The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-06-24

HALL.--sPLENDID WORK OF PRINCIPAL
FRANKLIN s. HOYT.
The graduating exercises Of the class
of '9S of the New Milford Center school !
drew out an audience, last Friday night, |
which crowded Roger Sherman ball to
the doors. The scene inside the hall was |
an attractive and brilliant one. The hall
had been tsstefully decorated with laurel
and summer flowers. Across the front
of the stage was bank of laurel bios.
SONS. Suspended over the stage in gilt
letters in a frame of green was the class
motto, "Parati omnia," while about
the sides of the hall were floral decora-
tions arranged with good effect.
The members of the graduating class
occupied the front seats, while in the rear
in the center sat the principal, F. S. Hoyt,
and back of him the clergymen and MEM
bers of the school board.
Among those on the platform were:
Rev r. A. johnson, Rev Mr. Plumb, Rev
Mr. Draper, Rev MIR Crowley, Rev Mr.
Carrigan, Rev Mr. Spencer, c. N. Hall,
Cyrus A. Todd, Chauncey Marsh, Vim
cent A. Sterling, and Butler Merwin.
The program, which follows in full,
was carried out without hitch. The
New Milford orchestra never played to
better advantage, their rendering of pa
triotic airs being greeted with applause.
The salutatory address OF Miss Reynolds
was given with spirit, and not in the
stereotyped manner that often charac'
terizes such addresses. The duet, "Wan-
dering in the May time" was very
sweetly sung by Misses Grafton and
Reynolds. Frederick T. Dodd acquitted
himself finely in his Grafton, 'Educa-
ton, Our Country's Safeguard" The
two selections by the school chorus,
"Give Thy Hearts Best Treasure" and
1.-The Happy Miller" were sung with
spirit, rejecting credit on the training
of the musical director, Mrs Nolan OF
DanbuTy. Mrs G. M. Breinig was the
accompanied. The class poem by Miss
Thomas and the class prophecy by Miss
Murphy were full of bright hits and
greatly amused the audience.
But perhaps to the older people and
those not intimately connected with
members of the graduating class was
member of the school board, whose
good points were well received. He
said in part;
This occasion belongs to our young
people OF the class of '98. Literally anC
metaphorically they occupy the from
and center of the stage tonight, and VIZ
townspeople of New Milford are here
only to add interest and dignity to thei
graduation exercises.
This ia a red letter day for them, anC
no matter how many hono1s they may
win in college or university, or in the
battle of life, this event will always BIT
recalled by each of them with pleasure
and with pride. or the quality of theil
work this evening there can be but ont
opinion, for we must all agree that essay
and grafton, poem, prophecy and history
have been Of the highest order Of excel
lence, rejecting credit alike upon those
who graduate and upon the teachers
whose care and skill have guided theiI
studies to this successful end.
But although the occasion belongs dis
tinctively to our young people, am sure
they will pardon me for devoting a few
moments to you of the audience, in speak
ing of subject most appropriate at this
time: our schools and their work. AND
when we speak of our schools we should
come to the subject feeling that we
townspeople of New Milford are simply
members of one common family trying
only to do our best, for the best interests
of our best possessions on this earth: oul
children. The most we can do for then
10 not good enough, but if we can make
them happier while they stay, IL we Cal
give them a better education than W.
ourselves have received, in HeSven'i
name let us do it.
What then are our schools doing? Al
you all know we are now working under
what is known as consolidation, or tia,
town management plan. Under thil
system all the schools Of the town arr
managed by one board, and Throughout
all these schools the course of study, thu
methods of instruction and the text book
used are as nearly uniform as possible
Since the system went into effect near
ly all the old schoolhouses in town have
been entirely rebuilt. Your school boarC
has proceeded upon the belief that the
| To- fnh nyIr nhSIAwaVr GRAND
greater part of the year, the buildings il
which the first lasting impressions are
made upon their plastic minds, the build
ings in which intellect and character are
largely moulded for the years to come
should be flt buildings for such high pur
poses. Attractive from without, roomy
and comfortable within, and suitably
located.
No man who can do better chooses tC
live in q shanty, no parish that can afford
q church thinks Of erecting a mud hut
as its place OF worship; nor should any
civilized and prosperous community toll.
crate for a day the wretched structures
which have too long defsced our rural
landscapes in the guise Of district school.
houses.
Under our present plan the village high
school is made the center OF our school
system, the Mecca toward which all the
pupils of all the schools are supposed &c
bend their steps. Our Center school con-
tains seven rooms and fourteen grades
and so carefully has the course Of study