Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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The Golden Rod. Vol. II. QUINCY, MASS., SEPTEMBER, 1892. No. 1 THE GOLDEN ROD Will be Published Monthly During the School Year in the interests of the QUINCY HIGH SCHOOL. SUBSCKIPTJOX RATES. For the Year, . 50cents | Single Copies, . 5 cents Foi sale at E B. Souther’s. Address all communications to SARAH C. M GOVERN or JOS. J. CALLAHAN, BUSINESS MANAGERS. Entered at the Quincy (Mass..) Post-Office as Second Class Matter. EDITORIAL. GENERAL EDITORS. Eva G. Reed, John W. Estabrooks. EAGERLY did we look for- ward to the long summer days when there should be no lessons and, consequently, no recitations. Those days came and have passed, and once more the busy hum of school life “is heard in the land.” The High School building is filled to overflowing, and we notice that, in spite of the lon j vacation, many of the pupils glance longingly towards the bright world outside the crowded school room. We trust, however, that every pupil has re- solved to make an earnest endeavor to improve all his opportunities for acquiring knowledge during the coming year. The board of editors of the Golden Rod for 1892-3 ex- tends a cordial greeting to the cit- izens of Quincy and to all other friends of our High School paper, hoping that as generous and loyal support may be received this year as was extended to the former board. R. “You have graduated from the High School, haven’t you ?” “Not yet. I have to go another year, because the course is now one of four years instead of three.” “Humph ! Four years—that's too much time to spend in a High School. A High School education isn't of any use, any way.” The person who made the last remark was one whose school life had ended with her graduation from a grammar school nearly thirty-five years ago. We wondered whether, in spite of her disapprov- al of spending four years in a High School, she had not often felt the need of a higher, broader education than that which she had received. A short time ago, in speaking of an interview with a well educated gen- tleman, she had remarked : “I tried to look very much interested, but I couldn’t understand half of his big words.” This serves as an illustra- tion of the discomfort an ignorant person must endure in the society of those who are well informed ; for in all probability the person of whom we are speaking lacked not only the power to understand the words, but also information con- cerning the topic about which the gentleman was conversing. One cannot spend too much time in obtaining an education, provid- ing he makes proper use of every moment ; for however extensive may be one’s amount of knowledge, he may still continue to learn until life is ended. Then, after all, how short a time is four years as com- pared with a lifetime of study! When the pupils were informed last year that our High School course in fu- ture was to cover four years, many were dissatisfied, especially those who had expected to be graduated in June; and at length the commit- tee decided that the senior class should be given diplomas, as that class had entered when the course covered only three years. We are glad to say, however, that the class has awakened to a sense of the ad- vantages of completing the full course, and all, with three excep- tions, have returned. It is only fair to state that those pupils who have not returned were prevented from doing so, not by their own in-

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THE GOLDEN ROD. clination, but by other circumstan- ces. Not long ago a man whose whole life has been one of study, and j 9 across whose brow white locks now stray, said to a young girl: “A year is a short space of time to one of your age. There are no white hairs in your head yet. Think not of the time that is passing, but of the knowledge you are gaining. Strive to obtain the best education you possibly can. You will never regret it. It a person fits himself for a high grade of work in life he will probably get it,—if for a low grade, he certainly will not get a high one.” These words apply to all pupils, and to those who are now in our High School and to all who may enter it in future let us say: Take the full course, using every moment to the best advantage. Do not let your education end with your school life, but strive to ac- quire some knowledge every day, by observation, by reading the daily newspapers and the best magazines, and by carefully studying good books, of which an almost inexhaust- ible supply is furnished by our pub- lic library. r. We open school this year with but one change in our corps of teachers. Mr. F. A. Tupper is the new principal. He is a graduate of the Roxbury Latin School, and of Harvard (1880). For the last five years he has been principal of the Arms Academy, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, and for the five years previous to his principalship at Shelburne Falls he was vice- principal of the New Brunswick, New Jersey, High School. e. An Athletic association has been organized in school this year for the first time, with the following officers: President, Joseph Calla- han ; vice-president, George Ewell; secretary, H erbert T hompson ; treasurer, John Estabrooks; exec- utive committee, Harry Winslow, Michael Daly, Charles Fostello; manager of foot-ball eleven, John Cashman. Let us say that it is the duty of every member to lend his influence for the furtherance of the association’s good. By so doing the physical standard of the school will be raised from the second rate position which it has for some time occupied to the position of impor- tance where it belongs. The conditions this year are more favorable than they have been for some years past, and we hope the opportunity will not be lost. E. The Grammar schools of Ouincy are much superior for schools of their grade to the High School, and the reasons are simply these : First, the High School building is entire- ly unfit for the purpose; second, a scholar takes the High School course with no definite end in view. After he has completed the four years’ course another year will be consumed in study before he can enter any of the colleges, and if he does not intend to pursue his studies further, he has not used his time to the best advantage on the half preparatory course which the school affords. Would it not be better to have three distinct courses, Classical, General and Business? In that way the needs of most of the pupils would be met, and the students would be stimula- ted to better work in order to ob- tain the great good which they de- sire in the end. e. The English division of ’96 will be transferred to the Adams School sometime in October. This step is greatly to be regretted, but is necessary on account of the poor ventilation of the High School building. We hope that, being sep- arated from the rest of the school, they will not lose their interest in school matters and that they will soon be able to rejoin us. They will be instructed by Miss Clara Thompson of Quincy. e. If those subscribers who do not wish to continue to take the Gold- en Rod would please inform us of the fact at the earliest opportunity, it would prevent considerable trou- ble later on. We hope, however, that few will do this, as we need all our old subscribers.