Scarborough High School - Four Corners Yearbook (Scarborough, ME)

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FOUR CORNERS Bonny Brier Bush,” “Freckles,” “David Harem,” “Animals I Have Known,” and others. “Beltane, the Smith,” “Slippy McGee,” and “The Riding Kid of Powder River” are also recent editions. “The Four Million” and “Cabbages and Kings” were bought for the benefit of short story writers in the Senior Class. Those interested in the High School can express their interest in no more permanent and acceptable way than by giving standard works of fiction or reference to our library. This year all the books have been covered with a heavy library paper to insure their protection, so that any who feel like making us a gift will know that such gifts will be properly cared for. The most important experiment attacked this year was the maintenance of an evening school two nights a week during the winter term for the benefit of the public at large. Registration was begun at the end of the fall term, but the regular sessions did not commence until the beginning of the winter term when good sized classes were formed in all the subjects offered. Courses in Stenography and Typewriting were taught by E. G. Bessey, Bates, ’13, Principal of the High School; Penmanship and Commercial Arithmetic by E. P. Bul¬ lock of Milliken, Tomlinson Co.; Mechani¬ cal Drawing by Rev. Renscl Colby of the Black Point Church; Business English and Modern European History by Miss Bryant of the High School force. An excellent average attendance was kept up in spite of numerous storms and the impassable condition of the roads. Mr. James Gower and Mr. A. W. Hodgman hold the record for perfect attendance. At the closing session classes were suspended and everybody had a jolly good time. A spelling match was held in which Principal E. G. Bessey proved his superior spelling ability. Refreshments of hot cocoa, sandwiches, ice cream, and cake were served, and these found enthusiastic favor. Mr. Swinburn, in a few well-chosen words presented the instructors with a remembrance of the winter’s work. To Mr. Bullock, a Masonic pin; to Mr. Bes¬ sey, an Odd Fellow’s emblem; and to Mr. Colby and Miss Bryant, each a book. It created considerable amusement when someone suggested that the two latter had “a lot more to learn.” With Mr. Bessey as pianist, a social sing was enjoyed, espe¬ cially “John Brown’s Baby,” when Mr. Colby demonstrated how the aforesaid gentleman rubbed it with camphorated oil. That Scarborough folks can sing splendidly was very evident when it came to “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” and other well- known songs. With an appropriation of $200 which was made at the town meeting in March, supplemented by another from the State Department of Education, we should have a flourishing school another year. A new set of school song books has been bought this year and a good part of the numbers already learned. Miss Bartlett

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FOUR CORNERS (i to be a great aid in promoting attendance and increased effort in the preparation of the different studies. The plan provided that all students hav¬ ing a rank of eighty-five per cent and perfect attendance would be exempt from all tests. For each day of absence, an additional five per cent need be attained. Thus, if absent for one day, it is necessary for the student to have a rank of ninety per cent. Though this plan has a tendency to draw the student from the home work where he is sometimes sorely needed, one glance at the attendance book and rank card would be convincing proof of the increased effort, both in attendance and in the preparation of lessons which the exemption list has brought about. R. Leon Laky. A table for the use of the classes in chemistry has been built this year and placed in the large recitation room. Eight double drawers enable the students, work¬ ing in pairs, to complete the necessary number of experiments for college entrance requirements. At the best, this arrange¬ ment is a makeshift to bridge the gap until a new High School is erected which will contain enough space for laboratories to be used solely for that purpose. The main¬ tenance of a lunch counter and chemical laboratory in the same room might give rise to even dangerous possibilities. The Current Event classes which were started last year have been continued through the present year. The students make use of the I. iter ary Digest which is furnished by Funk Wagnalls at the school rate of .06 per copy, and speak before their respective classes without the use of notes. This has proved to be a most valuable practice, not only in training them to speak on their feet, but in acquainting them with an unbiased review of events of world wide interest. Another decided improvement has been introduced among our school equipment this year in the shape of electric lights. These were intended primarily for the use of the evening school classes, but their use is surely appreciated by all of us on dark days. The change to daylight saving in Port¬ land has resulted in the morning session beginning at 8:00 a. m. standard time instead of S:3o as formerly. During the fall term a second annual book day was held for the benefit of the Scarborough High School library which resulted in about fifty additional books being secured. Since then other volumes have been purchased or donated, thus bring¬ ing the number of new books up to seventy. A copy of the World’s Almanac and the Revised Statutes of Maine have been pur¬ chased, and through the effort of Harold Bennett ’23, a number of excellent books of fiction have been given. Among these are “Lavender and Old Lace,” “Beside the

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8 FOUR CORNERS of the Pine Point School, has conducted a music period on Monday mornings during the winter term, and this has been con¬ tinued ever since under the supervision of the regular teachers. Several songs have been written to airs selected from the new book. Our new teacher, Mrs. Arthur Stevens, has started a Glee Club for the girls, which will probably furnish part of the musical numbers for graduation. Mrs. Stevens’ knowledge of music and her energetic per¬ sonality should produce excellent results with the girls. Rubenstein’s “Melody in F,” and Hoffman’s “Beautiful Night” are the selections with which the club will start. Scarborough High School Brings Home the Bacon. Great was the rejoicing of students and townspeople alike when our team of four secured for the third time a unanimous decision in the race for the cup offered in the annual triangular prize speaking con¬ test between Cape Elizabeth High School, Old Orchard High School, and Scar¬ borough High School. The series of contests was begun in the spring of 1919 for the purpose of develop¬ ing ability in public speaking and a spirit of friendly rivalry among the three schools. It was agreed by each school that a pre¬ liminary division should be selected and trained by the teachers to compete in a public contest, and from this number a team of two boys and two girls should be chosen to compete with a similarly selected team from each of the other schools at a joint contest. In the preliminary contest the boy and girl adjudged to be the best speaker received a silver medal suitably engraved, and to the boy and girl who won second place, a similar bronze medal was given. Medals of silver for the best boy and girl, and bronze for the second choice, engraved with the names of the three schools and the date of the contest, were chosen as prizes for the final contest. A beautiful gold-lined, silver loving cup on an ebony base was to be presented for one year to the team whose uniform excellence was the highest, the trophy to be the per¬ manent possession of the school which should be the first to win it three times. Our first preliminary division consisted of Misses Abbie Small, Ethel Foster, Velma Leonard, ’20; Violet Roberts, Isabelle Plummer, Ruth Heald, ’22; and Messrs. Melville Johnson, To; Philip Bowley, Fred Richardson, Earle Willman, ’20; Clarence Lary, R. Leon Larv, ’21. The judges selected Abbie Small and Clarence Lary for first place; Ruth Heald and Melville Johnson for second, with Ethel Foster and R. Leon Lary as alternates with honorable mention. In the final con¬ test at Old Orchard, not only did Ruth Heald and Melville Johnson win a clean- cut decision for first honors, but we were awarded the team prize for the general excellence of all four speakers, an honor all the more valued as it represented the unani-