Ilion High School - Class of 1920

Utica Herald Dispatch - October 1, 1920

Of Importance to Community

Students Interested; Two Farewell Parties

Article 4

Of Importance to Community
Students Interested; Two Farewell Parties

Ilion Oct. 1 - Initiation of a system of parks for Ilion, and the filling in and beautifying of the old Erie Canal bed are the things of first importance for the new Chamber of Commerce to undertake in the opinion of a great majority of Ilion High School students, answering a questionnaire submitted to them several days ago by the Chamber of Commerce.

Four questions were asked the students 1) What profession, business or trade do you expect to pursue as a life work? 2) Do you expect to remain permanently in Ilion? 3) What in your opinion is the first thing the new Chamber of Commerce should undertake to assist you in preparing you for your life work? and 4) What do you think is the first thing the Chamber of Commerce should undertake for the betterment of Ilion?

Securing of a Y. M. C. A. building and facilities was the next popular task the students thought the new Chamber of Commerce ought to undertake. Several asked for an improved school system and four believed the chamber should undertake ... retail prices in local stores.

One freshman girl averred that enforcement of the prohibition amendment would be a good starting point for the new civic body. One asked that Main street be made more sightly, two suggested better streets and one better roads. Increased facilities for recreation and amusement were frequently suggested.

The building of a normal school, medical school and engineering school, a college and the establishment of a commercial school were suggested in answer to the third question.

Of the students who have reached any decision whether or not they expect to remain in Ilion permanently, 43 replied in the negative and only 24 in the affirmative. Eighteen others replied they were still undecided.

Giving as the reason for their wanting to leave Ilion for other fields, the great majority of students wrote that their decision was based on the "lack of opportunities in Ilion." One girl, who expects to take up teaching as a profession, gave for her reason that school laws prevented a local girl from teaching in the local schools.

One young man arrived at his decision to leave Ilion because "One's home town folks do not have confidence in one." Another declared, "Ilion is too dead for any live person," and a number declared that Ilion offered "no chance for education, training and advancement."

One freshman boy declared "the W. C. L. is too high in Ilion," and a freshman girl said her decision arose from the fact that the water in Ilion was undrinkable. A freshman boy who wants to enter business gave as his reason "When a business man wants to locate in Ilion, the other merchants try to fight him out." One boy aspires to be a medical missionary, and he feared his talents could not be put to good use in Ilion.

"Ilion is spending a great deal of money in educating these boys and girls and Ilion should be not a little concerned over the fact that an actual majority of its boys and girls do not see sufficient opportunities to keep them here after they mature," said C. L. Alspich, manager of the Chamber of Commerce campaign. "Just at the time when they ought to start paying dividends on the investment that has been made in them, they seek other fields."

"It is this very situation that the Chamber of Commerce is going to help correct. The things that any number of people in the town want done you are going to be able to do and to keep your young manhood and womanhood here instead of losing them to other, and more progressive communities."

Other conditions having equal the home town ought to have the greatest chance of keeping its young people after they mature. It seems to me that if the majority of them want to leave town, it's the town's fault.

Ilion's Chamber of Commerce, expressing and working out the thought and wishes of its membership, can make Ilion the kind of place these boys and girls will stick by when they take up their life work. ....