Middlesboro High School - Yellow Jacket Yearbook (Middlesboro, KY)

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-. NSAC! MIDDLESBORO AS A HOME VALEDICTORY ADDRESS-MARGARET KENDRICK The topic I am to discuss should be one of the greatest importance to every citizen of Middlesboro, because each of us should want to find out if Middles- boro is an ideal home, and if it is not, how we can make it such. In order to discuss this subject it is necessary to set up certain standards or ideals, such as the following, which every town or city should strive to at- tain: 1. An ideal city has hard-working, congenial churches. 2. An ideal city is healthful. 3. An ideal city has conveniences and comforts for all, such as police pro- tection and control. 4. An ideal city has free education for both children and adults. 5. An ideal city has adequate recrea- tional opportunities and civic beauty. 6. An ideal city is composed of co- operative citizens. Let us examine our city to see which of these ideals it lives iup to and which are lacking. The church is the most important standard of this list, since a group of hard-working churches signify a good city. A city made up of conscientious church 'members would invariably be an ideal town, since those members 'would set abo-ut bringing their district up to the other standards. One of the best things to be said about Middlesboro is that her churches and their members are friendly toward each other, as well as toward their new-comers: and that they realize the value of unified action. Through their social gatherings, such as the church suppers, young people's parties and class meetings, they pro- vide means of entertainment in addition to being the spiritual background of the community. Since the churches provide for the spiritual needs, our health system sho-uld provide for our physical needs. The spread of disease in our city is pre- -16-. vented by the required innoculation of school children, by the quarantine of all dangerous diseases, and by our pure water supply. Besides having two hos- pitals and a number of efficient doc- tors, we have on the lookout to prevent diseases at all times, the school nurse and the Red Cross nurse. But, nearly everyone has heard it said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the greatest step toward the prevention of disease that Middles- boro could take would be the elimina- tion or purification of the canal. That canal makes Middlesboro a most ideal home-for germs and 'mosquitoes-and it is not even on the outskirts of town, but in the very center of it-a menace not only to the city's health, but also to her beauty. With the absence of this one marring feature, and with the cooperation of all the cit'zens to keen her clean, Middlesboro would be a healthful city, for the air is pure, there is little of the smoke and other aggra- vations often found in a place of this size, and everyone has the opportunity for outdoor exercise. The question of conveniences and comforts for all is an indefinite one, since the term convenience covers such a great array of ideas, such as elec- tricityg a good water supply, bus, train, and taxi serviceg and means of com- munication, such as the telephone, tele- graph, and postal system. To this list Middlesboro complies as well as to the question of good police protection and control. The wide variety and quality and the convenient location of our shops might also be considered under this heading. Then, too, would any community be a very comfortable home if the taxes or living expenses were greatly above the average? If this is the case, the citizens of Middlesboro are comfortable, since o-ur taxes are on an average for the state of Kentucky. It seems that very little, if anything

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Glen Whitaker-Band. N Dorothy Mynatt-Senior Play Gene Powell-Journalism, Junior and Senior Play, National Honor Society, Dramatics. Lug . 1-fl: f Elizabeth McKenzie-Glee Club, Debate, National Honor Society, Dramatics. Walter Yeary-fHi-Y Vice Presidentj, Glee Club, Public Discussion. ' Ralph Whitaker-Glee Club, 4-H, Public Speaking. Tom Yoakum-Glee Club, Football, Bas- ketball, Public Speaking. Virginia Smith-Drainatics, Public Speak- ing, Girls' Chorus, Girl Reserve., Esther Stern-Glee Club, Debate, National Honor Society, Staff, Senior Play. Marie Standifer-Staff, Debate, Girls' Chorus, First Place,.Bookkee-ping District Tournament, '34, 1. 1 Herndon Hutcheson-Drarnatics, Junior and Senior,-Play, GleeNClub, Public Dis- cussion. K ,L L A George flVIay-Debate, Junior Play, Tennis. Malissa Dees-girl Reserve, Glee Club. . .1 , .V ., , f , lVIab1e Webb7Girls' Chorus, Girl Reserve. Clara Turner-Girls' Chorus. Y Beulah Webb-Girls' Chorus, 4-H. Margaret Kendrick-Valedictorian, Na- tional Honor!Society, Girl Reserve Presi- dent, 4-H. ' XQAQJ 1'- .qw ,- -15- Y' -anna 'Qi CII? fa if

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g can be said against the Middlesboro educational system. For children in convenient locations, there are five grade schools, one high school, and one colored school, while by the next school year, a junior high school will be built. In addition to this, Middlesboro has sev- eral adult educational schools, in vari- ous parts of the town, and also a Car- negie Library containing over 6000 volumes. Does not this fulfill the fourth requisite for a good home-that it have free education for both ch'ldren and adults? Although Middlesboro does have a good educational system, her recrea- tional opportunities for young people are limited to a theater and a few places for picnicking, hiking, and like outdoor pleasures. Middlesboro's great- est need is a supervised park and play- ground. The Bartlett-Rhodes Park is being improved, and if, after the im- provements have been made. a careful supervisor is placed in charge, it will increase Middlesboro's rating nearly IOOW. Our school is lacking in play- ground equipment, because the'e has heen no way to continuously watch it after the school hours and over the week-ends. This should show one need of supervision. while a much better at- mosphere Will prevail around a super- visor, as Well as a greater enjoyment of the recreational furnishings. This nark would not only add to Middles- boro's recreational opportunities. but to her civic beautv as well. In real physical beautv. Mirlrlleshoro has 2 high rating. heimr surrounded bv beautiful scenery, and attractively plan- ned. Brut can any city be beautiful that NS G! is not neat? Are signboards beautiful? By-hiding our city's beauty behind Lill- boards, and by letting trash collect in places near the town, we have detracted greatly from our town's natural beauty, since neatness is essential to beauty. The last qualification-cooperation- is entirely dependent on you and other citizens of Middlesboro. With coopera- tion, Middlesboro can become an ideal cityg without it, she will gain nothing. In our various civic clubs, such as the Kiwanis. Rotary, Business and Profes- sional Woman's Club, and others, an cxcellrnt spirit of cooperation for im- proving our city is shown. And so, it depends on the citizens of Mi ldlesboro. With our cooperation, Middlesboro can become an ideal city, as well as a perfect home. We. the members of the Class of Nineteen Hundred and Thirty-Six wish to express our gratitude and apprecia- tion toward our parents and friends for the possibilities we have had in Mid- dlesboro. Many of us were born here, and have had the opportunity of at- tending the Middlesboro schools all of our livesg while others have only lived here and ,attended this school for a few years. B-ut we all appreciate the ad- vantages we have had in living and be- ing educated in Middlesboro, and We realize that it has meant a sacrifice on the part of many of our parents in giv- ing us our education. We shall try to repay vou by becoming useful citizens. not only of Middlesboro. but of the state and nation, and we shall strive to un- hold the standards that our fathers and their fathers have established with such '1 frreat price.