Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

Page 19 text:

THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. 17 lows in the Army and Navy concerning whom information could be secured. In another place in the Herald will be found a complete list of those in the service. We are indeed proud of such a list. Westport will ever hold the names of these wo1'thy sons of hers among her choicest memories. May the succeeding classes do their duty to their country as readily as these have answered the call. War Work We are proud of our boys who are at the front, and if they knew what we have been doing here, they would probably ap- plaud our efforts. There are not so very many things that boys and girls in high school can do, but the variety of things that we have done is surprising, never- theless. It seems as though everyone is doing something. If there are any slack- ers among us, we are not aware of the fact. ' . The demands for money have been va- rious-Liberty Bonds, Thrift Stamps, Y. M. C. A. War Fund, Junior Red Cross, Belgian Relief, and other lesser enter- prises. We have not stopped there, how- ever, as 'is witnessed by the great num- ber of books, magazines, field glasses, and records collected, the hospital supplies made, the many sweaters, socks, wrist- lets and other things knitted and made, and the large number of Liberty Bonds sold. We are glad of this opportunity to be of service. For a more detailed account of what Westport has done during the year, see the News department. Military Training After looking over the records of the military training and the spirit shown by the cadets during the last two years we can truly say that we are proud of this Westport organization. The work and the drill have always been good, but it is the spirit of the men and the spirit of the company behind the drill that have pushed it above the standard. It is always the spirit of an organization that determines its making or breaking, and it is con- cerning this spirit that we desire to com- ment. ' Next to the spirit of discipline-the power which is by far the most essential to military work--the spirit of cleanli- ness stands first. Cleanliness of mind and body is necessary, but cleanliness in uni- form is also necessary. Owing to their interdependence, it is the boy with the clean face, polished shoes, and combed hair who has the clean and polished mind. One of the first things that is instilled into the mind of every cadet is to do everything his best. Everything from the most insignificant movement to the most complicated maneuver, is carried out with the same care and thoroughness. And last, but by far the most admired, is the spirit of iight-the spirit of strug- gling to the end, whether that end be a defeat or a victory. It requires good training to take a defeat and come up again, undefeated in spirit, but it takes even. more training to take a victory without suffering the disease usually at- tending a triumph. The spirit of the cadets is indeed the personification of the spirit of chivalry, courtesy, discipline, obedience, and trust- worthiness. Red Cross The Red Cross work at Westport has had an additional incentive this year. The fact that the United States is actively en- gaged in the war, together with the very large number of Westport boys already in the service, has made it impossible to

Page 18 text:

16 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. The old Crier was never large enough for anything but to tantalize us. If we printed the news, there was never any room for anything else. If we printed a story, someone would feel hurt that his pet stunt did not get the write-up that it deserved. We were glad when we found it possible to print a four column paper instead of a three, and at the same time to make the columns longer. The first ten issues of the Crier contained a good, substantial increase of space over those of last year, while the last five issues were just two and a half times the size of last year. True, considerable space was taken up by the advertising, yet the net increase in reading matter was large. C This will give you some idea of the ex- tra amount of material you received for your fifty cents. It will also give you some idea of the extra amount of work done by the staff. We did not mind the extra work, for we were glad of the chance to give you something more en- joyable to read. The thing that made this possible, and the thing that made it possible for us to put out a Herald without any advertis- ing, was the advertisements that we car- ried in the Crier. Seventy-four of the Kansas City merchants carried advertise- ments this year. We owe them a debt of gratitude and our patronage. We also owe our thanks to Robert Malcolmson and Conrad Eckert for their good work as solicitors. Many of the merchants have signified their intentions of adver- tising again next year, but next year will be the crucial test, as the merchants will not advertise unless they got returns this year. We think we have given you the best Crier you have ever had, and we hope you think the same about it. The Crier may be of a different shape next year, but if you will support it with- your subscrip- tions and your patronage of the advertis- ers, we can assure you that it will not be decreased in size. Many students have contributed stories, poems, jokes, and other material to the Crier. We wish to thank you for all of it Our Boys in the Service Was it not inspiring to see our service flag unfurled in assembly? Did it not fire yourrpatriotism to the highest pitch and remind you of your duty to your country to see that flag containing over two hundred stars, each one representing a Westporter who is in training or who is already fighting at the side of our Al- lies for the common cause of Freedom and Democracy? Westport can hold up her head in pride to know that she is so Worthily repre- sented on the battle field by these noble sons. Many of them are already in offi- cers' positions. Their education and train- ing will certainly make them efficient leaders. We expect to hear great things from them in the next few months. We should be glad that we have this opportunity to strike a blow for Liberty and Freedom. It is up to us to realize our sense of duty and then to do our ut- most in aiding this great cause. When we gaze' upon our service flag and see what a great number of old Westporters are fighting our fight, does it not behoove us who are here at home to strive to the utmost to aid Uncle Sam? Probably it is not best for those who are in high school now to join the Army or the Navy, but it is up to us, besides entering to the fullest extent in all Liberty Loans and food-saving campaigns, to prepare our- selves with the utmost diligence for the rebuilding of Democracy 'and Right when the war Shall end. The Crier has, during the year, pub- lished short personal notes about our fel-

Page 20 text:

18 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. enroll all the girls that desired to take the courses. Westport's interest and zeal in the Red Cross work have produced wonderful re- sults. The school became a member of the Junior Red Cross, contributing almost twice as much as was actually needed for membership. The sewing classes have preparation of greatest inter- shown in the Cross training. organized dur- given their time to the Red Cross supplies. The est, however, has been classes organized for Red Five classes have been ing the year, four in Elementary Hygiene and Home Care of the Sick, and one in First Aid. Those who have passed these two courses successfully are hoping for an advanced course next year. Anyone can be very proud to have re- ceived a certificate from an organization so universally recognized as the Red Cross. Such certificates are rightfully given the place of honor in the gradua- tion books. - Although the girls may never put their Red Cross training into actual prac- tice in war work, it will be of great value to them throughout their whole lives. The hour and one-half spent in Red Cross training each Thursday afternoon will never be regretted, for there they have learned the true need of accuracy and proficiency. The serious attitude taken toward the Red Cross work and the interest and de- sire to learn evidenced by the girls show that Westport is anxious and capable of doing worth while things. Alpha Lyra Club Each year sees some change in the line- up of Westport's clubs. This year the new arrival is a musical aggregation. Heretofore the Girls' and Boys' Glee Clubs have not been organized as school clubs. Some time during the first semester the two clubs were combined and organized into the Alpha Lyra Club. They have the advantage over the other clubs of the school in that they meet every day dur- ing the fourth hour. We are glad to wel- come this new club, and so, accordingly, we extend to the Alpha Lyra Club the right hand of friendship. High School Clubs This has been a most successful and profitable year for the Girls' High School Club. The alternate Monday meetings were sometimes held at the Y. W. C. A. and sometimes in room 80 at school. The in- teresting discussions dealt not only with the simple things of life, but with the complex problems as well. The purpose of the Council Club is to bring the girls into the broader scope of school life, to cause the girls to become more intimately acquainted with each other, and to help the girls to appreciate and to strive toward the better things of life. We feel that much has been accom- plished along all of these lines. The Boys' High School Club, on the other hand, has had a year of varied for- tunes. The attendance at the beginning of the year was fine. Then it dwindled. In the winter it picked up once more, but towards spring it decreased again. The cup that Westport won last year for at- tendance went to Northeast this time. Central was secondg Westport, third. The boys have had an unusual line-up of speakers this year. Not only have we had a large number of Kansas City's fin- est speakers, but we have been lucky enough to secure quite a number of promi- nent men who happened to be in the city on Monday nights. Although we did not win the cup, yet the meetings have been much enjoyed by those who attended reg- ularly.