St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-06-28
Graduation Expenses.

Graduation Expenses.
This paper often disagrees with the
opinions of Golfers Weekly, but a
recent issue contained an editorial
relating to the expenses of gradua-
ton which contains much good
sense. That paper says:
Many boys and girls drop quietly
out of their classes before commence
ment day and sacrifice their diplomas
because their parents cannot afford
the dress worn by other pupils at the
exercises. A superintendent in lille
nois in recent report said: To often
our High School commencement
exercises are robbed of all their true
significance and dwindIe into mock
ery-a cheap peacock parade. The
sharp comment was made after he
had received reports from Is grad
yates of the largest High school in
the country, showing that the boys
sent on an average for clothes and
invitations $35.40 and the girls $685.
18. The state superintendent of Illi-
nois says that the brightest and most
ambitious girl in one High school
feigned i'll health and dropped out
because her father could not afford
money for the display connected
with graduation. The dress becomes
more costly each year.
Zone of the expenses which is
often practically obligatory is the
class photographs, and photographs
become more and more costly. The
personal invitation to the exercises
is also a fairly recent added expense
Even persons quite outside the family
of the graduates have to share the
increasing cost because the custom is
growing up of giving presents in re-
turn for these invitations. One of
the most conspicuous evils in girls
schools throughout the country is the
large portion of the conversation of
every day, month in and month out
through the year, which is devoted to
clothes. Several expenditures regard
ing the graduating exercises have
been resorted to. One is caps and
gowns which can be rented or made
at home. Another is that the gowns
be made in school by the pupils
The expenses incidental to gradu-
alton, in addition to the high cost of
everyday living, have become a heavy
burden in many instances. One nat
urally admires the sweet girl grad
uate amy other state of mind
would be abnormal-and fond par
ents with fat pocket books like to
array their daughters in handsome
and costly gowns, but great many
people who do not have fat pocket
books have daughters who are eligible
for graduation. Consequently when
an extravagant standard is establish
ed great many families spend
money that they can i'll afford in
order that their children shall not
suffer the humiliation of keeping up
to that standard.
Really it is selfish and cruel for
the children of the well-to-do to
spend on their graduation so much
money, knowing that many of their
mates cannot afford to do likewise.
OF course some will say that such
expenditure is not compulsory, but
failure to conform to the standards
set embitterS for many a graduate
an occasion that should be a very
happy one. There ought to be man
lfested among the children of the
wealthy spirit of unself1shness that
would make them willing to forego
the display and the costly favors that
the less fortunate cannot afford.
The tendency of the times is to be-
come more and more extravagant.
We think we must keep up with our
friends who have plenty of money,
and consequently we buy a lot of
things we cannot afford. This policy
too often leaves behind a trail of di-
Vorces, bankruptcies, defalcations and
suicides. Our boys and girls ought
not to be sent out into the world
with the idea that they must keep up
with the style, no matter what hap
pens. If they graduate in a modest
and inexpensive manner they will be
better equipped for life than they
will if they wear garments which they
cannot afford, or know that they are
responsible for extravaganza on
humiliation for others.-[M Montpelier
Journal.