Jefferson High School - Spectrum Yearbook (Portland, OR)

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4-H Club Even before the war the 4-H club did fine and important work. But now in war time their work is even more valuable and important. The development of skills and responsibility is essential for the successful carrying out of the war and the peace after- ward. and the 4-H club is one of the best ways of gaining this development. The 4-H club teaches cooking, sewing, meal planning, etc., to the girls, and farming, gardening, raising of animals, etc., to the boys. The best in these various activities receive the honor of going to Chicago. The members of the 4-H club have exhibits of their work at the county fairs, and if they receive a certain prize, they can enter their exhibit at the state fair. After being in the 4-H for so long, one can work up to be a leader and control other 4-H members. The 4-H club was started by the Department of Agriculture and is carried out through Oregon State College in Oregon and the Portland Public Schools in Portland. Shipyards Working at the various shipyards in Portland, many Jefferson students are fulfilling their Victory Corps pledge and at the same time aiding the war effort. Some girls are working full shifts in the offices and some boys are working full shifts in the yards. These students are releasing men and women for the armed forces, or for a more skilled job. They are sacrificing their time building ships so that some soldier might not have to give his life. They are doing one of the things that the youth of America can do to further the war effort.

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Rationing Board To help in the difficult job of seeing that everyone gets his fair share of sugar, gasoline, coffee, shoes, and canned goods, many commercial students are working at the rationing board. These girls spend from two to four hours filing all the information about each person registered at each board, typing out files and other necessary items, or doing other such office work. This leaves the regular members of the board free to interview the people who come with various problems, and saves time, energy, and manpower which are so vital now. And not only are these patriotic girls helping in the war effort but they are gaining experience in the way of office routine which will be valuable to them in later years. Victory Garden A Victory Garden is the thing this year. Some people are pessimistic about Victory Gardens because of the way they failed last summer after the first big showing. But this year they must work. The rationing of canned goods has forced people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. But with the labor shortage the farmers can not grow as many fruits and vegetables as needed so we must have Victory Gardens. Therefore, we Jefferson boys and girls are spending our spare time in gardening. We have bought seeds of many varieties and have planted them in that little patch of ground behind the house. We weed our gardens, water our delicate plants, and measure each little shoot as it comes up. Finally, out comes a full-grown carrot or tomato or radish fit for a king and all the better because we grew it ourselves. Now we can laugh at any food shortage, and know that we have helped our country. We realize that we cannot win the war unless everybody helps.

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Marine Corps and Naval Reserve Several Jefferson boys have joined the Marine Corps Reserve, which is open to boys seventeen years of age and older. These boys will remain in school until the Marine Corps calls them into active service. They may then be placed in a college or sent to a Marine Corps training camp to prepare for combat duty. There is also a Naval Reserve which is open to boys seventeen years of age and older. A part of this program, the V-12, sends some boys to college as their military service. These boys are first given an examination and, if they qualify, are given a four year scholarship plus fifty dollars a month. Civilian Defense In our communities, many boys have volunteered for Civilian Defense work. Some have offered their time to be assistant block wardens. These boys have freed many men from this service so that they might volunteer for a more important defense job that can best be done by older men. They have been instructed how to administer first aid and how to handle bombs. If these boys join the armed forces, this training will be of great value to them. Other boys and girls are Civilian Defense messengers. In case of a bombing, their services would be needed. A great responsibility is placed upon them as Civilian De- fense messengers and they will prove themselves capable of undertaking important tasks. hey4 ueuTS roar; up A