Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

Page 27 text:

The MissHiE 21 The schools ain» ooijleges all over the country are more and more coming to appreciate the importance of the Honor System. It matters lit- tle that a boy or girl may have a bril- liant mind and may have made a wonderful record as a student, in short be seemingly exemplary in every respect; yet let him or her so much as break the rule of the Honor System by a jot or tittle, and his or her college career is at an end. And what is this Honor System anyway ? It was founded some several hundred years ago by William Penn, and is a government of the Student Body by the Student Body for the best interests of the Student Body. With us here in the High School it is a new thing having been made a reality only this year, but we appeal now to every boy and girl in the school to respond to the precepts embodied in the System and to help us make it a success. Eemember this reflects the standing of the school in the community, and every boy or girl who violates its provisions lowers the standard. Examinations are near at hand; let us one and all be on our Honor! A feature lacking in our school is the co-operation of the pupils, the teachers, and the alumni with the staff in making our magazine a suc- cess. A magazine cannot be pub- ished without material, and when all material from which we are to get the product is handed in, there is a mere hand- ful. When the Missile comes out, you will hear a number of pupils discussing the poor issue! Is there anything of yours in it? Did you help to make it a success? Please don’t knock it then. All along we have lacked the co-operation of the teachers. One may ask how the teachers can help. By urging the 1 Qln-opf ration

Page 26 text:

20 The Missile most capable students direct these organizations. We have had enough poor athletic teams, literary society meetings, and even Missile numbers to establish this fact. If we were asked the cause of the baseball team’s victorious season, we should say that for the first time in years the best men of the school played on the team. It has been, indeed, a new occurrence to see P. H. S. represented by the most capable students in literary or athletic fields. The best players are not always on the team, and the best writers or speakers do not usually hold offices; popularity is the thing that counts. And not until the student body realizes that efficiency is more impor- tant than popularity can school spirit achieve tangible re- sults and P. H. S. attain its proper position. The existence of several student organizations in the school — six, to be exact — operating under different man- agement, has been of more than little financial burden to the students. Sel- dom has any been self-supporting. Due to their uncentral- ized and unsystematic working, many unwise and unneces- sary appropriations have been made. Individually and col- lectively they have been something of an economic strain upon the pupils at large. The Missile, therefore, takes this opportunity to present a plan which we believe to be more economical and expedient. That is, that the finances of these organizations — literary societies, athletic associations, glee and dramatic clubs, and magazine — be managed by one board, composed of representatives from the student body and fac- ulty. A very beneficial step towards this reform was the union of the boys’ and girls’ athletic clubs at the beginning of the year. Such a system must prove essentially stronger than the existing one primarily because it is centralized and responsible. It tends to create a spirit of unity and co-opera- tion. It is based upon the principle that we are all for one and one for all. We sincerely hope that the next term will see to its success.

Page 28 text:

22 The Missile pupils in their rooms to contribute material, by subscribing for the Missile, and by getting outside subscriptions for it they can give us their aid. The English teachers in partic- ular can help by contributing composition work. Lastly, there are the alumni, most of whom take no in- terest whatever in our magazine. At present we have six alumni subscribers. Where are all of the graduates of P. H. S. ? Have they lost all interest in the school? It is in- deed a rare occurrence to see a graduate at one of our athletic games or literary meetings, — and the spirit which they are manifesting is poor, to say the least. Let the ’16 graduates set a better example! With this, the last issue of the Missile of the term 1915- 1916, the editors wish to extend their thanks to Mr. H. A. Miller, who has been of inestimable aid as faculty advisor. It is due largely to this co-operation that we have made the magazine a success during the past term. A woman entered a photograph gallery. “Do you take pictures of children?” she asked. “Yes,” was the reply. “How much are they, please?” “Three dollars a dozen,” said the prop. “Well,” she replied, with a sigh, “I shall have to come again; I have only eleven.”