The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-16
SOCIETY.
BY ANNIE PERRY REID.
Bell Telephone 1897.
REPORT OF BARKER SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.


The Barker School Improvement assoc
citation was organized at the school build
ing March 10. 1906. with membership
of 81, as reported in Federation page OF
the Mobile Register Since that time the
number has steadily increased until now
we have an enrolment of fifty members
There are 269. children in the school at
present The following committees were
| appointed: Committee on exterior deco1a-
ton. interior decoration, visiting and
! library.
The Barker school is new, being COM
pleted Just in time for the second term
of school in February of this year. 1t
is named for one of the pioneer citizens
of Birmingham, who had much to do n
laying off the city and thus adding TO its
beauty The heirs of his estate presented
the school with large portrait of Mr.
Barker, ana 1t is hung near the main en-
trance
There was nothing in the way of re-
pairs or additions to claim our attention,
so our first work was to induce the board
of education to have the cement walks
laid. This has been done recently at a
cost of $500 The grounds are to DC
graded, and then the actual work of beau-
tifying them will be done by the asso-
citation. The city engineer and proall-
nent landscape gardener met with the as
ISOLATION and a study of the grounds was
made with them. They gave practical
advice which will be followed in tue
spring. Until then the children endeaYor
to keep the grounds tidy, and many
stones have been piled by willing workers
to keep our grounds from washing ON
the sidewalk. Many beautiful trees sur
round the building-not one sacrifieed-and
add to the beauty of the surroundings
The school is well furnished, the I'M
mediate needs being wall maps and an
unabridged dictionary. AT the request
of the association the board has prom
ised maps this fall, and an enthusiastic
member donated new dictionary-Valds
5000.
Perhaps the best work in interior decos-
alton is due the children for their interest
was awakened and as a result appro-
pirate pictures are in each room. Some
given entirely by the pupils, others with
the help of the teachers. During this
month a musicale was given at the High
school auditorium to raise funds Tor inter-
ior decoration. The committee has cor
responded with a firm dealing in plaster
casts and several orders have been given
but the objects not yet received. The
musicale was an artistic success and $35
realized in money. just before the school
closed in the summer lawn fete was
held at the school and $3.50 made. The
association of patrons, teachers ana pu-
pills is of more material value than any
amount of money made at these enter
tainments.
The first donation to the library re-
suited in seventy-three books-some new,
some books that had been read and en-
joyed in the homes, but all good books
and not one had to be rejected. These
books are valued at $40. A book recep-
ton and lawn fete were held the same
afternoon, and in addition to the delight
full time spent socially and the seventy
three books. $40 55 was cleared; $3.50 has
been expended for Wernicke bookcases.
The greatest good-that the work that
cannot be estimated in dollars and cents
is the association of the mothers and
teachers. Here and there one finds pa
rent in intelligent touch with the school
which his child attends, and working iii
cooperation with the teacher, but in the
main and among the majority of parents
there is a Dense deep ignorance In our
ii H. l.