South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-22
MONSTER CROWD
ATTENDS ANNUAL
FIELD DAY MEET
Perley School Students Win the
HOnorS in Athletic Events for
Second Time-MOre Than
$500 Children in Parade.

South Bends third annual public
school field day ecliped all former
events i'm the number competing, the
mum Der of people attending. and the
excellence Of the program offered.
1t was estimated that more than
1000 people witnessed the events.
There were at least 1000 people who
paid their way into the park. Added
10 this was practically every child VINO
attends the city schools. The grand
stand was jammed while the stands
10 the right and left We're filled out
i'm the field "A temporary stand had
been erected and this was well filled.
in addition lines of people stood be-
hind the field enclosures. More than
2 900 children took part in the various
events
AS though he anticipated this mon
ster gathering. Old Man Weather took
pity and shut off in a measure. his
frosty blasts Of the last Few days.
stiff Kind, that made every one dig
dirt out OF eyes, ears and nose blew
across tine field. but the sun was pres
eut and the wind was not very cold,
coming from the south, so that no one
felt uncomfortable even during the
last hours OF the meet.
Perley school Wins.
Perley school. winner OF last years
meet, repeated the feat this year. and
although given close race, by the
seventh graders who attend the gram
mar school, managed TO nose them
out. % TO q, 10y winning the sixth
grade bows relay. Madison school
came i'm third i'm the finals with IA
points while the other schools I'M
ished as follows. COlfaX, u; Laurel,
u; Muessel. l.; Lafayette, 6; Linden
s: Elder. 4; Coquillard. 3: River Park,
Gr.llst k
lin Lincoln and oliver schools failed
TO score a point
In the competition between the SA'sI
and the SB's the AS easily defeated
the lower grade, s TO so.
Promptly at 2:10 O'Clock, the start
ting time. EIbeTs band started from
the carriage gate ut the park and led
the parade OF $500 school children.
past the grand stand and TO their po-
sitions for the flag. mass, and wand
drills. Every school was represented
i'm the turnout with the Henry Stude-
baker school eclipsing all others IN
the number of marchers. Consider
able applause was won by the Haley
and Perley school when they marched
ON the field with the German goose
step.
Sixteen May poles each bearing the
cOlors of one of the schools, were set
around the baseball diamond. and 20
girls from the fourth grade executed
n pretty May-pOle dance. Every lass
was dressed in white. with white hair
robbins and white shoes and white
stockings. and the picture presented as
the little tots performed their dance
was extraordinarily pretty, the green
of the baseball diamond forming an
excellent setting for the affair
Carry American Flags.
When the May poles had been
carted away the girls and boys OF the
NTH grades OF the various schools pre-
scented one of the prettiest flag drills
vet staged at any of these affairs.
There were 600 pupils in the drill and
each carried two American flags.
Their drill was concluded by the sing
ing OF America.
The last feature of the mass drills
for the afternoon was 6 7and drill by
BOYS and girls of the sixth grade.
Although not as picturesque as the
flag drill, yet the exercises set 10y Dl-
rector Edward Koenig showed the re-
suit of much practice and hard work.
AS soon as the children in the wand
dril had been marched away the tug
of-war between the fourth grade boys
was staged. The schools of the city
were divided into two groups and
these competed against each other.
The section in which were the COlfaN.
CoouilIard. Elder. Lafayette Perley,
Linden. Laurel and Haley schools
competed had no difficulty i'm over
coming the other section which was
composed of the Sample, Portable,
River Park. oliver. Madison. Franklin.
Muessel. Lincoln and Studebaker
schools.
Events Well Planned
Much credit must be given the Of
nciaIs OF the meet on the manner in
which they handled the track and
field events. AS a usual rule. these
contests i'm which the children are in
terested more than the grOwn-ups who
look on drag along until the entire
assembly as we'll as the officials
themselves are fatigued This year
there was no confusion of any kind.
so perfect was the organization.
In other years one of the hardest
tasks has been 10 get the entrants into
their position i'm line for the contests,
but this year men were ssigned to
visit the bleachers where every school
had a section and see that those en-
tered in the various events were up in
time They took them and marched
them 20 the starting line and before
the first heat was run off i'm any OF
the races the second runners were
ready and waiting for the gun. In
his way hardly more than IS minutes
was spent ON the running of any race.
The prizes which go 10 the winners