Forest Park High School - Forester Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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wenty-five eard at goreal fark The history of Forest Park High School now ex' tends over a period of twenty'five years, for the school is in the midst of its Silver Anniversary Cele' bration. The earliest records of Baltimore City's first coeducational high school actually extend back farther than that, for the first construction of what was to be the Northwestern junior'Senior High School was begun in january, 1923, when the city was intent upon improving and increasing its educa' tional facilities. It was completed in February, 1924 for an intended capacity of 2,000, but had over 800 extra students when classes began in September of that year. This was caused by the fact that the boys and girls who were to compose the student body of both the senior and junior high departments were allowed to transfer from any school in the city. flt later became necessary to establish boundary lines which restricted the area from which students could be admittedj Over one hundred teachers were assigned to the building from other schools. Due to the overflow of students, and the noisy distractions of machinery still working to complete the buildin , much confusion was present during the first few gays. Schedules had to be rearranged, additional space, including the auditorium and some rooms at an annex in school No. 69, had to be con' vetted into classrooms, students and faculty had to get used to the newness of strange conditions. A double system of bells, one set for the seven period day of the senior hi h, and one set for the ei ht period day of the junior Eigh, added to the conlgision and hectic conditions. However, under the wise, cou' rageous, and able leadership of Mr. Glenn Owens, the Principal, and Mr. Alfred P. Scott and Miss Rose Patterson, the Vice'principals, order was soon evolved out of the chaos. The interest of the community in this new school was shown by a gift presented by the Women's Civic League of Howard Park-the beau' tiful fountain which adorns the front campus. The school opened with no established traditions to follow, it had to form its own traditions, and much of the first few years was devoted to this task. A philoso hy was adopted with the aim of pro' ducing welT'rounded students through two programs: curricular, including all classroom subjects, and extra' curricular, including athletic and non'athletic organi' zations. The curricula of Forest Park include an academic course for those who plan to attend college, a commercial course for those who expect to enter the business world, and a technical course for those boys who are interested in mechanics. The re lar classroom work is augmented and coordinated'-I by weekly assemblies, largely arranged for student par' ticipation, and by the advisory period, a brief report period originally at the end of the day, but now conducted in the morning. Students at that time were allowed to belong to 15121 one athletic and one non'athletic group. fThis restriction no longer exists.J Durin the first year there were no varsity sports, althougifi a few repre' sentative teams did play unofficial games with other schools. Stress was laid on intramural athletics by both the Boys' and Girls' Athletic Associations until the second year, when varsity s orts started, including football, basketball, track, and, baseball for the boys and field hockey and basketball for the girls. As the school grew in strength and prominence, other varsity events were added, such as ice hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, tennis, fencing, swimming, etc. The motto which was adopted was: Sports for all, and all for Sports. An athletic letter of reen and gray was designed as an award to all stucints who had earned the required number of points. Minor letters, numerals, ribbons, and medals were also awarded in reco nition of participation in athletics. Aithough sports were the first of the extra' curricular activities, others soon assumed equal im' portance. Sometime during the first school year, a plan was conceived to include student participation in government, modeled after that of our national democracy. In the spring of 1920, the govemment in its present form was established as an outgrowth of the Student Council or Presidents' Club. An elected Student President and Vice President head the organization and serve as leaders of the student body. The first President, Herbert Brown, was invested at the hrst of the Inaugural Assemblies. At that time he was presented with an elm rod by each Student Representative and the axe of authority by the Principal of the school. These rods, symbolic of strength, might, and harmony are bound together with leather thongs, a sign of unity and cooperation, after the manner of the ancient Roman fasces. The axe, which is bound in the center, represents the power and authority which belong to the Student President, but has a blunt edge to serve as a re' minder that his power cannot be used harmfully. There have since been thirty'f1ve student presidents, each of whom has added something to the betterment of the school and its student government. The executive of a government does not work alone, he must have the support and the help of other groups. The first of these, the Senate, is comprised of one student elected from each half'year class. The other, the Board of Student Representatives, includes one elected member from each homeroom class. In 1927, the Student Court was added to the system to 'udge and punish all offenders against school regulations. It has a Chief justice and six Associates a pointed by the President. The last body to be fgrmed only as recently as 1942 was the Cabinet, which serves in an advisory capacity to the President, and includes the President of each half' year class, the President of each of the honor clubs,

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4 Schmiecl Serposs Shaffer Sims Stoll Suzuki Thompson Tischler Vavrina Vogel Wells Whithtld Williams Yocum Mather Rossmeisl, Martha E., B.S. . Ruhe, Ruth E., A.B. . . . Sabine, Mary, B.S., M.A. . Schmied, Otto K., Li.B., A.B Serposs, Emile H., B.A., M.A. . Shaffer, Virginia, B.S., M.A. Silbert, Nannette., B.S., M.A, Sims, Rex, A.B., M.Ed. . . Smith, Etta W., B.S. . . . Stoll, Nora A., AB. . Suzuki, Nobulco .... Tames, Katherine, B.S. . . Thom ison, Maclelaine M. . Tischller, Morris .... Tyler, Richard .... Vavrina, Vernon S., B.S. . Vogel, Grace K., B.S. . . Wells, Mary E., B.S .... Whitfield, Hester C., B.S. . Williams Mar aret G. B S. , g , . Wright, Fannie C., B.S. . . Yocum, William K., A.B. . Katzen, Rose ...... Potter, Nina . . . Sprol, Almira L, . Mather, Florence aculfy . . French, Gcograph .....,.... Spanislll ...........,...Gcrn1an . . Ercnch, Spanish, Motlcrn Language Department Hcatl lk ik ..........Mus1c . . . .... English Dcpartmcnt Hcati . . . . . . . Business Education Physical Education Department Head. . . . . . . . . . English . . Guidance . . . English . Mathematics . . Commercial . . . . . Electricity . . . . . . . Biology . History Drpartmcnt Head . . . . . . Biology . . . . Commercial . . . Mathematics . . . . . History, Economics ..........English . Industrial Arts Department Hcad ...........Sccretary . . Szcrctary . . . Nurse . . Diztitian BI14

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and the Chief justice. Perhaps the most important participants in student government are the student oflicers who are responsible for helping keep order in the corridors, the cafeteria, and on the campus. Students throughout the years have been invited and encouraged to participate in another important phase of school life, the clubs. These were so varied that every student could Find at least one in which he or she was interested. All groups were chartered by the Board of Student Activities, an advisory group ap' pointed by the Principal to assist him in the supervision and administration of the extracurricular program This Board is responsible for the budgeting of funds for the school, chartering of new clubs, and awarding of non-athletic letters and certilicates to those who excel in the various fields of activity. These green and gray script F s are given on the basis of a point system worked out by each club. The earliest of these activities, inaugurated by Mr. Otto K. Schinied, was the publication of a monthly literary magazine the Foiuzsreit. It has since become the yearbook of the graduating class, and a newspaper, the Forest Park Press is published weekly, written, edited, and distributed by students. At one time a calendar was put out for the use of the students. All printing was done in the Forest Park printing shop in the earliest years. The -lunior High School had its own publications, as Well as clubs and teams independent of the Senior High. Prominent among the organizations of the school are the honor clubs, which were organized with the purpose of bringing together outstanding boys and girls to secure a united support for the leaders of the school. These include the Boys' and Girls, Leaders' Clubs, the Ethical lboys sportsb and Varsity Cgirls' sportsl Clubs, the Opportunity Club, the Booster Club, and the Four Square Club. These groups furnish opportunities for service within the school, such as coaching, hall and locker duties, lost and found, and support of athletic events, as well as generally maintaining the high ideals and traditions of Forest Park. Other very active groups include those whose purpose is the furtherance of special interests, such as music, drama, art, literature, shopwork, photography, science, and many others. These clubs originally numbered eleven, but have increased with the growth of the school until forty of them are functioning today. The first seniors were organized as a class in October, 1924. To that class of 25 years ago is due credit for setting the precedents for many of the traditions still being followed, The adoption of a school ring, Senior Inaugural and Farewell Assemblies, June Week activities prior to graduation, and the Loyalty Song are but a few of their many contributions. They also helped select the official school colorsg emerald green, symbolic of aspiration, growth and optimistic hope, and silver gray, sym' bolic of stcadfastness and sterling worth. In 1926 the school flag was adoptedf' the school tower in gray on a green background, patterned after the municipal flag. The main project of the junior class was the annual presentation of the jolly juniorjubilee, given in cooperation with the faculty and the other classes. Forest Park was unique among the high schools of the city in that it was the hrst to give benelits such as these, which often netted the treasury as much as two thousand dollars. This event was discontinued during World War 11, and has been given only twice since then. Two interesting policies which are no longer pursued are the organization of the sophomores as a class, and the privilege extended to each class to elect its own adviser. lClass ad' visers are now selected by the Principall The lirst senior class of 61 was graduated in june, 1925. In 1929 the first February commencement BII6