Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-08-13

report to the Board of Education at
the close of the last school year,
which covered in detail the various
activities of the public schools. This
voluminous report furnished an ex-
cellent means Of informing the board
members, especially the newly elect
ed ones, Of the status and condition
Of the schools. In studying the same,
it occurred to the editor that some
parts of it, especially, would be in
teresting to the public generally. We
therefore reproduce the following
extract from Supt. Fosters report,
and commend it to careful perusal
by all our readers. We believe in
publicity of public affairs. Open and
free discussion Of public problems
always makes it easier to find and
apply correct solution. Yesterday
the Board made hasty tour Of in
spection Of the six public school
buildings Of the city, and it was a
trip that anyone should take before
they undertake to discuss Willmar
school matters. Very few people
realize the magnitude Of the system.
Only the items Of minor repairs
needed will foot up to considerable.
The columns Of the Willmar Tribune
are always open at all times for
communications and exchange Of
ideas on public matters. Parts Of
Supt. Fosters report follows:
"ENROLLMENT- total en-
rollment in the Willmar high school
now reaches 221, of which. number
"a were enrolled in the Farm Stud
ent's Agricultural Short Course,
leaving 1877, as the enrolment Of the
high school proper. THE grade en-
rollment was 878.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES tn e
last four years the organization of
the high school has been materially
changed. Departments Of Wood
working, Blacksmithing, Agriculture,
Domestic Science, Domestic Art,
Normal Training and Scandinavian
languages have been added. New
quarters have been provided and
equipped for successfully carrying
on the work in these departments,
likewise the courses Of study have
been re-modeled in such a way as to
accommodate the varying needs Of
the school.
The Blacksmith Shop.
INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENTS
-Blacksmithing: Beginning with the
opening Of the school year the high
school boys constructed black
smith shop, which was completed
and equipped in time for the opening
of the Farm Students Short Course
in Agriculture, on the 4th of Novem-
Der. The experience Of the year has
demonstrated that the blacksmith
shop supplies long felt want on the
part Of the agricultural community
surrounding the city Of Willmar, and
also that quite a percentage Of the
boys in the city, who are mechan-
ically inclined, much prefer to take
up courses combining both scientific
theory and practical demonstration,
to those courses which are no more
scientific and present far less oppor-
tunity to do things and make things
in a material sense.
"The time Of the instructor has
been occupied just with those who
have been permitted to take the
work, but, had time permitted, a
large number of other students would
have been glad could they have en-
rolled in these courses.
"The work has been conducted in
a practical manner. These students
have been taught to make things
which could he used in the shop, to-
gether with the processes Of welding,
the forming of irons into various
shapes, and the working out Of prac-
who previous to their taking the
teal problems such as the making of
cold chisels, punches, bolts, nuts,
rings, chains, etc., etc. The only
complaint that I have heard from
anybody taking the work was that
time was too short, and the oppor-
tunity was too limited to do as much
of the work as they desired to do.
On the other hand, I have been told
by parents, who live on the farm,
that boys, who have had blacksmith
shops at home, but have never learn
ed to use them, could scarcely en-
dure the two weeks Christmas vaca-
ton, because Of their anxiety to get
back to the shop and continue along
the line of instruction which was be-
ing given them. These same boys,
who previous to their taking the
work here, had paid almost no atten
ton to their equipments at home,
now spent voluntarily almost all
their vacation time working in these
same shops upon the farm.
eff the farmers around Willmar
are wise and equip their farm with