The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-10-01
PLAN ADVANCED TO USE HIGH
SCHOOL BUILDING
lCcntinued lrlm race onel

-tti'tFri"N "N" nNANN' NNa o. IiIle
field. Mass. a "a this verl moment
working out plans Tor use ol thc.f
nnildlnss ss evening roc'l centere
There are two national organizations
as wcli es The T.. S Dure1u % Eleca
tinn. that have departments rir-n un
entirely to the promotion OF ia.s Nid.
e- use of the school plant CHIEF jus
tico Hughes Roosevelt President
| Wilson. !n fact ali of the great lead.
ers in America today. are ia favor of
the movement. so that 10 has been
said that 90 be- against 10 ls TO be
against America. 10 o. spreading so
| phenomonllly because IL Is meeting
general need. Reports of vice COM
missions and observation eve yWhere
have convinced Thoughtful people that
provision for the social instincts OF
our young people IN decent surround
ings Is absolutely necessary. 4 COM
munity too. must have some means
of expressing its civic. dramatic
musical and social sense Only in
united community can progress come
one cannot atUibute a general move
ment To any ono cause. but have VOL
ever stopped 10 think that the growth
ard new feeling In Bennington date
from The year Of the pageant? For
any permanent fostering of this civic
spirit the school is the natural center
II is related TO everyone. II cuts
through all social and religious feel
Ing. and Is absolutely democratic
| President Wilson in his book. The
New Freedom. has the following com
mont on this attitude. When in ad-
d!tion TO sending our children TO
school to paid teachers. We 90 to
school TO one another In the same
schOOlhouse. then We shah begin
more fully 10 recognize than We ever
recognized before what American life
is. And ~ me tell you this connden-
TALLY that whereve you find school
boards that object 10 The opening OF
scht clhouses In the evening for pub
lie meetings OF every proper SOFT. YOU
had better lock around Tor some poll
| tician who is Directing 10 il: because
the thing that cures bad politics is
the talk by tho neighbora."
| For the Safeguarding of our young
people and the pc .manent fostering
OF civic spirit in Bennington We
believe that this wider use OF The
school plant IS absolutely necessary.
| This granted. The primal necessity for
the success Of the plan Is q director.
On the part Of the Civic League we
| should like 10 offer the services OF
Miss Mathilde Nossler. She is a
graduate OF Alfred university and has
done splendid work on our local play.
ground. She would plan for two even
ings a week. one OF them being sat
urday in close cooperation with the
| superintendent OF schools. and With
| the board of trustees acting in an adj
visory capacity The Characte Of
tho meetings would be educational
music, talks on popular themes, ciyios
health. etc. some OF them being toll
lowed by social dancing Saturday
evening would be neighborhood. even
ing. a special feature. An The meet
ines would be free and open to every
one. with limitations Of good conduct.
The money necessary Tor conduct
ing sociel centers is usually provided
TO the school by special app o9riation
Last year Milwaukee, appropriated
SSS. GOO. But when i movement is
new IL is sometimes raised BY private
individuals. or Supplied as in Youngs-
town, Ohio, by some club The league
realizes that our school board has no
special appropriation, and whi'c the
work just outlined Is in this fist
stage we shall be glad 10 provide for
the extra janitor service and the
lights on these two evenings ANY
damage done on such occasions will
also he paid for. of course.
We realize. finally, that the mem
hers Of the school board feel that
they do not act for themselves, but
represent the will of the people. A
glance at the names of the 122 per
sons who are actively supporting this
work will show how representative is
our following. and our Attendance of
$4,000 VIII further Indicate it. Never.
theless the league will be glad to do
| anything that the board will suggest
to d'aw out further expression OF
opinion, which we are sure is very
strongly in our favor. One thing we
| win suggest in this connection. Al
the formal opening OF the high school
building we should like to provide as
speaker for the occasion Clarence
| A. Perry of the Russell Sage Founda
| ton, or Edward Stitt OF the Board oil
Education Of New York city, to speai
] on the wider Use OF the School
Plant" The Parent-Teachers asso
citation would furnish refreshments at
this time
No part Of the plan outlined is in
| disponsible. If there are details that
4 it seems bast to change, we shall bt
glad to do so. our only desire beinl
that Bennington shall take its propei
position in this great NATIONWIDE,
! movement