The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-09-03
Grange Celebrates Flower Evening.

grange Celebrates Flower Evening.
The idea of Flower Evening had Its
origin, 30 far as can be determined,
with the Skowhegan Grange Program
Committee of 1907, wno formulated
the programs for the 20 meetings Of
the present year. 1t occurred to
them that an evening under that
head, at the period of the year when
most growing things are in bloom,
and just before the frosts of early
September, could be made a very
pleasant and profitable occasion. The
original design of securing, in con-
nection with Flower Evening an ex-
hibition or rare or especially beautiful
potted plants, did not mate rialize, but
the floral decorations and the march
ing and the drill executed by children
decked with flowers, were far more
extensive, elaborate and entertaining
than the committee could possibly
have expected when the program
was outlined. Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Smith were at the head of the COM
mittee of arrangements and their as.
sociates were Mr.. and Mrs. c. Davis
Miller, Mr.. and Mrs George Pishon,
Mrs. Emma w. Goodrich and Mrs. Ida
NJ. George. The program as carried
out was as follows:
Recitation, selection from Hiawatha, Miss
Grace McGregor.
Address on the various kinds of grasses, by
Anse Hulway.
Singing, special childrens chorus, Misses
Berle Nye, Iva Sanborn, Eunice Chase,
Nira Lawton, Louise Hurley. Theresa
Bison, Anna Gaswell, Gladys Chase,
Name Fletcher, Lila Pierce. Helen Mer.
ram, Marie Merrill Winnifred Gardner,
Beatrice Smiley Mildred Beal, Helen
SIMPSON, Pauline Bragg, Jeanne Hurley.
Wreath drill, by same company Of Is
young ladies.
Reading, The Honor of the Family, Mrs
Fred X Hill.
Paper on the general subject of flowers ar
their cultivation, by Mrs. Ida George.
Grange Hall never looked prettier.
The committee had an abundance of
flowers at their disposal and they
used them with the most thorough
taste. The words Glover Evening"
appeared over the proscenium, the
foot lights shone from bank of bios
SONS and foliage, and all the shades
of flower land joined in their best
effect to make scene worthy of a
flower carnival
OF course the chief interest center
ed in the exercises by the children
and, fully approaching this, Mr..
Holway occupied but few minutes
in his talk on grasses, doubtless pre-
ferring to say what he had in mind on
this most important subject when SO
many things in lighter vein were
not waiting to be brought forward.
Mrs. Hill's reading was both interest
ing and amusing and WAS received
with applause. The paper on flowers.
given by Mrs. George, presented in
formation of the utmost value to any
one who attempts their culture on a
large or small scale. Mrs. George is
very much interested in growing
flowers for the house and garden and
what she has learned from actual ex-
perience was given in this paper, con-
cisely and clearly. Mere newspaper
narrative is never adequate to give
true impression of the form of enter
tainment presented in the Children's
Chorus and the Wreath Drill. The
eighteen young ladies who participate
ed in both were gowned in white and
decked with buds and blossoms. The
Chorus, with its marches, solos and
duets was taken from the Operetta,
"Golden Hair and the Three Bears"
The children had been trained for this
by Mrs. G. Davis Miller and had been
rehearsing for nearly month. The
Wreath Drill was executed by the
same young ladies, wearing the same
costumes as in the Chorus, but execu-
ting long program of complicated
marches and giving calisthenic drill
in which the wreaths were very es-
sential part. The Wreath Drill was
made possible from the presence here
in the early part of August of Miss
Bertha M. Soul, teacher in the Chi
cago Public schools. She had origi-
mated the drill and used it in her
school work and was kind enough to
suggest 1t for Grange Flower Evening
and to train the class in the earlier
rehearsals. After her departure the
training was continued by Mrs. Mill
err. All the singing and marching of
both the Children's chorus and the
Wreath Drill was accompanied by the
piano, played by Miss Stella Kimball.
Each Grange member had the privi-
lege of bringing one guest and
through this opportunity many, not
members of Skowhegan Grange, had
the pleasure of witnessing the even
ing's program. The latter part of the
evening the seats were cleared from
the center of the hall and the young
people we're given an opportunity for
games and pastimes of their own
choosing.