St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-12-13
COMMERCIAL CLUB BANQUET.
Largo Attendance At First Get To-
getlcr' Meeting of Year
Addresses Given.

netu the HEhl get tpGNAA1A 800
or the year at Pythian hall THURSDAY
evening. 1t was n success. From the
opening course of the banquet that
was served to the final course of this
educational feast IL was a success
The members themselves were IMAM
nous in regard to both the success
or the affair and also to the effeci
that was sure to be felt in the i'm
petus given the work of the organ
aation through future individual work
Speakers OF the evening included:
state Supt. OF Education, DR.. Milo Is
Hiilegas who held the close attention OF
his listeners while he explained How
the new school law is operated" 9th
err speakers were Prof. McConaughy
head of the department of education
at Dartmouth College; Prof. Smith o.
the Tuck School at Dartmouth, Wht
has charge of the commercial cluh
plans for the coming year; Prof Leon
tx Baxter, supervisor Of manual train
ing in St Johnsbury schools; sup
w III. Young of the town schools.
At the banquet as guests of tho
Commercial Club were the six boys
who attended the boys and girls n
dustrial exposition at Springfield,
Mass, and the Vermont exposition a.
Burlington and made the best show
ing of any teams in the east. They
remained until after Prof. Baxter hAv
outlined the work done by them al
both expositions. As they left the
room a prolonged burst of applause
was given them by the banqueters.
President c. Il. Peck acted as toast
master and in introduction, spoke OF
the mission Of the Commercial Club
and said, 81 feel the organization IL
doing some real practical work"
lie then spoke of the effect of the
industrial exposition last summer in
placing the Commercial Club in a po'
sition where 1t was recognized as
power in the town. Mr.. Peck ther
spoke Of the aims of the organiza'
ton and said in closing eve hope tC
clean both the inside and outside Of
st. Johnsbury,"
Hon. Frank II. Brooks. member o.
the State Board of Education, in in
PRODUCING DIR. Hillegas to the Com
mercial Club said, There is one tasl
given to one man in this state today
which in my estimation is the mos
important, barring none. That is, lay
ing the foundation Of educational de
Velopment which will bring Vernon
TO the LOIGLIOnl. OOlii AAAutSbA AetAA9 GIN
educationally. esteem it a distinc
honor to be associated with DR.. Hille
gas, and believe he will lead us int
great things educationally."
DIR. Hillcgas' Address
DR.. NJ. 3. IIillegas in speaking c
how the new school law is operated
gave three points in the law which
only during the past year, have beer
worked out successfully. First: TIN
transportation of scholars; second
the remedying of rebate system OF
teachers certificates which was work
ing at first opposite to the intention
of the law, and, third, the placing o
school supervisors over all schools il
the state.
DIR. Hillegas, explained the system
whereby many towns were held up,
on transportation charges by familie
purposely moving to locations wher
they could command pay for taking
their children to school But thi
misuse of the law has almost beer
stopped, Tor where towns and parent
cannot agree they go to the state com
missioner as a last resort" he said
I'm cases where transportation eX
ceeds the cost OF board, l propose I
board such scholar and such propos
al most always brings an agreement
Transportation charges are from /
to Is per cent lower than last year be
cause the working of this law was no
thoroughly understood. We haV
reached the crest of the wave o.
transportation charges; and providin
wages remain the same we will neve
have to appropriate so much as las
year for this purpose again"
In nlnhinO thn
batement to towns for employment o
trained teachers in rural schools, saio
Last year we did not have this per
fected. Rebates were granted on Ger
tificates, a great many benefited VIII
had been teaching for 40 years, an
never had had the benefit of any rea
training. In many instances the high
est rebate going to the poorest teach
err"
The speaker showed how the stu
alton had been remedied. 'Thre
years ago." he said, there were 20
permits issued to teachers in the stat
that were unable to pass q satisfac
tory examination while there are onl
three now, and these are high schoc
students, preparing for college. SUPP
HiIegas said he thought it a goo
investment"
He made the statement that al
though the change cost the state abou
$4,000, it was the best expenditure
it had ever made.
In closing DIR. Hillegas pointed on
that although Vermont by many
thought TO be IA back number in cd
vocational work, it has a system unex
celled anywhere.
In support of this statement he rea
a letter from DIR. A. w. Dean, dirccto
OF Industrial education of the state q
New York, who spoke of rural schoC
improvement in one school he had nc
ticed while automobiling i'm this state
lie said. Il doubt if there is any
thing like il in the state OF New York.
DIR. Hillegas pointed out many NOR
advanced school ideas in the STATE
which needed advertising to familiar
lie other states with them.
Other Speakers
Prof McConaughy of Dartmouth
opened his address by saying. TO m
it is quite significant for you to /
dcvoting one evening to the educa