The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-07
a cATROLIc RRKE SCHOOL.
HOW II Il MANAGED.


on TIE east by the river, On the south by
RutRer street, ard on the Vert by S,otcAro
ave0 ne CT Twelfth street
Within AID aroaLd il are the Clinton.
Gamble, Lae.ede, aud Madison schools, 8
kinderrarten, q ." select school right ciOsA
Brotbers' College and the Couseot OF tie
Sacred Heart.
Dependent on the latter Convent -ss
formerly WLst was called the - glrls PARISH
school, on Hickory street, tire boys school
WA opened by the CbrLsfian Brothers, WIKI
tWO cIA&see, IL l-C4 or %.
Itwas, however. only tSO years ago last
Septen Der that the preset " free sehool
system Wa Initiated. Although It ~lli oe
q slight departure from our plan ne VIII
here deecr be the: sy stem aoo the uauneT
Of nAintsirHng the schcols
In the FIRE. place, the latter are managed
by . sehocl board consisting Of seven mem
bers, FIVE lay and t~o clerical Tbsse isst
are the two prieet of tie parish, memoers
"ex oficio.- The other tTe are elected
from the parish By The people OF tee parlsh;
The elections sre held 10 January and
July. AZ she first election is Uss sgfeeo
that the tHo candidates receiving the
smallest number OF votes should ho.o Once
for only six months, the other three for one
year hence came The necessity for semi-
annual elections, and hence, too, the TACT
that ., one election tEo mem bers are voted
In. AZ the next L0E6G, aG0 81 ous
The candidates, 50 We have eAid, are
elected from the people Of the parish, by
the people of the parish. AT the general
meeting held for thai purpose large mum
Der of names are proposed oy the pastor
and nominees are selected from these By
the people, and the final result lie DEEPEN
dent on the ballots OF the people.
The board, like every other well or
gauizsd body, Las its Presideat, vice
preside Mt, secretary, and treasury. By this
body ali business relating 20 the scsoois,
apart from teaching Is transacted. All pur-
chases are made by them, all olile are suo-
mitted to their approval, all improvements
in tie school buildings are made under
their supervision. In fact they are to the
AnnupciaIion schools what the Public
School Board is to the public schools. The
pastor Is tie channel, and the Only channel,
through witch their orders aud regulations
are transmitted.
The board meets on the fret Monday of
every month. The secretary is obliged 10
keep q faithful record of the proceedings,
and We can say from personal observation,
that we have rarely seen min utes better
expressed and written.
Furthermore, il makes semi-annual re-
port of it< doings TO the people ct the parish.
A general meeting of the paFishloners ID
called for this purpose, and before them ls
laid a fall and complete statement a table
of statistics showing the number of children
enrolled, the average daily attendance, the
number Withdrawn since the opening, the
number admitted direct from pu bic SCHOOLS,
the number of teachers, aud the humber of
children in attendance on the SCHOOL out
not belonging to the parish.
The treasurers report ls likewise sub
mitted. All the receipts aud expenditures
are duly itemized, and the people can See at
glance the state of the schools finances.
Tie pastor, be It remembered, Is princi
al ,E, ord anrh ia eYuectGh
to visit them at least once dav, to note
the progress of the pupils, to suggest i'm
provemeLts as well In the modes of teach
Ing Is In tie material edlfces; IN short, 70
foifll the duties Of a school principal AS they
are generally uudeTetood.
these schools. We started o1s with the
name =. free schools" and such they are, IN
this that no child Is charged single cent
for tuition. Books are supplied to those
who can not stfoGd 20 pay for them.
But the expenses must be met some ray.
the parisnlurera, q August, 1874, a Free
| School Society was organized. Every
! adult member of the parish was ex-
| pected 70 become member" by paying a
yearly subscription OF -, papabie In week
| liz inBtallmeDts OF ten cents or otherWlse.
The parish was dlsLrlcted off, and coliec-
tors Beut around to gather IN these sub
scriplions. Now, every adult member of
the parish is taxed 5 cents a week for
the school, and 65 cents a quarter, and the
pastor personally makes the quarterly col
lections. II IS not only the parents who
are expected to pay this modest sum, but
every adult paIishioner on the very same
principle that not only parents, but al
citizens, are taxed, either In one way or ar
other, for the maintenance Of the public
schools.
Besides this, in the second story of the
boys school building is hall which il
!. rented by the year to the Liederkrapz SO
ciety, the ADJUDICATION Temperance SO
, ciety, the st. Louis T. A. and B. Society
the A. o. II. Lodge No. 5, and occasionaiI!
to social club or private parties. Thus NJ
incOnsiderab revenue is brought -.
, Finally, an annual festiva is wen eithe
? in August or September.
All these various means combined serv
q not only to pay expeuses bat to leave
r little margin to fall back on. At pref
there is balance of $3.50 in the treasury
" and no debts.