Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-10
CUT EXPENSES
OF GRADUATION

! Josiah w. TAYLOR Of Augusta the
State agent for secondary education in
/ Maine, in Il statement issued Saturday.
advises that all expenses OF graduation
| be reduced to a minimum, that dccora-
tons be simple, programs inexpensive.
| invitations, flowers. presents and the
like he omitted, that strict economy he
| observed in the matter OF dress and
other display. that music be furnished
| by the school and that in every par
ticular the exercises he made Simple.
dignified and democratic.
! Undoubtedly many high school
classes will be considering graduation
plans within tho next few months"
said Mr.. Taylor.
! The question of the usual exercises
or the so called Washington trip is
| likely to come up for consideration.
and there arc many reasons why the
! former should take precedence tins
year continued Mr.. Taylor
The opportunity of giving gradual
| ing exercises an interest apart from the
ordinary through the topics which the
! national crisis may furnish will he un-
usual. The pageant of national and
! local history can lie used to advantacc.
| The individual exercises showing the
| relation OF school work to matters of
current interest as in the case Of his
| tory and social science, and from
another angle the application Of the
! sciences Will prove of interest to the
.pubic.
Most of all the graduating class MAY
reflect the emphasis which is being
everywhere placed on the Importance
of high school education during the
war and after. Success has attended
many public graduations at which tho
exercises have Cndeavored to give OK
preston to the actual work of the
school. Demonstrations of technical
work as in the commercial depait-
ments, science experiments and even
mathematics and foreign languages
have proven highly interesting and
have served effectively in informing the
public of the work of the schools.
The public exercise at the close or
| the year is one of the customs which
have come down and can be made to
| fit into the changing conditions Of high
school administration. It's original
purpose was to demonstrate the
| progress Of pupils and show what the
school had accomplished. With com
| pick curricula and wide range of in.
| terest and aims of the modern high
school there is the greater need that
there will be some way of keeping the
public informed as to its activities and
the results of its work Hence. the
real importance Of the public gradua-
| ton.
| RI "a och;
several grave questions may be raised.
In TINS time Of stress pupils and their
! parents may we'll ask whether they
| should incur the personal expense
which the trip involves. If classes at
| tempt to raise funds for the purpose
the question ought to be considered
very seriously whether in the great
need for money for the Red Cross. the
| Y. NJ. G. A. and similar activities for
| the welfare Of our brave soldier lads
the graduating class of the high school
may not render service by personal
sacrifice, which will be significant and
worthy. 1t seems that if the trip must
be paid for out Of funds raised in the
very common way of public entertain
ments for this year at least the sacri-
nee should be made and the energy
and effort required be directed towards
war relief for the sake of the men who
have gone across" many of whom
only few years since We're students
perhaps in these very schools.
ASIDE from this reason, sufficient
we believe, for giving up the trip, il
should be remembered that many
places Of interest in Washington are
closed to visitors and that transporta-
ton facilities and hotel accommoda-
tons are already taxed to their limit
| These and other conditions will tend
to make the Washington trip much less
enjoyable than under normal conditions
and aggravate the objectionable fea
lures of the trip 10 no little degree
1t would be a splendid thing if every
senior class in the high schools and
academies Of the State would seriously
undertake 10 make public graduation
so inspiring and instructive that every
person in attendance would catch the
significance of keeping the schools to
| their highest efficiency in war time
And in addition If each class could
make some contribution to the ma
tional need. either the purchase of a
Liberty Bond, funds for the Red Cro.ss
actual work in war relief or other form
OF activity. we might well be proud of
our graduating classes"
You Needn't keep on feeling dis
frhGSa6 "a ~ ha1o