Elk Grove High School - Elk Yearbook (Elk Grove, CA)

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THE ljyapw ELK in r . down to fifty-six-thirty-five in Typing, one in Shorthand, eight in Bookkeep- ing and twelve in Commercial Arithmetic. It is a great pity that more Juniors and Seniors do not take advantage of the opportunity to learn Shorthand. The subject does not seem to be a very suitable one for Freshmen to take, for as a rule they cannot get through it satisfactorily. lt is very much better for a student to begin Shorthand in the Junior year, take a second year of it in his Senior year, and then be ready to use it if need arises. lt affords the same mental discipline as a foreign lan- guage-which in a sense it is-except that to do it really well requires greater rapidity of thought and absolute co operation of hand and brain. It gives the student a much better vocabulary, besides helping him greatly in pronuncia- tion. Most people, however, look upon Shorthand as purely utilitarian and are either ignorant of, or never stop to consider its value from an academic point of view. Students who choose Typing are doing a sensible thing. Wlith three heavy subjects it makes a good fourth, or with four light ones it is a good fifth: and of all subjects in the curriculum, with the exception of English of course, it is the one that very often proves most useful afterwards. l have had many boys and girls tell me sorrowfully, when it was too late, that they regretted not having taken Typing when they had the opportunity, or else they re- gretted that they had not had the opportunity. A boy or girl who can type well is always sure of employment. By the way, there is some very promising material in the first year typing class which should result in a crop of speed breakers next year. john VV. Mahon, Harold McAnaw, Dorothy Thomas, Celestine Richards and Alma Casey head the list. There are others doing excellent 'work too, but they came into the Department later and consequently do not show up quite so well in Speed Tests. My policy in giving credit for Typing has been to take into consideration the amount of work done rather than the time consumed in doing it. Conse- quently if any student can do in less time the same amount of work as is Commercial Students Sixty-two

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Xu! BY, -,., THE Y ELK ill- X fill. 'N gf 4 if . , Helen McConnell, Mildred Neves, Leora Strong, Elsie Nelson, Margery Petit, Olive Ehrhardt, and Ruth Ehrhardt. , On the evening of November twenty-eighth a merry gathering found their way to the home of Miss Doris Gerrish. The evening was devoted to singing and playing games after which refreshments were served. The guests, with the exception of two, were all members of the Freshman class. Those present were:-Louise Elliot, Olive Ehrhardt, Eunice Haws- kins, Vola Anchor, Celestine Richards, Lillian Sehlmeyer, Carol Stickney, Wilmer Brill, Blythe Richards, John Mahon, Rodney ldzinga, and Elmer Poston. The twenty-second of December was the date set for the Freshman Class Party at Masonic Hall. The faculty was invited but all upper classmen were to be excluded. The hours as planned were to be whiled away in dancing. As fate would have it, however, all the arrangements were upset when only eight of the class appeared. From what little leaked out we learned that, to prevent robbery Qof ediblesj, a few of the Sophomore boys were invited to share the fun. So the evening proved a mere farce. The dinner tendered the first week in June to the Seniors by the cooking class proved exceedingly delightful. The affair, under the able direction of Miss Denton, reflected creditably upon the Freshman girls who make up the class. The Senior ball, of course the most important event of the year, will sur- pass, we think, those of previous years in splendor and attendance. The dainty dresses ofthe fair maidens and the soldierly appearance of the cadets, together with the attractive decorations, will combine to make a pleasing effect which must be seen to be realized in all its beauty. -Myrtle Hewitt, '20, ' mmrrcfm I' XJ' M I The Commercial Department this year began with an enrollment of some seventy students-forty in Typing, three in Shorthand, eight in Bookkeeping and eighteen in Commercial Arithmetic. This number has now simmered Sixty-one

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XL!! ufgn .Qi J THE ELK , Jllaf 'QA ZMT5-f.fi required of those who type for the two regular periods a day, he or she is entitled to the same amount of credit, namely, one unit. l suppose it might be a good idea to explain why l happen to be rushing into print again this year when l said goodbye in last year's Annual. lt seems a horrible thing to say that one is going and then not to goat all, doesn't it? I assure you that it wasn't my fault. A paternal government saw fit to refuse to issue a passport for me, so I came back to Elk Grove like the eat in the song- because l couldn't stay away. XVould you like to hear a dead secret? l'm just longing for the school year to end so that I can wear the very pretty ring the school gave me as a going awayl' present. XX-'hen I found that l could not set sail I felt as if l had. entirely unbeknownst to myself of course, obtained the gift under false pre- tenses, so l simply could not wear it until the time came for me to go. There- fore it will be just as new in my eyes this year as it was last year. l appreci- ate very much indeed the kindliness that prompted the students to give it to me. Every time I look at it I'll think of the Commercial Department. of dear old Elk Grove High, and of Elk Grove itself, although indeed l did not need anything material to jog my memory. The number of kindnesses we have been shown here will always leave a very green spot in my recollection. 'llhere is no color like green after all, is there? Saying goodbye is not by any means a subject to jest about in my opinion, but still I cannot help registering a hope that, when my final farewells are being made, nobody will feel inclined to say to me what an English lady, inno- cently ambiguous, said when she went down to the train to see off a friend who was going to India: Goodbye, dearf' said she effusively. l'm so glad to have seen the last of you. Farewell. Commercial Department! Farewell, Elk Grove High! Farewell to all those-a goodly number-who gave the stranger within your gates a kindly greeting in passing! Fare thee well, if not for ever: llut, if for ever, then- Fare thee well lu -Mabel Briscoe. Sixty-threC