The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-06-17
.STEARNEs SPEAKS At
HIGHLAND PARK FINALS
High School of Thriving Saiurb Grad
uates Glass of Thirty -
nine,
MANY INTERESTING FEATURES.
superintendent Of Public Instruction
Takes The Progressive In Edu-
cation as His Theme and Tells
Meaning of Term.

When the curtain fell on the com.
mencement exercises last evening in
the commodious auditorium of High
land Park High School Ii marked the
close Of that institution as a prepare
tory school. This territory having
been annexed by the city. those who
complete the elementary school in
this section will attend John Mar
shall in the future.
The closing exercises were very in
teresting and were featured by a good
musical program and an address by
, r. 6. Stearnes, superintendent of Pub
( lie Instruction. Miss Margaret Hut
Gibson delivered the salutatory, while
! the vaiedIctory Grafton was delivered
ny Linden Harrison. The occasion
was enllveued by several selections
from the Northside orchestra. The
: invocation and benediction were Of
cred ~ Rev W. f. Hutunison. Among
the other interesting numbers on the
program were those rendered by
Misses Ruth Hudson. Ruth Wyatt and
Besste Cross, all Of whom were greet
ed with applause.
List of Graduates.
G. CarriEton Moseley the popular
principal of the school, presided over
the exercises and delivered the GER
tifcates to the thirty-nine graduates
of the elementary school. F. c. Ehel
chairman OF the City School Board
awarded the diplomas to the nine
graduates, who are as follows:
Ruth Hudson, Ruth Wyatt, Bessie
Cross. Eula Gary, Bernard Cheatham.
Z Harold Radcliffe. Caleb Dodsworth,
Linden Harrison and Margaret Hut
Gibson.
{ Graduates in the elementary school
from the 7-B 10 John Marshall High
+ School are the following: Gladys
Bailey. Elizabeth Gibson. E,stele Gratz-
( nowsky, Hazel Hun. Miles Tignor,
! Grace Tucker. Hunter Beadles. Earle
/ King, George Pierce, Louis Carlton,
/ Jesse Divine, Alfred Keil. Edwin Nc
iCIure. John StovRll. George Todd, Har-
old White, Edward Wright Marion
I Wilkinson, Esther Brandt, Lucille
Readles. Thelma Cosby, Evelyn
CFowdcr Rosa Drumright. Amelia
/ Ganzert, Elizabeth Harrison. Virginia
{ Knox, Carrie Jones. Grace Reynolds
4 Mildred SchaeTer, Ruth Ttller. Dor
othy william.
/ superintendent Stearnes Speaks.
/ The Subject ,chosen by Superin-
tendent Stearnes was The Progressive
In Education"
The magical power OF single
word often thrills u.s. said the speak.
ers. Consider the word Salvation
and how comforting it's mere utter
ance must have been at a time wheT
the world was lost in lack OF initia
tive civic decay and sin. The power
of the word reciprocity as used by
Blaine. or protection. as used by Nc
Kindley, IL fresh in our minds and the
careers Of Lloyd George. LaFollette
- 7 al oh M
that the weird progressive is another
word that shall shape the destiniei
of nations.
Progressive is a strong word, ais
serted Mir. Stearpes, and demands
strength Of body mind and soul in 1T
deciples.
: Many definitions and descriptions,
said he. have been given Of the tru'
. progressive. The character certainl!
involves the ability TO adapt onesel
TO the changing panaroma of life
d Keen and prompt appreciation of tn
permanenCe and real value of new
situations is all important. To b.
, progressive, Une must have skill il
reading the signs Of the times and
sympathy, or an intuition which can
take account Of the murmur alonI
the beach as the waves Of the com
: mon woes of a common manhood breal
upon the everlasting shores of fat
= and futurity."
Both Radlcnlism and Conservation
> He then referred 10 the definition o
[ a noted educator to the effect tina
true progressivism il onefourth rad
icalism and three-fourths conserva
tisnn and expressed his pleasure tina
the fine old word conservative fount
a place IN this definition, thus re
minding us that the world has neve
! been "A bsoluteiy faulty and weak. '0u
of the past comes the present" de
clared the speaker. and true prog
ress never repndiates the past
= Tn order THAT our schooise ma.
be progressive" said Mr.. Stearnes
we must avoid placing our depend
ence entirely upon enthusiasm.
good deal of cool and deliberate plan
ming. There IL neither strength no
sanity IN entering upon an ambition
program counting the cost and secur
ing the necessary men and means.
He illustrated this point humorousi'
bv referring TO the tremendous pos
abilities of a goose farm in what n
called very interesting and serious
prospectus which showed clea
profit Of $3s4, 600 on three hundred
geese in thrde years The point
was Illustrated practically by referrinf
70 TWO bl tllt' - N"t NN'ANN
this century~-thc march 10 the poles
nv Peary and Amundsen-made pos
-If,ie by adding te enthusiasm the efe
ment Of preparedness
Conservative Part of Program.
The speakers second point dwell
lupon the conservative part of the pro-
gram We may talk about heine
progressive in school work a.
much as we please" said Mr.
Stearnes. and dream all the day Ions
of certain new lines Of effort. but the
! people are not going to follow US unless
wa teach as well. or better, what l.
known as the essentials In education,
and he emphasized strongly the desir.
ability of having children read, write
spell and cipher well. That much
provided for. the speaker urged thai
we should proceed without fear or
hesitation to the radical part of the
program The nation" said he
needs certain types of practical eff
/ ficlency and is ca Hing upon the
schools TO meet the demand. We
must have a more abundant supply
Of farm products, workers more intel
llgent and better skilled In the trades.
and we must have home makers more
adequately prepared" One Of his H.
/ iastratiens Of this point wac the eff
feet OF temperance teaching on the
prohibition movement throughout this
RIM ,Yf rxt ri Ifff arnyifar RtrSSnx tifustra-