The record-union., 1892-07-14
OCTOBER SCHOOL CELEBRATION.

The RECORD UNION has thrice set forth
in detail the plans of the educators in the
United States for school celebration all
over the Union on the 18th of October,
the four hundredth anniversary of the
landing of Columbus. It is proposed, in
deed it is settled, that in every State on
that day the school children shall assem-
bic, have fag-raising and engage in
suitable exercises, one number of the
programme to be uniform at each point
with that to be used at Chicago. A sug-
gested programme will be sent out in Au-
gust, but it is to be left to each community
to decide what form the celebration shall
take. It is only urged that the school
children of America shall be foremost in
whatever is done.
The wisdom and fitness of this sugges-
ton are beyond all doubt. No more edu-
eating, effective or appropriate form can
such celebration take than to have it
conducted by and for the free schools of a
free nation. It is the desire that every
school shall appoint Committee of Ar
rangements from its elder pupils, and add
to it from two to four adults, to aid and
guide the committee. In communities
where there are several schools these
subcommittee should meet and Jointly
act in laying out the plan of celebration,
and determine its cost and elaborateness.
In most cases the expense will be very
So far as possible the celebration should
be outdoor, and chief point is to secure
for the hours of the celebration suspen-
sion of business and labor and the at
tendance Of all the people.
In this city there ought to be at least
two, if not three, celebrations at the same
hour in different parts of the city. since it
will be impossible to mass all who will
wish to attend and hear in one place.
Children's voices are not on such occa-
sions sufficiently strong to be heard by
all of large outdoor assemblage, nor
would it be possible for all in very large
congregation TO see all that takes place.
In New York City, for instance. there
will be some fifteen distinct groups of the
people attending such celebrations in
widely separated sections of that me-
tropolis.
SO lar as we can learn, no action in this
matter has been taken by any schools in
the interior valleys. In two weeks more
they will all be dismissed for the lone
summer vacation, and most of them will
not reassemble until October, when it
will be too late to make the necessary
arrangements. In this city not one of
the schools has yet named committee
or taken any steps towards preparation
for the celebration. In Sacramento we
ought to have one of the finest celebra-
tions of any city. We have school
children admirably disciplined, compe-
tent teachers, hosts of active friends of
the schools ready to aid them, and every-
thing indeed for making the occasion re-
ferred to red-letter day in the lives of
the children. We could have here at
least two grand celebrations, outdoor.
and attended by not less than 5000 peo-
pie at each point. We could have two
children's choruses of 500 voices each. and
such ceremonial for the day as will glad
den the heart, inform the intelligence
and strengthen the patriotic sentiment.
The cost will be comparatively but
triaing. Quite little sum of money is
now in the hands of one organization
ready to be given over to the school cele
bration committees, and the two or three
hundred dollars more necessary will be
forthcoming when needed. Let the
teachers throughout the valleys bring
this matter before their schools, have the
scholars elect their committees from
among themselves and add their choice
of adults. Let the committees meet
Jointly at once and make up the order OF
exercises. In so far as is possible let the
children manage the whole matter, Let