High School of Commerce - Caduceus Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

Page 13 text:

HIGH SCHOOL O school paper. Because of this previous experience he was chosen adviser to succeed Mr. Melville. Before Mr. Chatto came to the high school. Com- merced id not have such novelties as the columns Cubby Hole and Sialic, or the famous Commerce Kitty. Since then there has not been one copy without some unique feature for the readers to enjoy. Mr. Chatto also introduced a pictorial section which appears in Com- merce once every year. These pictures are in the form of cartoons and photo- gravures which present a resume of the year’s happenings at the High School of Commerce. Although issued by this high school, our paper is read by more people than by just the students. Each week many copies are sent out to high schools all over the country in exchange for their publications. Many of the Commerce alumni keep in touch with their alma mater by reading the weekly paper. Business men in Springfield have recog- nized the fact that Commerce can be used as a means of advertising their products, and the school can be proud of the many ads which appear weekly on t he third and fourth pages of every issue. In the twenty-one years since Com- merce was first organized, dissatisfac- tion, curiosity, and industry on the part of its producers have led to the paper which today is recognized as an excel- lent piece of journalism by all its readers. So keen has been the enthus- iasm of most pupils for the paper, that Caduceus, always dedicated to some person or activity outstanding in the school, has shown its appreciation this year by dedicating the year book to the school paper, Commerce. COMMERCE ADVISER As faculty adviser to the High School of Commerce newspaper, Mr. Clarence I. Chatto has developed a system of journalistic training that affords pup’ls unusual opportunity to study English through the medium of newspaper writing. The course he has worked out gives an intensive training, and the class is conducted on a plan which resembles, as closely as possible, the operation of a city newspaper. During the senior year any pupil may choose English IX, the introduc- tion course to English X. which is the more advanced study of journalism. All students electing to take English X, which is under the supervision of Mr. Chatto, must first be approved F COMMERCE — I cither by him or by Mr. Bclding F. Jack- son. who also teaches English IX. Thus it is important that the work of the student of English IX be above the average, if he intends to continue with the journalism course. Mr. Chatto has been intensely in- terested in school publications since he first became acquainted with them as a freshman in high school. Me was born in Sargent ville, Maine, and at- tended a small country school for a short time. College came next. Mr. Chatto received his B. A. and M. A. degrees from Bates and Harvard, respectively. At Bates he was active in the debating society and pursued his literary ambition as president of the Writers’ Club. Before he came to the High School of Commerce, Mr. Chatto held several positions in vari- ous schools in New England. He was principal for two years of the high school in Island Falls, Maine. For five yea is he was principal of the high school at Orono, Maine. Following this he went to Danvers, Massachusetts, as head of the English department in the high school. From there he went to Fall River, Massachusetts. Then in 1926 he came to Commerce as head of the English department. Mr. Chatto is not always engrossed in school work, for he plays a crack game of golf. He coaches the Com- merce golf team, and has often brought forth championship golf material among the boys here. FOUNDER RESIGNS This year Mr. G. Donald Melville is resigning as adviser for the High School of Commerce year book. Caduceus. He took over this work when Caduceus became the permanent year book in 1926, and has served as adviser ever since. Mr. Melville, or Doc”, as he is better known, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was graduated from the Hyde Park High School there. Later he went to the University of New Hampshire, where he received his degrees. His college days were somewhat interrupted by the advent of the World War. Most of his war service was spent as a non-commis- sioned officer training boys in prepara- tion for lighting on the other side. He was well equipped for this work, as he had had four years of military training in high school and two years at college. ( 7 ) 9 3 8 CADUCEUS At the close of the war he resumed his college career. He was on the college track team for three years, and was holder of the quarter-mile record. Doc also played inter-class basketball and football at the Uni- versity. After he left college, he spent several months as cost accountant for a con- struction company in Boston. Follow- ing this work, he accepted a position as head of the history department at Cushing Academy. He then went to Manchester, New Hampshire, to a position as sports editor of the Man- chester Union and Lender. During his term as sports editor he was compli- mented several times by his readers because he had his reporters write their stories free from slang expressions, such as splitting the hoop, parting the drapes,” etc. Mr. Melville enjoyed his work very much, although the hours were long and the pay small. He would recommend newspaper work for a single man, but would strongly advise a married man not to enter it. Two years later, in 1923, he came to Commerce as a teacher of geography and history. Utter he extended his teaching to economics and world history. For six years Doc coached the track team. In 1929. as a reward of his efforts, the team received the interschool title. In 1926, when it was decided that the January and June classes should combine to bring out a year book to be entitled Caduceus, Mr. Melville became the first faculty adviser. This position he held until 1930, when he was relieved of the editorial adviser- ship. The 1938 issue will be the last published under his direction. TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW 1. How some pupils can learn so thoroughly how to do nothing at all. 2. Why 4 E pupils must stay at home so often to rest. 3. Why the expert alibi pupils can’t write original compositions. 4. How some pupils have learned so little in so many years. 5. Where some pupils store their mental equipment during their senior year. 6. One teacher wants to know why pupils find history dates so difficult to remember, and social dates so difficult to forget.

Page 15 text:

(9)