The Portland daily press., 1879-10-15
Portland Fraternity.

FOrDlAuQ rTht6rulby.
The annual meeting of the Portland Frater-
nity was held at its rooms in Free street last
evening
SEcRETARY's REPORT.
The Secretary, Mr. E. c. Jordan, in his re-
port says the society is constantly awakening
new interest, obtaining additional subscribers
and members. 1t maintains the rooms it oc-
cupies, well heated and provided with inno-
cent games and instructive pastimes. By and
through these it attracts street boys and girls
who would otherwise be subject to democrat
izing influences. The reading-room is pro,
vided with all the pictorials, magazines, and
an excellent library, and is we'll patronized.
The class-rooms are occupied evenings by. the
Young men and women, engaged in acquiring
the principal branches Of an English educa-
ton, taught by corps of volunteer teachers.
The amusement and library rooms, their
fixtures and attractions are constant, but 10
provide for a school averaging $50 to 1914 schol-
ars is work requiring ever changing and ar
duous labor To show how well the institution
fulfiIs its intent is to place before the public
the total number of beneflciaries and people
interested that have passed into the rooms tne
past year. There have been 1000, an average
of 5per day during school sessions and 40 per
day throughout the whole year. :.
The Secretary closes with these words OF
caution: "We have become well known, yet
we should guard against trusting to that
Sudru against TtltAIuS iuoiNiuuai OiAoA'o'
CLASS COMMITTEES REPORT.
DIR. Gerrish, chairman of this committee,
reports the school year began in October and
ended in May. Whole numbers of pupils en-
tered 144 of which 100 were boys and "a girls.
Their ages ranged from the societyS minimum
up to 40. The teachers attendance was excel
lent and their work would compare favorably
with that done in any previous year. The
comfort and convenience of all have been adj
vanced by the addition of the two new school
rooms. The classes study geography, history,
grammar, free-hand drawing, arithmetic de-
clamation, reading, book. keeping, penman..
ship and vocal music, under the tuition Me- OF
L. A. Foster, Misses Moxey, Shepley, Hem
menway, Wright, Swan, F. w. Swan, Senter,
Messrs. A. HI. Davis, Spear, Sargent, F. ID,
Ellis, Thurlow, Fernald, and L. f. Pingree.
There were no classes in geometry and me
chanical drawing this year, because no appli:-
music took the place of the Saturday evening
course of lectures with great success. The u.s.
ual holiday dinner is highly spoken Of. Dona-
lions of school books were made by Mrs. w.
P. Preble, Messrs. f. E. Pray and A. B. Nor
rill. 1t is hoped that parties outside will send
in their names as teachers for the burden falls
heavily at present on a few; and that tho per-
manent fund may soon grow large enough to
hire teachers for the more important classes
LIBRARIANS REPORT.
There is little to be said in regard to the
library, except that it has been carefully look
ed after by Miss Day of the Library Commit
tee Donations of magazines and pamphlets
have been received from Mrs, DIR. Gilman,
Mrs L. d. NJ Sweat. Mrs Davis, Mr.. Aug.
Cummings, and through him from Mrs. Miller.
Mr.. S. B. Beckett has kindly furnished a new
directory of the city, and Mr.. A. B. Merrill,
Mr.. F. E. Pray and Mrs. w. P. Preble have
contributed school books, for all of which we
are exceedingly grateful.
From Miss L. G. Baker has been been re-
ceived fifty-seven bound vol mes, most OF
which have been put upon our shelves, a few
duplicates having been exchanged. The Ii
brary room has been increased by the addition
of new shelf, and the whole number of vol
umes now belonging in the library room is
S91. We have quite number of unbound
magazines, which the committee would ask
authority to have bound and placed upon the
shelves. In conclusion, your chairman desires
to be relieved of his office, and would recon-
mend that Miss Lucy Day be appointed chair
man in his stead. Miss Day has given more
time and done more work for the library than
all the rest of the committee, and deserves to
have the official honor.
Respectfully submitted,
W. E.. GIBBS,
Chairman Library Committee.