Westbrook High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Westbrook, ME)

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28 The Blue ff white we practice them for accuracy. The second part is devoted to phrasing and the omission of letters and words for the sake of speed. In typewriting we first master the keyboard and then practice to acquire speed. Most of the commercial arithmetic course is devoted to short methods and time-sav- ing principles. It is the same in ofhce practice, where all kinds of time-saving devices and ma- chines are being introduced. None of the above mentioned qualities can be actually acquired unless we concentrate. The high school teachers are rapidly curing mind wandering by calling upon the pupil quickly to recite, and the pupil who is aroused upon hearing his name spoken becomes suddenly aware that he knows nothing about what is going on. Lack of concentration on our work causes many mistakes, sometimes very serious ones, which deduct from rather than add to neatness, speed and accuracy. Self-reliance and initiative should go together, for anyone who has initiative is usually self- reliant. The teachers are evidently very anxious that we attain these two qualities for problems which demand initiative, and the power to think things out are continually confronting us. In an office we must be self-reliant, for .,we may often be left to ourselves with no one to give directions, and we should make it one of our chief aims to bother those with whom we may be working as little as possible for they may have their own work to do. Dependability and loyalty should also go together, for how can we depend on anyone who isn't loyal? Both of these qualities can be easily practiced in our everyday life. We should make it a habit to go to school every day and not to stay at home because of a slight pain or a mild storm. We should also go with our lessons prepared so that the teachers can depend upon us to recite. If, after we have secured a position in an office, we fail to appear two or three days of the week, how can anyone depend on us? In an office just as at school we shall have a certain amount of work to do each day and if we fail to do it one day, we must do it the next, so, why not be loyal to our school' or office and do each day's work faithfully as it comes? Perhaps this is enough to show the value of a commercial course, as a preparation for post- school' life. The business world is advancing and with progress comes the great need for increasing knowledge preparation commensurate with this progress. The future demands an intelligent force of professional and business people of education, culture and experience. EDITH M. ELWELL, '2'7. DALTON ADDING MACHINE A Dalton Diploma of proficiency is awarded to each student who succeeds in adding a test column, which the Dalton Adding Machine Com- pany provides, by touch, in less than eighty seconds. If the time recorded is one minute or less, the student becomes eligible for membership in the Delta Alpha Mu Society, and the insignia, a gold pin, is presented with the Diploma. The following students succeeded in either the certificate, or both certificate winning and pin last year: Seniors Pupils Anderson, Louise, certificate Chick, Louise, certificate Crawford, Laura, certificate Jordan, Grace, certificate and pin Larravee, Cora, cetrificate and pin Mushreau, Helen, certificate and pin Phaneuf, Josephine, certificate and pin Reece, Harry, certificate Roberts, Emma, certificate Robichaud, Louise, certificate and pin Rocheleau, Jeannette, certificate and pin Turner, Elsie, certificate and pin fuiiiors A Elwell, Edith, certificate and pin Last year Mr. Wigon, Sales Manager of the Dalton Adding Machine Company in this district, offered two prizes of 356.00 and 54.00, respec- tively, to the students who succeeded in running a test list, furnished by him, in the shortest period of time. Louise Robichaud won the first prize and Josephine Phaneuf won the second.

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Westbrook High School '- 4 w' 'qs 27 Commercial COMMERCIAL COURSE VALUES The commercial course is valuable to several classes of pupilsg principally to those who desire an introductory training to fit them for employ- ment in the business world, to those who are pre- paring to enter higher schools of accountancy or business administration, and to those who intend to go into business for themselves. The college student would find shorthand a great help in his lecture courses and often typewriting proves to be an asset convertible into money to pay some of his expenses. Even in the home a knowledge of accounts, an acquaintance with raw material and manufactured products, such as food and cloth- ing, may often be very useful. In short, there is no one who will not sooner or later find a practi- cal use for much that forms the content of any broad commercial course. After completing such a course in the high school, pupils who have availed themselves of the opportunities offered occupy many kinds of positions in business offices and have procured habits which will be valuable to them in any vocation. The following are some of the qualities of a good office employee which are practiced continu- ally by students in a commercial department: 1 Punctuality in arriving at office and in finishing work. 2. Neatness in person, clothing and work. 3. Courtesy. 4. Swiftness in hearing, seeing, and obey- ing. 5. Concentration. G. Self-reliance. 7. Accuracy. 8. Dependability. 9. Initiative. 10. We all know what these qualities are but, if we do not possess them or, if possessing them, we fail to put them into practice, what good will they ever do us? And so, at the beginning of our course, we are taught to cultivate and practice these essentials, so that'they will have become habits, by the time we are ready to enter an office. Loyalty. Department The teachers are continually fighting tardiness. It is insisted that we be punctual in arriving at school and in attending our classes, for we must utilize every minute of our six short periods. If we were working in an office it would be necessary that we arrive promptly in order that we might complete our work on time, and so we are form- ing the habit of punctuality. Neatness, as we all know, contributes much to a person's appearance and in like manner to his work. When we present ourselves at an office to apply for a position, one of the first things which the prospective employer notices is our personal appearance. But, even tho we are neat in person and clothing and our work is untidy we shall never be an asset to any office. In the book- keeping class ten points are deducted from our rank for erasures or for untidy books. Courtesy is a quality which should be practiced faithfully in all of our daily work. It shouldn't be necessary to make a special effort to be cour- teousg it should be a habit. When you enter an office and are greeted courteously by an office girl, doesn't it immediately make a good impression on you? Courteous letters are an asset to any firm and often large business deals depend upon the l'etters written in connection with them. Letter- writing has much attention in our English depart- ment and courteous speech is practiced or should be practiced in our everyday recitations and con- versations and in -all our contacts. In the commercial department we are continu- ally working to acquire two things, speed and accuracy. In bookkeeping, typewriting, short- hand and commercial arithmetic, these two words form our motto. In our bookkeeping we first learn the principles and then we have to apply them. When applying them we first work slowly with the idea of accu- racy continually before us, but after we have acquired this quality, we work to attain speed. It is much the same in typewriting, shorthand, commercial arithmetic, and office practice. The first part oi our shorthand course is devoted mostly to the formation of letters and words and

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Westbrook High School 29 QDon't Quy in Circles---Take a Straight fine to WATSON ,S NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE Fancy Groceries and Meats THE STORE ON THE HILL George Zaharis Fancy Fruit, Groceries, Ice Cream, Cigars and Cigarettes, Confectionery Green Truck in their seasons S. M. WATSON 6 Pine Street, Cumberland Mills 193 West Valentine Street Telephone 66o Tel9Ph0n9 505'M SMOKE SI-IGP Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes and Confectionery WILLIAM HEBERT, Proprietor 881 Main Street, Westbrwk A Low Overhead Expense Is important in corporate management and always pleases the stockholders. The North- western has no stockholders, but during the past 64 years it has paid dividends to its owners fthe policy holdersj amounting to 5275,ooo,ooo. 315 low Hoverbeadv 'will gifve you low cost protection. C. W. FRANK, 33 Seavey St. MARION A. KELLY Teacher of Piano 57 Morton Street Telephone 385-W Compliments of STAR THEATRE Paramount Pictures M. C. MOOERS DRY AND FANCY GOODS Millinery GENTS' FURNISHINGS Warren Eiooio Cumberland Mills Ladies' and Gents' Furnishings Hosiery Underwear Handkerchiefs Buttericlc Patterns Austin St. Clair Co. 533 Main Street