Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-02-17
CHESTER CONFERENCE

CHESTER CONFERENCE
The fifth annual Conference Of the
Elder Boys Of the Green Mountain
State was held at Chester on January
%, % and "a The conference, which
was the most successful one ever held
in Vermont, was attended by 80 Ches-
ter boys, 800 boys from other towns
and II leaders. Barton was represent
ed by IL high school boys, Grin Car
penter, Leslie Elliott. Walter Metcalf,
Gerald Phillips, John Thorpe, Lee
Emerson, Walter King, Paul Parker,
Walter Buckley, Maurice Smith and
George Chase, accompanied by Mr..
Bates and Mr.. Metcalf of the high
school faculty. Gustavus Burdick as a
delegate from the Congregational
church Sunday school made the 14th
member of the Barton party. The
Barton boys gave the high school and
eighth grade most interesting report
Friday afternoon upon the conference,
the addresses and the impressions they
received there. The program as
presented to the high school was as
Metcalf remarks, Mr.. Bates; CONVEX
sational presentation of jokes, Carpen-
ter. Buckley and Elliott; Gerald Phil
lips, Paul Parker. John Thorpe, song
by school. Walter King, Maurice
Smith, intermission, Walter Buckley,
Orin Carpenter, Walter Metcalf, Lee
Emerson, song by school, George
Chase, Leslie Elliott, remarks, Mr..
Metcalf song by school, school cheer.
The program opened with the follow
ing Barton school song composed by
Mr.. Metcalf:
We are from Barton, Barton are we,
We can't forget our old 'cademy
We can't forget our Mater fair
FIR, we are from old B. A.
You are from Chester, Barton are we,
You've had the best time, don t we see,
We're glad to see you, glad as can be
For. you are from old 3. A.
We are the stay at homes. at home are
To welcome you back with heartiest
glee
To welcome you back, we're glad as
can be.4-rz-s..1---z-
Back to our old 3. A.
Mr.. Bates Immediately put the audi
| ence into good humor by his presenta-
tion of witty jokes and sayings which
the boys ''got off, during the trip.
Among other things, Mr.. Bates said
the boys found out on this trip that
the railroad tracks go beyond the
swjtchya ard at Barton. The party saw
in Bellows Falls how paper is made
and were taken through the large
manufacturing plant Of the Vermont
Farm Machine company, where over
800 men are employed. and through the
new state armory. the first built at the
expense of the state. The boys were
soon aware Of the fact. upon their
arrival IN Chester, that there were at
least 400 other boys of their own age in
the Green Mountain state, with whom
j.. they rubbed elbows and were in close
contact for several days. They also
found out how a large college looks, as
the party on the return trip stopped
off at Hanover for couple of hours to
visit Dartmouth.
Each of the boys was assigned a
certain address on the conference pro.
gram on which to report in detail tC
the school. Because cf the fact thai
a report of the conference has already
been given in the Congregational anC
Methodist churches, it seems unneces
sary to repeat it here. However. i
must be said that the boys did unusu
ally well in the manner in which they
All of the boys were more or less
nervous upon their public appearance
and most of them were more nervous
1t was amusing to say the least to see
their hands and feet beat time to some
imaginary music, to see their legs
shake and knees quake. This sort OF
work is good experience for them anc
they will eventually recover from
stage fright.
Naturally on such trip as the boys
took, jokes would be played on all
members of the party and these were
vividly told to the school, to the dis.
comfiture of the Chester boys, by
Carpenter, Buck ley, and Elliott.
Thorp, Carpenter, Emerson and Elliott
gave probably the best reports of the
afternoon. Carpenter, was bubbling
over with thoughts and jokes on the
other boys and his resume of the ad-
dresses, "True Scouting Life Work"
and "Ad Curo," was comprehensive
and interesting. Of all the numbers
| on the program the best was given by
Elliott. To tell the truth, the school
didn't know it was in him to 90 so
well, but from the moment he stepped
onto the platform until ne stepped off,
! he kept the school in a continual up
roar, not only because of what he
said, but also because of the way he
said it.
The Chester trip, without any ques-
/ ton of doubt. was a great thing for
the boys and Barton academy ought to
| take care to be represented in future
years at these Y. M. C. A conferen-
ces.
delicious refreshments and real social