Nixon Township High School - Nixonia Yearbook (Weldon, IL)

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- N IX 0 N I A Z1 SENIOR CHARGE As we, the Class of 1927, approach the consummation ami fruition of our efforts, our proud sense of achievement Is tempered by a concern for the welfare of those less happily endowed Juniors, whose destiny it is to continue their progress along the way which we have passed, deprived of the wise council and generous assistance upon which they have learned unfailingly to rely. Scarcely oftener than once in its history does it fall to the lot of any school to enroll in its membership a class so favored of the Gods, and it is your fortune that such a class is your contemporary. You have been fortunate in the privilege of i»eerless association, and unfortunate in the inevitable realization of your inability to measure up to the standard that is ours. It is fitting at this time to acquaint you with the fact that throughout your course you have been the unconscious recipients of the beneficent supervision of the Senoir Glass, wherefore many of your projects which seemed to you to eventuate happily merely by chance in reality did so as a result of our wise direction. Not only have we tried to direct your activities into pleasant and profitable channels and tried to help you avoid disagreeable and unprofitable experiences, but we have striven to fit you for our falling mantle. If we have in some part succeeded it is because of our superior ability rather than the quality of the material with which we had to work. As you are aliout to assume the dignity of seniors, we feel that the contemplation of our conduct and the unconscious emulation of our virtues has placet! yo u beyond the need of caution as regards minor infractions of school conduct, such as tardiness, lack of attendance, and bluffing in recitations. We are concerned rather with a desire that you may cultivate those qualities which art 1 necessary to assure your fitness for the future in your exalted station. Confidence in yourselves will gradually supplant the sense of inferiority which you have naturally felt in our presence, and as the memory or our superiority gradually fades you will manifest a wholesome interest in competitive activities, and enjoy your share or triumphs. In that event the recollection of our modest bearing in the time of victory will enable you to conduct yourselves credibly, and to bear tolerantly the petu- lance which too often mars the attitude of a loser. Above all else you should cultivate a spirit of unselfishness and of fair play. We would not have you fail to aspire to leadership, but we would have you realize that such aspirations are not peculiar to you alone, and that there is no success which is not honorably won. Compete in all things fairly and honorably, remembering that actual victory lies more in how you have played than in that you have won. We cannot bequeath to you the part that we have had in orchestra, glee club and basketball, for our participation in all these activities has been outstanding; hut we urge you to utilize to the greatest extent possible all your available talent am! to give of your l est that the present high standard in activities may not lie lowered. M. R., - ' 27.” Give him rime and he ll do it. — Don Liseuby. 22

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athletics. We surely were proud of that banner, just simply because we had to fight for it. Here’s a pressed rose. That ' s one of the roses we had at our Junior-Senior Reception. That was the year we decorated the K. P. Hall and carried out the rose idea. It certainly was beautifully decorated. Margaret Railsback acted as toast-mistress. Just look at that class picture, would you. That ' s the most energetic class that ever graduated from N. T. H. S. and I expect that ever will. We were Seniors then, and maybe you think we were not proud of it. The officers for that year were Walter Dressier, president: Russell Fullemvider, vice president; Carol Adams, secretary and treasurer, and Mr. Shaw was our Class Advisor. We were surely proud to have Mr. Shaw as he was the only teacher who stayed with us throughout our four years in high school. “The Mystery of the Third Cable.’’ What on earth could that l »? It’s sure a mystery to me. Oh, now I recall — that was our first Senior play. I had almost forgotten. “Looks Like Rain.” That’s the name of the other play. I remember that night, it wasn’t very well suited to the name. The stars were shining entirely too bright to “Look Like Rain.” Well, if here isn ' t my place card. I carried that all the way home from the Junior- Senior Banquet just to put it in this book. I ' ll never forget that night. Such good things to eat and such an enjoyoble evening. The Alumni Banquet, that’s when the students who had already graduated, entertained us. Here’s a picture of the annual staff. Let ' s see Jessie Baker, was Editor-in-Chief; Carol Adams, Asst. Editor; Walter Dressier, Business Manager: Russell Fullemvider, Asst. Manager. I know that was the best annual that ever left the doors of X. T. H. S. Who can this be the picture of? I remember now, that is Mr. Kidd, pastor of the M. P. Church, who spoke at the Baccalaureate. How well I remember the position in which we sat. afraid to make the least move. If here isn’t the program of our (lass night. I ' ll never forget that night. It seems as though it was only a few months ago when Russell Fullemvider stood up before a large audience giving the class prophecy. Maybe you think he wasn’t stage struck. I know that if the audience had been still we could have heard his knees knuckle-knock- ing together. Oh, that Class History. It seems as if it was only yesterday when I sat in that large chair, almost frightened to death. Why, my heart was up in my mouth the continual time. I really had to hold my head up high, for fear my heart would fall out if I leaned my head the least bit. Just put yourself in those shoes for a while and see how you feel. I never saw such a frightened bunch in all the days of my life. What’s this I see? Why. it is our commencement program. How well I remember that night. Every student felt more proud than they had on class night. Let ' s see. Who spoke that night? Oh yes! Mr. Evans from Farmer City. He gave a wonderful talk on “Motives,” and everyone seemed to enjoy it. How well I remember our motto, “Tonight we launch, where shall we anchor?” and how proud and dignified we felt on leaving dear old X. T. H. S., expressing our gratitude and appreciation toward our teachers for the interest which they took in us during our four years in high school. We shall always remember those we met here and those we left behind enjoying the privilege which we have just enjoyed. B. B., ’27. Bless me, how shall I behave. — Dude Thurber. 21

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JUNIOR RESPONSE Hass of ’ 27 , in behalf of the c lass of ’ 2 «S, 1 wish to thank you for the kind advice you have so bounteously bestowed upon us. You have, indeed, made our pathway pleasanter by finding for us. through you own experience all the quagmire and ruts of ill-judgment. In fact you have, by retracing your own steps, outlined for 11s a fairly well defined detour of wisdom which leads around the deluding Highway of Folly. For this, again, we thank you. Seniors, if it were not for the realization of your incapacity in appraising our true worth, we would laugh at the valuation you have placed upon us, but since you have been so sincere in believing that our success is due to your direction we will refrain from that relaxation at present. I presume it is this same blind ! elief that has lead so many of your class members to take subjects the second time so that they might be with us to supervise our class activities. You were right when you said that the contemplation of your conduct as regards minor infractions of school laws such as tradiness, lack of attendance, and bluffing in recitations has placed 11s beyond the need of caution. Indeed, if we were to follow in your foot- steps, we would be far beyond the caution zone: we would be ready for four-wheel brakes. We realize that confidence in ourselves is a virtue, but we also realize that over confidence is 1 vice. We would not want to play that careless, over confident game and when the final whistle proclaims us losers, look ’round about us in order to find some- one upon whom to place the blame. Rather, we would play that hard fought game of uncertainty and come out victor! It is kind of you to advise us how to bear ourselves in time of victory and of defeat, but do you not know that people are l est taught by example? You challenge us to play fairly and honorably! Seniors, that is already the foundation of our success ! Your advice was well meant but ill-timed. You charge 11s with l eing inferior to you in our participation in school activities, (’an you not see that such a charge is false? In athletics we have a whole constella- tion of stars who already shine as brightly as yours and who have still another year in which to gain brilliance. In both boy’s glee club and girl’s glee club, we have a good class representation. We admit that we have but one member in the orchestra, but do you not remember that the Etrueian Army numbered ninety thousand while Horatius stood alone at the bridge. As a final thrust you beg us not to lower the standards you have set. That were impossible. Have you forgotten so soon that our class average exceeded yours by a margin of more than five points? It was due to this superior average of ours, not yours, that the school average was raised this year. So you see. Seniors, we are not so weak and entirely void of the talents you have deemed 11s short on. Rather in the exaggeration of your own abilities you were blind to our merits, but since we have so kindly pointed them out to you, you are without a doubt proud to place your falling mantle upon such capable shoulders. Tonight marks the culmination of your high school efforts. You have now reached the goal for which you have striven these four years. Such a realization has meant perseverance as well as many sacrifices. You have a right to ! e proud of your accomplishment, so upon this, your Class Night, we congratulate you. — L. M. R. Her face is fair, her heart is true. — Cleta Long. 23