USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Norwell > Town of Norwell annual report 1920-1929 > Part 40
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For example, our many Bridgewater meetings were for county-wide benefit and they were well attended.
Many personal letters that have to do with all sorts of agricultural subjects are received at the office of the Ex- tension Service from every town in the course of the year and the information sought is given to the best of their ability, with the most authoritative sources continually at our service.
A great many circular letters are sent out each year to our lists of county farmers and homemakers and boys and girls giving timely information and advice as to how to overcome suddenly arising adverse conditions.
Notices of meetings at which important information is given without charge by experts are also sent to these mail- ing lists.
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
We are constantly receiving visitors at our office from every part of the county seeking advice or knowledge on all sorts of subjects.
The "Plymouth County Farmer" a monthly bulletin published by the Plymouth County Extension Service is sent to a small subscription list, but the major part of the thousand copies sent out monthly is sent without charge to men and women whom we know will benefit by the informa- tion it contains. Not only do we find appreciation of the "Farmer" within the county but we have several paid-up subscribers outside the county,-one New Hampshire farm- er is a regular subscriber.
Report of work done in Norwell during year 1927 by the Plymouth County Extension Service (Plymouth County Aid to Agriculture)
Agriculture
Visits were made by the county agent to poultrymen, orchardists, and foresters.
Poultry work consisted of helping in disease control, cull- ing, to choose the best birds for breeding purposes and to discard the non-producers.
Orchard work included advice in pruning, spraying, and thinning, to eliminate diseases and insect pests and to grow the best and most valuable fruit.
Forestry work included the giving of advice by which a few simple operations might add many dollars to the val- ue of a pine stand. A great deal of work in forestry has been planned for the coming year. We have as assistants in this work Mr. R. B. Parmenter, state forestry specialist, and E. M. Brockway, white pine blister rust agent for this
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TOWN OF NORWELL
section. A series of letters describing briefly the essential phases of forestry are being sent to Norwell pine owners. They have already received the first. Within a week many more personal visits will be made by the county agent, Mr. Parmenter and Mr. Brockway with the Norwell forestry committee to owners in their pine lots.
Report of the Home Section
Our 1927 records show that 500 Plymouth County women enrolled in home-making projects during the year and that 950 more received information concerning home problems. District meetings were held and thirty-four local groups were formed to study food selection, canning, garment mak- ing, millinery, kitchen improvement, or house furnishing. Twenty-one of our county towns were represented direct- ly in the program. Four others participated in the district meetings.
Norwell participated in the district meetings held in neigh- boring towns, especially the food preservation meeting in Marshfield and that in clothing selection held in Hanover. Norwell's program for the current year includes group study in food selection and in millinery.
Report of Club Work
Norwell boys and girls took advantage of the opportun- ities for instruction offered by the Plymouth County Ex- tension Service by forming a garden, a canning, and a for- estry club. These clubs are part of the national 4-H club organization.
Garden club members received information from the Massachusetts Agricultural College and the extension ser- vice and used that information in caring for their gardens at home.
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
Girls in the canning club did similarly, canning vegetables and fruits by the methods approved by the college.
A novel and successful forestry club is being carried on in the high school. Mr. Fred B. Cochran, the local leader, organized the club with 37 members. A series of lectures are being given by the state extension forester and the local county blister rust agent. The county club agent had arranged to have an exhibit of woods collected and an iden- tification contest at the end of the season. This course gives the boys and girls a good idea of the value of forests. It will be concluded by a tree planting demonstration in which all the members will take part.
As an incentive to our boys and girls to join this club movement and avail themselves of the splendid opportunit- ies offered by this service of our County Bureau and the Federal Government, Mr. Wm. J. Leonard offers five prizes of five dollars each, for the most successful results in the different departments of club work, to be awarded under the direction of the County and Local Agents.
Visiting Nurse Association
Norwell is particularly in need of the services of a Nurs- ing Association having no practising physician resdent in the community nor dentist with an office in the town. The town is too healthy for the Nursing Association to make any money; but as making money is not its purpose that is alright. But it does affect our income. In 1925 our re- ceipts from nursing visits were $366.00, in 1926 $296.00, and this year $192.00.
Our membership consists of not over 221 out of a town population of 1300. Our dues are 25c and we received $55.25, but as some friends and believers in the Associa- tion gave more than the minimum of 25c our membership is actually under 200.
We are sorry for this and to make the Association's work better known to the other 1100 townspeople we make this report.
The Chevrolet coach was bought and paid for by the Association on April 16th and has been driven 11.353 miles to the writing of this report (Feb. 4th), including an idle month while the nurse took her vacation. That is an aver- age of almost 50 miles every working day. The Associa- tion pays all running expenses of the car, registration and fire and liability insurance (the town contributes towards this expense, varying sums from year to year. )
The nurse makes her bedside visits in the morning, and
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
her school visits in the afternoon, but is always ready to make visits at any time in cases of emergency. Night calls are only answered in cases of emergency and at the per- sonal request of the attending physician and when proper escort is furnished. The nurse is not on duty on Sunday.
Townspeople calling the nurse are required to pay 50c per visit except in cases of actual destitution and inibility to pay (45 free visits were made this year.)
Just to have a traned nurse on call, as ours is, would alone justify the existence of the Association but the work, so far outlined, is the least important part of the work the As- sociation is trying to do.
The real work of the Nursing Association is educational, to teach parents how to feed and care for their children.
With no dentist in town it is only natural that children's teeth are neglected. It takes much planning and time to take children 5 or 6 miles to a dentist and it isn't done. That is why the Association, with the generous subscriptions of private citizens and other local associations, hired a dentist for $400. to spend one whole day each week for 20 weeks at our central school, conducting a dental clinic.
Working with the School Committee we were fortunate to obtain the services of Dr. Willis B. Parsons who has done a fine job. He has inspected the teeth of every school child (as required by law,) cleaned the teeth and filled ex- isting cavities for as many more as time permitted. About 100 have had all necessary work completed. The work done on each child would probably average several dollars at regular dentists' rates, but under the plan of the clinic there is a merely nominal charge of 50c per visit, whether it be half an hour, an hour or more. This charge is made small on purpose so that it will be within the reach of every
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TOWN OF NORWELL
one and will not be a cause for the refusal of any parents to have their children's teeth given necessary care. It is felt that the fees, together with the amount asked for in an article in the warrant will be sufficient to pay all expenses of a dentist for a year. We believe this is a very valuable work in bettering the physical well being of our most valu- able crop, the children, and we hope the town will vote for the article in the warrant to take over this clinic which has been given free for the last six months.
We conducted a medical clinic to which all parents were urged to bring the children of pre-school age; the children who were to go to school for the first time in the fall. In this clinic doctors and nurses examined each child and made suggestions to the parents of what might need to be correct- ed or attended to before school opened, with the result that our new pupils were in better condition to begin the school year than they might otherwise have been; and with the result also, that we believe many parents have been helped in the intelligent care and feeding of their children.
Under norishment is a big problem. It does not mean that parents are not giving the children enough to eat, but that from the results obtained it is apparent, to the trained student, that the kind of food is not sufficiently nourishing the children to enable them to make the proper growth in heigth and weight.
As we grow older, I think we all recognize that our own training in the raising of a family is, after all, rather limit- ed and sometimes obtained at the expense of the children's health, and naturally so, for we are obliged to learn by ex- perience, which has been described as a costly teacher.
Our trained nurse can supply much of that experience that we lack and if we will recognize that fact and take her ad- vice, in the spirit in which it is given, solely for the good
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
of the child, I am sur that the added color in the cheeks and the added vigor and health of our children will make us realize that the Nursing Association has a very personal value for each of us.
During the year our President, Mrs. Leonore Cronin, resigned much to our ;egret, and the Executive Committee have been able to persuade Mrs. Edna Prouty to take up the office.
In conclusion may we add that the Association is incor- porated under the laws of the Commonwealth, under the care of the Department of Public Welfare, to whom we make a detailed annual report, both of activities and finances.
JAMES H. BARNARD,
Treasurer
NURSE'S REPORT
January 1, 1927 to December 31, 1927
Number of patients cared for 58
Number of Nursing visits 287
Number of free Nursing visits 45
Number of Infant Welfare visits 128
Number of Prenatal visits 35
Number of Tuberculosis visits 47
Number of visits to children of pre-school age 60
Number of visits to Schools 339
Number of visits to homes of school children
240
Number of visits to clinics
60
Number of friendly visits
164
*Number of other visits 211
* These visits include :
Visits made for Board of Health.
Visits made for Selectmen.
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TOWN OF NORWELL
Visits made to give information.
Visits made to carry supplies.
Follow up work for hospitals and clinics. Conferences attended.
Total number of visits 1616
Respectfully submitted,
CATHERINE A. ROE
CASH DISBURSEMENTS
Nurse's Salary
$ 99 96
Postage, et c.
3 25
Supplies
14 23
Dentist :
Parsons $ 7 60
Eldridge
37 50
45 10
Auto Insurance and Registration
35 42
Auto expense
268 68
Mass. Directors of Public Health
Nursing Association 2 00
Barge hire for annual meeting
3 00
Relief 10 00
New Automobile
530 50
-$ 1 012 14
CASH RECEIPTS
Subscriptions $ 55 25
Donations 76 18
Nursing fees 165 00
Bank Interest
9 60
Transportation
Members $ 1 20
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
Town 350 00
351 20
Sale of Tuberculosis stamps
50 00
Donations, a-c Clinic
155 25
Childrens' fees, a-c Clinic
27 00
$
889 48
Income
$ 889 48
Cash on hand January 1, 1927
475 66
$ 1 365 14
Expenses
$ 1 012 14
Cash on hand December 31, 1927
353 00
$ 1 365 14
JAMES H. BARNARD
Treasurer
Auditor's Report
I have examined the reports of the Selectmen, Board of Public Welfare, School Committee, Tax Collector, Town Treasurer and find them all correct with vouchers for all amounts paid.
G. FRANCIS KNOWLTON
Auditor
Budget for 1928
The following Budget has been approved by the Advisory Board. It entails an approximate tax rate of $31.50. Each additional $1,000.00 raised will add 60 cents to the rate.
Appropriated 1927
Recommended
1928
Dept. of Public Welfare
$ 2 000
$ 2 100
Infirmary
2 500
2 100
Schools
28 820
*30 500
Highways, Joint Account.
** State and Town Article 4
4 700
4 700
General Purposes
5 000
6 000
Stetson Road Article 5
500
Sign Board
25
25
Snow Removal
2 500
1 500
Tractor & Plow
3 000
Notes
3 500
2 500
Interest
3 250
3 125
State and County Taxes
7 750
8 000
Town Officers
3 300
3 100
Incidentals
1 500
1 800
School and District Nurse
1 300
1 300
Transportation of Nurse
350
200
Dental Clinic, Article 15
County Hospital Maintenance
590
632
State Aid
600
600
Board of Health
500
1 000
Electric Lights
550
551
700
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TOWN OF NORWELL
Insurance, Central School
and Infirmary
1 164
Revenue Deficit, '27
1 214
Tree Warden
75
75
Spraying Elms
200
200
Mowing Bushes
500
700
Squares and Triangles Gypsy Moth
200
250
810 99
810 99
Fire Department
1 000
1 500
Fire Dept. Equipment
1 600
1 000
James Library
200
200
Ridge Hill Library
50
75
Soldiers' Relief
250
500
School Physician
100
100
Memorial Day
250
250
Sealing Weights and
Measures
100
100
Inspection of Animals
60
60
Washington Street Cemetery
75
150
Town Hall
200
200
Plymouth County Aid
To Agriculture Article 16
125
125
Legion Rental
75
Grading Playground
132
Bonus Refund, Grading
Playground
868 14
Reserve Fund
500
500
Town Forest Article 6
250
200
Totals $79 356 13
$80 306 99
** To be expended under the joint direction of a State en- gineer and the selectmen which insures a grant from the State of $4,700. for additional highway work.
* State Credits and dog tax reduce this by $8,000. to $22,500.
Transcript of Articles in Warrant
MONDAY, MARCH 5th AT 7.30 P. M.
Article 1. To choose a moderator.
Article 2. To hear the reports of the several boards of officers and committees of the town and act thereon.
Article 3. To make necessary appropriations to defray the expenses of the town, and for other purposes and to raise such sums of money as the town shall deem expedient for the following purposes :
Dept. of Public Welfare, Infirmary, Support of Schools, Highways, Sign Boards, Removing Snow, Notes, Interest, State and County Taxes, Town Officers, Incidentals, School and District Nurse, Transportation of Nurse, Dental Clinic County Hospital, State Aid, Board of Health, Electric Lights, Insurance, Revenue Deficit, Tree Warden, Spray- ing Elms, Mowing Bushes, Squares and Triangles, Gypsy Moth, Fire Department, and equipment, James Library, Ridge Hill Library, Soldiers' Relief, School Physician, Memorial Day, Sealing Weights and Measures, Inspection of Animals, Washington Street Cemetery, Town Hall, Plymouth County Aid to Agriculture, Reserve Fund, Town Forest.
Article 4. Will the town raise and appropriate the sum of forty-seven hundred dollars to be expended on highways
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TOWN OF NORWELL
under the provisions of Section 26 of Chapter 81 of the General Laws as amended.
(Approved by Advisory Board.)
Article 5. Will the Town appropriate Five Hundred ($500) Dollars for improving Stetson Road, starting at River Street, opposite the Methodist Church and continu- ing as far as the appropriation will permit. The improve- ment to include preparing the road for, and applying two applications of Tarvia B.
Request of Wm. W. Dinsmoor.
(Approved by Advisory Board.)
Article 6. Will the town appropriate $250 for forestry purposes to be expended under the direction of the fores- try committee ?
Article 7. Will the town vote to place Gaffield Park un- der the direction and care of the forestry committee?
Article 8. Will the town vote to place the wood land in the rear of the Central School grounds, under the direction and care of the forestry committee?
Article 9. Will the town vote to place the woodland back of the Washington Street Cemetery, owned by the town under the direction of the forestry committee?
Article 10. Will the town act with the town of Hanover to maintain electric lights at the junction of River Street, Norwell, and Broadway, Hanover, and at Assinippi.
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
Article 11. Will the town vote to install an electric light on High street, near Memorial Hall?
(Reguest of W. R. C.)
(Not approved by Advisory Board. )
Article 12. Will the town vote to install an electric light on Main street, near Chas. A. Berry's ?
(Request of Mr. Chas. A. Berry. )
(Not approved by Advisory Board. ).
Article 13. Will the town vote to install an electric light at the junction of Winter and Cross Streets ?
(Request of Mr. Amos H. Tilden. )
(Not approved by Advisory Board. )
Article 14. Will the town vote to appropriate the unex- pended balance of the School Building appropriation, $361.65 for the installation of a Sewage disposal system?
(Request of School Committee. )
(Approved by Advisory Board.)
Article 15. Will the town vote to appropriate $700 to conduct a Dental Clinic for the Schools under Chapter 111, Section 50 of the General Laws ?
(Request of Mrs. Emeline B. Barnard. )
(Approved by Advisory Board. )
Article 16. Will the town vote to raise and appropriate for the use of the Plymouth County Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture a sum not exceeding $150 and choose
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TOWN OF NORWELL
a town director as provided in Sections 41 and 45 of Re- vised Chapter 128 of the General Laws and act thereon?
Article 17. To make allowances to town creditors.
Article 18. Will the town vote to instruct the Selectmen to take up the subject of toll rate reduction on telephone service for the inhabitants of the Town of Norwell?
(Request of Mr. Wm. J. Leonard.)
Article 19. Will the town give any instructions to town officers ?
Article 20. Will the town authorize the treasurer with the approval of the selectmen, to borrow money on and after January 1, 1929, in anticipation of the revenue of the fin- ancial year beginning January 1, 1929 and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year. Any debt or debts incurred under this vote to be paid from the revenue of the financial year, beginning January 1, 1929.
Article 21. What salary and compensation will the town vote to pay all its elected officers. To conform with Sec- tion 108, Chapter 41, General Laws.
Article 22. Shall sections One to Nine, inclusive, of Chapter Forty-Five of the General Laws, authorizing cities and towns to lay out public parks within their limits, be ac- cepted? (By request. )
Article 23. Will the town appropriate $700 to install a sewerage disposal system at the Central School.
Article 24. Will the town appropriate $750 to purchase a chassis for the town sprayer.
Article 25. Will the town appropriate $100 for spraying tent caterpillars.
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
Article 26. Will the town authorize and empower the forest committee to purchase of the Lot Phillips Co. Corp., a parcel of land containing 36 acres lying between Circuit and River Streets, to be used as a town forest and appropri- ate $500 for that purpose.
MONDAY, MARCH 12TH, 6 TO 11 A. M.
Article 27. To bring in their votes for a Town Clerk, for one year; one Selectman, one Assessor, and one mem- ber of the Board of Public Welfare, for three years; a Treasurer, a Collector of Taxes, an Auditor, a Surveyor of Highways, five Constables and a Tree Warden for one year; one member of the school committee for three years; one member of the Board of Health for three years; one Trustee for the Ridge Hill Library for three years.
School Directory
School Committee
BENJAMIN LORING, Chairman MRS. GRACE B. V. DINSMOOR MRS. NELLIE L. SPARRELL, Secretary and Treasurer
Superintendent of Schools LEON M. FARRIN
School Physician WILLIAM P. GROVESTEIN, M. D.
School Nurse
CATHERINE A. ROE, R. N.
School Dentist WILLIS B. PARSONS, D. M. D.
Attendance Officers
JOHN T. OSBORN CATHERINE A. ROE
Janitors
RICHARD WHITING GEORGE H. TURNER MARY A. BRUCE
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
1928 CALENDAR FOR NORWELL SCHOOLS
Schools open January 3, 1928.
Schools close February 17, seven weeks.
Schools open February 27.
Schools close April 13, seven weeks ..
Schools open April 23. Schools, except High School, close June 15, eight weeks. High School closes June 22, nine weeks.
Schools open September 5.
Schools close December 21, sixteen weeks.
Length of school year- thirty-eight weeks for grades, thirty-nine weeks for high school.
Schools open January 2, 1929.
HOLIDAYS
May 30, October 12, Thanksgiving and the day following.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULATIONS
Children who become five years of age on July first may enter school the following September. The only exception to this rule is that under-age children may be admitted to school on the basis of intelligence tests.
No child under seven years of age will be admitted to school for the first time after October first of any year.
A child entering school for the first time is required to present to the teacher a birth certificate and a vaccination or exemption from vaccination certificate.
School Committee
-
To the Citizens of Norwell :
It is with a deep sense of satisfaction that your commit- tee report the completion of the grading of the Central School grounds. Driveways have been laid out, a small parking space provided between the brook and the drive on the easterly side and unlimited parking space in the rear of the building. May we again ask your cooperation in keep- ing the driveways clear at all times by using these parking spaces both for the safety of the children at dismissal of school and the convenience of your fellow citizens at social functions. It is impossible for the four school busses to collect their loads with safety when cars are parked in the drive.
For the school year ending June 1927 a teacher was en- gaged who taught music and physical training throughout the Central building, giving the remainder of her time to other High school work. She also had supervision of the work in the other buildings but this did not meet with the success anticipated. Without increasing the amount of money spent, we are this year teaching music and drawing to every pupil and physical training to the entire Central School enrollment. Mrs. Rector Stetson is doing very fine work in music, Miss Christine Drisko a senior at Nor- mal Art School is devoting one day a week in teaching draw- ing and Miss Elizabeth Morris a senior at Posse Normal is teaching physical training to all in the Central building.
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SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
The results obtained are very satisfactory and the expense is not prohibitive.
The health work in our schools is meeting with increased success. The cooperation of the parent in practically every instance is very gratifying. Stress has been laid on the case of the underweight child in an attempt to bring him up to normal. Miss Roe reports very steady improvement in most cases, which proves the worth of the experiment.
A change in the method of conducting the dental clinic has resulted in a very much higher percentage of pupils completing the necessary work. The price charged is now easily within the reach of all and we look for 100% mouths in a few years.
A change has been made in one of the transportation routes. It was necessary to have Mr. Williamson's bus go the entire length of Cross Street to Main, to accommo- date some ten pupils on the route, who had previously walked various distances and waited for the bus at unpro- tected places.
The increased enrollment at Ridge Hill made an assist- ant necessary. Miss Alice Blossom a graduate of Norwell High School 1927 was engaged for this work which she is doing in admirable fashion.
It will be necessary to raise the salary of some of our High School teachers to retain them. Everyone realized it is better to do this than hire inexperienced teachers next September. It is not fair however to have the salary in- crease apply only to the High school, for our grade teachers have given us many years of faithful service. It is there- fore planned to give our experienced teacher a slight raise
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TOWN OF NORWELL
with the realization that it should be more. We will even then be $100 below most of our surrounding towns for like service.
Equipment and furniture for the chemical laboratory is very necessary as chemistry is to be taught this next year. It is proposed to purchase a laboratory table with proper equipment and lecture chairs, since the room must also be used as a recitation room.
After five years service our sewer system has become in- adequate. Several remedies have been suggested and it has been decided to install a septic tank of sufficient size to care for the future needs of the school.
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