Mondovi High School - Mirror Yearbook (Mondovi, WI)

Page 10 text:

The Debating Club held its regular meeting Wednesday evening, December sixth. The good attendance showed the interest of the Mondovi people in this phase of school life. The meeting was opened by the Roll Call and the reading of the minutes. Fifteen minutes were then devoted to mock business conducted by Erwin Fisher, Guy Humphrey, Clarence Lamb, Walter Amidon. The members of the society are getting well acquainted with the putting of motions and the order of precedence; any mistake on the part or a member resulted at once in a “Rise to point of Order.” The declamation, “Touissant L ’Overture,” was well delivered by Earl Trowbridge. Perhaps the most interesting as well as exciting part of the program was the debate on the question. Resolved: That immigration should be restricted by a literary test. The affirmative was supported by John Voll and George Gilman, the negative by Paul Walker and Edgar Farrington. Altho the negative won, nevertheless the affirmative put up a good fight as is shown by the close decision of the judges. The rebuttal of the affirmative showed quick thot and a good apprehension of the subject. While awaiting the decision of the iudges, Hon. C. W. Gilman gave the students a short talk on the value of literary and debating societies in a Hioffi School. Mr. Less. Supt. Niehaus and Mr.Humphrey also spoke to the society on the value of debating clubs in developing the power of systematic thot as well as easy and fiuent speech. Mr. Lees especially congratulated the students on their ability to conduct the meeting in a businesslike manner, emphasizing the daily need of men, ready and capable of presiding at meetings or at least of taking part in the proceedings in a parliamentary manner. The Debating Club is very grateful to these men for the interest shown and the highly encouraging remarks.

Page 9 text:

It is planned to give the Senior class play before spring vacation so as not to interfere with the preparation for commencement exercises. The tardiness in High School has decreased to an average of about four cases a day. This is much better that it was at the first of the year. During the second semester Advanced Algebra will take the place of Solid Geometry, Physiology in place of Elementary Science i, and Expressive Reading in place of English i. There will be fourteen students taking Reviews, the first study in the Teachers’ Course, which was started this year. School was dismissed at recess Friday, December twenty-second, in order to let the teachers take the afternoon train. Forty students intend to take bookkeeping the second semester. This is by far the largest bookkeeping class since the course was started. The High School boys have done much to improve the playgrounds at recesses and under their supervision the roughness has gone. At a recent meeting of the School Board it was decided to name the kindergarten the Lincoln Building and the new grade building the Whelan School, in honor of J. W. Whelan, who did so much for the schools in Mondovi. Sen. John Donald, Mt. Horeb, Wis., has consented to give the commencement address. He is a very able speaker and the school should be proud of the fact that they have obtained him to give the address. Miss Lisherness spent Christmas vacation at her home in Lancaster, Miss Lins at her home at Spring Green, Miss St. Sure at her home in Sheboygan, Miss Dinsmoor at Austin, Minn., and Mr. Cundey spent a few days with his mother at Platteville. The visitors during the past month are Rev. Langehough, Vera Howard, To, who is attending Stout, and Floyd Smith, ’n, who is attending Oshkosh Normal. The regular rhetoricals have ended and those from now on will be those who have earned the privilege.

Page 11 text:

The Debating Club met Wednesday night, December twentieth, with excellent attendance. As usual the programme was interesting and instructive. The meeting was opened by a number of High School songs sung by the whole society. The regular programme was begun with mock business, conducted by Stanley Lockwood, Rex Claflin, Elmer Hilker and Clarence Koepp. Subsidiary motions were taken up in consideration of their order of precedence, and the discussions were heartily entered into by the members of the society. A very good paper on current events was read by Blaine Ellenberger. Thomas Lee gave a declamation, “A Traitor’s Deathbed,” which met with a loud and prolonged applause. Erwin Fisher and Clarence Knudson were called upon for extemporaneous speeches upon The True Christmas Spirit.” Both boys gave voice to some excellent thots upon the subject. The Debating Club will do well to make “extemp” speaking a feature of the meetings as the training received along this line is of value in every walk of life. The debate of the evening was upon the subject, “Resolved: That newspapers do more to mold public opinion than all other agencies combined.” The affirmative was upheld by Merrill Brcbst and Alvin Silverness and the negative by Andy Ward and Fred Lee. Good points were put forward by both sides. The rebuttal given by Merrill Brobst was especially commendable. The decision of the judges was given in favor of the affirmative. The Debating Club as a society shows a fine spirit of interest and enthusiasm. It is just this kind of hearty support that makes a society a valuable and helpful institution in High School. A FEW DEFINITIONS. A Freshman— A smart Alec whose verdancy, conceit and stature are net in proportion to his other qualities. A Sophomore— A good scout who is full of life and energy, with a keen appreciation of the fun of living. A Junior— An overgrown Freshman who delights in wide trousers, long words, and slang expressions. A Senior— A bum joke who has an undue estimation of his own importance. A Bluffer— A tin-horn sport who sponges from his neighbor and feeds taffy to his instructors in the hope of getting a good mark. A Worker— A student who strives to ring true in the classroom as well s”5 elsewhere. —EX.