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

Page 31 text:

Class History By HELEN HAIR 'y HF.RE have been several explanations for the recent cyclone which mo- lested nothing except Mr. Turnbull’s desk at High School. 1 his was carried out the front door and over the school grounds, scattering valuable papers all the way. The most plausible of these explanations is that the wind wandered from its customary haunts in Missouri, following the advent of Mr. Hull into our pleasant little valley. The Historian of the class of 1914 with rare good fortune picked up some of the loose leaves which had fallen from our principal's desk. These proved to be a report to Mr. Hull of the history of the Senior class. Here was a fine chance “to see ourselves as others see us. so these pages were carefully saved to be read to you. Surely no one can claim that this report is biased and unduly egotistical. The report follows: “In accordance with your expressed wish that I prepare a history of the different classes in High School in order that you might become more familiar with them. I wish to submit the following, which is, as far as I know, the true and complete history of the class of 1914. “Of their early history there is little to tell. Seven members of the class have been together since the third grade and a number of others joined these in the fourth and fifth grades. “In 1910 when this class took the eighth grade examinations, every member passed them without a condition. This was the first time any such record had been made and naturally we expected great things of them upon their entrance into High School the next fall. Very likely the examinations were easier that year than usual. “They entered High School seventy meek and frightened little Freshmen. The first time they attracted much notice was when they tried to impeach their president after two weeks of his administration. This attempt proved unsuccessful. much to the joy of the upper classmen. Their next startling move was to give a Freshman party and actually succeeded in frustrating any attempts at invasion in spite of the fact that they lost half of their refreshments. “Unfortunately these Freshmen did not remain meek and timid and we teachers had no little trouble with them. They insisted in writing notes, and the faculty felt constrained to end their misbehavior. We had. I am sorry to say, some difficulty in accomplishing this. Just when we thought we had the class impressed with our authority, we arrived at school one morning to find the books out of the desks in the assembly room; the windows painted red and red paint well distributed over the floors; 27

Page 30 text:

EDITH DAHLBERG Annual Board, 4. Circus. 4. Play. 4. “The hand that made thee fair, made thee good. GAIL HAMILTON Glee Club. 3-4. Basketball. 2-3-4. Circus. 4. Nautical Knot, 4. Class Play, 4. Finance Committee, 4. Track, 4. “Men of words are the best men. HELEN HAIR Toka Staff. I. Baseball. 3. Debate. 4. Historian. 4. Circus, 4. Play, 4. 1 would have nobody control me: I would be absolute. RUTH HATHAWAY Secretary and Treasurer, I. Glee Club 3-4. Baseball. 3. Circus, 4. Entertainment Committee, 4. Annual Board, 4. Class Play. 4. Debate, 4. “She hath a natural wise sincerity, A simple truthfulness. 26

Page 32 text:

and Iasi, but by no means least, a plentiful supply of red pepper lavishly distributed over everything in sight. It finally developed that two members of the Freshmen class, ably assisted by a Sophomore had wrought this havoc. Needless to say justice was at once administered. During this year one of the Freshmen girls covered the entire class with glory. She became a member of the High School debating team, which proved to be the champion of the state. The beginning of their Sophomore year found us established in our new building. The Sophomore girls seemed to take a great interest in cooking while the boys did very well at Manual Training. Either the new building had a good effect on them or else these new studies furnished an outlet for their activities, for this year they did nothing extraordinary and were, on the whole, well behaved. They did, however, establish one pleasing custom this year. Instead of hazing the Freshmen, they entertained them in the gymnasium. I his inovation, you may know, was well received by the faculty. During their Junior year the class of 1914 developed a decided athletic tendency. Four of the five members of the boys basketball team were members of this class. How 1 wish they had taken the same interest in their studies, as in basketball. Far too often their names were on the 'roll of honor at the reading table. In the spring, with the aid of a physical director, we attempted a track meet in which the Junior boys held by far the majority of points. “The girls were also lucky that year, for they succeeded in carrying off the championship in indoor baseball, (played outside). “There are a few things 1 have never been able to understand about this class. One of them is their unnatural desire for pennants. For a while it seemed absolutely impossible for certain members of this class to look upon a pennant without an uncontrollable desire to possess it. It was with great difficulty that the faculty were able to make the class pennants seem undesirable to their young eyes. “The class of 1914 have been the leaders in fostering interclass good will. One of their most important efforts in this direction was the four course, progressive dinner with which they entertained the Senior class last year. I, myself, to my everlasting sorrow was not permitted to attend, but according to the various reports I have heard, it was an event never before equalled in school history. We members of the faculty were not at all surprised that this affair partook of the nature of a dinner, for the '14 class has always shown a fondness for eats.” The reception at which the class entertained the rest of the school this past fall was as much of a success as these things usually are. Their next important undertaking was such a startling inovation that it is still a topic of conversation. The Seniors, with the assistance of a few members of other classes staged a cir- 28