USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1905 > Part 1
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OF MERRIMAC,
FOR THE
F
C
TOWN
MASS
INCO
1876.
RA
MED
Year Ending January 31,
1905.
MERRIMAC, MASS., PRINTED BY THE MERRIMAC BUDGET, CLIFTON B. HEATH, MANAGER. 1905.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Selectmen, Town Officers and School Committee OF
The Town of Merrimac,
FOR THE
Year Ending January 31,
1 905.
MERRIMAC. MASS., PRINTED BY THE MERRIMAC BUDGET, CLIFTON B. HEATH, MANAGER. 1905.
APPROPRIATIONS
For the Year Ending January 31, 1905.
Highways,
$1,500 00
Soldiers Relief,
500 00
Support of Poor,
1,100 00
Fire Department,
1,500 00
Town Officers,
1,900 00
Street Lights,
700 00
Public Library,
500 00
Interest,
350 00
Sprinkling Macadam Road,
100 00
Miscellaneous,
600 00
Memorial Day,
75 00
Sidewalks and Crossings,
200 00
Superintendent of Schools
375 00
Transportation of Scholars,
200 00
General School Purposes, .
8,425 00
Fire Alarm and Engine House,
500 00
Discount,
700 00
- $19,225 00
TOWN OFFICERS.
-
SELECTMEN, ASSESSORS AND OVERSEERS OF POOR.
RALPH H. SARGENT, ALFRED M. COLBY, WILLIAM O. SMILEY.
CLERK. BAILEY SARGENT.
TREASURER. CLIFTON B. HEATH.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES. JOHN S. CLEMENT.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS. GILBERT G. DAVIS.
WATER COMMISSIONERS AND MUNICIPAL LIGHT BOARD.
WILLIAM L. SMART, Term expires March 1905
FRANK E. PEASE,
1906
EVERETT D. GEORGE,
66
66
1907
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS.
CHARLES E. ROWELL, JAMES T. LOCKE,
FRANK F. PHILBRICK, BAILEY SARGENT.
ENGINEERS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT. ANGUS McINNIS, JOHN WM. BRADY, LORENZO B. BLAISDELL.
4
TOWN OFFICERS.
CONSTABLES.
* ATWOOD S. NIXON,
JOHN J. MINAHAN.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
* SAMUEL D. ASHLEY, Term expires March 1905
CHARLES A. LANCASTER, 66
66 1906
FRED E. SWEETSIR, 66
1907
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY.
JAMES F. PEASE,
Term expires March 1905
CHARLES W. SAWYER,
HERBERT O. DELANO,
66
66
1906
GEORGE E. RICKER,
66
66
1906
THOMAS H. HOYT,
66
66
66
1907
WILLIAM B. SARGENT,
1907
TRUSTEES OF CEMETERIES.
GEORGE G. LARKIN, Term expires March 1905
CHARLES E. ROWELL,
66 66 1906
CHARLES A. LANCASTER, 66 66 1907
SURVEYORS OF LUMBER AND MEASURERS OF WOOD
AND BARK.
EDGAR P. SARGENT, JOHN J. WOODMAN, CHARLES EMERY HOYT.
WEIGHERS OF COAL AND MEASURERS OF GRAIN. BENJAMIN B. WOOD, WILLIAM H. EMERSON.
FENCE VIEWERS.
EDGAR P. SARGENT, WILLARD B. KELLY.
1905 ·
TOWN OFFICERS. 5
FIELD DRIVERS.
HARRY W. HALE,
EDSON C. WALKER.
TREE WARDEN. GILBERT G. DAVIS.
AUDITOR. HARLAND G. LITTLE.
POLICE.
* ATWOOD S. NIXON, CHIEF AND NIGHT WATCHMAN
JOHN J. MINAHAN, 66 66 66 66
FRED O. BAILEY, CLARENCE O. LIBBY, JOHN W. J. GROCUT; SPECIALS.
INSPECTOR OF CATTLE. JOHN J. WOODMAN.
FISH AND GAME WARDENS. CLARENCE O. LIBBY, FRED O. BAILEY.
FIRE WARDENS. GEORGE A. SARGENT, WILLARD B. KELLEY.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. EDWARD WYMAN.
BURIAL AGENT. CHARLES A. BRIDGES.
* Deceased.
SCHOOL REPORT.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
* S. D. ASHLEY, Chairman, Term expires 1905
66 66 1906
C. A. LANCASTER, Secretary, F. E. SWEETSIR, Acting Chairman, 66 66 1907
GEORGE E. CHICKERING, SUPERINTENDENT
TEACHERS.
CHARLES W. CUTTS,
MITTIE A. Dow,
SUSANNA SAYRE,
E. J. WIIITTEMORE,
LILLA M. PHELPS,
MARY H. HEAD,
MARION W. SMITH,
HATTIE A. BAXTER, ETTA H. COLBY,
SARA S. ALLEY, S. BLANCHE CUNNINGHAM,
Principal High School
First Assistant High School Second Assistant High School Principal Centre First Grammar Second Grammar
Third Grammar
Prospect St. Third Grammar Centre First Primary
Prospect St. Second Primary Middle St. Second Primary
7
SCHOOL REPORT.
MYRTLE B. COLSON, ANNIE M. SARGENT, 5
Merrimacport
GERTRUDE A. HAMLIN, HATTIE A. BAXTER,
Bear Hill
ANNIE L. HOSFORD, Birch Meadow
M. EVA ROBINSON, -
Supervisor of Music
WILLIAM E. HARTWELL, -
MAUD H. ROSE,
Supervisor of Drawing
ETTA H. COLBY,
Substitute
ELLEN GUNNISON,
Substitute
TRUANT OFFICER. S. SCOFIELD.
* Deceased.
.
REV. SAMUEL D. ASHLEY
CHAIRMAN OF SCHOOL BOARD
BORN FEBRUARY 11, 1844.
DIED OCTOBER 21, 1904.
Twenty=ninth Annual Report of the
School Committee.
We hereby respectfully submit the annual report of the present year, together with that of the Superintendent which has been adopted.
At the March meeting F. E. Sweetsir was elected for three years, his term having expired.
The Board was at once organized with the late Rev. S. D. Ashley as chairman ; C. A. Lancaster, secretary ; and F. E. Sweetsir, purchasing agent.
In October, Mr. Ashley, who for many years had been in feeble health, was suddenly taken worse and after a very short confinement to the house passed away.
We have sadly missed his wise counsel and cheery pres- ence in our last monthly meetings of the fiscal year. He took great interest in his School Committee duties, was always a genial, enthusiastic co-worker on the School Board, and in his death the town has lost one of its most valuable officers, and the Committee its chairman.
After a proper time several conferences were held with the Selectmen as regards calling a joint meeting of the Select- men and School Committee, for the purpose of electing a member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the fiscal year. However as the time was so short before the March meeting, it was decided that the two remaining members
IO
SCHOOL REPORT.
should do the work and allow the place to remain vacant un - til that time when the voters should name their candidate.
At one meeting F. E. Sweetsir was elected as acting chairman for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Our district union with North Andover, Mr. George Chickering acting as Superintendent, was very satisfactory last year, and was renewed in April 1904.
During the past year several expensive repairs have been made. It was found that the Centre school house was leak- ing badly during heavy rains and that was shingled. Several new windows were also added to this building, the old sash being old and past repair.
The Port school building had not been painted for many years, and this received two coats of paint which were sadly needed and have greatly improved the appearance of the building.
At the High school much of the wood work and desks were varnished, and new pipes to the heater were put in as the old ones were badly rusted.
At the Plains school house a new stove was put into Miss Alley's room.
Another bill of expense this year was the insurance which came due on the school buildings, amounting to $305.52.
At the beginning of the Fall term it was voted to dis- tribute a percentage of the school fund among the older teachers, as this is one of the principal ways we are instruct- ed to use a part of this fund.
On another page will be found a report of this fund and how each portion of it has been expended, and the balance left to the credit of the School Committee.
You will see that the Superintendent advises the trans- portation of the Birch Meadow children to the Centre school.
II
SCHOOL REPORT.
This has been the attitude of each and every committee since the question arose as far as the best interests of the scholars of this district are concerned.
We would recommend that the Highlands school house be sold if a purchaser can be found. For years this has been unoccupied for school purposes, and serves no purpose but a home for the squirrels and an eye-sore to the passers by, and there seems little likelihood at the present time of the build- ing being used again for educational purposes.
We recommend that the town appropriate for the com- ing year the sum of $9,000 for a superintendent, conveyance of pupils and general school purposes. This is the minimum amount we believe which the town should appropriate in or- der to obtain the state money for a superintendent.
F. E. SWEETSIR,
School Committee.
C. A. LANCASTER,
I2
SCHOOL REPORT.
SCHOOL FINANCIAL ACCOUNT.
George E. Chickering, Superintendent, $750 00
Charles W. Cutts, Principal High School, 1,200 00
Mittie A. Dow, First Assistant, 4.50 00
Susanna I. Sayre, Second Assistant, 400 00
E. J. Whittemore, Principal Centre First Grammar, 475 00
Lilla M. Phelps, Second Grammar, 403 75
Mary H. Head, Third Grammar,
403 75
Hattie A. Baxter, Centre First Primary,
190 00
Etta H. Colby, Centre First Primary,
190 00
Marion W. Smith, Prospect Street Third Grammar, 380 00
Sara S. Alley, Prospect St. Second Primary,
380 00
S. Blanche Cunningham, Middle St. Second Primary,
380 00
Annie M. Sargent, Merrimacport,
356 25
Gertrude A. Hamlin, Bear Hill,
166 25
Hattie A. Baxter, Bear Hill,
166 25
Annie L. Hosford, Birch Meadow,
285 00
M. Eva Robinson, music,
94 86
William E. Hartwell, music,
95 00
Maud H. Rose, drawing,
180 00
S. Scofield, janitor at Centre,
224 96
Frank Trefethen, janitor at Middle street,
225 00
Mrs. Edward Whaland, janitor at Prospect street,
76 00
Ellen M. Sargent, janitor at Port,
47 50
Annie L. Hosford, janitor at Birch Meadow,
28 50
C. B. Martin, janitor at Bear Hill,
38 00
G. G. Davis, conveyance of pupils,
174 98
I3
SCHOOL REPORT.
Geo. P. Brown & Co., supplies,
$1 25
Ginn & Co., supplies,
5 30
C. F. Winchester, supplies,
34 86
L. E. Knott Apparatus Co.,
9 38
S. Scofield, bill for freight and trucking,
I 50
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., supplies,
I 3I
A. O. Nicol, wood,
4 00
Rand, McNally & Co., supplies,
8 45
Maynard, Merrill & Co., supplies,
10 00
Citizen Stamp Co., rubber stamp,
1 15
Sargent Coal Co., wood,
13 50
Milton, Bradley Co., supplies,
9 85
American Book Co., supplies,
12 66
Thompson, Brown & Co., supplies,
5 25
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., supplies,,
8 31
C. F. Winchester, supplies,
3 75
Ginn & Co., supplies,
8 83
American Book Co., supplies,
9 00
I. B. Little Co., supplies,
I 79
Charles A. Lancaster, postage and stationery,
7 72
C. H. Hunt Pen Co., pens,
7 00
Merrimac Budget, printing,
22 05
Bailey Sargent, insurance,
29 16
Merrimac Budget, printing,
9 25
H. H. Story, telephone service and supplies,
1 59
F. H. Trefethen, labor and supplies,
15 50
Ginn & Co., supplies,
3 69
J. L. Hammett Co., supplies,
31 71
Sargent Coal Co., coal,
511 07
H. S. Cowell, graduation address,
15 00
C. W. Cutts, express and ribbon,
2 35
Howard & Brown, diplomas,
12 06
M. Eva Robinson, supplies,
6 81
Bailey Sargent, insurance,
59 94
Theodore Grant, labor,
8 00
W. W. Lydston, labor and supplies,
88 II
S. Scofield, cleaning school rooms and miscel- laneous bills, 46 80
I. B. Little Co., supplies, 8 19
Charles A. Stevens, cleaning vaults and labor, 16 40
14
SCHOOL REPORT.
Carl F. Lockwood, cleaning Birch Meadow school house, $3 00
Mary F. Hudson, 13 locust posts at 50c, 6 50
Merrimac Budget, supplies, 7 85
J. A. Lancaster & Co., supplies, 2 88
William Sheys, painting Port school house,
71 15
Sheys and Carroll, labor,
19 25
J. C. Libby, labor and supplies,
26 43
Merrimac Budget, printing,
6 00
Prang Educational Co., supplies,
5 05
J. L. Hammett Co., supplies, 5.00
IO 25
Thorp & Martin Co., supplies,
5 60
Thompson, Brown & Co., supplies,
5 40
Hinds, Noble & Eldridge, supplies, II 20
59 07
Silver, Burdett & Co., supplies,
3 85
Wadsworth, Howland & Co., supplies,
10 15
Maynard, Merrill & Co., supplies,
95
F. H. Trefethen, cleaning and repairs,
64 00
C. B. Martin, cleaning Bear Hill school house,
3 10
S. Scofield, taking school census,
15 00
Harry Carroll, setting glass, 2 00
H. C. Manning, new clock and cleaning clocks,
II 25
I. B. Little Co., supplies,
16 83
Geo. E. Chickering, miscellaneous expenses,
8 86
Edward Perkins Lumber Co., shingles,
131 25
I. B. Little Co., supplies,
I 98
A. O. Nicol, wood,
5 00
Mrs. Edward Whaland, cleaning Prospect street school house, 15 00
I. B. Little Co., supplies,
2 04
Michael Connor, cleaning vaults at Bear Hill school house, 1 00
Bailey Sargent, insurance,
12 00
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., supplies,
56
William Morrow, cutting wood and trimming trees, 7 00
Little & Co., supplies,
I 00
Frank E. Tucker, supplies, 7 65
Edward E. Babb & Co., supplies,
Ginn & Co., supplies,
15
.
SCHOOL REPORT.
e
C. W. Chapman, repairs on Birch Meadow school house,
$4 81
Sargent Coal Co., wood,
20 50
McGratty & Wheeler, windows,
23 04
Bailey Sargent, insurance,
204 42
A. O. Nicol, wood,
16 25
J. E. Currier, lumber, etc.,
18 78
W. W. Lydston, stove and supplies,
79 93
Ellen Sargent, cleaning Merrimacport school- house, 8 00
F. H. Trefethen, labor at Middle street school- house,
15 27
F. C. Williams, labor,
2 05
S. Scofield, labor and supplies,
23 49
Geo. W. Sargent's Sons, wood,
21 00
G. G. Davis, teaming,
50
J. T. Gusha, sawing wood,
2 25
Zenas Lovell & Co., supplies,
15 53
H. C. Manning,
2 00
$9,836 31
Unexpended balance,
100 15
$9,936 46
General appropriation,
$8,425 00
Superintendent of schools,
375 00
Transportation of scholars, 200 00
Received from State, education State children,
174 00
State, acct. superintendent,
625 00
County, dog tax,
137 31
Pupils, acct. broken glass,
I5
$9,936.46
16
SCHOOL REPORT. .
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL FUND.
E. J. Whittemore, salary,
$37 50
Lilla M. Phelps, salary,
40 98
Mary H. Head, salary,
23 75
S. Blanche Cunningham, salary,
II S7
Etta H. Colby, salary,
23 75
C. B. Martin, janitor,
4 00
A. Storrs & Bement Co., supplies,
3 15
C. F. Winchester, supplies,
31 32
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins, supplies,
36 58
J. L. Hammett & Co., supplies,
25 85
D. C. Heath & Co., supplies,
4 75
Ginn & Co., supplies,
46 39
Silver, Burdett Co., supplies,
4 50
E. E. Babb & Co., books,
20 00
C. F. Winchester, supplies,
6 25
American Book Co., books,
4 09
Ginn & Co., supplies,
I 70
Ginn & Co., books,
23 83
J. L. Hammett Co., supplies,
64 71
$414 97
Balance unexpended,
1,518 78
$1,933 75
Balance on hand February 1, 1904,
$779 86
Received January 27, 1905,
1,153 89
$1,933 75
Through an error in the State Treasury Department, this town has received $167.40 more than was due December 31, 1904, and this amount will be deducted from next year's distribution.
17
SCHOOL REPORT.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
Merrimac, Mass., January 13, 1905.
To the School Committee :
In reviewing the record of the schools for the past year, I am impressed with the few changes that have been made in the corps of teachers, as compared with the number for the previous year. In January Miss Myrtle Colson resigned her position at the Port school and was succeeded by Mrs. Annie M. Sargent, a former valued teacher in our schools. At the close of the school year Miss Gertrude A. Hamlin of the Bear Hill school resigned her position to accept one in her own town, which home conditions rendered more attractive. Miss Hattie A. Baxter, who had taught Miss Colby's room at the Centre school during her year's absence from duty, was, in September, assigned to the Bear Hill school which she had taught the previous year. Mrs. M. Eva Robinson, the Supervisor of Music for several years, declined a re- election in September and Mr. W. E. Hartwell was elected to her position.
While there have been a few changes in the locations of teachers, there have been but two changes in the regular corps, and one of these brought a former efficient teacher back into the service a second time.
IS
SCHOOL REPORT.
The work of the schools, under such conditions, ought to have been productive of especially good results, and it is plainly evident that such is the case.
Miss Maud H. Rose, who has supervised the special de- partment of Drawing for several years, resigned at the close of the Fall term to accept a more lucrative and responsible position elsewhere. Miss Spofford has just been selected to fill her place. Miss Rose's report, as well as that of Mr. Hartwell, will be found on another page.
ATTENDANCE.
The record of attendance since September has been ex- ceptionally good in the primary grades. This is partly due to the favorable weather with which we have been blessed ; also to the absence of any contagious disease such as sadly in- terfered with one or more of the schools last winter. Not- withstanding the favorable conditions, I feel that there has been a special effort made this year to improve on the record of last year. The entire absence of opportunities for child labor in Merrimac keep an unusually large number of child- ren in school above the age of 14 years, making our High school phenomenally large in numbers and correspondingly more expensive than in most towns of the same population where different conditions exist. Our ninth grade also con- tains a few pupils who seem to go to school because they have nothing else to do. The comparative freedom thus pos- sessed by them, by reason of having passed the age of com- pulsory attendance, contributes not a little to the poor record of that school for attendance. The record for tardiness is good. There are comparatively few cases.
HIGH SCHOOL.
While I do not wish to anticipate or disagree with the principal of the High school, always intending to defer to his
19
SCHOOL REPORT.
experience and judgment in the detailed management of his school, I feel it my duty to raise the question as to whether the present plan .of one session is conducive to the best re- sults, either educationally or morally. I am very much in- clined to believe that the principal of the school will make the same answer as myself. The main reason for one ses- sion of the High schools in other places is generally assigned to the great distance that the pupils have to travel, but this reason does not apply to the High school here any more than to the lower preparatory grades.
The objections to a single session are many. It inter- feres with the regular dinner hour which is almost universal- ly twelve o'clock. If, however, in spite of this inconvenience in the homes of the pupils, the one session plan is more agreeable to the parents, I would say nothing further on this line, as it is a subject that concerns them most. The advan- tages are few, if any. Certainly no greater progress is made in the work of the school.
The principal of the school in his last year's report com- plained of the "prevalent social distraction of the pupils and consequent failure to do the necessary amount of home study." To what other cause can this be due than the opportunity furnished by a single session which gives the whole afternoon to the social side of life for such as choose to use it that way. Under such circumstances the school must remain secondary in the minds of the scholars. I have mentioned this subject in this report, not so much in the way of a recommendation for a return to the old two session plan as to awaken the minds of the parents to the condition of things at present and, if possible, to arouse them to action in insisting upon a closer attention to the legitimate work of the school out of school hours.
20
SCHOOL REPORT.
BIRCHI MEADOW SCHOOL.
The Birch Meadow school has been continued this year the same as last year in accordance with the will of the town as expressed some three or more years ago. Perhaps a wise discretion should restrain me from discussing this subject or offering any suggestions in relation to it. A brief statement of existing facts may suffice. The building is small, almost an antique, and in constant need of repairs. There are about thirteen pupils, only three of which now attending can be truthfully said to be residents of the district, and at least one of these is desirous to attend the schools at the Centre if transportation could be furnished.
The town pays about $300 annually for teaching service and fuel and receives about $175 from the state for its charity wards. It would receive the same amount from the state and, I am told, as much more if they were transported to the Centre. At any rate, it is costing the town at least $125 for teaching service and fuel, not including text books, supplies or repairs.
The parents who live in this neighborhood should look at the question from another point of view than that of economy, however. They should demand that their children have the best schooling that the town affords. Not a few have, and do now, look at it in that light.
TEXT BOOKS, SUPPLIES, ETC.
The text books and supplies have cost even less than last year, which fact I attribute to the extra care taken of them. While everything has been purchased that was actually need- ed we have bought nothing that could be termed educational luxuries, if such they are. There are some things in this line, however, that might well be supplied. Especially is this the case in the High school where a larger reference library is
2I
SCHOOL REPORT.
needed. Fifty dollars a year would not be too much to de- vote to this purpose. The town library is useful to a certain degree, but for ready reference cannot be used when most needed, and, moreover, it does not contain just the books needed for High school use.
The furniture in Mr. Whittemore's room at the Centre school is hardly in taste with that seen in the homes here. It is not good enough for the children who attend the school. The floors of several of the rooms in the Centre building are badly worn-so much so that it is impossible to keep them clean. From a sanitary point of view they are as bad as can be imagined. In one of the lower rooms the cracks in the floor are so large as to permit of the ingress of cold air from below. There ought to be furnished a supply of town water for the use of the pupils and there is need of some kind of · drainage. These are things that must come sooner or later. These and other sanitary arrangements are the natural se- quence of good water and plenty of it. It can truly be said that, in the line of sanitary accommodations for the schools, nothing can be too good, and money expended for such will prove a profitable investment.
IN GENERAL.
Our teachers' meetings have been more frequent than last year but not as satisfactory, as I could wish. Owing to the shortness of the days they had to be omitted in mid- winter.
The statistical part of this report will be found on another page.
In closing this report I wish briefly to give expression to my sorrow for the death of Rev. Mr. Ashley, and to my love and respect for him as a man. As chairman of the Commit- tee he was unusually active in visiting the schools and at-
22
SCHOOL REPORT.
tending to their wants. By so doing he cultivated an intimacy with pupils, teachers and superintendent that was at all times very helpful. To me, personally, his companion- ship was a pleasure, and his unvarying sympathy an incentive to greater effort. So energetic was he in his official duties that it was difficult to realize him the victim of an incurable disease, and the news of his death came not only as a surprise to me, but in the nature of a blow to a friendship so recently but so firmly established.
For your uniform kindness, your courteous consideration and cordial co-operation, individually and collectively, I wish to thank you.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. CHICKERING.
23
SCHOOL REPORT.
REPORT OF PRINCIPAL OF HIGH SCHOOL.
To the Superintendent of Schools :
I submit herewith my fifth annual report on the progress and condition of the High school.
The work of the school has been essentially the same during the past year as in the preceding year. A class of 15 was graduated in June, and a class of 25 entered in Septem- ber. The total registration for the present year is somewhat more than that of either of the two preceding years. The percentage of attendance has been fairly good. For the four months of the present year from September to Christmas, it was a little more than 96. It should have been more than this, yet most instances of absences were due to sickness. A few parents still persist in occasionally keeping their children out of school to work at home. When parents fully realize how much this injures the child, not so much in his immedi- ate standing in his class as in his general interest in his work, we shall have fewer requests to excuse scholars for even a part of a day.
Of the forty graduates who have gone out from the school in the last three years, eight are now in various colleges, while several more are now in, or have been graduated from, Normal schools. Perhaps this is as large a percentage as should be expected to take College or Normal school work.
24
SCHOOL REPORT.
The majority of our scholars do not go to college nor is it likely that this will ever be the case. Hence it is desirable that our school, while giving adequate preparation for those who wish to go to college, shall be of the greatest value pos- sible to those who go from graduation immediately to work.
To this end, the course of study needs further adjustment. For the benefit of many scholars, it needs to be made more flexible. It happens, more frequently than otherwise, that scholars enter the High school with no very well-defined plans for future work, and with no very clear conception of their own ability for High school work; hence when later they gain a clearer notion as to what they wish to do, and of what they can do, they find they are not pursuing the course that will be for their greatest advantage. As arranged now there is an objection, more or less serious, to transferring a scholar from one course to another, involving the substitution of work done in one prescribed course for that of another, although it may be equivalent. Yet it has been absolutely necessary to do this, or place the student at a serious disad- vantage. Some remedy may be found, I think, by doing away with our present arrangement of four courses, so called, and adopting the "point" system of giving credit. This need not involve any very radical change in our program of studies, but can be made to allow of greater choice in the se- lection of subjects ou the part of the individual scholar.
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