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

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was held. and since that tnne there have lween two graduating classes each year. in Fehruary and in Vlune. lhe earliest comtnencements were held at the Lyric theater. Alter the first class graduated. an alumni association was formed. with the aim ol' doing something to show that interest and love of Forest Park exists even alter leaving the school. Among other activities. the Alumni sponsors a dance semi! annually in honor ol' the graduating class. Another organization outside the school was the Parent' lieacher Association, which lyecatne active alter l92-1 to assist the school in whatever ways possilwle. Although it was dtshanded heliore the second Vy'orld Vyfir, hope has heen expressed for its reorganization in the near liuture. As time went on. the increase in annual enrollment made necessary .1 new huilding for the 'Iunior High department ol' Forest Park. ln l93Z, the Garrison .lunior lligh School opened with the seventh, eighth. and most ol' the ninth grades from our school, alter which liollowed a reorganization ol' the entire senior high unit. During this new era in the history ol' l'orest Parlt. several liaculty' changes were made. The lirst ol these in l933 followed the passing ol' Miss Annalwelle l.ee White, who had succeeded Miss Patterson as Vicefprincipal. A sundial now stands on the lwront campus as a memorial to Miss VVhite. ller position was hlled very capalaly lay Miss Sophie lleclser, whose remarlsahle leadership has done much to inalse Forest Parls the line school it is today. -lihe second IILIAIOI' change in administration occurred when Mr. Vy'endell l'. Dunn came to Forest Parlc from the Midwest to till the post ol' Principal alter the resig' nation of Mr. Owens in l97m'5. Xlr, Dunn continued and increased ellorts to lteep Forest Parlc in a place ol' dignity and inlluence in Baltimore, a policy which Mr. Owens had successfully inaugurated and carried out during his administration 'lihe years passed on until I9-ll, when this period in the ltlie ol the school ended ahruptly. On Decemher 3. l94l. Mr. Dunn assemhled the entire student hody' in the auditorium to hear the hroadcast ol' the declaration ol' war lay' the United States. thus marl4ing a new stage in the lilie of every' graduate and under! graduate, The school now outhtted itsell' lor war with atrfraid shelters, frequent drills, sale of war honds and stamps ll . P. was the hrst school in the country' to sell hondsl, disaster reliel' units. and special courses designed for pre'dral't training. Several memlwers ol the faculty joined the armed forces, among them our adviser, ,Iohn P, Burger, as well as many students and graduates. Seventy rseven ol' these hoys heroicallv gave their lives in the service of their country. To them a memorial gate has recently laeen erected at the liront entrance to the huilding hy' the Alumni Association. Vy hen the war was over in I9-15 Forest Park again went hack to normal. Many' ol its teachers returned and new ones were added to the stall.. During the war, the resignation of Mr. Scott had heen accepted and Mr. Carroll A. Royer hecame the new assistant to Mr. Dunn. ln April. 1946. a Middle Atlantic Association ol' Secondary Schools and Colleges committee of twenty six memhers visited the school for three days and evaluated it in nine areas, such as stall, curriculum. student activities, etc., according to lQlI's lil'tlllttllll't' Qfriternt. Their study resulted in the school's receiving tl rating ol' Very Superior in seven of the nine areas. and High Superior in the other two. To the lwest ol' our ltnowledge, this rating is unexcelled. During the hrst quarter century ol' its existence, Forest Park has graduated almost 9.500 students. including the class olihlune, 1949. However, we all know that the history' ol' our Alma Xlater will never close, for Foresters will always continue to Enter to learn and go liorth to serve. lirtziua lli'iM,ys

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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

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Student government Alan Corncy Sara-jane Cold Our student government is lilcened to tht which has so completely led our na' tional government. The chief executive is the Student President, aided hy the Student Vice President. Acting in an advisory capacity, is the Cabinet, Z1 group made up of the presidents of the school's five honor clubs, the presidents of each year, the Chief justice of the Supreme Court, and the Stu' dent Vice President. The Cabinet strives REPRESENTATIVES-Sponsor: MR. Ronan. Prcsidmt: A. CORNEY, Student President. Sctrctary: S. Col D, Student Vice President B118