Grants Pass High School - Toka Yearbook (Grants Pass, OR)

Page 16 text:

14 THE TOKA Sometimes as I pass a group of lusty, leather-lunged, virile High School students upon the street and contemplate the dynamics represented in their physical and mental make-up, 1 am led to wonder whether they have ever made a careful appraise-HOW ABOUT THK DIVIDENDS? ment of themselves and soberly considered their relations to the community. Have they ever considered their responsibilities to themselves because of their capacity for action? In their own estimation, are they merely raw material for the world’s laboratory and factory; or are they units of force by which to drive the world’s activities? They should find time between the “grind” of the class-room and the roystering of the foot-ball ground to make such appraisement, with a thought to their own future as well as to the future of the community and the state. “I’m not worrying myself about the future of the community; I’ve got my work cut out looking after Number One; see?” Just the sort of sentiment to be expected from Young America. But. my stripling friend, it is time for you to reflect that the state and the community have a lien upon you. It is time for you to consider that in a broad sense you are an asset, to be levied upon and exploited. A gigantic stock company has been organized in Oregon, with millions of paid up capital, and money has been lavishly spent upon equipment and fa'illties for the one purpose of exploiting you—YOU. The stock-holders are the state, your own community, your own family, and your own self. How about the dividends? The public school has been recommended to the easy-going public as “the best buy” in the market—a “dead sure thing”—an Investment that pays progressively compounding interest, not only in per capita wealth for the community, but in appreciated citizenship. On thi3 very supposition the property owners are being assessed mercilessly in order to facilitate your “coming on.” It is with this thought in mind that the old folks” are adding economy to hard work, and are seasoning their days with anxiety. How about the dividends? “You can search me.” Well, sir, it would be the proper thing for you to search yourself. The heaviest item of taxation is for the paramount purpose of insuring to the future of Grants Pass a moral and capable citizenship—a class of citizens who can do more than labor with their hands and earn a living for their families. The future will bring problems bigger than we are dealing with today, and you will be looked to by the responsible citizen to deal with them. Will you be prepared to “play the game?” Will you make good? Not if you quit your studies several years too soon. Just think of this when you contemplate “cutting” school, as too many of your predecessors have done, and going after a job. The tax-payers of this district are putting up their hard dollars for the purpose of producing a class of well-rounded, well-grounded citizens. Isn’t it a little like obtaining privileges under false pretenses for the young man to make use of one-half the advantages of the schools and throw the other half away? How about the dividends to the stockholders? —H. S. PRESCOTT.

Page 15 text:

THE TOKA 13 With the opening of the fall term of school it seemed as if school spirit in Grants Pass High was all that could be asked, but not many days had passed before the foot-ball squad, instead of becoming larger materially decreased. Many of the boys seemed to think that FOOT-BALL the payment of their dues for the maintenance of athletics in the High School, placed them among the most loyal to the school, and in consequence it was rare that many more than the necessary eleven men reported for foot-ball practice on the athletic field. Consequently, on October 12, when the foot-ball team went to Medford, we paid the penalty, and paid heavily. The lesson that has only too often been given was again administered and it taught that a team can win only when it has the undivided support of the school behind it. All will admit that it is indeed a sacrifice to get out and work hard on the foot-ball field for two hours a day, five days out of the week, but winning teams are not made of men who are afraid of this, and there must be at least twenty-two men in school who have sufficient school spirit to do it. However, a good result of this game was to arouse in some the spirit that had been lacking and since that time the school spirit behind the team has helped much. Almost enough men for two teams have turned out for practice regularly and the girl’s basket-ball squad, which has been behind the boys since the first, succeeded in transmitting to the rest of the school some of their enthusiasm and the rooting” has been a great factor in the rapid improvement of the team. Now, if the boys keep up their work, we are sure the girls will forgive them for not helping at first. • • • The boys of the foot-ball squad have greatly appreciated the enthusiastic support awarded them from the first of the season by the basket-ball girls, and their appreciation of the banquet given them and the Ashland boys after the game can hardly be BASKET-BALL GIRLS expressed here. It seemed as if the girls had already done all they could to help foot-ball this season, so their work in serving the splendid dinner to the home and visiting teams on the twenty-first is greatly appreciated, first because of the spirit it shows us is behind Grants Pass High, and also because of the opinion the Ashland boys will have of the Grants Pass spirit. It is indeed, from the spirit in a school that an outsider gains his opinion of the school. • • • The Improvement in the course of study of the Grants Pass High School this year is marked, and especially is the addition of Domestic Science and Manual Training to be commended. In all probability these two studies are directly res-IMPROVEMENT IN COURSE OF STUDY ponsible for a large number of the names on the present enrollment, for there are many boys and girls of the High School age, who w'ould not attend school merely for the benefit to be derived from the other studies alone, but when they can get these benefits and at the same time get a practical training in some other direction they will avail themselves of the opportunity.

Page 17 text:

THE TOKA 15 nrial. On Saturday evening, October 21, the High School Basket Ball girls gave a dinner for the two football teams who had that afternoon struggled so valiantly for supremacy on the gridiron. All animosity ceased with the sounding of the last whistle; nothing but Jolly good-feeling was apparent as the guests gathered round the table which had been laid in the gymnasium. Plates were laid for thirty-eight and not only the two first teams, but also the subs, the coaches and the referee partook of the dainty feast provided by the girls. After dinner Mr. Turnbull, acting as toastmaster, called upon Captain Newell of Grants Pass, Captain Thorn and Mr. Wheeler of Ashland, and the coaches and referee for speeches, all of whom responded. Mr. Turn-bull then on behalf of the boys thanked the girls for the dinner. Miss Louise Harvey, captain of the Girls’ Basket Ball Team responded and closed by requesting “all hands to fall to” and clear the gymnasium for the reception following. During the reception the High School was opened to the Ashland students, who praised our new building very much. The students, upon arriving at the reception, were presented with introductory cards in the Ashland colors. The gymnasium was decorated in the red and white, and punch was served from a booth of autumn leaves. Through the introductory cards the Grants Pass students became acquainted with the Ashland visitors so that a pleasant evening was spent. Mr. Turner warned the students in plenty of time and the Ashland people were accompanied to the train by a large body of G. P. High representatives. • • • On Saturday morning, October 28, a crowd consisting of Helen Hair, Helen Hall, Gladys Conklin, Edith Dahlberg, Dora Birchard, Marguerite Heyer, Ruth Hathaway, Jeannette Cramer, Theodore Cramer, Lawrence Underwood, Edwin Bobzlen and Matthew Riddle assembled and started to walk to the ranch home of Vere Murray, two and a half miles outside the city. About half way, four of the party “stopped to rest,” and, much to the consternation of the Sophomore chaperons could not be persuaded to move on. However, when they finally arrived at their destination, and were turned over to the proper guardians, Gladys and Helen heaved long sighs of relief. After an impromptu shower bath, dinner, and a game of Ruth and Jacob, which some said was all pre-arranged, the ascent of the mountain behind the farm was begun. Some of the party became tired and deciding that sliding down a rock