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

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CL Priceless Shill Even rival Springfield high schools concede that most Commerce students are better penmen. This traditional dexterity was established by the able fingers of S.O.S., whose nationally-known skill has inspired penmanship in- structors and their Freshman pupils. During the early weeks of training, cramped fingers, tired arms, and wavering strokes are inevitable. Many an inex- perienced Freshie departs from the engulfing penmanship room with ink-speckled hands, because he does not yet grasp the proper way to hold a pen. But by February a startling change shows the development of real skill. This achievement reaches its peak in time for the long- awaited certificate tests; then success greets most students’ efforts. With certificates tucked under their arms, proud Freshmen look ahead to the years in the business world when handwriting will play so important a part of their day’s work. Mr. Burtt. Bequest Except to Commerce students, the initials, “G. O.,” mean even less than the descriptive appelations of Washington’s famous bureaus! Our General Organization, however, was not formed by any bureaucrat, but by our former principal, Mr. Jerome Burtt. Since its establishment in 1931, the other three high schools have adopted the plan; thus Commerce instituted a Springfield tradition. From its subterranean depths, Room 28 efficiently tabulates the financial statements of the G. O. Student bookkeepers individually audit the accounts of their assigned homerooms, under the able direction of genial Mr. Walker. Such a business-like status quo advances the abilities of the young Morgenthaus, who, however, try to reduce, rather than increase the G. O. debt. Informality predominates: auditors scatter papers about their desks, hurriedly com pute figures on the book- keeping machines, and swiftly pen ledgers which always balance after an hour’s concentrated labor. This well-organized, if noisy, group is tradition- ally efficient, while the work provides valuable ex- perience in bookkeeping and accounting procedure for the up-and-coming Senior Auditors. LEFT—G. O. Accounting Room. Patricia Lawlor, Theodore Bamforth, Dorothea Madison, Marion Holton in foreground. Florence Dahlke, Louise Horney, Mary Crowley, Helen LaValley, Ellen Clark, Harold Cutler in rear. Mr. Walker, teacher. . BELOW—Miss Libby’s Pen- manship Class.

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Owe Wlechanical Rage Sometime during their final year, most seniors work in 216A, the duplicating room. At first, they are somewhat overwhelmed by the array of odd-looking machines, bearing such queer names: mimeoscope, dictaphone, electromatic type- writer, new-process duplicator, multigraph. However, within an amazingly short time they are able to learn the very essential and convenient duplicating tactics. As only five or six constitute a class, informality always reigns. At first the group clusters about each machine, learning the details of its operation. Then the students use the machines in rotation, working alone or with one another. Having successfully run a mimeograph stencil, or written letters via the dictaphone records, they can go on to the next machine, until all have become familiar. This individual- work method assures the fastest possible progress. At the conclusion of this brief course, the seniors usually feel that they have gained immeasurably valuable knowledge from the many spare hours they have spent working among the fascinating machines. [18 ] LEFT—Typical Typewriting Class. Ruth Laznovsky, Esther O'Connell, Mary Krumsick, Marion Holton in foreground. . . . BELOW—Duplicating Group. Louise Horney, Francis Burns Edna Nielsen, Marion Holton, Harold Cutler. Commerce Pride For thirty years, the friendly click! clack! of the machines in the typewriting rooms has permeated Commerce’s tradi- tionally industrious air. To each beginning class, type, as it is affectionately called, has always brought the thrill of experimentation. This unlimited curiosity soon dissolves when pupils’ fingers, unaccustomed to such activity, struggle to maintain control of each wayward motion that threatens to make mischief —and errors! After one or two years of type. training from Miss Hunt or Miss Walker, busy transcription students never relax from their goal of accuracy and increased speed. Although the chief problem of each Senior is to transcribe his mass of words and phrases, his resulting letter must be so perfect as to pass the eagle-eyed vigilance of Miss Clark, Mrs. Davis, and Mr. Campbell. Realizing all these facts, the transcrip- tion pupils apply every atom of energy in order to retain the national renown of the High School of Commerce for high success in its stenographic courses.

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UPPER—Town Meeting Discussion. 105; Miss H. E. Rankin, adviser. To the yearbook writers, 105 is truly “home” before publication date; their parents merely reserve a bed for them! This seemingly ordinary classroom houses the nuclei of all Caduceus activities. Here, and in 217, the second-period practical English groups indulge in the informal maneuvers traditional of the two journalism classes, The staff’s busy-ness ranges far beyond that brief span of forty-five minutes. After-school hours reveal the culmina- tion of the day’s work, when twilight time finds do-or-die members still haunting 105. Passersby have commented upon the commotion that resounds from this room. One of these labelled it “the most friendly-looking room in Com- merce: it always appears to be so lived in!” the crowds there will deny that statement!) (No one seeing This home of Caduceus does glow with energetic activity, and with a tinge of homey comfort. Board members are continually rushing in and out, back and forth, peering into stuffed files, searching through Dagwood closets, and scram- bling under stacks of books and papers. The endless clack, clack of the typewriters forms a musical(?) background for the explorations of the hunters. Only mascot Cherub, pictured on the front board, or the colored chalk drawings of former homeroom members, remain quiet and passive in the whirlpool of 105. ae | Moderator, Rhoda Chase. Speaker, Carolyn Katz. 20 | Adviser, Miss Jenks. LOWER Caduceus Journalists in Room Democracy. In Action “Town Meeting tonight!” This well-known cry rings throughout New York’s Town Hall every Thursday evening to America’s listening radio audience. Its junior edition, the Commerce Town Meeting, embodies the same democratic ideals, but lacks the Herculean-voiced town crier and the heated questioning of the audience. Even without these touches, our high school forum admirably discusses many problems. Such questions as compulsory military training and lowering the voting age are aired in 119, where the unique seating plan reminds debaters of the House of Repre- sentatives. In our pleasant room, the student moderators maintain order, direct discussions, and steer the hot-headed debaters from pitfalls of quarreling; while the secretaries busily note the procedure of the meeting. To iron out difh- culties, Miss Jenks and teachers of Senior English attend the meetings, but leave actual discussion to their pupils. These typical Americans face situations common to young people throughout the nation. If our Town Meeting classes can promote democratic ideals, they will pave the way for In the words of Clarence I. Chatto, promoter of Town Meeting, now and in late years we must be “dedicated to the task of translating into daily living the golden phrases of the democratic idea: equality of opportunity, and the dignity and worth of every human being.” complete tolerance throughout the world. — — —-- a