South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-16
5000 PARTICIPATE
IN MAY FESTIVAL
Flag Raising and Patriotic
Musical Program at Nc
NaughtOn Park.
News Times Special Service


ELKHART. May 16.-Six thousand
people. including the pupils of the
Elkhart schools. were present at Nc
NaUghton park Tuesday afternoon to
witness and take part in the May
music festival and patriotic celebra-
ton held there This is the first
event of the kind ever staged in this
city and was a success from every
viewpoint
The entire program was carried
out with the exception of one num-
Der and eacn of the musical num-
bers was appropriately costumed.
one of the prettiest and most inter
esting numbers was the Cycle Of
Flowers" by the pupils of the rooms
of Miss Hazel Smith and Miss Mar
garet Mackin, teachers liz the Sam
uel Strong school. Twenty young
misses portrayed SLEEPY PoPnies,
"Daffodil Lady" and Sweet Pea
Lady" and the instructors Of these
pupils are 10 be congratulated on
the thoroughness in which they were
trained.
The entire musical program was
under the direction if Miss Edmunds,
the music instructor. and she was
accompanied in the numbers by the
high school orchestra of A pieces.
China. Japan and Scotland had an
ensemble number, given in costume
by pupils of Fifth ward school, and
the youngsters received a merited
applause for their part Of the pro-
gram.
The Weston school had the larg-
est costume showing of any of the
various delegations of pupils over
$50 appearing in Indian costume.
The Indian songs and dances won
merited applause and gay trappings
of the costumes received marked at
tention.
The pupils of the Fourth ward
school were costumed in the quaint
dress of colonial days and to the
beautiful music of the "Minuet"
they danced the steps that made the
DANES of 20 the subject of the folk
dances of our forefathers.
The pretty May-pole with its gay
colorings of red, white and blue was
placed in the center of the court and
the pupils of the South Side school
danced and sang the May-pole dance
and wove the ribbons about the pole
in intricate braiding, and reversing
the order they unwOund the stream
ers without q single mistake.
The Flag drill and song by the
pupils of the East Elkhart and Mid
dlebury schools was participated in
by so young ladies and this was one
of the most interesting events Of the
entire program, and the young Ia
dies showed the careful training
which they have undergone for the
past two weeks.
At the close of the musical num-
bers the entire audience stood while
Old Glory was raised TO the top of
the fag-pole erected for the Occa-
sion. and after the pledge of fealty
to the Flag was given, the entire as
sembly Joined in singing The star
Spangled Banner" The Flag was the
gift of Mrs. A. r. Beardsley Of this
city and this lady has been the
most interested of persons in this
section OIL the Sldlt III 10 eAAoAAA7N
and ceremonials attendant thereto.
Mrs. Beardsley has given hundreds
of flags to schools, organizations
and public buildings and has a deep
interest in seeing the banner of our
country flung to the breeze on every
available occasion. Mrs. Beardsley
is the sister of Frank Baldwin, who
u-aS lriIIed during the Civil war and
i'm whose memory the monument
that stands at the head of Main st.
was erected.
Weather conditions were most IA
vorable for the occasion and the only
drawback of the day was that the
exercises were held that all of the
large crowd present We're unable 10
witness the work Of the pupils. and
il has been suggested that the entire
program be given in the opera house
so that all could witness II.