Momence High School - Monesse Yearbook (Momence, IL)

Page 31 text:

M I—I Parent-Teacher Association. By O. BIGELOW. The association during the current year has fully main¬ tained the interest and enthusiasm which was manifested during 1914. The programs for the year have been of an exceptionally high character. The entertainment fea¬ ture alone was very fine for each meeting, and should more than repay anyone for attendance. While no re¬ grets for a lack of attendance can be consistently made, it should be impressed upon the minds of the parents of this city that by staying away from the Parent-Teacher meetings they are missing a liberal education in the very able papers which have been presented at these meetings, during the past, and which there is every reason to be¬ lieve will continue to be presented in the future. If the foregoing reasons for attending these meetings do not appeal to all, there are others of higher and more vital importance, which should influence any parent, or, all parents. One of these is the fact that the Parent- Teacher association is a modern institution, and came in¬ to existence for the reason that there was a real need for such an organization, to the end that the parents could help carry some of the burden of educating the children and not, after paying their taxes, throw the entire respon¬ sibility onto the teachers. To the association is largely due the credit of the pas¬ sage of the bond issue of $25,000.00 for the erection of a new building which was badly needed. Vocational train¬ ing is the next problem. And unless the parents of this city are willing to see their children handicapped in the struggle for existence they must get behind this move¬ ment and insist that vocational training be adopted in the quickest possible time in the schools of Momence. List of Superintendents. The following is a list of the superintendents who have served in the schools since the organization of the High school. The list may be incomplete, and in some instances incorrect, but it was the best that we could get. G. H. White 1875-1877 L. C. Fuller. 1877-1878 H. C. Paddock 1878-1879 Miss M. C. Wilcott 1879-1880 R. A. Beebe 1880-1883 Miss M. C. Wilcott 1883-1884 L. S. Rowell 1884-1886 I. W. Evans 1887-1889 H. P. Little 1889-1903 R. E. Selby 1903-1909 B. A. Winans 1909-1911 R. J. Walters 1911-1914 T. R. Johnston... 1914-

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Ivl enough to lift the chair to the ground, and there was no money to hire someone else to do it. Frank half-prom¬ ised, and went away smiling for the first time in weeks, and repeating the little German verse to himself. When Frank entered the home kitchen that afternoon, he was still smiling. He was so good-natured and oblig¬ ing that his stepmother had only to ask him to do some chores for her and he did them willingly. His cheerful¬ ness so brightened the evening meal that his father prom¬ ised him that if he would go back to school, behave him¬ self, and try to prepare his lessons properly, he would buy the beautiful Indian pony for him that he had been wanting for more than a year. At first the boy did not like the idea of goingback to school, but on second thought he decided to accept his father’s bargain, and also Nora’s promise to help him. The following morning, Frank went to school, but did not get along very well, for he found that owing to his absence he was behind his class. When at last the long day was over, he remembered to smile as he walked along the street toward the Coburn Cottage. Nora was expect¬ ing him, and he lifted the tiny wicker chair down to the gravel walk and wheeled her out among the roses. After Frank’s first lesson in cheerfulness, he could be seen nearly every afternoon with his little crippled friend, she teaching him the art of being cheerful and explaining the habits and names of the plants and birds in the garden. So, the smile and bright words of one little girl helped this boy to begin again, and no one knows how many other people she had helped in the same way. The Year Book Banquet The Year Book contest opened January 23, 1915. The Rose side side led by Victor Taylor took an early lead and came out victorious over the Ivory, lead by Martina Condon. The banquet, which was given by the losing side, was held in the Philomathian Hall, February twelfth, the hall being very tastily decorated with High school colors and with pennants. A two-course supper was served in the early part of the evening, consisting of the following menu: Banana salad, pimento sandwiches, olives, pickles, coffee, ice cream, and cake. Between courses, toasts were given by the following persons: Miss Lora Simonds filling her place as toast mistress in a very creditable manner; Victor Taylor, Miss Martina Condon, Edgar Jensen, Gerald Manzer, Miss Dorothy Smith, Mr. E. E. Wheeler, Mr. Johnston and the Misses Slough and Stallings. After supper different games were played, but the most interesting one was “Hearts and Mittens’’ in which John Condon and Miss Stallings proved to be the greatest heart winners. After a late hour the crowd adjourned, well pleased with the success of the evening.

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One summer day in the year 1935, as I alighted on the top of a Chicago department store, I noticed in another aeroplane my friend, Lucy Hayden. She had just started down stairs when I overtook her. I had not seen her for several years, and she told me that she was now living on the North Side, along the Lake Shore, as a companion to an old lady. She had just returned home from Europe. We went down stairs and came upon Edith Bradley, who was up from her large and prosperous farm near Grant, for a day’s shopping. She told us that her brother How¬ ard, was editor of the Press-Reporter, in Momence. Then we naturally started talking about the members of the Class of ’18. During our talk, I learned that Gladys and Belle were running the politics of Momence; Walter had made the Kankakee river famous by his poetry; Eva D. conducts a large pleasure resort a little distance up the river; Law¬ rence Benjamin had married “a small Momence maid,” and is a noted artist; Evelyn F. was living up the river with her cats in a pretty little cottage. Florence S. and Ida T. had a beauty parlor on Court street in Kankakee. Stanley and Edward had a second¬ hand store next door. Vera was playing in the theatre there, also. Wilhelmina was a school teacher and looked very se¬ verely over her glasses at her pupils. Dorothy Smith, having had very good practice presiding over the Fresh¬ man class, was President of the U. S. Federation of Wo¬ man’s Clubs. Henry S. was a noted cartoonist for the Chicago Herald. Edith Lamport was writing jokes for the Ladies’ Home Journal. Several of our class were in Europe. Wilma was in Paris learning to design Paris gowns, and Beulah was there learning fashionable dressmaking. Harold was in Paris also. Pearl M. was making woman’s suffrage speeches in England, and was a very popular speaker. Ida K. had lately developed a wonderful voice, and was in Italy studying for the Grand Opera. I do not think that we fully appreciated the fine talent for acting we had in our class. Lawrence R. was taking the part of Tom Thumb in a series of fairy tale plays. Rose was a motion picture actress. Willabelle was on the stage, and played many leading parts. Dorothy N. was a snake charmer. Grace, Norma and Ruth were touring the country as a concert company. People go miles to hear and see them. John C. was a great politician, and was making speeches all over the country. Robert was a professor of Physiol¬ ogy in Harvard. Helen was teaching Latin in Grant, which is now a large town. Lura is superintendent there. Ev¬ elyn M. is a physical culture teacher in St. Anne. A little later in the day, as we went down the street, a newsboy approached us selling papers. I bought one and the head¬ lines announced Verne to be the inventor of an excellent dishwasher and wiper. F. Tomas Co. will manufacture them.