The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-03-21
School Board Held Special meet
ing Last Night
From Fridays Daily.

The graduating class of the high
school will be asked, at the request
of the board of education, to have
i inexpensive costumes for commence
mcnt this year. At the meeting OF
the board last night there was an
other discussion of the graduating
costume question and Judge Hughes
| finally suggested that the faculty tell
the members of the class that the
board desires them to dress simply
! for that occasion.
The subject was introduced by DR.
| Holbrook. who said he did not like
the cap and gown idea and wished
the subject to be reopened. Mr. Re
gan said that one of the girls of the
graduating class had told him tina;
at least two-thirds of the class favor
ed wearing caps and gowns. Mr.
Regain favored that plan because the
classes in a school of this size are
mixed and there are children OF
poor parents and children of rich
parents. Where there is no limita
ton of any kind set there is SO much
difference in the dresses, particular.
ly, that many of the students feel
badly over the occasion. He said:
I'VE should teach the young PEG.
pie economy. Caps and gowns would
put them on an equal basis. The
trouble with this board is that we
are afraid to take step, We are
always looking for a precedent. Now
if there is any merit in this let US
take it up"
The members present all discussed
the matter freely and most of them
felt that this was a little late in the
year to make such a radical innova.
ton. but all agreed that something
might well be done. One member
said that he had been urged by sew
crai mothers to oppose the cap and
gown idea. because it would be a
needless expense. 1t was also re-
ported that five or six girls in the
class had expressed a desire to make
their own graduating dresses, which
of course was a creditable ambition
for them, and one to be fostered.
1t was finally decided to settle the
matter by asking the members of
the class to agree to have as mex.
pensive costumes as possible.
The chairman of the school commit
tee brought up the matter of teaching
sewing and cooking during the tenth
month this year. and reported that
last year twenty-five girls asked for
cooking and were not able to take
it because the teachers time was SO
i,l In rot
the school committee take charge
of the matter, find how many girls
desire cooking and sewing for the
tenth month and so FORTH and be
empowered to act in securing one OF
two teachers, to take charge OF the
work
During the past several years the
manual training teacher has had an
assistant, a boy from the high
school or normal, who bad charge
Of some of the grade work. During
this year, with the increased amount
of work caused by the agricultural
short course boys, the assistant has
put in double time, and even then
several boys were not able TO take
work because of the teachers time
being so filled. At the present time
the two lines of manual training
taken up in the schools are carpeI'
try and mechanical drawing, which
is less than is taken up in most
high schools the size of this one
/ At last nights meeting the matter
of employing another teacher fol
the department and extending the
Of 1iSnnGcn1
and the committee in schools was
instructed to look into the expense
of extending the course and extend
ing the work in the present course
A number of the current bills were
allowed.