The pictures are as represented in the Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth, Virginia yearbook or annual of the year indicated on the page. The Memory pictures may not be complete and pictures and names may have been removed by request of the person involved. Also, it does not offically indicate the year of graduation and/or that the party in question graduated. This section of the website is dedicated to the memories of all alumni and are found in personal items that alumni have saved and were kind enough to allow it to be shared with others. Thank You. If you are not represented in your class, or have other pictures for the memories section you may submit a photo to be added. John “Eddie” Lee ’68.
Hi-Y Club
The Varsity W Club
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HE 1928-24 Hi-Y Club of Woodrow Wilson High School was by far the largest and most successful of any Hi-Y Club in the history of the school. The success of the club was due largely to the untiring efforts of President John Brooks Tenney, who kept every member behind the standards and ideals of Hi-Y; to Wilson Shafer, Treasurer,
who by working out and carrying on a carefully prepared financial plan, enabled the club to carry out an exceptionally large program of activities with great success. The club was very fortunate in securing a strong corps of teachers for the Bible Classes. Rev. Paul Atkins, pastor of the First Lutheran Church, taught the Juniors; Rev. I. L. Kinsey, pastor of the First Friends Church, taught the Senior B’s; Willis W. Miller, Boy’ s Work Secretary, taught the Senior A’s. The Hi-Y this year adopted a fixed Progressive Course of Bible Study, being the first Hi-Y Club in the State to do so. Both the Senior Hi-Y and the Junior Hi-Y used the Progressive system to much advantage.
With the help of the Advisory Committee the club constantly kept before each member the challenge of a four-fold development. The standards and ideals of the Hi-Y this year have been observed and defended by the members as never before in the history of the club.
Much of the program this year has been extended beyond the membership and as many of the officers and leaders of the Junior and Senior classes and other organizations within the school were Hi-Y boys, it was possible to benefit the whole school.
Some of the outstanding activities of the Hi-Y during the year 1923-24 are: Opening Night for the Hi-Y, Banquet for the High School Faculty, Hallowe’en Social, Special Observance of the Week of Prayer, Christmas Party for the Bible Clubs, Banquet for Football Squad, Fathers’ Night, Mothers’ Night, Ladies’ Night, Basketball Squad Night, Closing Banquet. Four big campaigns were put on: Anti-Cheating Campaign, Thrift Campaign, Campaign of Friendship and Clean Life Campaign. The Hi-Y also was very active in the promotion of Boys’ Week put on by the Rotary Club. Several of the Hi-Y boys attended the State Older Boys’ Conference and took an important part in the program. Perhaps one of the biggest events in the spring program of the Hi-Y was College Night, when representatives from the leading Colleges and Universities of Virginia met with the club and spoke of the educational advantages and facilities which their schools offered to students.
Mr. Robert L. Sweeney by his counsel, advice and willingness to assist the club in the promotion of the various activities, was responsible in a large measure for the successful year which the Hi-Y enjoyed.
