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

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Class history “ J UR Senior year!” says the High School graduating class, and for its members ylhf there never has been such a year. Now. granted the “power the giftie gie us. to see oursel’s as ithcrs see us.” we look back along our school years, and realize that there is no victory without labor. We smile to see ourselves again as Freshmen, wherein we might have been likened to Spring, with its fresh greenness and endless possibilities of development. We see ourselves as we entered High School September. 1912. strangers to High School life. and. in part, to each other. There comes a picture of our first Freshman pow-wow, which resulted in the election of our officers as follows: Ailien Dunbar, president; Lois Bradford, vice president; Helen Layton, secretary-treasurer, and the choosing of our colors, the purple and white. With the rapidity of a moving picture, events of that first year pass before us. Our hazing, socials, class and inter-class hikes and hay-rides filled our time. At mid-year we lost our president and vice president, and again showed our elective ability by choosing Wm. Kesterson and Garnet Best as officers. In athletics, music, and debate we were well represented. Our debaters were defeated by the ' 1 5s. but we were good losers, and continued to hustle and grin. As the springtime is forgotten with the approach of summer, so did we put aside our interests as Freshmen, to take up school life as Sophomores. Only about half of our number returned, but that it was the better half was shown by our increased ability. Our officers. Garnet Best, Winfield Gilkev, and Helen Layton, proved themselves so capable that they remained in position the entire year. As before, parties, hikes, etc., were in order. At that time we conceived the idea that studying was not necessary; that it was merely a means to an end, anyhow. But the conspicuous absence of our names from the roll of honor and exemption lists caused us to change that idea. We were prominent in all phases of school life, and the other classes had to admit that the Sophomores were a jolly good bunch after all. Our debaters defeated the Freshmen but lost to their old opponents, the team of '15. Now comes the Junior year, with the spirit and ever changing atmosphere of autumn. We elected our officers as follows: Morris Bocock, president; Helen Layton, vice president, and Wilfcrd Allen, secretary-treasurer. We tried in vain to conduct ourselves with more dignity, but after all, we were only Juniors. Our teachers, realizing that soon we would pass beyond their control, redoubled their efforts to make us work. A novel event of that time was a “stunt” party given for our enjoyment by the Seniors. An innovation during that year was the Student Council, in which we were represented by Lynn Sabin. If the fairies and nymph which inhabited the dim corners of the Fruitdale and Murphy halls could have been granted the power of human speech, they would have been 12

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ball.' I did not admire that way of practicing it, and right then and there I lost my respect for Medford, and resolved to leave the town. I. therefore, started to run. I ran. and ran, and ran, and soon began to realize that it was getting dark. Spying a Ford in an open garage. I decided to spend the night in the back seat. Awakening early the next morning I resumed my journey. I passed through many small towns and early in the afternoon I came to a large and beautiful city. Many people were walking briskly to and fro. and everything was so business like. Was I dreaming, or was this San Francisco? This street certainly looked a great deal like Market Street, although this was a much nicer one. Spying a bull-dog which looked to be a friendly one. I goes up to him and asks him what wonderful city this is. He growled, showed his teeth, and then said, 'What ails you anyhow? Don’t you know that this is Grants Pass, Oregon, the most beautiful city in the United States?' Of course I had to confess my ignorance. He then asked me where my place of residence had been, and when I told him San Francisco, he replied in a scornful tone, ‘Why, that place is not anything compared to this city. Come with me and I will show you some of the town that's worth living in.' “That day, and ever since, I have had the time of my life. Fm sure if I had died without seeing this city I should have come back again. After my first day here I decided that Grants Pass should be my home hereafter. I la df. Grasse. Scene in Oregon Cave II

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 able to recount many lively and entertaining tales of Junior revels held within their walls. In May, when we decorated the Opera House for the graduating class, we did it joyfully, knowing that our class would be the next to leave our dear old High. Last, but not least, comes the most interesting, most important series of pictures we have yet seen. All see the analogy between winter, with its hidden stores of seed and roots, waiting the warmth of the sun to bring them to foliage and fruit; and the Senior, with hidden stores of wisdom, waiting the warmth of a congenial atmosphere to develop the deepest meaning and worth. Our class is a remarkable one. being the first to show an increase in number over the Junior year. About fifty enrolled in September, but for various reasons some have left, so now we number forty-four. Our officers are; Bert Presley, president; Marionne Richey, vice president, and Morris Bocock, secretary-treasurer, upon whose resignation Winfield Gilkey was elected, and our member of the Student Council is Wilford Allen. To Miss White was given the task of guiding our work as a class. Class meetings for us hold no terror, since we first learned the meaning of a little book called “Parliamentary Rules.” Our stick-together, follow-your-leader spirit has made itself manifest on several occasions. One of the many enjoyable events of this year was the class rush, in which the boys of the 16's. assisted by the Sophomores, held their own ground and the larger part of the blue and gold, against the united forces of the Freshmen. Juniors, and a greased pole. They left the campus when time was called covered with dust, glory, and the remnants of clothes. Another was our Halloween reception for the Juniors. Then the hall of the High School became the eerie haunt of ghosts, goblins, and witches, who made the eats disappear in a way not usually credited to “spooks. In return the Juniors entertained us with a party. We have entered so thoroughly into every phase of High School life that we cannot but wonder what the school will do without us. Who will win the victories for the Athletic Association, or lead in chorus, glee club, and orchestra work? Echo answers, Who?” and then a voice seems to say, “None can ever surpass the efforts of the 16 class. Thus it will go down in story, that through its forty-four members the High School has attained its greatest glory. Yes, we feel doubtful as to the future of our school, still, “We’re so glad we’re through We don’t know what to do. So, with a tear in one eye. We will bid you good-bye. 13 Frida Carter. ’16.