USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of the officers and committees of the town of Scituate 1934-1936 > Part 42
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The amount of detailed work involved in such out of door productions is not realized by the casual ob- server, varying as it does from selection of personnel, historical accuracy and research, staging, costumes, drill, and the endless chain of unexpected minor dif- ficulties that have to be successfully handled.
The Tercentenary Committee was very fortunate in securing the services of Mrs. Frank L. Nason to write and stage these pageants. Mrs. Nason is a well-known authority in the D. A. R. and Historical Society organ- izations. The results were exceptionally good.
Miss Lois Wilson, professionally trained in dramatics, gave excellent service as coach.
One of the prominent features of the celebration was the presentation of a play in the Auditorium. The com- mittee selected to have charge of this and known as the Theater Committee were :
Mrs. James G. Clarke.
Mrs. William O. Barnes.
Mrs. G. Stacey Bearse.
372
Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee.
The actual production was contracted for by the Executive Committee.
The production was played by The Marshfield Play- ers. It was excellent professional work and was viewed by a large attendance.
There was at first some trepidation about incurring so large an expense but the sale of tickets was well handled, the performance attractive, and the play proved an excellent financial success and netted a profit which was urgently needed.
The Executive Committee extends its sincere thanks to the members of the Theater Committee and is deeply gratified by the manner in which this affair was handled.
An unexpected addition to the Tercentenary Program occurred.
Mr. Will Irwin notified the Executive Committee that it might be possible to have Miss Frances B. Perkins, Secretary of Labor, and member of the Cabinet of the President of the United States, visit us; and he thought she could be induced to speak at the exercises, particu- larly as she is a descendant of the Otis family of Scituate.
Arrangements were hastily made and we had the pleasure and honor of listening to Miss Perkins at our Auditorium on the evening of September 4.
After her address, the audience had the opportunity to meet her personally and we had a very enjoyable evening.
Special mention should be made of the Scituate Woman's Club. The members of this organization were appointed Hostesses for the entire occasion. They had charge of the Information Booths at North Scituate and
373
Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
Greenbush and had representatives at the Harbor and at the Cudworth House.
Mrs. Archie L. Mitchell was Chairman and Mrs. Rob- ert T. Stearns was Treasurer of this Committee which, in addition to its other duties, had charge of the dis- tribution and sale of the Booklets and some of the badges.
Selling the Booklets was by far the most ambitious part of our financial program and the Executive Com- mittee is deeply grateful to Mrs. Mitchell and her staff of Woman's Club workers who gave so generously of their time and services.
In addition to the activities previously mentioned, numerous Exhibits were held at various locations.
The Scituate Historical Society, Mr. Nathaniel Tilden, President.
The First Parish Church, Rev. Robert C. Withington, Chairman.
School Arts & Crafts, Mrs. James Ward, Chairman.
The Scituate Artists Club, Mrs. Cora L. Overland, Chairman.
The Pierce Memorial Library, the Misses Ellis, Chair- men.
The Allen Memorial Library, Mr. George C. Turner, Chairman.
The Scituate Grange, Mr. Thomas R. Stearns, Chair- man.
Paintings & Sketches by local artists, Mr. Paul V. Quinn, Chairman.
Second Parish Church, Kent Memorial, and James Library in Norwell, in charge of Parish Committee.
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Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
The above were among the exhibitors and these un- dertakings were excellent in quality and display and helped splendidly to round out the program.
For those who wished to view historic houses the pro- gram furnished an interesting and extensive list of such places; giving location, date of erection, original owner, and present owner.
This matter was in charge of Mrs. Peter S. Somers and was an interesting and excellent piece of work.
The Sports Program consisted of a ball game, track events, tennis, and swimming, under charge of Mr. Ed- ward L. Stewart. These contests appealed largely to our younger fraternity.
A life saving drill was given by the U. S. Coast Guard Station at North Scituate Beach under command of Cap- tain Cobbett.
Boat races were held at the Scituate Yacht Club in charge of Commodore L. B. Salt and a dance and enter- tainment followed.
A golf tournament at the Hatherly Country Club, Mr. Arthur E. Dorr, President, furnished attractions to other groups.
All were well attended.
The Satuit Theater put on a special moving picture show as their contribution to the exercises.
The musical part of our celebration was excellent and varied. The Chimes were played at certain hours on each day. Mr. Howard E. Bailey, Mr. Ashton Goddard, and Mr. Jerome Murphy, Jr., executed this part of the program in a most enjoyable and satisfactory manner.
The Hammond Organ, most kindly loaned by M. Stein- ert & Sons Co., Inc., was played at various times by Mr.
375
Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
Jerome Murphy, Jr., Miss Ellen Russel Bailey, and Mr. Harold W. Cole, and these concerts were greatly en- joyed by all.
On the final evening the Scituate Veterans Band gave an excellent outdoor concert.
The Scituate Girl Scouts, in charge of their Captain, Mrs. G. Stacey Bearse, sold a large number of Coin Badges. These were sold on a commission basis to assist in our financial returns and the arrangement was mutu- ally satisfactory, as both the Girl Scouts and the Execu- tive Committee profited thereby.
The final evening closed with an open air theater set- ting at which a review of all the pageants took place.
This was followed by a symbolic grouping represent- ing the Home, Religion, Education, and Civic Rights.
A short display of fireworks closed the exercises.
The Committee of Ways and Means, Chief of Police Michael E. Stewart, Chairman, had charge of this part of the program which was largely attended.
Mention should be made of the Committee of Public Safety whose officers were:
Chief of Police, Michael E. Stewart.
Chief of Fire Department, Mark W. Murrill.
President Nursing Service, Mrs. Michael B. Gillespie.
The week's entertainment closed with no serious acci- dent, traffic was well handled in spite of the unusual influx of visitors and in many instances the necessity of using secondary roads crowded far beyond their in- tended capacity ; and our friends and visitors received courteous service and adequate protection.
376
Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
The Scituate Tercentenary as an entertainment and celebration has gone into history. The Tercentenary Executive Committee expresses its sincere thanks, and grateful appreciation, for the loyalty and services of all those who in any way or capacity assisted in promoting the success of the undertaking.
The Financial Statement of the Tercentenary Exer- cises at this date of writing still shows a deficit of $732.50.
It became evident before the close of the celebration that it would be impossible to meet the entire amount of expenditures. Various plans to secure necessary funds were considered by the Committee but on investi- gation proved unworkable.
A request to the Advisory Board, through the Board of Selectmen, for a transfer of sufficient funds to clear up the account was denied.
As matters now stand an Article in next Town War- rant is the next logical step. A condensed financial statement is appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
TERCENTENARY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
W. Irving Lincoln, President, Nathaniel Tilden, Vice-Pres., Robert T. Stearns, Sec. & Treas., Hamilton W. Welch, Charles H. Waterman, Fred A. Beals, Philip S. Bailey.
December 31, 1936.
By Robert T. Stearns, Secretary.
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Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
FINANCIAL STATEMENT January 1, 1937
RECEIPTS
EXPENSES
Town appropriation
$500.00
Contracts
$355.00
Transfer
300.00
Labor-also-
Cash & Sales
1,438.44
Stationery
Printing
Lumber
$2,238.44
Cash on hand
8.06
Regalia
798.42
Salaries (pageants)
30.00
Materials & Supplies
427.58
Booklet
1,282.50
Unclassified (late)
67.80
Withdrawn (unused)
1.58
$2,962.88
2,230.38
$2,230.38
Deficit
$732.50
ROBERT T. STEARNS, Treas.,
Ter. Exc. Comm.
378
Report of Tercentenary Executive Committee
300TH ANNIVERSARY
Trucks:
Norman C. Merritt
$28.00
Labor:
Dennis F. Quinn, Jr.
$4.00
Thomas H. Harris
2.00
Cecil Babbitt
19.60
James E. Otis
16.00
Edwin Westington
14.00
William J. Jenkins
14.50
John D. Webb
8.50
Alson Billings
22.50
Alvin W. Blanchard
10.00
Ernest M. Damon
13.50
Harry B. Ellms
10.00
Parker Ewell
12.00
Allan Lavange
4.00
John Stonefield
31.50
182.10
Expenses :
Bemis Bro. Bag Co.
$9.09
Edison Elec. Ill. Co.
5.00
Ernest L. Hobson
37.47
Mrs. Samuel James
4.50
Paul Leveillee
23.00
Dorothy Merrill
6.50
National Fireworks Dist. Co.
15.00
William B. Pepper
36.00
William J. Roberts
61.65
The, Satuit Press
17.25
The Boundbrook Press
7.25
Gladys W. Hyde
1.35
S. Russell Walker
238.20
The Boston Regalia Co.
40.80
The Welch Co., Inc.
85.26
588.32
$798.42
379
List of Jurors
TOWN OF SCITUATE
LIST OF JURORS FOR 1936 Prepared as Provided for in Chapter 234, Section 4, General Laws
Appleton, Joseph W., Mann Hill, Farmer.
Barce, Charles N., Maple Street, Farmer.
Bates, Frank S., Clapp Road, Painter.
Billings, Alson P., Stockbridge Road, Carpenter. Breen, Edward P., Pond Road, Contractor.
Brooks, Charles A., Capt. Pierce Road, Salesman.
Carter, Wilbur A., Mordecai Lincoln Road, Salesman. Cole, Louis E., Country Way, Farmer. Cowley, James T., Ocean Avenue, Retired. Dickinson, Walter R., Capt. Pierce Road, Carpenter.
DuBois, Lawrence A., Front Street, Mechanic.
Dwyer, Robert W., Jericho Road, Painter.
Ford, John W., First Parish Road, Farmer. Foss, Frederick B., Capt. Pierce Road, Salesman. Halligan, Christopher J., Retired.
Harris, Fred C., Hollett Street, Mason.
Harrub, Walter Scott, off First Parish Road, Truck Driver.
Hennigan, George F., Country Way, Restauranteur. Huntley, Robert E., Brook Street, Poultryman. Joseph, Fred, Driftway, Salesman.
Kane, Frederick, Ford Place, Farmer.
Keyes, Louis G., Hatherly Road, Bond Salesman. Litchfield, Robert J., Clapp Road, Farmer.
Litchfield, Warren M., Country Way, Farmer.
380
List of Jurors
Manson, William A., Stockbridge Road, Machinist.
Mayo, Walter H., Tilden Road, Laborer.
Merritt, Clinton W., Booth Hill Road, Electrician.
Merritt, Roy C., Clapp Road, Farmer.
Mitchell, C. Nathan, Hollett Street, Farmer.
Nash, Percival D., Mordecai Lincoln Road, Advertising Agent.
Neal, John A., Clapp Road, Broker.
Otis, George H., Elm Street, Merchant.
Smith, Harold Y., Humarock, Carpenter.
Seaverns, William A., Booth Hill Road, Carpenter. Stearns, Robert T., Old Oaken Bucket Road, Retired. Sylvester, Harry F., Grove Street, Laborer.
Turner, Albert F., Gannett Road, Farmer.
Vollmer, John George, Curtis Avenue, Caretaker.
Welch, James W., First Parish Road, Fisherman.
Whittaker, Wendall W., Country Way, Carpenter. Yenetchi, George V., First Parish Road, Painter.
W. IRVING LINCOLN, HARRY F. CLEVERLY, JAMES W. TURNER,
Selectmen of Scituate.
381
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF SCITUATE
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1936
SE
TS
SATUIT
RPO
SANDERSON BROTHERS
NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
School Report - Index
INDEX
School Calendar 3
Directory 5 .
Report of School Committee 7
Report of Superintendent of Schools 8
Report of High School Principal
14
The Science Program at the High School
17
College Preparation in English
20
Junior High School Mathematics
23
Report from the Hatherly School 25
Report from Jenkins School
27
Report of School Physician 29
Report of School Nurse
31
Report of Attendance Officer
35
Roll of Perfect Attendance 36
Statistics 38
Financial Statement
40
Graduation Exercises 43
Graduating Class 44
2
School Calendar
SCHOOL CALENDAR - 1937
Winter Term-January 4 to February 19. One Week Vacation. March 1 to April 16. One Week Vacation.
Spring Term-April 26 to June 23 *. Holiday-May 31. Summer Vacation.
Fall Term-September 8 to December 22. Holidays-October 12, November 11, 25, 26.
*This date is tentative. The statutes require high schools to have one hundred eighty sessions per year.
"NO SCHOOL" SIGNAL
The "No School" signal is 3-1-3, and will be sounded from the fire stations at North Scituate, Scituate Harbor and Greenbush at 7.45 a.m. and will apply only to the first eight grades. It is, however, the policy of the Com- mittee to hold regular sessions whenever it is practicable to maintain transportation service.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The regular meetings of the Committee are held at the office of the Superintendent, Old High School Building, at 1.30 p.m., on the second Wednesday of each month, September to June inclusive.
3
School Calendar
Appointments with the Superintendent may be made upon request.
The age of admission to grade one of the Hatherly and Jenkins Schools is five years and four months on the day of the opening of school in September.
A vaccination certificate must be presented to the school when the pupil enters for the first time.
A birth certificate must be presented by those who were born outside of Scituate.
4
Directory of School Department
DIRECTORY OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Donald S. Pitkin
Chairman
Mrs. Marion C. Alexander
Secretary
Ralph S. Brown
Harold C. Wingate
Superintendent
HIGH SCHOOL
Frederick A. Calkin
Principal
M. B. Gillespie
Mathematics, Science
Ne's H. Sandberg
Practical Arts
Edward L. Stewart
Science, Athletics
Clarence O. Atkinson
History, Mathematics
Bessie M. Dudley
English
Adelaide Colburn
English, History
Esther M. Harrington
Ruth E. Hawkes
Commercial Subjects
Household Arts
JUNIOR HIGH
Edward W. Whitmore
Anne L. Cunneen
Marion L. Brine
Dorothy L. Maxim
Principal, VIIIA
Grade VIIIB
Grade VIIA
Grade VIIB
JENKINS
LeRoy E. Fuller Bessie M. Monahan
Mildred S. Young Marguerite O'Hern Eunice M. Cole
Principal, Grade VI
Grade V
Grade V
Grade IV
Grade III
5
Latin, French
Dorothy E. MacFarlane
Directory of School Department
Lillian M. Weeden Grace E. Hague Helen L. Jones
Grade II Grade I Assistant
HATHERLY
George W. Burrill
Doris C. Crocker
Helen Pearl
Sara M. Souther
Grade III
Helen G. Knox
Grade II
Lucy A. Lockhart
Grade I
SUPERVISORS
Jeanne E. Bradford
Music
Doris D. Ward
Art
Ruth A. Whidden
Physical Education
HEALTH OFFICERS
T. B. Alexander, M.D.
School Physician
W. B. Parsons, D.M.D.
School Dentist
Margaret J. O'Donnell, R.N.
School Nurse
SUPERVISOR OF ATTENDANCE Annie M. S. Litchfield
JANITORS
Louis H. Madore
Augustus Abbott
Lewis B. Newcomb
Hatherly School Jenkins School
HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA
Ina B. Litchfield
Elizabeth Abbott
Director
Assistant
6
High School
High School
Frank Young
Principal, Grade VI
Grade V
Grade IV
Report of School Committee
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Scituate:
The year 1936 has been a very satisfactory school year as the following reports will show.
The School Committee wishes to call to your atten- tion its new policy of keeping High School regardless of the weather in order to comply with State regulations regarding the length of the school year and avoid a late closing in June.
The budget for next year has been carefully consid- ered and is offered as necessary to maintain our stand- ard. The Committee always appreciates your response.
Respectfully submitted,
DONALD S. PITKIN, MARION C. ALEXANDER, RALPH S. BROWN,
School Committee.
7
Report of Superintendent of Schools
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee of Scituate:
I take pleasure in submitting my eleventh annual re- port for your consideration.
CHANGES IN OUR TEACHING STAFF
At the close of the school year which ended in June, 1936 there were three teacher resignations, two at the High School and one at the Hatherly. Miss Edith A. Dann, for seven years the teacher of the fourth grade in the latter school, left the service to be married, and her position was filled by the transfer of Miss Helen Pearl from the fourth grade of the Jenkins School. To the position thus made vacant at the Jenkins School, Miss Marguerite O'Hern of Scituate was elected.
For the position of teacher of French and Latin, held for the past four years by Miss Nancy H. Fisk, Miss Esther M. Harrington of Southboro, Massachusetts, was selected. Miss Harrington is a graduate of Radcliffe College and holds a degree of Master of Education from Boston University. She has had nine years' experience in high school teaching at Hopkinton, Webster and Winchester, Massachusetts.
At the end of her first year of teaching the Commer- cial subjects at the Scituate High School, Miss Elizabeth M. Belkus resigned to accept a similar position at Brock- ton. Miss Ruth E. Hawkes, of Dudley, Massachusetts, was elected to this position. Miss Hawkes is a graduate of Tufts College, and the Nashua Business College, and
8
Report of Superintendent of Schools
has had two years' experience as teacher of the Com- mercial subjects at Goddard Seminary, Barre, Vermont.
Mr. Clarence O. Atkinson, of Scituate, who had been a practice teacher in the Scituate High School last year through an arrangement with the Tufts College Depart- ment of Education, was elected a regular teacher in the High School this year. Mr. Atkinson is a graduate of Tufts College and is working towards his Master's De- gree. He is teaching Mathematics, Ancient History and Economics.
UPKEEP OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
During the year 1936, a ventilating duct connecting the basement toilets at the Jenkins School with the ventilating stack, together with an electric fan, was in- stalled. This work was done in accordance with the sug- gestion and approval of the State Building Inspector of the Department of Public Safety. The outer walls of the northeast lower room at the Jenkins School were insulated with rock-wool in an effort to eliminate drafts and as an aid to heating the room. The results will be studied with the idea of extending the use of this mate- rial to other sections of this school and the Hatherly if the expense seems justifiable.
A new furnace, replacing an old and smaller one, was placed in the Hatherly School. This is heating the two front rooms of this building more effectively.
At the High School, the entire exterior wooden sur- faces were given two coats of paint. Other exposed surfaces such as the iron railings and metal window screens were also painted. The floor of the gymnasium- auditorium was sanded and refinished. In the House- hold Arts Building, an electric stove was added to the equipment of the food preparation room.
9
Report of Superintendent of Schools
In the early spring the playing field at the Commu- nity Center was resurfaced with loam and seeded down. While this made it necessary to use other fields for baseball practice and games during the season, it did not prevent the use of the field for our regular foot- ball and field hockey schedules during the fall.
For the first time this year the school department fur- nished a custodian for the tennis courts during the summer months. The playing surfaces and equipment were kept in good condition and the use of the courts was regulated. I recommend that this be continued next season.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Elementary Junior High Senior High
Grades
Grades
Grades
Total
1927
314
97
117
528
1928
361
93
137
591
1929
369
88
135
592
1930
398
77
144
619
1931
421
73
162
656
1932
436
107
165
708
1933
443
131
173
747
1934
440
141
192
773
1935
400
135
206
741
1936
412
134
222
768
As you may note from the above table, our school enrollment this year shows a net increase of 27 pupils. The Hatherly and Jenkins Schools together made a gain of 12, while the High School enrollments increased by 15, with a total registration of 222 in the Senior High School on October 1. While this number was somewhat
-
10
Report of Superintendent of Schools
lower than our estimates last year, it nevertheless made it necessary for us this year to convert the music room into a regular class room, using it for a home room and for recitation purposes. Inasmuch as the present eighth grade is considerably larger than the senior class of the High School, it is reasonable to suppose that the Senior High School will show another substantial increase in enrollment next September. Under these conditions, we should consider the advisability of adding several more classrooms to the east wing of the High School building in the near future. I believe this is a matter of sufficient urgency to warrant the appointment by the coming annual Town Meeting of a committee to inves- tigate and study this need.
HORACE MANN
It seems fitting in this report to call your attention to an event of the greatest importance to the cause of edu- cation in Massachusetts, an event that had a profound influence upon American education generally, the one hundredth anniversary of which will be celebrated in 1937. This event was the creation of the Massachu- setts Board of Education and the appointment of Horace Mann as its secretary. The creation of the Board itself was a step of very great importance, but the way it func- tioned and its phenomenal success in forwarding the cause of education throughout the state were due to the educational statesmanship, the faith and courage, and the unceasing efforts in promoting popular educa- tion by Horace Mann himself.
The duties of this new Board of Education were to collect school information, study educational methods, disseminate facts and ideas, give advice, and serve as a sort of state clearing house on educational matters.
11
Report of Superintendent of Schools
The need of strong efforts to improve the conditions of popular education in Massachusetts is best appreciated if we understand the educational background of one hundred years ago.
Notwithstanding the three notable events in the his- tory of American education during the first half of the seventeenth century, namely, the founding of Boston Latin School, the founding of Harvard College, and the promulgation in 1647 of a declaration in behalf of popu- lar education, at the opening of the last century neither free public high schools nor higher education had at all generally won the support of the people. In most in- stances the public schools, including the elementary schools, were so inferior that people sent their children to them only when they could not afford to pay the tui- tion charges of private schools. School buildings and school equipment were meager and shabby. School attendance was very irregular and the scholastic equip- ment of the teachers themselves was only a little in advance of that of the pupils. The public seemed en- tirely willing to let these conditions continue.
On July 1, 1837 Horace Mann sacrificed a good law practice and a promising legislative career to serve as Secretary of the Board of Education at a meagre salary. "His great tasks were to make people want better schools, to improve methods of teaching and teaching personnel, to secure better financial support of schools, to raise attendance, to improve buildings and to get better school administration." He was untiring in his efforts to secure these ends, traveling the length and breadth of the State many times. His twelve annual reports to the Board of Education became famous docu- ments in educational history. The results of these efforts were "the establishment of three state normal schools; greatly improved school buildings; better teachers and
12
Report of Superintendent of Schools
teaching; more adequate school libraries; school con- solidation; improved attendance; higher salaries for teachers; longer school terms; larger school appropria- tions ; new courses of study ; better local administration; closer state supervision and guidance; many new high schools; and, above all, a permanently aroused public sentiment in favor of educational progress."
After resigning from the position of Secretary of the State Board of Education, Horace Mann served several terms in the national Congress and then accepted the Presidency of Antioch College in Ohio. In both positions he acquitted himself with honor and distinction, but his finest service was with the Massachusetts Board of Edu- cation. In the field of public school education he is the foremost educator that Massachusetts has produced, and it is most fitting that the schools of the State should honor his memory this year.
I am pleased to acknowledge at this time the gift to the High School of a large oil painting entitled "Scituate Marshes" by Walter Sargent. This painting was pre- sented to the school by the artist's widow, Mrs. Walter Sargent, and will be highly prized.
Your attention is called to the various individual re- ports that form a part of the School Report. The usual statistical tables and the Financial Statement for the year 1936 are included.
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