The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-12

South Churches and several individuals
being among the donors.
At the manual training schools there
is the same record of interest, and
here, too, was a somewhat larger at
tendance No one who visited the
schools could fail to be impressed by
the aspect of ordered industry, and the
evident interest and absorption of the
boys
One instance may be given of pu-
Pill at Walnut Street, as showing what
these schools often mean to a boy, his
parents and the city. This boy is about
Is and is the oldest of seven children.
The mother, a widow earns their bread
by washing and scrubbing. She was
very anxious about him this summer,
for though helpful at home, vacation
left too much time for the streets and
their temptations, and she could find
no one to- give him work. She was de-
lighted when it was proposed to her to
send him TO the vacation schools, and
now, mother and son are very proud
of the result of his five weeks work.
And those who know Milbury Street,
with its many saloons, hardly need to
be reminded of the blessing
the school must be, giving
as it does, wholesome occupation and
many interests to the boys. They can
have no stronger safeguard from the
temptations of the street
The committee feels most strongly
that the value of these vacation schools
cannot be overestimated, and that the
fact cannot be too often emphasized
that at both sand gardens and manual
training schools, the influences, direct
and indirect, are helping toward good
citizenship for these boys and girls,
and if another year their maintenance
again depends on the Woman's Club,
your committee would urge not only
that they should be continued but that
an additional sand garden should be
opened in the other schoolhouse on
Millbury Street, and that all the
schools should be kept open until the
middle of August The committee
would urge this. believing that the
club can undertake no nobler or more
fitting work,
Stanley H. Rood submitted a re-
port of the manual training vacation
schools. Extracts from this report fol-
low:
The vacation school of 1901, as in
the previous years, has aimed to set
before the boys in the joinery work
articles which by their utility should
appeal to the home or school or play
interest. The endeavor was made to
cultivate in the boys a sense of cor
rect proportion and an appreciation of
true and beautiful curves by means of
a number of form models which bring
into prominence the individuality Of
the pupil more fully than can those of
a rigid and difficult outline.
The interest in the work Is I'M
abated, as shown by the records which
disclose an unusually high percentage
of attendance, especially in the morn
ing classes"
The average attendance of all classes
at the Walnut Street School was 1913
per cent The total number in attend
ance was 119. Twenty-Five boys were
perfect in attendance-24. 3 per cent of
the total number registered. Thirty
eight were absent but once, thus maxi
ing 56.3 per cent, or more than half
the total who were not absent more
than once in the full term. There were
four classes at Walnut Street.
At Millbury Street there were two
classes and the whole number of pu-
pills enrolled was 56. The average at
tendance was about 95 per cent, while
there were IA pupils, or rs per cent of
the total, who We're present at every
session.
The course of models was: Twelve
inch rules graduated to eighths of
inches; flower stick, penholder, clothes
stick, flower trellis, cOathanger, roller
towel rack and swinging towel rack.
For supplementary exercises there were
book carriers. bread board, knife box
pen tray, letter bPx, stationery case,
kite and boats.
The financial statement of the vaca-
ton schools was: Salaries of teachers
training $3.50, sand gardens
$135, sewing $22. so; janitors, $40; lum-
Der 80; trucking, So; power, 50;
sandpaper, etc, 80: aprons, $1.65;
croquet set, 81. so; printing, etc, $4.25;
carting, Go cents, Total, S459 65. Con-
by citizens, 1898 so; by Wom-
ans Club. S22615 Gifts: B. F. Marsh,
sand $50; Denholm & Mckay Com
pany, croquet set 81 SOY, envelopes and
postals ($3 $50, sewing materials $50.
The program of the Woman's Club
to Dec. II is: Thursday, Dec. II, inter
mediate French, to 10 a. M, Y. w.
C. A. classroom; 10 a. m, class in the
study Of drama, in parlor, subject,
'Humor and Characterization of
papers by Mrs. J. c..
MacMurray and Miss Cora Greene-the
last of the series of Shakesperian
law, advanced, class
room; Ais p. m, class in municipal
ownership, classroom; 4.30, Spanish,
Prof. Pernots studio. Saturday,
p. m, Browning class. Monday, Dec
16, 2.15 p. m, elementary French.
Tuesday German classes.