Homer High School - Trojan Yearbook (Homer, MI)

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2 THE TROJAN HOMER SCHOOL3 —PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. “The Old High School, a land mark In Homer for the oast fifty-three years, remains only in memory. Memories Include not only a building, but events, experiences, class pictures, copies of Trojans, and a multitude of other things, circumstances, and events that have significance far outside the realm of commercial prices. The tokens of human interest were all symbolized in what made up the old building. One might well deal with the school's history by thinking of three definite groups. First, there is the group that constitutes the present student body and the graduates of the immediate past. Then there is the middle-aged adult who used to look at the class pictures and proceed to explain about his fellow graduates and tell how they were employed in active life. This middle aged per eon placed an appraisal upon the school, principally in terms of incidents of associations and evaluation of the instructional course as designed a few years ap o. A third group may be mentioned that has no less Interest in memories attached to the old School Pulldlng. This group can tell you about some of the people whose names were found in the document box in the cornerstone of the old building. Some of them knew members of the Board of Education, were related to persons prominent then, and a few were in school at the time our “old building was a new building. An engraved booklet, containing a neatly printed program, gives the names of the graduates from Homer High School in the year 1890. There were two graduates, Minnie Hastings and Thomas Hartley. These may be thought of, figuratively, as leading the procession of thousands of pupils and graduates that have come out from Homer High School during the fifty-three years that the old High School building was in use. Volumes of history could be written about the events since the time when the old building was dedicated in 1890 and the final days of service rendered by that building in 1943. The prophetic statements quoted from Joseph Estabrook, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; by C. C. Worthington, director in the school district at that time; by Doctor William Lane, author of the book, “Homer and Its Pioneers, and similar stat-ments by many other citizens of that day, have now had applied the testaf time concerning their estimates and Judgments of the value of education in a community. An autographed statement, dated at the school ground, 1890, by Doctor Lane is especially note-worthy: When this little book 18 found, those who have assembled here today (August 13, 1890), may all have Journeyed to that far off shore from whence no mariner hAs ever returned, but their labors in the Interest of education will still live. (Continued on Page 19) January 20, 1943 January 19, 1943

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4 THE TROJAN BOARD OF EDUCATION The people of Homer District 1 have olaced the direction of their oubllc schools into the hands of five oersons, the Board of Education, elected to serve in the best Interests of the people of Homer and to carry out the required activities and functions prescribed by law. Their service is especially significant among elected officials since they not only administer the ohyslcal oropertles of to-day but by so doing contribute to the training of the citizenry of tomorrow. Any Board of Education at any time shoulders important community resDonsl-bllities. In 1943 the Homer Board stands in a unique position among others that have served Homer. The burning of the building, having occured during a world crisis, has Increased many-fold the magnitude of the problems that would ordinarily oresent themselves after such a oubllc loss. Responsibilities now found in the hands of Homer's elected school officials are further increased by the obligation to plan a building and a program for education after the war. Current changes and military demands quite completely throw normal planning out of balance, and make it extremely difficult and uncertain to establish the tvpe of program and to plan the type of building best suite to future needs. For future students and graduates, Board decisions in 1943 are extremely important. The graduates of Homer are from the farm area around Homer as well as from the village. Records of the District show a consistent membership list from about fifteen to eighteen separate school districts outside of Homer. As far as high school 18 concerned, Homer and its surrounding territory have been a school unit in practice. This school has been Our school to a widely scattered population. This arrangement on a community basis is natural and as it should be. The next immediate problem is to formulate a district up to date in design and adapted to the needs of this area; one in which all parties concerned share in the responsibilities of support and management. Many hours have been and will continue to be snent by Boards of Education in service to the public whose lntereats they represent. By this type of service the American way may best be exemplified and perpetuated.