Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-06-11

The past week has marked the
graduation of the largest class ever
turned out in the history of the high
school, and seventy-fiye young men
and women received diplomas which
marked the completion of their high
school course. Besides having a record
breaking class, the 1912 graduates
furnished for the people Of Wausau
two of the most beautiful entertain
ments ever staged in the high school
auditorium. An enormous crowd was
present both evenings of the COM
mencement exercises and about 1850
people viewed the efforts of the
students in giving the class opera and
class play.
On Wednesday evening, after de-
lightful selections by the high school
orchestra and the invocation by Rev.
James Nj. Duer, the salutatory was
given by Miss Sylvia Thorson, who
pleaded for public play grounds for
the children. Her address was very
well given and contained many excel
lent points. The address was as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen OF the Board of Education,
Friends and FellOp Classmates:
In the name of the class of 1912, /
welcome you to our commencement
exercises. We appreciate the inter-
est that has brought you here tonight
whether it is in some one graduate,
or the school as a whole. The fact
that you are interested in our schools
and our students leads me to hope
that you may care to hear about a
line of work which has been under
taken in other cities by people who
have at heart the welfare of the boys
and girls, the work of supplying them
with opportunities for good, whole
some play. The question of provid-
ing Fairgrounds is not an abstract
theory, but a real live question.
Superintendent Cary has issued
pamphlet i'm which he says,
"When children went to school only
three or four months year there
was little likelihood that their health
would be impaired by the strain of
school work and confinement in the
schoolroom. With the lengthening
of the school year to the minimum of
eight months, the maintenance of the
child's health becomes an important
problem. Care will have to be Jaken
that compulsory education will noJ
mean compulsory i'll health" He also
quotes the statement, "a playground
before is cheaper than tuberculosis
sanatorium afterwards" Unless we
look out for the children today our
grandchildren and great grandchil-
dren will be physically bankrupt.
Fairgrounds promote good morals as
we'll as good health. As good pro-
portion of the vacant lots have signs
forbidding trespassing, where are the
boys to play without being law-break-
ers, if their fathers do not happen TO
own piece of empty land
Someone has said, "Most boys who
break laws, who stone neighbours cats,
who see how few panes of glass they
can leave in an unused factory, whose
idea OF manliness is associated with
the corner tough who once licked the
gamiest cop of the force, these boys
are usually less to blame than the
authorities who provide no outlet for
natural strenuousness, but instead
attempt to bottle up energy. AS
well tie down tight the cover on a
coffee tank and not expect an explo-
sion." Give the boy chance at foot
ball, basketball, hockey, or "the
games" give him a chance to perform
difficult feats on the horizontal bar
and flying rings, and the policeman
will need a gymnasium himself to
keep his weight down.
One hundred and seyenty-seven
cities of over five million people have
organized Fairgrounds. A million
dollars a month have been spent in
equipment and maintenance of them
In a single year the number of cities
maintaining Fairgrounds has been
doubled. The legislature of MaSSa
chusetts has passed law requiring