Port Byron High School - Echo Yearbook (Port Byron, IL)

Page 105 text:

V. V v Freshmen Initiation The Freshmen come from far and near, With rosy cheeks and minds so clear, But when the time for study comes Their minds are filled with thoughts of fun. But as the years wear slowly on, Their thoughts are more to lessons drawn, So day by day they come and go And never think of it, you know. Composed by Curtis Ashdown, Class 1923 Still true today---1947 On Wednesday, September 18, the Sophomores had the chance to pay off old scores. From 9 a.m. until the close of school they made the Freshmen pay them homage due them as NUpper- classmenn. Under the caption--UBe sure to copy and memor- ize'- appeared these humble lines which the Freshies were required to repeat to any Sophomore they met: NOh, worthy Upperclassmen, we bow to you on bended knees, to salute you with great honor in the ever-blowing breeze.' Freshmen boys were required to wear a skirt and blouse, one anklet and one long stocking, one high heeled shoe and one rubber boot, and a turban. They had'to wear lipstick and rouge and polish their fingers. Books were carried in a d buggy Cthese directions were to be obeyed or they would be sorry.D They had to bring their lunch and eat in the gym. The girls were directed to wear bib overalls backwards and sweater hair in to draw back of rd Freshie inside out, one man's shoe and one woman's, a dark with a short-sleeved blouse over it, to wear their pigtails, to carry a garden tool and a sun-flower, their books in a wagon or wheel-barrow and park it the school at 9:00 a.m. Every Freshman had the wo printed across his forehead.with red lipstick. We saw some red noses thrown in for good measure. At three p,m. an all-school assembly was held, the Sophs tak ing over and continuing the Freshmen initiation. Midge Reil ing and Stanley Hollister, blind-folded, had quite a time trying to clean each others teeth with a small tooth-brush dipped in flour. Kenny Bealer and Joyce Wuehle had to wash each other's feet in a dish pan and dry them with paper tow- els. Russell Thompson and Beverly Whitesides were baptized. Dick Minnaert's face was covered with flour, Joan Zwolanek, Bob Peterson, Janice Hollister, Bill Nickerson, and Don Hull on hands and knees, pushed smell onions across the gym floor oll