The High School 'Ten' Out-Fundraise the Adults
Kennewick teenagers leave local men behind in a massive fundraising campaign for the YMCA's war work.
The story, cleaned up
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When it comes to enthusiasm, push, and vigor in raising war money, the Kennewick High School boys have all other workers beaten. When the YMCA drive was organized, the 'Senior Ten' of the high school were tasked with raising $500 from the school youth of Benton and Franklin counties. They have already performed so well that they have more than four times their quota. Meanwhile, the men tasked with raising $1,000 for the city and rural routes have only accounted for $500 in cash and pledges. The Senior Ten, led by Norman Lynch and advised by F. J. Arnold, has organized student 'Tens' in neighboring towns like Prosser, Richland, and Finley to ensure they meet their goal to help rout Kaiser Bill.
“The men aren’t the only ones who have a Y. M. C. A. campaign on. In fact, they are left so far in the background that they never will catch up with the high school ‘kids.’”
Youth-led civic activism remains a potent force in Kennewick today, echoing this 1917 drive where high school students shamed local leaders into working harder. The pressure to 'go over the top' for a cause reflects the intense mobilization of the community during the First World War.
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