St Joseph High School - Arrow Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

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By this time the school year was more than half finished, the third quarterly examinations and come and gone and we found Holy VVeek drawing nigh, bringing with it the first spiritual retreat ever held for the students of St. hloseph's. It is needless to say that we enjoyed this retreat and derived great and lasting good from the sermons delivered by Rev. Albert Barry, U. M. Cap., our retreat master. On our return from the Easter vacation the LaSalle Baseball League got under way, we entered a team and at the time this history is being written we have suffered a defeat and that at the hands of the Sophomores who beat us on the opening day, April 28, by a score of 16 to 10. VVe trust, gentle reader, that you have enjoyed the history of our class and that you will pardon us if we have taxed your patience. VVe bid you good-bye, with the hope that we will again meet you next june when we shall have completed our Sophomore year. v v Y j Q .'Xr.TIIomx ixlldlzk. 0112155 1925 HE vacation of 1921 had ended and schools were again receiving pupils. Not the least among them being St. Joseph's Commercial School, our beloved Alma Mater. We Freshmen were indeed fortunate in being admitted, for a large number of applicants had been turned away because of lack of room. For a period of three or four days after admission wide-eyed, open-mouthed boys were staring wistfully, at different objects of interest in and around St. joels. This seems to go with all Freshmen classes. Fifty of the 100 Freshmen, assembled in Room 12 on the morning of September 12. This was the first appearance of what was to become the famous Freshman B Class. Like all Freshmen we were nervous and timid, but Father ' ' Time soon healed this spirit, with his never-failing and ever-healing herb of friendship. From then on everything went along smoothly. The usual routine of work followed. Our program was outlined. XN'e found it included: Algebra, Spanish, English. Mechanical Drawing, General Science and Christian Doctrine, the all-important subject of Catholic schools and the one for which the Christian Brothers are so well known. A goodly number of these sub-V jects were new to us, but we came for work and right from the very start we sure made the dust fly. Everybody applied himself to the task in hand, realizing what the reward of work well done would mean. Rev. Bro. B. Amedy. F.S.C After things had been running along nicely for about three weeks, the De La Salle Literary Society, was organized. lYeekly meetings were held at which various topics, principally ones relating to school work and athletics were discussed. This society created a great esprit-de-corps in the class and made things pleasant for everybody. VVhen the football season opened, we responded to the call for players. After passing the necessary physical tests, three of our number were chosen and given permanent positions on the team. Throughout the season these lads worked and fought hard for the glory of the school. Boys, hats off to VVieski, Schwab and Weweler. Page Fifty-tlzrrc

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York City, as an act of gratitude for the work they have done here in the New York province for the past seventy-live years. Although many of us had been acquainted with the Christian Brothers but a short time, we nevertheless did our bit towards the cause by bringing in a sufficient amount of money that sent us over the top. Lawrence Bazman deserves honorable mention for having sold the most chances in the class, Henry Barnhart was second. VVhen the call for the football team came our class furnished two players: Sigismund Zelinsky and Aloysius Priskey. The former distinguished himself by his wonderful punting ability and the latter by his great line work. It was Zelin- sky's toe that Won many a game for St. Joe's, but once he faltered, and that, in the Seminary game when he had to boot a mud-laden ball. He failed that day-so did the team and hence our only defeat of the football season. About this time our second quarterly examinations began to put in an appear- ance. Qnce again were we resolved to do or die. Again when the third quarterly examinations came around we were still running well in the race towards the goal-SUCCESS. To spur us on, Brother Henry, our director, gave us many talks on the necessity of attaining success and that, only by good, hard, honest, conscientious study. His words were applied in a special manner to our exami- nations, so much so, that as time went on the word-SUCCESS-began to assume a new meaning and we resolved to strive day by day to improve ourselves, so that when the end of the year came we would have attained it. Among the many visitors who called upon us during the year, were Rev. Brother Philip, the new Provincial of the New York Province and Brother Henry August, the former Provincial. Brother Philip in a masterly way told us very many things regarding the City of Detroit, which we had never known before. Clt seems that visitors are able to tell people more about their own city, than they themselves know.j Shortly after their visit Brother Baldwin of the St. Louis Province visited us and told us why he had such a high opinion of the Detroit boys. He especially impressed on us the importance of developing a strong character, so that when we come to take our places in the world we will have strength enough to live up to our own convictions. - At the opening of the basket ball season, an Athletic Association was organ- ized by Rev. Bnother A. Lewis and needless to say we welcomed the project whole- heartedly. We entered a team in the LaSalle Basket Ball League and at first it looked as though we would win the championship, but Dame Fortune seemed to be against us as we were forced to give place to the strong quintet of the Sopho' more class. Next came the St. Patrick's day entertainment to which this class furnished one speaker in the person of Norbert Grewe and also four musicians who were playing in the orchestra at its first school appearance. just before this entertainment, the question of the Year book was taken up and Anthony Meier was chosen to represent our interests by being selected as a member of the Editorial Staff. The next step was to have OL11' picture taken, in order that same could be used in connection with this history. We are proud of the picture of the class which accompanies this history, we feel that the book would indeed be incomplete without it. This is saying a great deal. We mean every word of this. As we write this history we received visits from two distinguished Brothers, one from Rev. Brother Simon of Toronto, Ontario, who spoke to us about the necessity of fitting in God's plan and of finding out what he wants us to do and once having found it out just what to do. The next visitor was Rev. Brother Ful- bert Cassian, provincial and personal representative of the Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who explained to us the necessity of educa- tion in our day and of the need that the Catholic church has of men who have received a good Catholic education. Page Fifty-two

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Shortly after the football season ended, an announcement relative to the Christian Brothers' Diamond jubilee Fund was made and we were asked to do our bit in this worthy cause by selling chances, for the erection of a litting memor- ial building in New 'York City. We entered the crusade heart and soul and we are glad to announce that we did our little bit in the nature of turning in to this fund a handsome sum of money, which represented a percentage of 116. Cold weather soon announced the arrival of the first quarterly examinations, held November 21 to 25. We met them with a resolute will, fought and conquered them. The results were certainly very gratifying and were a source of encourage- ment for us to go on to higher and greater things. Soon Time brought with it the Christmas holidays. Before leaving to enjoy them, a pleasant class social was held, at which an entertainment was staged under the auspices of the class officers. It is needless to say that it was highly enjoyed by all. We are told that many things happen over night. This year the truth of this was shown here at St. joe's, for on returning from our Christmas vacation, we found that Alma Mater had installed an up-to-date wireless station. A radio class was established and many of the boys enrolled. Radio became the topic of the hour, it was discussed at noon time, at dismissal time, at all time-s. In the court- yard, on the street, in the class, everywhere. It was THE main topic of all. Hardly had this been established, when another progressive move was made in St. Joe's, viz.: that of the organizing of the first school orchestra in the history of Alma Mater. To this new move the student body gave many promising musical artists. On the evening of January 18, 1922, the orchestra made its debut, when it played at the alumni meeting, where it made a wonderful hit, so much so that the association voted a nice sum of money to it in recognition of its fine work. This orchestra has made a hit and what's more has made wonderful progress. The one responsible for its organization and continuance, is our worthy and esteemed teacher, Rev. Brother Amedy, F. S. C., who has worked hard in per- fecting an A-1 orchestra, which is without question of doubt, the BEST boys' orchestra in the City of Detroit. Whilst all these events were occuring, Time was swiftly passing by and before we knew it we were once more face to face with the quarterly examinations, and once again we came, saw and conquered. Meanwhile, the dreary winter months whetted our appetites for athletics and in order to satisfy us, a skating carnival under the auspices of the Editorial Staff of the Arrow, was held at Belle Isle on January 26. The affair was a huge suc- cess and what interested us most was, the fact that it revealed to us a wonder skater in one of our classmates-John Hartman, who flying the colors of Fresh- man B came out second or third in a majority of the races. Another progressive move in the sport world was made about this time. Ath- letics which were being discussed only in a general way began to assume a new aspect. On january 26 an announcement appeared on the school bulletin board that an Athletic Association was to be formed and that with 'its inauguration the basket ball league would get under way. We greeted this news with a hearty welcome and entered a team in the La Salle League. Each and everyone of our forty-four members was all interest in this associ- ation and league. We did noble work in the league and under VVeweler, our captain, Povlitz and Griffin, our star players we produced a team that became runner-up for the pennant. Our hopes were shattered when the third year defeated us in the last game of the season, thus preventing us from capturing the coveted pennant. From time to time during the year many persons of note visited our class, among them being Rev. Brother Philip, the new provincial of the New. York Province. He expressed his satisfaction at the work we were accomplishing. Page Fifty-four