The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-05-20

OF IL everything cuuCdClOldl duU Gull |
tural in every comslunity. Lecture
entertainment courses are provided in
many communities by private inter-
ests. In too many instances, however,
this is not the case. If the school can
see it's way clear, a field of usefulness
is thus opened up to it. 1t is posi-.
BILE for schools, through the cooper a.
ton of it's teaching forces and it's stu.
dent body, to conduct such courses
successfully. If surplus is found at ,
the conclusion of the course so much
the better, but the main purpose
ought to be to provide good, whole
some entertainment and instruction at
prices that are within the reach Of
nearly all. The schoc., then, becomes
an agent for the uplift of the general
public and is exercising an influence
upon the community that is truly
commendable. Pardon the personal
reference, please, when refer you
to Cakes. The Lecture and Entertain-'
ment courses in Cakes had received
blackeye for various reasons, so
that no private agencies were willing
to undertake the management of such
course. Thinking that the school
might step in and fill the gap and sup
ply a want that was keenly felt, the
public schools provided a course, con-
sisting of lectures, entertainments,
and musicals giving the patrons and
students seven numbers for dollar.
Our only obstacle was the impression
the price created that the course
must be too cheap, and hence not
worth while. am happy to say, how
ever, that the impression was dis
PEELED as the course proceeded. l feel
that we offered an opportunity of hear
ing good things at price that almost
the poorest could afford to pay. felt
it was squarely up to the schools to +!
provide such course as the leader in
things educationally and culturally,
and my faculty unanimously shared
the feeling.
l have read with much interest of
the musicals given by high school
glee clubs and high school orchestras
and high school bands at stated times
during the school year-concerts that
were given free to the public. The
object was to help create taste for
the best in music. The idea appeals
very forcibly to me. Smaller high
schools may not have a girls glee
club or boys glee club, or orches-
tras or bands; but l think every high
school could organize a mixed chorus
and if necessary include some of the
townspeople. Such a chorus could
give one or two concerts during the
year, perhaps engage the services of
some good soloist, charging an admis-
sion that would cover the cost of the
production. Two such concerts year
| would be splendid thing and do much
/ toward creating a regard for better
class of music in this age of rag-time
and cheap riff-raff music. Such SER
vice would be distinct.
Another form of entertainment of
educational value that is much neg
lected is the outdoor entertainment.
There are various kinds of such enter
| tainments that could be mentioned, all
excellent and worthy of consideration.
May outline one that I am hoping 10
institute next year with view OF
making it permanent institution. In
the fore part of May, when the wealth
er has moderated and the evenings
have heightened, we purpose to hold,
what, for better term, we will call a
"May-Day" celebration. at conven-
lent hour in the evening, on the cam
pus of the school, with the friends and
patrons assembled, seated on impro-
vised benches or in their automobiles,
! We VIII plc oCuI p1OSA gill SoAAoAoIAAS
of the May-pole dance, browning the
May Queen, folk dances and drills of
various sorts, ending, for example,
with a torch light drill. This form of
entertainment is rarely seen, unless
the school provides it. Some people
have never seen a Folk dance, May
Pole dance or the other drills. In
presenting such an entertainment,
then, the school is educating the peo-
pie in the love for that which is edu-
cational and cultural.
There is one more field of endeavor
that I should like to mention. One
writer has we'll said: 1--WE do not yet
understand that to be completely
ready to live-to be educated-is not
81 q 81