Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-12-12
School Holidays.

of you touching Thanksgiving as
Illegal school holiday-to which yol
very briefly, correctly and satisfac
torily responded-placing it where i
properly belongs upon my shoulders
iNow that the burden of proof
falls upon me. will, as briefly as
can, state my version Of it. AT thu
last annual meeting of the County
School Board, (Which is composed O
all the District Boards, Treasurer
and School superintendent, ant
which was held on the 3rd day o
August, 1896, at the Court House
Mr.. Parsons who is clerk Of sale
County School Board was made con
spicuous by his absence-sick | think
as he is usually prompt to attent
on such occasions. DIR. Brodwatel
served as clerk protein for Mr.
/ Parsons.
Tie chief object of said annua
meetings is for settlement of the
school finances between the respec-
tive District Boards and the County
Treasurer and his deputy, and tt
make such school regulations as is il
its judgment conducive to the pub
lie school interest. School holidays
among other things were discussed
and | remember very distinctly. te
have made this statement to the
Board: THAT as Easter and Whit
suntide were rarely ever embraced
in our short school sessions of five
and six months it was seeming tc
give to our teachers what we really
knew we could not" and l suggested
that "rhanksgiving and Xmas day
be the published holidays of this
session-suggesting Xmas day be-
cause it completed the third school
month and that our teachers might
need their money before re opening
of the schools in January"-which
proposition was readily accepted
without dissenting voice and SO
ordered feel sure that all present
will so remember it-as evidence OF
which, clerks of other districts so
ordered. | further stated, that in
my Judgment, we as County School
Board had no legal right whatever to
legislate or to attempt to regulate
what is from year to year proclaimed
by the Presidents of the United
States, re-proclaimed and published
by the Governors of our State, and
by published card sent to the County
Supt., endorsed by our State Supt.
Schools, as we'll as an established
custom from the Colonial days.
Mr.. Parsons, it seems, is the only
clerk who inserted in the teachers
contracts Xmas day and Easter Mon
day are legal school holidays, n'-and
| am sure is the only one who will re
quire his teachers ito make it up at
the end of the session.
DR.. Brodwater, / am sure, intended
no mistakes or omissions in his min
utes, and l, supposing that none had
been made, did not in the usual hur-
nv of such adjournments take the
precaution to have them read before
signing same. 1t is, however, q very
easy thing for any of us to make mis-
takes, as is even demonstrated in
Mr.. Parsons communication to EN-
TRRPRIs touching this old bone OF
contention" He first says the Board
expressly declared Xmas day and
Easter Monday legal school holt
days." then later on, says, There
will be recess from December Goth,
1896, to January 18th, 1897, (which
from his own standpoint should be
from December Gath, 1896, to Jan
uary 4th, 1897.
10 uOb Cldl1a W NC liileAiiiOtS VI
unerring, and never to make mis-
take, but | do claim always to try to
''do things decently and in order
Mr.. Parsons views to the contrary
northumberland as all of oul
school officials, as far as heard from
agree with me, and as Messrs. Cleve-
land, O'Ferrall and Massey have al
so beautifully proclaimed it holt
day,"I still consider 1t legal schoo
holiday" and am glad to know thai
nearly all of our teachers so observed
it. Very respectfully,
J. F.. MAPP,
Supt. Schools.