Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-08-17
HIGH-SCHOOL EVILS.


founder of the powerful. worldwide or
ganization of the Young Peoples
society of Christian Endeavor-the
society which, through its secretary,
VIM. Shaw, so successfully waged war
on the Johnson-J eEries fight pictures
recently published some startling ar
ticles entitled, "High-school Folly
and Wickedness, dealing with the
common high-school dance, secret So
ciety and other high-school evils
as he found them upon first hand in
vestigation.
The articles were widely read and
discussed and the surprising feature Of
the whole thing is the unanimity with
which people in all walks of life
agreed with DIR. Clark as to con-
ditions.
The Boston Post, in commenting on
the.articles, says re yarding high-school
secret societies:
1.-The facts that enthusiastically
leak into publicity concerning the Gus
toms of secret societies as they exist
in the average high-schools warrant
the above, 'coarsening, bunting and
degrading.
"In addition these clubs of immature
boys and girls are supremely silly and
unnecessary. Aping the outward signs
of the college fraternities, they lack
entirely the depth and nobility that
so often bind university men with ties
that are never broken. The high
school limitations make for heartburn
ings, class distinctions, cliques and
snobbery, all of which should be root
ed out of the institutions for popular
education.
MANY cities are striving vigorously
to kill off these pests in the scheme of
education. 1t is difficult work. Per-
haps, as DIR. Clark suggests, parents
might do more effective service if they
chose to exert themselves. But even
at home Young America has acquired
the habit of running things The
secret society problem is delicate, anC
needs blending of moral suasion and
authority. To say that the State,
which furnished education, canno
solve it is to give up too easily"
A Connecticut man writing DR.
Clark said, "What of that splendid
new high-school building where an up
per unfinished hall was used by secre
society which was finally exposed b.
revelations of unmentionable vice en-
gagged in jointly by the boys and girls
of the best families of the town." Thi
same man speaking of the school dane
said, II, too, know of the lamentabl
ruination of character and blightin
of brilliant prospects in results
There are schools where the hig
scholastic and literary effects of publ
graduation exercises have been null
fed and shattered by a public dane
in the evening, though given unde
the cloak of alumni reception
Rev. Frank r. Morris, formerly
Bennington and a splendid specime
of a conservative, resolute youn
minister, writes
81 have just read DIR. Clark's artic
on 'High-school Folly and Wicke,
ness, and / am convinced that he
not overstating the case. From my oW
memory know the immoral sugge!
tions that are passed down from tt
older to the younger students of tn
public school. 1t sometimes seems tn;
only by miracle can boy or girl pas
through our public-school system witt
out moral contamination. even thong
escaping from positive immortality.
'But in all the discussion of the sui
ject, we see no real remedy proposed
1.-The trouble cannot be remedied
long as village and school authorize
allow school superintendent and teacI
ers no disciplinary power outside {
school hours and outside the scho,
buildings.
1.-The so-called 'high-school dane,
is generally not a high-school dance
but dance managed by high schot
students, over which the faculty has al
solutely no control. Individual teacher
have Individual influence the sam
as the Y. M. G. A. secretary or tn
minister; but, having no official cor
troll, they cannot be justly held re