Well for today’s column I will provide a bit os history of Arendsville Vocational High School, graciously provided to me by Elaine Taylor Ecker, a member of the last graduating class there in 1947. The history appears to be compiled by Charles Smith. The 60th anniversary of the alumni of this wonderful institution will be held June 2 of this year at Bendersville Fire Hall. Here goes....

The High School tuition system prompted civic pride in Arendsville and Biglerville to provide such a home for education. The first to make the plunge was Arendtsville, when three of our young men, Mr. Charles Raffensperger, Mr. Ira Lady, and Mr. George Rice, sponsored the proposition and secured the signatures to the petition for the establishment of a two-year high school in 1911. In 1912, Guyon Wier-man was the first and only graduate of the two-year program. With enrollment growing including high school pupils, the classes soon outgrew the second floor of the grade building and older pupils were moved to the second floor of the fire house on South High Street, amid plans to construct a new high school building and expand the course to three years.

In 1914 the people voted for a new high school building. The school board, being interested in the welfare of the children, with crowded conditions existing and no funds available, floated a $5,000 bond issue. The two-story building at the end of South High Street, less the auditorium, resulted. The school grew rapidly, and the two year course was extended to a three year one. This continued from 1915 until 1917 when the school evolved into a vocation school. The class of 1915 the possibilities of establishing a Rural Community Vocational School at Arendtsville. The board was impressed with the idea and a committee was immediately appointed to investigate the matter. This movement for the Vocational School was championed by the Assistant County Superintendent, George M. Rice, D.C. Jacobs, and the PTA organization. The PTA organization was very active in educating the people of the community as to the possibilities of a vocational school.

In 1917 Butler and Franklin Townships formed a jointure with Arendtsville to establish the Arendtsville Joint Vocational High School. The school opened its doors in September, 1917. Shortly after World War I, Mr. George Rice offered a suggestion to the PTA that an auditorium be built as a memorial to the soldiers who fought in that war. This lay dormant for several years, due largely to the failing health of the director. It was not until after Mr. Roy Diem became the new director that the auditorium project was completed.

In 1927 the contract between the jointure of Arendtsville, Butler and Franklin Township was renewed and again in 1937, and by 1938 the Arendtsville Vocation High School reached a peak enrolled of 118 students. The jointure was ended in 1941 when Franklin Township withdrew, although Butler Township and Arendtsville Borough continued the joint operation until the Upper Adams School district was formed in June of 1947.

Although the school was designed to meet the needs of a rural community and especially the needs of those who could not enter ordinary academic high school, it proved to be have one of the highest percentages in Adams County, of students who entered and graduated from institutions of higher learning.

During the year of 1917 the Smith-Hughes Bill was passed making available federal funds to schools teaching vocational agriculture and home economics to boys and girls in school. Pupils receiving this type of education would benefit for useful employment and to meet the need of persons at home.

The first teacher as head of the agriculture department was Brandon W. Wright at a salary of $1,500 for nine months. Miss Miriam Weikert was elected head of the economics department at a salary of $85.00 per month. Mr. Wright taught only three-forths of a year and Miss Weikert two terms. Mr. William W. Wood was elected to replace Mr. Wright at a salary of $1800 per nine-months. Miss Margaret E. Reigle and Miss Elenor Whipple were elected to replace Miss Weikert, but Miss Whipple were elected to replace Miss Weikert, but Miss Whipple only taught three months. A. Florence Love finished the year and remained there until 1921.

At a board meeting June 21, 1921, Mr. Edwin A. Rice was elected to teach vocational agriculture at a salary of $2,000 per year. Miss Helen H. Hartley was elected to teach home-making at a salary of $1,400 per year. At this time Miss Nellie B Woods was elected as an assistant to teach home-making.

The school was forced to close on June 1, 1947, and consolidate with Biglerville. The Biglerville school named was changed to Upper Adams Jointure. The school retained this name until 1961; since then it has been referred to as the Upper Adams School District.

I had chronicled some of those AVHS agriculture field trips in an earlier column, including the 8,3000 mile trek that included the US, Canada. Mexico and Alaska.

Elaine also provided pages from her commencement program on May 26, 1847 which I show here. It list the board of education, faculty, class members and other items of interest - particularly the class colors of maroon and white, hmmm! It is also nice that the class gift to the school was an “automatic record player.”