Pershing Middle School - Reflections Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

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EDITORIAL A History of Our High School Through the united efforts of Mr. E. E. Slater and the parents of the prose pective high school students, the Tranquillity Union High School District was organized in July, 1917, including the districts of Alta Vista, Cantua, Men- dota,' San Joaquin and Tranquillity. A fund of $7000 was set aside by the county for the expenses of the high school for the flrst year. A general election was held in August for the election of the board of trustees. Immediately following this election, the board was organized with Mr. E. E. Slater, President; Mr. R. C. Brown, Clerk; Mr. Granville, Mr. C. F. Goodrich, and Mr. Pucheu being the other members. School opened Monday, October 1, 1917, in the building now occupied by the First National Bank. The faculty consisted of Principal, Mr. L. B. Stev- ens, and two able and willing teachers, Miss Doughty and Miss Clark. Tranquillity at last boasted a high school with fifteen members, Inez Brown, Iva Covington, Lola Crawford, Mattie Franchini, Moses Franchini, Walter Covington, Florence Herman, Mary Hoddinott, Ernest Pucheu, Julia Pucheu, Elsie Stricklin, Dorothy Stricklin, Gladys Mast, Leafadel Miller and Faye Miller. Later in the year Fay Jessee came from Paso Robles, Una Curry from Tulare, Dorcas Gilbert from Visalia, and Harry Dennis from Loveland, Colo. We were unfortunate in losing Gladys Mast, Mary Hoddinott, Florence Herman and Harry Dennis from our ranks. Walter Covington left us in February to attend a mechanical school in San Francisco, but returned to us in time for the fall term. One of the first moves of the students was to organize a Student Body and draw up a constitution to govern it. The officers elected under the constitu- tion were: Leafadel Miller, President; Dorothy Stricklin, Secretary; Iva Covington, Treasurer. T. U. H. S. students showed their patriotism by the part they took in the Liberty Loan drives, the War Savings Society and the Red Cross organiza- tion. There was hardly a girl in school who had no 11knitting to do? School activities were comparatively few, but among the 11good timesh we remember the Christmas program and the wienie roast given by the defeated contestants for the most Liberty Bonds. We were now the possessors of one fifty dollar Liberty Bond, also. School closed June 14 and the play, ttOut in the Streets, was successfully given June 17. School reopened on September 30, 1918, in the same building, but with manyehanges otherwise. Miss Doughty had become our principal. Miss Keith and Miss Clark completed the faculty members. The students num- bered sixteen the flrst day. During the year we lost two of them, but five others came to take their places. Tranquillity High was again interested in war activities. Early in. October we took an active part in the Liberty Loan Drive. The classes were divided for a contest. Thirteen thousand dollars was collected. The High School decided to buy a Liberty Bond and a Liberty Supper was prepared and served nga

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Our Belgian Boy Near the door in room five is a picture of a little boy. He is of fair com- plexion and dressed in a dark suit. He is the adopted child of the Tranquillity High School, but lives in far-away Belgium. His picture was presented to the school by the Class of 1923, last year. Perhaps it will be of interest to know how he came to be adopted by the High School, how well we like him, and how he likes us. It was two years ago that Miss Doughty told us about other schools adopting war orphans and said we might do likewise. In the Student Body meeting, a motion was made to that effect. Everyone was very much in favor of adopting a war orphan. We decided to have a girl about ten years old, but a boy was assigned to us. He was . V a little Belgian boy named Marcel Louvigny. His family were dependent upon support from America as war had made them destitute. His father had been hurt and sick in the war, and might never regain strength. There were several other children in the family. It costs sixty dollars per year to support him. Last year each of the pupils and teachers gave two dollars to raise the amount. We were supposed to earn the amount. On one Monday afternoon, near the end of the term, we told of our experiences in earning the two dollars. Several of the experiences told were in original poetry, and one boy told his experience in a song he had composed. The school writes two or three letters to the Belgian boy each year, and receives letters and post cards from him. This is the message he sent last Christmas: llDear Godmother and Little Godmothers: On the occasion of the Christmas holi- days, I wish you the best, such are the wishes of my heart. lWI embrace you tenderly, dear Godmother and little Godmothers. Your little boy for life, MARCEL LOUVIGNYY, Miss Hood, who can read French, translates the letters. Both this Christmas and last, the school sent a large box to little Marcel, containing Clothes, playthings, and candy. His picture, taken in the new suit we sent him this year, makes us very proud of him. We think our Belgian boy will grow to be a credit to his little Godmothers. -Fay Jessee, i21.

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t0 the public to furnish the money. The exact amount needed, lifty dollars, was raised. The following day school closed because of the influenza epi- demic and did not open until December 8. The High School is very proud of the Belgian boy adopted in March. T. U. H. S. entered into athletic activities for the first time in their basket- ball game with Kerman. Kerman won, but we ,at least gave them a hard fight for the victory. Later in the year we entered tennis, meeting Fowler in the semi-fmals. In the good times section, we remember the Kid Partyh given by the faculty. Each person brought a toy and late in the evening we took flash- light pictures, now prized by all. During Senior week we had the usual round of activities. The Sophomore luncheon was given to the school on the lawn after a rehearsal of the play. The school entertained the School Board by serving dinner to the School Board, Faculty, and Students. This being the first year that T. U. H. S. had graduating students, we established the tradition of the Junior-Senior picnic, the Baccalaureate sermon and the Commencement exercises. The play, Engaged by Wednesday, was the crowning event; The entire school had a part in this success. This play differed from anything we had given before in that the lawn of the old Company house, with its surrounding shrubs and trees, furnished the stage setting. ' In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Slater entertained the school at their home on Wednesday evening. School closed June 20. The school year of 1919-1920 opened September 29 in the Williams Hotel. This building was not well arranged and we were very crowded, but many agreeable changes made these difficulties seem small. Our faculty had changed somewhat. Miss Clark had gone to Kerman and Miss Lang and Miss Hood were added to the faculty. Miss Doughty and Miss Keith had returned to their places. The attendance was increased to twenty-nine members and additional subjects were added to the course of study. The first activity of the year was fall tennis. Our courts were made tem- porarily near the school house. We won several games, but no matches. The crowning event of the year was moving into the new building after Christmas vacation. We were all anxious to show our new building to the public and accordingly we prepared an old-fashioned program. Refreshments were served to all our guests at the close of the evening performance. Tranquillity 9H? took part in the Shakespeare contest this year for the second time. The first year the winners of the preliminary contest were Dorothy Stricklin and Earl Dierking. This year the preliminary contest was held and the contestants chosen to represent us in Berkeley were Una Curry and Walter Covington. While in the city each year the representatives pur- chased equipment for a float, which was entered in the Raisin Day parade. Among later activities we took part in the league basketball and tennis games. Tranquillity won the entire tennis matches from Clovis and Kerman, which gave us a place in the semi-tinals. The good timesli list was much more extensive than either of the previous years. The Seniors entertained the school on Saint Valentine,s night. The Juniors followed their lead with an Easter party and an Easter egg hunt. The Sophomores gave a Wiener roast. The students hiked to the chosen place and games were played to llworkli up an appetite. hzgh