Melvindale High School - Echo Yearbook (Melvindale, MI)

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Our House The last week of June, i940 was a momentous occasion, for then the ground was broken for our house, the building that was to serve as a homemaking laboratory for Melvindale l-ligh School. At that time the proiect seemed rather visionary, but in September, when the structure met the sight of the returning students, it was a definite realityfan imposing Dutch colonial home. From September to November l3, when the home was officially dedicated to service, the shop boys and homemaking girls were in a whirl of furniture finishing, cupboard making, curtains, shopping, and polishing-upl On November T3, Miss Ruth Freegard, State Super- visor of l-lomemaking, attended the night-school session at which parents and friends were conducted through the house. ln the following months the home-like atmosphere was increased by additional furnishings and equipment. The basement cafeteria provides a place for club functions and social groups, and the first floor living-room, dining-room, and kitchens are an effective training school for the girls. The second floor houses the facilities for home-hygiene classes and other home activities. Miss Kelly and Miss l-lirschy are the teachers there. This year is high-lighted by the realization of a dream fand gives Melvindale High School one of the few complete homes in the state. v rc t The Home in Use . . . Practical experience in house-cleaning . . . dust, scrub, polish, and arrange . . . cooking , . . not just dabs of this and That, but complete meals . . . praitice meals that culminated in luncheons and dinner parties for 'fdistinguished guestsl CA series of dinners were given bv the girls for the Principals and their wives, the Superintendents of the district, the Board of Education and their wives, and other visitors such as Professor Alexander of Ypsilanti were entertained at luncheons. Table decorations were the work of the related arts classes.l . . . The house has already made a place for itself in community activities . , . clubs make use of the cafeteria or living-room . . . and school clubs have found it an excellent place for social gather- ings . . . sewing . . . projects for the house . . . curtains, drapes, and slip-covers . . . as well as clothing . . . cupboards, fireplace fixtures, painting, etc., etc., by courtesy of shop boys! . . . the nurse page thirty-one 8

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Ensemble The choral ensemble is a madrigal group composed ot students trom the Advanced Choir, who meet tor extra re- hearsals besides the regular chorus class. This group performs on occasions when it is impossible to take the large chorus ot l79 voices. Une of the important events tor this group was their participation in the Bach Festival at Ypsilanti, April fl, a nationally recognized event, The Ensemble concerns themselves pri- marily with the classics but occasionally do some ot the better popular tunes Membership: Betty Jane Reitz, Mamie Lorraine, Mabel Jamieson, Sarah Merenda, Reggy Johnston, Virginia Dalzell, Doris Willard, Shirley Rhea, Mary Louise Deskins, Dorothy James, Kenneth Meissner, lnlenry Newsome, Elmer Kulcsar, Deno Vorobchevici, Charles Vil- lers, Rudolph Cortella, Paul Widdis, l-lal Lindstrom, Karol Stevenson, Eddie Roberts, Lido Cortella, Geraldine Owen, Anna Ker- esi, lsabel Marshall, Marion Malmsten, Dorothy lnleisserer, Rose Fiore, Grace Fer- rante, Sepeur Bargamian, Betty Mahnke, William Newsome piiyii th irly Forensic Forensic activities lor the year l9'lD- l94l consisted of the tirst semester de- bating team work, and the second semester contests in Oratory, Declamation, Dra- matic Reading, and Extempore speech. Our team in debate, as pictured above, did good but unavailing work, We hope to do Letter next year, through the medium ot a newly formed Forensic club which has the lollowng members K, Meissner, D, W.l- lard, l-l, McKitrick, M, Vick, H Narcesssan, J, Bower, J. Lowe, D, Mason, l, Takacs, P. Johnston, R Wooten, G. l-lugentobler, C Bollinger, D. Jamieson, B, Nagy, and Wilma Lindberg. Dn March 28 the local contest was held in the high school auditorium, and the tol- lowing contestants in the sub-district were choseni Oratory, Margaret Vick, Decla- mation, Don Mason, Extempore Speech, l-larry McKitrick, and Dramatic Reading, Irene Takacs. l-larry McKitrick took tirst place in the sub-district contest, and second place in the district contest in May.

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The Home in Use fr. lk,.Olllll1U'fCl tronu rr ll' unslruuets the hoznefnuakers un eounrnunuty health and homefhyguene , . . Care ot the suck . . lurst auul . Oh yes . lt's a busy kuuutl uusetul home! Looking Ahead to Another Dream Uurung the sprung ol lflflll, the Melvunulale Exchange Club bur- chaseul, on the east sucle ot Douglas Lake, a parcel ot land Coutalnung 20 acres vvulh 200 feet frontage on the lake The purchase orlce was 3fllflWl0 Douglas Lake us located un Otsego County about -l mules from Johanrusburg Durung the summer ot lflflfl a mess hall vvas constructed. Thus buulrllng us 40 feet long and 30 feet vvude vvuth a kutehen 30 feet long and lfl feet vvude along the back part ot the dunung room. Our turst Camp tor boys at the sute vvlll be held durung the summer ot l9'll, And durung that summer cabuns vvill be burlt so as to ellminate the old tents that have so long served un the tentung program lor the boys anal g rls ol lvlelvunrlale When the Camo eyerutuuall, ls co nrwleleul ll wull have log Cablns, each to azcommodate lfl boys anul a leauler, have a mess hall vvuth a large tureplaee, have athletue tuekls tor baseball, volley ball, tennis, horse shoes, badmunton. And un arlduton there vvull be a svvummlng dock wuth all tacilutues that go vvrth a good svvimmung place lt vvull take time to complete this but the boys and gurls ot Melvuruclale vvull have the dustunetuon ot being one ol the levv cltues un the State of lvluchugan vvhere a Campground that vs donated to boys and gurls of that Communuly is to Continue during the summer what has been our progress durung the year and that is producung healthy American rjrtuzens, luuulufr flllI4f.lf'flI'0