RAY BANKS Student Records

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 19: STUDENTS
Ray Banks Student Records
Self-Evaluation Letters to Parents 1944-1945
Ray Banks Student 1943-1947

RAY BANKS Student Records

008a Baccalaureate 1947. [097_students_singles_008a]

RAY BANKS Student Records 
Self-Evaluation Letters to Parents 1944-1945


TAGS: Ray Banks, PMSS students, school subjects, work assignments, farm work, poultry boys, milkhouse, sports, Boy Scouts, dormitory conduct, leisure time activities, Mountain Day, Fair Day, Thanksgiving Ball


[Note: Ray Banks’ letters were handwritten in pencil on notepaper.]

1944

01-03 May 25, 1944. Three-page letter to Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Banks, Whitesburg, KY, from Ray Banks. Addressing “Dear Father,” Ray describes his efforts and progress in [01] math, music, English (verbs, sentences, and capitalization), civics, [02] (maps, and background of America), science (electricity, sound, light, heat, mechanics, and maps), woodwork (using a lathe planer and circle saw), home economics (two weeks – cooking). Farm work (agriculture; planting vegetables). “We have sports on Friday evening in which all freshmen boys play ball games. In the house I never have any trouble [03] with my housemother or the other boys. My work has been the same thing the whole year, which is poultry boy….” His favorite activity was “being a scout and going on trips and staying out all night. Field day was another thing I liked and enjoyed.” Leisure activities: studying, library, math class, or shop. “I got along with all my teachers and tried to do my best.”

04, 06-08 December 21, 1944. To Mr. Wesley Banks from Ray Banks. He reports on his progress in [04] co-op (clerking in a store and shopping; Miss [Gladys] Hill, teacher); English (“Literature and Life,” sentence drills. Miss [Minerva] Sparrow, teacher); wood work

05 DUPLICATE OF 04

06 (machinery – “I could have learned more. I fooled around some.”); biology; mathematics (twice a week – equations. “I like it best of all.”); economics (“It is the science of making a living.”). Study period twice a week. [07] Dormitory; milk house work (work supervisor: Mr. Hayes); Favorite activities: Thanksgiving Ball and Mountain Day “when we went to Putney [Fire] Tower and had dinner. We had contests to see who could name and identify the most trees, flowers, make noises like birds, and sketching. We had a nice time.” Leisure time (studying and reading, playing in the playground or playroom). [08] “I think I have done very well. I have tried to do my best this semester.”

1945

09-11 May 24, 1945. Three-page letter to Mr. Wesley Banks from Ray Banks. He writes about his progress in [09] co-op, English (“I like it about the second best of my classes. … I certainly have increased my vocabulary this year in English. I have not idled around. It is a very interesting subject and I have wanted to learn all I can.”), woodwork, [10] biology (“I have learned a lot about nature and how to help protect it. On our biology hikes I have tried not to disturb other people.”); economics; mathematics (“…my best subject. It is most interesting to me for the job I plan for in the future will depend on it greatly.”); reading; [11] Free time (studying; going to a discussion of war and peace). 

It wouldn’t be very easy for me to take co-op, economics, and dancing at home. I think I get these subjects here that I couldn’t get home very easily. I also meet people who have had great experiences in traveling.

His work assignment: milk house.

12-15 December 20, 1945. Four-page letter to Mr. Wesley Banks from Ray Banks. Evaluates his progress in [12] English (James Still poems, poetry, definitions of sonnet, ballad, stanza, epic poem); mathematics (“I am most interested in mathematics although I am not so good in it.”); [13] sociology (social welfare problems); current history; Bible; woodworking. [14] He lists the subjects he has done better in: English, mathematics, sociology, and current history. His work assignment was furnaces. He describes his dormitory conduct; how to be a good citizen; [15] leisure time. Most outstanding event of the term: Fair Day, “because I got to help barbecue the pork, which was barbecued through the night as well as day.”

16 DUPLICATE OF 14.
17 DUPLICATE OF 15.

[18] Image of file folder labeled “Banks, Ray, 1943-1947, 1954.”



See Also:
RAY BANKS Student – Biography