Watkins Glen High School - Senecan Oracle Yearbook (Watkins Glen, NY)

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THE PEPPER POT 3 ASSEMBLY Everyone awaits each Friday morning with “great expectations,” for a certain department in school has charge of the assembly on that morning. The “Ag” Department had charge the first Friday. Tony Valent was chairman. Interesting talks were given about the work in that department and the medal which was won at the State Fair was exhibited. The Homemaking Department was next. Mary Ellen Powers was chairman and introduced speakers on food value and good dress. The girls of this department presented a “fashion show,” representing fashions from the eighteenth century to the modern girl. The Commercial Department came next. Lawrence Romeo was chairman. They put on a short play, representing the efficient and inefficient stenographer. The next department to have charge was the music department. John Beers was chairman. The High School orchestra gave several pleasing numbers, also the Stringed Quartet. The Mathamatics Department presided the following Friday morning. Bill Manning was chairman. A short play was presented in which we received much useful information. Then came the English Department. Rodger Chapman was chairman. A poem was read and a talk on grammar was given. A humorous play, “A Little Learning Now and Then” was next on the program. Everyone enjoyed this. The play was repeated at a meeting of the Parent-Teachers Association, Wednesday evening, November 20th. The Senior Class had charge of the last assembly. They solicited for the Election Dinner and took subscriptions for the “Pepper Pot.” M.T.H. ’30

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2 THE PEPPER POT EDITORIAL We are now approaching the Christmas season, a happy time for many, but a sad time for those who for lack of food, clothing and fuel are poorly equipped for cold weather. It is indeed a .joy to see that our family and friends have a “Merry Christmas”; it is a different matter to arrange for the comfort of others less fortunate and with whom we are perhaps not acquainted. If these people are brought to our attention at all, it is with the thought that some organization is caring for them and that if we will contribute a little money to that fine organization, our duty will be done and our conscience relieved. However, that will do our souls little good and it may not help the unfortunate people either, according to the honesty of the charitable organization. Were we to perform a deed of personal service, it would bring a “Merry Christmas” in the true sense of the word both to us and to the recipient of the deed. You may take this as a challenge or as a recipe for making Christmas cheer: “Would you find a gift of worth and beauty? Something at the savior’s feet to lay Seek it not in some great task or duty, Find it here in service—day by day. In the simple task that lies the nearest, We may find a blessing, every one; In a lovely call that sounds the clearest, We mav hear the Father say “well done.” What we do for others will be measured By the dear Lord Jesus as His own, What we give to others will be treasured As a gift-before the shining throne.”

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4 THE PEPPER POT OUR HIGH SCHOOL—PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE It was a very gloomy and sad winter morning last January when we students of Watkins Glen High School awoke to the horrible realization that our School building, with all its contents, was a mass of smoking ruins. But, although the building was gone, our brains and energies still existed. Due to the efficiency and quickness of action on the part of our faculty and Board of Education, school was called the very next afternoon in the Glen Theater. Mr. Tooker, manager of the theater, very kindly let the high school use his building for a week. After that, more permanent quarters were engaged in the Cole-Royce Hall. Here the high school assembled for roll call and here the Regents examinations were held. Some classes met in th Odd Fellows Hall, the Crofnt house, the Methodist and Baptist churches, and the old Masonic Temple. In March the whole school moved into the new Masonic Temple where we still hold forth. During this time, steps were taken in preparation for the building of a new high school. During most of the spring, the ruins of the old school remained standing, the skeleton of an institution that had once been alive and active. When one walked by the ruins, especially on a moonlight night, the whole scene seemed like a hideous nightmare. The contract for making and drawing the plans for the new structure was awarded to Carl C. Ade, a noted architect of Rochester. The plans provide for every detail which a modern school building should have, to meet the requirements of the state law. These plans were shown to the public at a school meeting and met with general approval. On the twenty-second of May, the bond issue of $250,000 was voted almost unanimously, there being only seventeen votes cast against it. The next thing to be done was to let the contracts. This took quite a time. The contract for the general construction was awarded to the Rankin Construction Company of Rochester. Other con-