finding of his property. This condition is too common. Real individual strength demands that we discontinue this course. Throw “False Pride” to the wind; stand up like a person of strength and say, “That’s mine.” CLEVELAND’S NEW HIGH SCHOOL OF COMMERCE. RECENTLY Cleveland has become one of the twelve cities in the United States to have a regional reserve bank. This according to the general opinion of business people will give our city “a world-wide prominence as financial, commercial and industrial center.” In view of the fact that we are the sixth city in population, and in addition have a regional reserve bank, our attention is naturally called to the fact that the City of Cleveland lacks a new High School of Commerce. Since Commerce pupils have commenced filling responsible positions, business men are realizing more and more that graduates of our high school are well fitted for business life. Our graduates attain practical and envied positions, in spite of the many inconveniences in the present building, and with a new building the pupils would be able greatly to increase their efficiency. The erection of such a building may be a combination of twelve Herculean labors, but our Board of Education, it is hoped, may be able to accomplish the task, and thus cause Hercules to turn green with envy in view of their great powers. HOMER TWITCH ELL. 8

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suffer for lack of opportunity, or have its development arrested by lack of adequate housing or equipment. Our needs are too obvious, our claims are too just to need any campaign of education to convince the general public or the educational authorities of the justice of our cause; nor is it necessary to resort to any cheap political tactics to impress upon those in authority the need of early action. But great as is our need, and however unfortunate the neglect in providing relief may be, it is far better, in our judgment, to endure disappointment and deprivation than for us as teachers, pupils or parents to resort to any clamorous and un-American methods of arousing public indignation against the regularly constituted authorities, because they have not promptly granted our request for immediate action. If the erection of a new building for the High School of Commerce is dependent upon public agitation of this sort, inspired and directed by the principal and teachers of this school through its patrons, we will go without a new building. Obedience and loyalty to constituted authority is of more value to a community than imposing piles of brick and mortar. Happily I do not believe that resort to any unusual or extreme methods is necessary, or will in any degree advance our prospects for a new building. I have too much faith in the saving sense of the good people of this prosperous city to believe that they will not support any reasonable measures to provide revenues necessary for the erection of a new building for the High School of Commerce, to the end that the patrons of this school may be provided with facilities for their work equal to those enjoyed by the other Technical and Academic schools of the city. We ask for no advantages not enjoyed in like degree by the patrons of the other high schools. We believe the Board of Education stands ready to take the necessary action when ways and means can be found to make such action possible. We put our trust in the justice of our cause and we wait in faith the coming of the better day. S. WEIMER. 10