Town annual reports of officers and committees of the town of Sunderland, Massachusetts 1918, Part 8

Author:
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Sunderland, Mass. : The Town
Number of Pages: 486


USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Sunderland > Town annual reports of officers and committees of the town of Sunderland, Massachusetts 1918 > Part 8


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16


State Tax 2,380.00


Special State Tax 112.20


22


Repair of State Highways


198.55


Soldiers' Exemption 8.67


Civilian war poll tax


933.00


Auditing municipal accounts


82.44


Produce National Bank, tempo-


rary loans 16,000.00


Franklin Savings Institution, Stone


road notes 2,200.00


Franklin Savings Institution, interest 172.50


Produce National Bank, 456.99


Library appropriation 200.00


Library treasurer, dog money 79.20


Helen Hoxie for envelopes 11.27


Director of Accounts 8.00


R. W. Gorey, court expenses


13.28


R. B. Brown, court expenses


65.75


C. G. Clark, court expenses


19.18


Memorial Day, appropriation


25.00


County of Franklin, Tax


1,914.56


$ 55,432.25


Balance in Treasury


6,038.28


$61,470.53


A. W. HUBBARD, Treasurer.


I have made examination of the above accounts of the Treasurer and believe them to be correct.


RALPH D. HEPBURN, Auditor. Sunderland, Mass., Jan. 9, 1922.


23


TRUST FUNDS HELD BY TOWN TREASURER.


Library Funds.


Penn. R. R. Bond 7's, 1930, $1,000.00


American Tel. & Tel. 5's, 1946


1,600.00


U. S. Liberty Bond, 41/4, 1942 500.00


Oklahoma Real Estate Mortgage, 6%


500.00


Local Real Estate Mortgage, 6%


2,500.00


Amherst Savings Bank,


52.34


Franklin Savings Institution,


18.92


$ 6,171.26


Riverside Cemetery Funds.


Interstate Mortgage Loans,


$4,350.00


U. S. Liberty Bonds,


2,300.00


Franklin Savings Institution,


356.25


-$ 7,006.25


A. W. HUBBARD, Treasurer.


I have examined the above account of the Treasurer and find it correct. I also find the securities listed to be in his possession.


RALPH D. HEPBURN, Auditor. Sunderland, Mass., Jan. 16, 1922.


Collector's Report


Town Tax


$20,334.37


State Tax


2,380.00


County Tax


1,914.56


Poll Tax


1,555.00


Special Highway Tax


198.55


Special Army and Navy Tax


112.20


Overlayings


102.12


Special State Tax


82.44


Interest


81.01


$ 26,760.25


Paid Town Treasurer :-


Taxes


$26,679.24


Interest


81.01


Jan. 7, 1922


$ 26,760.25


R. B. BROWN, Collector.


I have examined the warrants issued by the Assessors to the Collector and his account of his collections and pay- ments to the Treasurer and have compared them with the books of the Treasurer and believe the above statement to be correct.


RALPH D. HEPBURN, Auditor.


Jan. 9, 1922.


Town Clerk's Report


BIRTHS IN 1921.


Number of births reported, 62


Number of males, 32


Number of females, 30


Jan. 3 Frank, to Aleck and Julia Smeroski.


7 Elinor, to Leon and Gladys Rose.


9 Agnes, to John and Rosie Morozek.


10 . Leonard Ralph, to Hoyt and Florence Clark.


21 Edward, to Andrew and Mary Dzenis.


29 Stella, to Aleck and Rosie Meskowski.


Feb. 8 Bronik, to Felix and Frances Bartos.


9 Edson Leslie to Leslie and Dorothy Arms.


12 Helen, to Joseph and Nellie Kazmeritis.


15 Paul, to William and Catherine Batrisiski.


18 Mary, to Aleck and Minnie Karpinski.


24 Edward Clark, to Theoren and Ruth Warner.


27 Edward, to Steven and Frances Petrovitz. 27 John, to Frank and Julia Besheski.


Mar. 1 John, to Tony and Annie Yetkoski.


4 Edward, to Peter and Annie Magdych.


7 Thomas, to John and Anna Polimbas.


7 Joseph, to John and Anna Polimbas.


10 Evelyn, to Frank and Daisy Chickering.


11 Stanley, to Michael and Lucy Debrika.


12 Marjorie, to Edwin and Rubie Decker.


14 Shirley Eloise, to Ralph and Emma Fairchild.


22 Zeder, to Zeder and Josalia Lorimtis.


23 Mary Edith, to John and Mary Kozlowski.


April 5 Julia, to John and Antonia Tamolis. 5 Wasil, to John and Minnie Storochuk.


22 Patricia Williston, to Donald and Francis Campbell.


26


May 6 Annie, to John and Rosie Goschenski.


16 Ruth Winifred, to Roland and Catherine Bolewine.


19 Helena, to Joseph and Lena Adamshek.


21 Grace Louise, to Merrill and Edith Warner.


27 Kenneth Sanderson, to Kenneth and Charlotte Williams.


June 7 Guy Clark, Jr., to Guy and Anna Clark.


18 Morris Morgan, to Raymond and Viola Robinson.


18 John, to Stanley and Bessie Ukavitis.


22 Joseph, to Alphonse and Isabel Adamski.


July 9 Helen, to John and Annie Klemyk.


9 Joseph, to John and Annie Klemyk.


24 Mary Morse, to Philip and Martha Whitmore.


25 Frances, to Mike and Blanche Moleski.


Aug. 1 John Levi, to Frederick and Anna Warner.


3 John, to William and Lena Kozekoski.


6 Minnie, to Frank and Dominica Puris.


17 Mary, to John and Helen Polanik.


17 Julia to John and Helen Polanik.


18 Bertha Isabel, to George and Blanche Pomeroy.


18 Eugene, to Roman and Sophia Torcidlowski.


24 Frank, to Mike and Wanda Mioduszenski.


-, to Philip and Bertha Paterson.


28 Sept. 9 Kenneth, to Robert and Ruth Lawrence. 12 Lucille Eleanor, to Frederick and Lillian Sullivan.


17 Anthony, to Anthony and Catherine Kamenski.


24 James William, to Erwin and Mabel Fulton.


25 Sophie, to John and Mary Tolinko.


26 Mary, to John and Valeria Posh.


27 Mary Frances to Stephen and Stephina Krol.


Oct.


4 John, to John and Victoria Pazarskas.


4 Victoria, to John and Victoria Pazarskas.


14 Julian Frank, to Frank and Mary Dawiskiba.


Nov. 11 Edward Francis, to Francis and Mary Ahearn.


13 Marjorie Louise, to George and Martha Pease.


30 Edward, to Frank and Sophia Petrala,


NAMES OF PERSONS MARRIED


Names By whom married


John T. Klemyk


Joseph Lekston


Priest


May 16 So. Deerfield


Margaret D. Ahearn


Clergyman


Sept. 14 Northampton


Bernard W. Dwyer


Thomas J. Cummings


Priest


Oct. 11


Walter Kazlowski


Joseph Lekston


Priest


Oct. 24


Stanley Jamrog


Joseph Lekston


So. Deerfield


Bertha Sagon Priest


Nov. 7 So. Deerfield


Longn Pekiel


Joseph Lekston


Malvina Bandalevicz


Priest


Nov. 15


Frank Panek


Joseph Lekston


Victoria Skibiski


Priest


So. Deerfield Nov. 19


Harry Coleman Tenney


P. H. Gallen


So. Deerfield


Elizabeth M. Rocosak


Clergyman


Date and Place of Marriage May 1 So. Deerfield


Annie Moletories


Patrick J. Hogan


P. H. Gallen


Grace Agnes Carroll


So. Deerfield


Sophia Benjamin


28


DEATHS IN 1921


Date


Name


Age


Yrs.


Mos.


Days 7 hrs.


Jan. 3 Frank Smeroski


8 John Beleski


53


11 Eliza I. S. Brown


89


11


22


21 Stephen Michkowski


2


6


25 Edward L. Robinson


73


2


24


26 Alice Barnes Pomeroy


64


8


3


Mar. 25 Thomas Palembis


19


Apr. 14 Adela Jackowski


8


6


May 20 Dr. George Henry Pomeroy


73


6


2


July 9 Helen Klemyk


2 hrs. 45 min.


9 Joseph Klemyk


3 hrs.


Sept. 9 Eliza Marcy Beals


75


2


2


9 Horace Graves Sanderson


84


8


24


27 Mary Posh


1


Oet. 4 John Pazarskas


4 hrs.


4 Victoria Pazarskas


5 hrs.


26 Abigail H. Loomis


78


26 Patrick R. Brennan


29


8 17


30 Muriel E. Harding


2


4


1


Dec. 23 Eliza Barber Hubbard


93


1 3


BAXTER N. FISH, Town Clerk.


BAXTER N. FISH, Town Clerk, in account with Dog Taxes : Dr. to cash received for 74 dogs, $178.00


Cr. by clerk's fees,


$14.80


Paid County Treasurer,


163.20


$178.00


Riverside Cemetery Association


TREASURER'S REPORT


Balance in treasury, January 1, 1921


$ 49.43


Interest


71.85


Interest from Town Treasurer


259.21


Memorial Day appropriation


25.00


Markers


.50


Tree


5.00


F. L. Montague


50.00


F. & J. Moore


50.00


Miss M. L. Crocker


100.00


-$ 610.99


PAYMENTS


Markers


$24.00


Accrued interest


6.67


Express and cartage


3.67


Labor


5.00


J. W. Adams, nursery stock


30.75


R. Hepburn


3.00


Paint


3.85


G. L. Cooley, flags


10.00


R. Goodyear, plants


19.25


Weed Killer


17.77


G. A. Childs


240.95


Town Treasurer, perpetual care


Montague lot


100.00


Town Treasurer, perpetual care


A. Crocker lot


100.00


Cash on hand


46.08


-$ 610.99


W. F. CAMPBELL, Treasurer.


30


I have made examination of the above accounts of the Treasurer of the Cemetery Committee and believe them to be correct.


RALPH D. HEPBURN, Auditor.


Report of Inspector of Animals


At my annual inspection of barns and herds last Febru- ary, I found still further decline in the number of stock being kept. A falling off of 111 in the number of dairy cattle, and 79 in the number of swine. These are the totals found :


Dairy cattle, 336


Swine, 157


Sheep, 18


During the year 19 cattle were quarantined upon sus- picion of being tubercular, sixteen of which were condemned and killed. We have had no cases of rabies, or glanders dur- ing the year.


I have been called to inspect 8 carcasses of pork, and one. of beef. These were free from disease and were stamped.


There has been brought into town from other states 258 cattle. These I have identified and released.


Respectfully submitted,


M. H. WILLIAMS, Inspector.


Sunderland, Jan. 14, 1922.


School Report


JANUARY 1, 1921-DECEMBER 31, 1921 SCHOOL COMMITTEE


Andrew C. Warner, Chairman


George P. Smith, Secretary


Albert M. Darling


Term expires 1924 Term expires 1923 Term expires 1922


SUPERINTENDENT Andrew S. Thomson, South Deerfield, Telephone 209-3 JANITOR AND ATTENDANCE OFFICER F. E. Walsh SCHOOL CALENDAR


January 3, 1922, Schools open.


March 17, 1922, Schools close for Spring vacation.


March 27, 1922, Schools open for Spring term.


June 9, 1922, Schools close for Summer vacation.


September 5, 1922, Schools open for Fall term.


November 29, 1922, Schools close for Thanksgiving.


December 4, 1922, Schools open.


December 22, 1922, Schools close for Christmas.


January 2, 1923, Schools open.


FINANCIAL STATEMENT EXPENDITURES


T. General expenses. School Committee.


Supervisional law enforcement.


Andrew S. Thomson, salary, $500.04


Andrew S. Thomson, expenses, 94.73


Lillian Dill, census 20.90


Andrew C. Warner, travel, 17.18


-


$ 632.85


32


II. Expenses of Instruction.


Belle Bullis, music,


$120.00


Alice Carroll, cooking,


110.00


Gladys Smith, cooking,


82.40


Evelyn Pennegar, drawing,


15.00


327.40


Teachers :


Lillian Dill,


$1,040.00


Margaret Depping,


940.00


Cora Quimby,


940.00


Marie O'Donnell,


940.00


Josephine Kerr,


540.00


Rose Bossidy,


450.00


Irene Kennedy,


890.00


Rhoda May,


540.00


Olive Comins,


380.00


Pauline Hathaway,


380.00


Sabina Neil,


300.00


7,340.00


Text books :


Ginn & Co.,


$76.74


Silver Burdett & Co.,


41.31


Mass. State Prison,


7.45


Chas. Merrill Co.,


4.67


Empire New England Co.,


57.50


Eldridge Entertainment Co.,


5.05


Houghton, Mifflin Co.,


20.37


The MacMillan Co.,


26.29


C. S. Hammond Co.,


1.67


Wright & Potter,


4.02


245.07


Supplies :


E. E. Babb & Co.,


$67.44


Clark & Warner,


59.25


J. L. Hammett & Co.,


85.76


33


C. W. Robinson, 4.55


Alice Carroll,


2.35


Baldwin Manf. Co.,


8.58


Lillian Dill,


4.50


E. E. Putnam,


2.15


Masury-Young Co.,


17.41


Rand McNally Co.,


2.50


Kinney Bros. & Wilkins,


202.53


E. D. Marsh Est.,


1.50


A. C. Warner & Sons,


9.25


467.77


III. Expenses of operation :


Janitor :


C .W. Robinson,


$440.00


F. E. Walsh,


366.43


806.43


Fuel :


C. A. Hubbard,


$315.85


R. W. Graves,


51.00


F. C. Kidder Co.,


624.54


991.39


Miscellaneous :


Dr. Chas. Moline,


$50.00


Alice Carroll,


1.90


Sunderland Water Co.,


35.00


Lillian Dill,


16.80


J. L. Hammett Co.,


17.62


121.32


IV. Expenses of Maintenance :


Repairs :


Fletcher Co.,


$3.50


A. C. Warner & Sons,


5.15


E. D. Marsh Estate,


13.41


W. F. Campbell,


5.57


34


George Starbuck & Sons,


27.03


W. H. Dill,


19.38


W. F. Everett,


1.50


77.54


V. Auxiliary Agencies :


Transportation,


Elementary :


. Geo. Childs,


$1710.00


Kenneth Williams,


760.00


Holyoke St. Ry Co.,


1980.00


4,450.00


High School :


Nellie Abbey,


$26.70


Mrs. Blackmer,


24.78


G. L. Cooley,


35.64


G. P. Bullis,


26.16


F. L. Clark,


50.16


W. E. Clark,


55.92


C. G. Clark,


19.86


F. H. Graves,


22.14


Frank Gribko,


45.48


C. E. Hubbard,


24.90


A. L. Hubbard,


25.02


H. A. Hubbard,


40.50


Joseph Mitchell,


18.54


C. W. Robinson,


24.78


Leon Rose,


38.52


Mrs. Shiboski,


10.08


Tony Skorupski,


24.00


Stanley Suduski,


20.88


John Tulinko,


20.52


F. E. Welsh,


29.52


John Zak,


19.68


Ray Robinson,


10.68


A. Jewett,


5.40


619.86


35


VI. Miscellaneous expenses :


Tuition :


High School : Amherst High, 1,888.13


Elementary :


VII. Outlay :


New Furniture :


Haywood Bros. & Wakefield, 104.50


SUMMARY


Resources :


Town appropriation,


$17,500.00


Expenditures :


I. General expenses,


$ 632.85


II. Expenses of instruction, 8,380.24


III. Expenses of operation, 1,919.14


IV. Repairs,


77.54


V. Auxiliary agencies, 5,069.86


VI. Miscellaneous,


1,888.13


VII. Outlay,


104.50


$ 18,072.26


Overdrawn,


$ 572.26


The amount received from the state in 1921 for Schools:


Income tax, general school fund,


$2,450.00


Income Mass. School Fund, 3,361.92


High School transportation, 943.86


High School tuition,


1,416.10


On account of Supt. of Schools,


382.23


Tuition, state wards, 116.25


$ 8,670.36


36


RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 1922


I. General Expenses :


Supt. of Schools, census, attendance officer, $ 650.00


II Instruction :


Teachers,


8,650.00


Supplies,


750.00


III. Janitor,


850.00


IV. Fuel,


1,100.00


V. Repairs,


100.00


VI. Transportation :


Elementary,


4,050.00


High School,


900.00


VII. High School Tuition,


2,300.00


VIII. Miscellaneous,


100.00


IX. Overdraft for 1921


572.26


$ 20,022.26


ANDREW C. WARNER,


GEORGE P. SMITH,


ALBERT M. DARLING.


Report of Superintendent of Schools


TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE:


Gentlemen :


It gives me pleasure to submit this, my fourth annual report as superintendent of schools of the town. This is a time of especial satisfaction as Sunderland has under con- struction the much-needed school building. After many delays the site has been chosen and the school house will soon be a reality. A new, warm, well ventilated, well lighted, roomy building will do much to encourage good scholarship, better morals and more refined manners in the lives of the school children, as well as a feeling of self-respect and pride in the town on the part of the citizens.


Attendance.


The average of 97 for the per cent. of attendance for the fall term is very unusual. I have been unable to find another town in the state that has equalled it for these months. Much of the credit for this good attendance is due to the spirit of competition between the rooms worked up by the teachers. There is a keen contest each month to see who will get the honor flag for the next month.


Graduation.


The schools closed last June by graduating 19 pupils. The closing exercises were most creditable to both pupils and teachers. Such exercises entail a lot of work but are remem- bered by the graduates as a happy day in their school lives. A large percentage of the pupils who finish the grammar school go to Amherst High School. The time may soon come


38


when it will be necessary to offer some of the Junior High School subjects in the Sunderland Grammar School so that the pupils from the town will enter similarly prepared to the Amherst pupils.


Arrangement.


Last school year the fourth grade was divided, part going with the third and part with the fifth grade. This year the same class had to be divided, part of the fifth going with the fourth grade and part with the sixth grade. At present these two rooms have 47 pupils in each. This is far too many for any teacher to do for the pupils that individual work which is vital to the best success. To avoid the divided grade, which is poor economy of teaching force, and to hold the number of pupils down to forty or less in any one room, it will be necessary to have nine teachers for next year. The lower grades will still be large. The high grades will be small for a year or two but this will enable the teachers in those grades to catch up some of the back work and better prepare for high school, and to give some time to utility subjects such as civics, cooking and manual arts.


School Hours.


At present school opens at 8:45 and the electric car chil- dren get into school at from 9:05 to 9:15. The first grades close at 11:40 so that the children may have a chance to eat their lunch under the supervision of their teachers. The first truck load of children have to be dismissed at 2:40. This makes a school day too broken and too short for the best results. In a community where the pupils are mostly from homes in which the English language is spoken, a short school day may be sufficient, but in a school with eighty per cent of the children coming from homes where the English language is seldom spoken, the schools should have the children as long a time as possible.


At present over $5.50 worth of car tickets are given to the children each day. If the car line can not run cars more conveniently, a truck should be put on that route to bring in


39


the children when most convenient for the schools. Also in- stead of one truck making two trips, two trucks should be had so that all the schools may be called and dismissed at the same time. It seems as if this might be done at no extra cx- pense to the town.


Legislation.


A law passed by the General Court last winter affected small towns requiring all towns of over one million dollars valuation to have a school nurse. Towns of less than one million valuation may be excused from the provisions of this act by the State Board of Education which does not feel in- clined to excuse many towns. The town of Sunderland should have services of a school nurse one day each week. The towns of Whately and Conway will each require a day. Other towns can be easily found to take the remainder of the time of a nurse.


Another law was enacted which requires the schools to teach physical training but this may be done by the regular teachers. With some slight assistance from outside, the pro- visions of this law can be satisfied.


Health.


Under the direction of the Public Health Association of Franklin County, a health crusade was undertaken in the schools. Clubs were formed and the members agreed to per- form daily certain health chores. This called the children's attention to the desirability of clean hands, teeth, heads and bodies, proper breathing and the correct ventilation of sleep- ing rooms. The actual results of this has been somewhat doubtful but we trust some good has been accomplished.


Cocoa.


The Red Cross has made it possible to serve cocoa to the children again this year. A good equipment of cups, and serving pitchers and making appliances have been procured. The conveniences for serving under our present school con-


40


dition is not what could be desired but the cup of rich warm cocoa served for two cents is a great benefit to the children, many of whom bring a very meager lunch.


Drawing.


The work in drawing has been somewhat stimulated by having a special teacher come and outline the work cach month for the teachers at the teachers' meetings.


Testing and Promotions.


One of the things which takes a high grade of intelligence on the part of teachers and supervisors is to know just when a pupil would be most benefitted by promotion to the next grade or whether they would be more benefitted to repeat the grade. Formerly an examination was given, if the pupil attained the passing mark they went on to the next grade, if not they repeated. This method of ascertaining the fitness of a child for promotion is unsatisfactory, inadequate and un- just. Many times pupils best able to understand and appre- ciate the advanced grade of work are just the ones who are not able to express the best written examination. Scientific educators are making good progress in devising intelligence tests which will give much assistance to teachers and super- visors in this perplexing problem. These tests have a tendency to point the direction a pupil better take to find his most successful field for his life work. Some of these tests have been given in the schools and it is expected that all the higher grades will be given some one or more of these tests before Junc.


Equipment.


A stercopticon lantern has been secured by the schools and when slides are secured will add much to the educational advantage of the schools. Also a new set of up-to-date ency- clopedias has been purchased by the schools.


Teachers.


It has been most difficult the last three years to get good teachers to fill our schools. Many times a teacher must be


41


selected upon very slight acquaintance and several times the last two years only one candidate has been available so no choice was possible.


At the close of the school year Miss Kerr, Miss Bossidy and Miss May resigned. Miss Hathaway, Miss Comins, and Miss Neil were secured to take their places. Sunderland can be congratulated upon ability, devotion and energy of her teachers.


I wish to express my appreciation to the committee for their kind support and to the teachers for their loyalty and devotion to duty.


ANDREW S. THOMSON, Superintendent of Schools.


1


CLASS ROLL


Peter Stanley August


Jennie Josephine Bialecki


Stephen Alexander Demianczik


Helen Stephany Goscenski


*Elizabeth Graves Hubbard Michael John Kica John Korpita Mary Madalene Krieski


Walter Bernard Loskoski


Sophie Anne Milesky


Jessie Guilford Moline


John Andrew Mroczek


Frank George Parzych


Joseph Peter Podworski


Frederick William Riley


Walter Joseph Sagon


Michael Roman Skibicki


Raymond Walsh Donald Frederick Woodbury


*Perfect attendance during eight years' course.


Attendance Report for September to December, 1921.


Schools


Total


Average Membership


Average Attendance


Per Cent of Attendance


Name of Teacher


Grade 8


22


21.95


21.56


98.22


Lillian Dill


Grade 4 & 5


49


44.17


43.72


98.08


Olive Comins


Grade 1 & 2


45


43.94


42.94


97.7


Irene Kennedy


Grade 3


47


41.45


40.42


97.5


Cora Quimby


Grade 1


37


37


35.94


97.14


Sabina Neil


Grade 5 & 6


47


45.35


44.05


97.13


Marie C. O'Donnell


Grade 7


32


31.06


30


96.6


Margaret Depping


Grade 2


43


40.28


37.89


94.06


Pauline Hathaway


Total


332


305.20


296.52


97.06


.


Statistical Table, September 1920 to June 1921


Enrolled Aggregate| Average Attend.


Attend.


| Average | Per Cent Mem'ship Attend.


Name


Grade 8


21


3347


18.69


19.17


97.44


Lillian Dill


Grade 7


25


3699


20.76


22.13


93.81


Margaret Depping


Grade 6


34


5254


29.47


30.90


95.37


Marie O'Donnell


Grades 4 & 5


45


7297


41.16


43.50


94.62


Rose Bossidy


Grades 3 & 4


46


7350


41.03


42.84


95.78


Cora Quimby


Grade 2 .


49


7218


40.64


42.18


96.33


Josephine Kerr


Grades 1 & 2


34


5600


31.23


33.48


93.30


Irene Kennedy


Grade 1


30


4174.


25.56


28.37


90.00


Rhoda May


284


3939


248.54


262.57


94.07


.


Report of Supervisor of Music


Andrew S. Thomson,


Superintendent of Schools.


Dear Sir :-


Educators have known for a long time that the music taught in the public schools has only to a slight extent been brought into the home life of the child. Most school music is isolated from his home interests and rarely has the material used in school appeared in his social life, showing a lack of connection between what is being done along the lines of musical education and the real purpose such education ought to serve.


In attempting to remedy this state of affairs it has been thought that in order to sing for himself the child must have the ability to sing songs from the printed page as readily as a story book is read ; that given this ability he would sing from books at home just as easily as he reads from books at home. So our courses of study in school music have been filled with technical study in the belief that a mastery of the technical difficulties of sight singing will take our school songs into the home. It being proved that this process has failed to accom- plish its purpose we are now being led to try another way,- to minimize the technical teaching, giving much more atten- tion to the singing of songs, not the popular songs of the day but hymns and songs that are more or less known by the grown people; to do more chorus singing with schools as a whole ; to form glee clubs and high school choruses ; to do any- thing which will bring the. pupils together as a small commu- nity of their own which will reach out through the home into the larger community in which they live.


44


We have now a method spoken of as the song method where the songs taught in the lower grades form a basis for the work of the higher grades. This has been followed simply . in our first three grades for a year and a half with interest- ing results. What will be its outcome in the upper grades is yet to be seen.


The work of the year has gone along smoothly with en- thusiasm on the part of the pupils and splendid co-operation on the part of the teachers.


Respectfully submitted, BELLE T. BULLIS, Supervisor of Music.


Forest Warden's Report


During the year 1921 there were only three forest fires. May 15th, one fire on the plain, which cost $6.60; June 11th, fire on Toby, which cost $4.00; Sept. 19th, fire near the old saw mill road, at a cost of $9.40. We were unable to learn the cause of any of these fires, so the expense was borne by the town.


About April 1st 9 fire extinguishers were purchased at a cost of $112.50, one-half of which is to be refunded by the state.


Seventeen fire permits were issued during the year.


Respectfully submitted, A. C. WARNER, Forest Warden.


Library Treasurer's Report


RECEIPTS.


Balance in treasury,


$ .01


Town appropriation,


200.00


Interest,


299.19


Sale waste paper, etc.


31.00


Dog Money,


79.20


Treasurer of Woman's Club,


15.00


$


624.40


PAYMENTS.


.


For books,


$264.50


For coal,


115.20


H. W. Wilson Co.,


7.00


Librarian's salary and assistants,


95.20


For wood,


14.60


Water Co.,


5.00


Lighting building,


15.25


Repairs,


1.75


Supplies,


4.60


Care of building and grounds,


$


623.10


Balance on hand,


1.30


$ 624.40


BAXTER N. FISH, Treasurer.


Jan. 2, 1922.


I have examined the above account of the Treasurer of the Sunderland Public Library and find it correct and all the payments properly vouched for.


RALPH D. HEPBURN, Auditor. Sunderland, Mass., Jan. 13, 1922.


100.00


Report of Librarian


Number of volumes belonging to the library, Jan. 1921, 5,666 Added during the year, 172


Belonging to the library at date, 5,838


Loaned during the year, 7,460




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.