Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-03-11
PUPILS AND SOCIETY.
"SWeet Sixteen" at Green Bay May
Find Her Privileges Cur
tailed.

Green Bay, Wis, March 7.-TSpecial.1
-"Shall young girls and boys, Is and 16
years of age, and who are pupils of the
high school, be permitted to be consid-
cred full-fedged members of society in
the accepted sense of the word?'
To properly discuss this question,
which involves features of momentous
Importance, a meeting of prominent pat
rOns of the pubic schools and teachers
has been called for next week. Mem
bers of the faculty of the State UNIVERSE
ty are also expected to be present
Sweet 49," it must be admitted, plays
an important role in the society life at
Green Bay. There are ever so MANY
''sets" of young ladies, but some way or
other the names of the members of the
Sweet is Aggregation" manage to creep
into the social columns of the local pa
pers with q surprising regularity. 1t
has been commented on that at a card
party given by a club, which is COM
posed of the male lions of society, q few
days ago, many of their fair partners
were high school girls. All these social
pleasures enjoyed by them, of course,
are of an innocent character. But there
are other considerations.
Charles e. Vroman, president Of the
school board, was spoken to regarding
this matter. eyes, I know that a meet
ing has been called at which various con-
sequential matters will be discussed" he
said. Regarding this one,I have very
pronounced opinions. I DO not think it
proper that young girls who go to school
should be accorded such social privileges.
and that mainly for two reasons. In
the first place, their health Suffers. 1t
stands to reason that a young girl of 10
or l6 cannot very well and with dmpuni-
ty attend balls and parties that last till
and O'Clock in the morning. Grown
persons even have to reckon with the
consequences of those otherwise very
pleasant features of social life. But
equally important, | take it, is the in
jury to their intellectual development.
Their minds, and | can readily under
stand that as being very natural with
them, are concentrated on the ball or the
party that is soon to be given, and thus
their attention from their books and
studies become diverted. | certainly do
not want to be understood as saying that
these young people should not have any
reatiOn is most necessary, but if INDUCED
in to excess, recreation must and does
become harmful. think that it ought
to prove a comparatively easy matter for
all thoughtful parents to2determine as to
where the line should be drawn and
where recreation would become advisa-
BILE [ trust that | shall be able to
attend that meeting" concluded Mr.. VrO-
man.
Superintendent of public schools. Prof.
MacMahon, entertains a similar opinion.
sit must also be borne in mind" said he
'that if certain pupils are languid or
preOccupied they Will undoubtedly exer-
else similar influence on other pupils.
The teachers likewise will become af-
fected seeing how this spell works ON
others of their scholars 1t might be pos
sible TO arrange it so as to allow the pu-
pills to attend social affairs on nights
which are not followed by school days"
The desire to bring about change of
existing conditions and to relegate'
sweet 49, TO where she belongs,
it is understood, received it's Impetus
from pedagogue and university man at
Madison. This gentleman is exerting
his missionary efforts in that direction
IN other cities in the state also. Here
his welI-meant suggestions fell on fruit
frd ground and were at once taken up by
thoughtful women. The matter has SIM
ply never been given any serious
thought: that is the long and short of it.
However, If some action should be taken
by the parents next Thursday and if re-
sulting therefrom ''sweet 16" should
hereafter evince more of desire for the
schooIreom than the ballroom, the male
proportion of Green Bay will not be
losers. For there are any number of
splendid girls, attractive in every way,
who heretofore have had to suffer from
the undeniabIe fact that man, young or
old, wills look with favor on ''sweet six
IN.