Elwood Community High School - Crescent Yearbook (Elwood, IN)

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At h Ultra Physical exercise is a direct stimulant to mental culture, for with increased health and strength comes increased intellectual powers. With this result in view the athletic work was begun in the Elwood high school which is, however, a new department in the routine of work. Previous to the autumn of 1903, foot ball and basket ball had been the only athletic sports indulged in by the students of the high school and, moreover, these games furnished exercise for only a very limited number of persons. But late in 1903 an interest in gymnasium work was started among the students of the high school, which has since grown rapidly and become well established. The success of the gymnasium work is especially due to the active interest which all the teachers have taken in it. The beneficial effects resulting from this gymnasium work, whit h was the more especially necessary since there is no space afforded the students for out-door exercise, near the building, are soon very apparent to I N those who participate in the exercises. The gymnasium classes are now well organized and the exercise which is considered as regular school work and conducted as such, is given by thoroughly competent teachers in both morning and evening classes. This athletic work has, through the field days and spring entertainments, now substituted for the former class plays usually given at the close of the spring term, enabled the high school to place itself much higher in the estimation of the general public. Near the close of the foot ball season in 1903, Mr. Owen, now high school principal, announced that a gymnasium class was to be organized and a room in the building equipped for the work. The apparatus necessary at first was paid for by teachers and students and later by monthly taxes paid by members of the classes. As yet only the boys were permitted to take part in the exercise's and they were divided into two classes

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iijistnrii of tlhuuiit ifituli riiiuil (Duutiuurh. Six principals have had charge of the high school since its commission. In this number are Mr. Chas. Meek, the present superintendent of the city schools; Mr. Daniel Freeman; S. D. Owen; Mr. J. G. Collicut, who is now principal of the high school at Evansville, Ind.; and Mr. Everett Owen, who has held the position for two years and will, we hope, hold it many more. It ‘would be hard to find a greater variety of occupations anywhere than have been followed by the different graduates of E. H. S. Without a single exception they have been successful in their chosen vocations. Among the many a few are recalled. The present principal and the city attorney are perhaps the most familiar. Many of the city teachers, the deputy county treasurer, Mr. Luce; Mr. Starkey, a prominent physician of Alabama; Mr. Sniveiy of New York, who has made a signal success' in newspaper circles; Chase Gillespie, our popular polo referee; Ora House, a noted electrician in Minnesota; Clarence Hunter, a prosperous merchant; and a number who are still students at the different col- leges are others. An alumni association was organized in ’93, which held until June, ’98, when it was dropped through lack of interest. It was reorganized in January, 1904, and is now a thriving organization with very bright prospects. Mr. Meek is named as the only honorary member, since he has bean so long and favorably connected with the high school. At the present time, the high school has two hundred three members, with a corps of eight teachers besides the music, writing and athletic instructors. Since the begining of the high school, German, book-keeping, music, and a course in ancient and mediaeval and United States history have been added to the list of subjects taught; and science of discourse and physical geography have been dropped. Many improved methods have been adopted and the high school of today is as up-to-date and progressive as many high schools in towns twice the size of Elwood. Its friends are many and there is not one of them but would join with us in wishing E. FI. S. a prosperous future.

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of about twenty members each. As the classes were not yet well organized and the work somewhat monotonous, the students did not take a very marked interest at first, but, nevertheless, that interest was destined to grow until now there is not a student in the high school who does not feel a certain pride in the gymnasium. The second year (1904-5) brought a wonderful development in the gymnasium. With the returns from a musical and athletic entertainment and field day, both held in May, 1904, the gymnasium was placed upon a firm basis and much new apparatus added to its equipment. It now contains among other material the wooden horse, parallel bars, horizontal bars, mats, Indian clubs, dumb bells, horizontal ladders, and besides these for outdoor field work are the vaulting pole, shot, hammer, discus, etc. The most valuable addition to the gymnasium at the present year consists of the apparatus for physical examination. By this means can be determined the exercise which the student most needs, and in this way he may secure the greatest possible benefits from the gymnasium exercises. With the beginning of this same year a girls’ class was organized as well as the two classes for boys. At present the girls’ class has an enrollment of twenty-five members while that of the boys has an enrollment of about fifty members. The teachers for the present year are: Mr. Herbert Niece, the instructor for the boys’ class, and Miss Ola E. Sheets for that of the girls’. A special class of the boys has been organized in both 1904 and 1905 for taking part in the Spring Entertainments. In 1905 a special class of the girls was formed by Miss Sheets for the same purpose. Both classes became very efficient and were especially so in their drills. These have been thus far one of the most successful undertakings in which the teachers and students of the High School have engaged. They have consisted of drills and gymnasium exercises by both the boys’ and the girls’ special classes, music by the High School Orchestra and High School Choruses, besides many minor parts by students. Since the beginning of the present school year 1905-6 an Athletic Association has been formed for further er.couraging athletics, and especially