Woonsocket High School - Quiver Yearbook (Woonsocket, RI)

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22 THE QUIVER Harmon Poole, ’17, gave an interesting talk on shrapnel at the opening exercises in the hall, one morning, using for demonstration a shrapnel made at the Woonsocket Machine and Press. During the spring term. Miss Margaret B. Owens, the world’s champion typist, assisted by Mr. Emil Trefsger, gave an exhibition of her work in the hall. Miss Gwens displayed remarkabl: skill and accuracy, and her exhibition was most interesting. At the opening exercises in the hall, William Barry and Doris Poole gave readings, which were much appreciated by the students. A Victor phonograph has been purchased for use in the Commercial department. Typewriting to music is the new method by which eventless of touch is procured. For singing at the opening exercises in the hall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, Florence Flynn has been the pianist. Ruth Wardle has played for the singing lessons on Tuesday mornings. The Seniors of the Commercial department have an extra period of one hour after school. One-half of the period is spent on shorthand and the other half on typewriting. In this way, the Seniors have three periods of typewriting and two periods of stenography each day. Meetings of the Debating Society were held in the hall on Thursday afternoon. The officers of the past year were Vincent Carney, President; Estelle Martin, Secretary; and Harold Howe, Treasurer. “The Open Road,” a lyric by Buell Card ’16, which appeared in the June, 1915, issue of The Quiver, was sent by Miss Mowry to “The English Journal” and accepted for publication. The poem will appear in a later issue of that magazine. A new filing cabinet has been installed in the Commercial department to show all kinds of filing. A dictaphone, which is operated by electricity, has also been in use. The enrollment in the Evening High School, of which Mr. Palmer is Principal, was 340, a gain of 117 over last year. In addition to the usual studies, courses in French, cooking, sewing, and civil service were offered. During the last six months, the following members of the Senior class have won prizes from the Underwood and Remington typewriter companies: Adele Jarret, Emily Sweet, Gladys Browning, Edna Robinson, Vincent Carney, Genevieve Croak, Estelle Martin, Mary Hughes. Cyril Neville, William Egan, Loretta Jansen, and Flora Schlansky.

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THE QUIVER 21 During the winter term, Miss Eleanor S. Upton of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae of Rhode Island talked to the girls on the value of a college training. On Lincoln Day, in addition to the exercises by the students, Mr. Matthew Marty, Mr. Henry L. Cooke, Mr. Horatio Valentine, and Mr. I homas Prior, veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, gave interesting talks. A dance was given in the Gymnasium, February 17, by the Juniors in honor of the Senior class. The committee comprised Avery Davis, Joseph Grimes, George Roberts, John Howe, Ruth Hendrick, Marion Orr, and Irma Willey. On Temperance Day, Mr. A. B. Cristy of Providence gave an address on temperance. On March 25, the Association of Collegiate Alumnae entertained a party of Junior and Senior girls and their mothers at the Rhode Island School of Design. The party, in charge of Miss Whittaker and Miss Mowry, was invited to inspect the School of Design, the Pendleton House, and the Textile School. On April 7, an inter-school speaking contest was held in the High School Hall. Students from the High Schools of Mansfield, Franklin, Plainville, Foxboro, and Woonsocket competed. William Barry, ’16, and Dor:s Poole, ’19, won the two first prizes, and secured for Woonsocket High School the privilege of keeping the Singleton trophy, a handsome shield, for this year. Elizabeth Howard of Franklin and James Doyle of Foxboro were awarded the second prizes. The judges were Miss Rhoda Nually, School of Expression; Otto Selzer, Leland Powers School; and Miss Margaret Penick, Emerson College of Oratory. This is the first time the contest has been held in Woonsocket, and the audience showed great interest and enthusiasm. On April 17, Mr. Barron, Tufts ’15, and Mr. Courchene talked to the boys about track work. On April 27, Miss Alice Hunt, Secretary of the Consumers’ League of Rhode Island, gave a short address on the work of the league. She urged that Woonsocket be represented in the essay contest which the league conducts. Much interest has been added to the literature study in Miss Mowry’s Sophomore classes by the recitations held in the hall. The members of the class have read and acted the parts in two of Shakespeare’s plays, “The Merchant of Venice” and “Julius Caesar.” The division which read the best was allowed to invite Mr. Wendell A. Mowry, Superintendent of Schools, to be present at the final reading.

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THE QUIVER 23 Among those who went from the Commercial department to work for a short while in offices, to gain practical experience, were Catharine 1'itzgerald, Mary Hughes, Flora Schlansky, Edna Robinson, Kathryn Norris, Emily Sweet, Estelle Martin, Florence Burdakin, Gladys Browning, and Loretta Jansen. In this way, about $300 was earned. Edward Hummel was chosen from the High School to give the Gettysburg address at Monument Square on Memorial Day. He is the son of Gustave Hummel of the Sons of Veterans and the grandson of John Hummel of the Seventh Ohio Regiment. The. Commercial Junior English class has given a series of interesting talks as a part of their literature study. Each member of the class chose a famous American author, and, from outside reading, prepared a review of his life and works. The pupil then took charge of the recitation and, after telling what he had learned, called upon other pupils to read selections from the author’s writings. In this way, interest in independent investigation was stimulated. Through the efforts of the Mothers’ Club, Miss Koehler of Kingston conducted free cooking classes on Thursday afternoons in the High School building. Members of the present Senior class will probably enter the following colleges: Brown, Lehigh, Rhode Island State College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Lowell Textile, Rhode Island School of Design, and Rhode Island Normal School. The medal offered by “The Independent” for the best essay by pupils of our school on “The Life and Works of William Shakespeare” was won by T. Buell Card. The judges were Mr. Wendell A. Mowry, Miss Helen France, and Miss Florence P. Mowry. Harold Voelker and Lillian Crane won the prizes offered by the 1 ranees E. Willard Union for the best essays submitted by members of the High School. One of our most prominent school events was the holding of a Constitutional Convention in Room 19 by the United States History class under the supervision of Miss Merrill. It was most interesting and beneficial, being as close an imitation of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787 as reading and research could make it. Among the questions discussed Were Nationalism, and the Three Great Compromises of the Convention on representation, slavery, and the federal ratio. George Washington (William Barry) presided, and Benjamin Franklin (Vincent Carney) assisted very cleverly in carrying out the compromises. Other prominent characters were Elbridge