Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-07-22
THE SCHOOL MEETING
Question Of Returning to Two
Session System Ignored
Rev. e. @. S. osgood and L. F. Adams
Elected to School Board-Why Four
YOUNG Men Did Not Get Diplomas.


At the longest and most largely attend
ed school meeting that the Incorporated |
school district No. has held in recent |
years. the question of returning to the |
old system of two sessions daily for the |
high school was ignored absolutely. The |
meeting was held in high school hall |
Tuesday evening, and the prospect of a |
lively discussion of the question. to which /
much space was devoted i'm the annual /
school report drew an audience of men |
and women that was surprisingly large. !
The meeting was called to order 10y Or .
II. u. IIolton, moderator, and the warrant /
was read by Clerk Walter A. Gilbert Or
IIoltou was elected moderator for the en-
suing year. The article relating to near
ing the report of the treasurer and pru-
dental committee was taken up. and c.
w. Pierce moved that the reading of the
report be dispensed with and that the re-
port be accepted and adopted.
Or. Fremont Hamilton opened his bat
tcries ON the school board by asking If
the report was true that two teachers
had been dismissed by the board at the
request of the principal on the ground Of
incompctcucy and were afterwards given
"A good recommendation 10y the principal.
He said that much had been said about
the high standing of the school but that
he had been told that this impression was
due to the high standing Of those who en-
tered college and that the standard Of the
school as a whole was not high.
In reply Rev. Mr.. Osgood, chairman of
the board. said that in the case of one
teacher certain things were discussed by
the principal and the board and that the
teacher was not re-appolnted until a
month after the others Since then
she has secured better position else
where AS to the high standing OF the
school Mr.. Osgood referred to the fact
that the school had been approved by the
New England College Entrance Certih-
cate Board. which allowed the students
to enter many of the principal colleges in
the country on certificates without an eX-
animation, and said that this recognition
was made after a critical examination of
! the school and that the board was very
| particular as to what schools We're grant
ed that privilege. DR.. Hamilton then
| asked as to how far the principals au-
| thority extended. referring to the conduct
! of pupils off the grounds and outside
school hours. and made some comment
| on discipline in general. TO this Mr.. Os-
! good replied that 1t would be difficult to
| answer such a blanket question, not hav-
! ing brought his yard stick, and closed by
saying that the discipline was far supe-
/ rior to what it was at the time Principal
| Whitaker took the school and that the
committee noted an improvement in this
respect each year.
DR.. Hamilton came back with another
question which was in substance that I'M
/
/ school boys were able to earn their way
| through school and he would like to know
| how many were able to do so. II. L. Well
| man answered the question 10y stating
that out OF II boys in the graduating class
seven worked afternoons and evenings
/ G. \. Miles and &. \. Harris asked
one or two questions each for Information.
after which the report was accepted and
| adopted.
Under article these officers were elect
ed without opposition: Clerk. Walter \.
Gilbert, member Of the prudential COM
mttee for three years. Rev. T. G : Os-
! good member Of the prudential commit
tee for two years, Leroy +. Adams: treas
urer g. G. AVcrill: auditor G. \. Harris
| collector, r. T.. Gordon. whose salary was
! made 5000 as heretofore. Rev. Mr.. Os-
! good was placed in nomination by G. w.
! Pierce. who said that Mr. Osgood's work
the past three years had been character
lied by faithfulness and efficiency His
/ remarks Were brief and to the point and
elected enthusiastic applause. ]. l.. Mar
tin, the second member of the board. said
1t gave him great pleasure to second the
nomination; that since Mr. Osgood became
chairman not a cent of the districts mon
ey had been paid out without the approval
of a majority of the board, that every
paper and document had been kept on
file in alphabetical order, that Mr.. Os-
good had spent much time with the
dozen Of the second member of the board
The question then was put and Mr.. Os-
good was elected by a unanimous vote
At this point Mr.. Martin said that C. H
Thompson, who was elected a member OF
the board last year for three years had
resigned and his resignation was read
by Mr.. Osgood and was accepted. f w
Gibson said the position of committeeman
was one of great Importance and needed
a man who had integrity, business ability
and grasp Of educational matters He
. nominated Leroy +. Adams, who was
elected, as stated. No other name wa.
mentioned for the position.
The matter of receiving tuition schol-
airs and the terms was left to the dis.
erection of the committee. on motion OF
Col. II. e Taylor Under the article II
, regard to raising money for the expense.
of the district the coming year the chair.
man stated that the committee recon-
mended a tax of IS cents on n dollar 81
the grand list, the grand list amountnl
: to about 1000. II. p. Wellman asked
, If that would pay the floating indebted
ness and all expenses, not including tn,
, bonded debt, and Mr. Osgood replied tha
, he hoped ii would. He said that If tn,
I coming winter was severe extra heatinl
apparatus would be needed in the Cana
| street school building, which could be pu
q in at a cost of about $3.50. Mr. Martin
f said a 60 per cent tax would not allow
some needed repairs to be made, but tn,
4 committee thought those repairs might b,
( suspended for another year, although the,
; would be glad If the district saw fit I,
[ raise enough so that the repairs could b,
made this year. w. II. Bracket said 1
D was a poor plan to economiZe in any wa,
r that would not keep the school building
$ in first class repair. Mr. Wellman move,
A that a tax of 20 per cent. be levied. an,
g the motion was seconded by Mr., Bracket
and Mr. Taylor 1t was voted to levy
( 20 per cent. tax. payable forthwith
. The animated speech of the evenin,
, came at this point under the article re
e lating to transacting amy other bust
ness ]. j, Eckes took the floor an,
Y spoke at length in regard to trouble whicl
/ arose at graduation time, when fou
a boys of the graduating class wer
G notified that they could not graduate III
/ said that his boy took part i'm all tn
/ | commencement exercises up to graduation
day, sent out invitations to the graduation
O exercises like other members of the class
that not until $50 O'Clock on the night be
: fore graduation day did his sol
> know that he was not going to graduate
,, that then the report came to him by wa,
Il of street gossip and not through any of
e fetal source and that no official informa
ton came to the boys parents until nooi
of graduation day. lie recounted the eff
forts which he made to secure for hi
boy the privilege of graduating, and thei
D said that he was not there to seek redress
e but to protest against such a thing hap
It penng again. He said he hoped the com
e mttee would make an effort to make tn
- system different so that in case of tn
failure of any pupil notice could be givei