The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1917-09-14
REPORT OF SPECIAL
COMMITTEE TO THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
High School Meets, Summer
Schools, Implications of
Work, Etc.
To the Board of Trustees of the
Higher Educational Institutions:

held April IA. 1917, which you saw
fit to name the undersigned as a
Committee to consider and report
to you on at this meeting. We bee
to say that we have conferred with
the College heads and got such other
information as we could, and, after
due consideration, we herewith sub
nit you u suggestions:
High School Meets at Both the Uni.
versity and the A. 4 M. College.
There can be good arguments of
fered both for and against High
School meets at both the University
and the A. & NJ. College. We be-
lieve the record warrants the state
ment that the University initiated the
meets. and. with perhaps n single
exception, there has V been a
Meet at that institution without the
approval Of the Board of Trustees.
In dealing with this matter. we re-
| alize it has some delicate features.
but we can not shut our eyes to the
fact that this Board should take a
broad view OF the proposition and
| that it should endeavor to do not only
what tends 70 promote the immediate
interest and prosperity of both the
University and the A. g. Nj. College.
but that which will take care of the
interests Of the fathers and mothers
who must defray the expenses of
those who attend the Meets, and
back of that. the welfare of the tax
payer who. in the last analysis. must
foot the bills. Wherever and when
ever the spirit to eclipse in any par
ticular. whether it be in numbers or
prizes or otherwise. is allowed 10
enter in between enterprises or in
situations suDnorted by the state,
men lust TO that extent is one arm
of The state pitted against another.
a situation that is not only not ne
cessary but is in the end unhealthful.
1t is Just as impossible to prevent a
certain sort of rivalry where there
are Meets of this kind at both in
situations as it would be to prevent in
terest in a foot race or in a ball game.
We can not persuade ourselves to
accept the idea that it would be wise
to have the High Schools attend a
Meet at the University and those of
the Agricultural High Schools attend
a Meet at the A. & NJ. College. Out
side of the matter of accessibility
and convenience of location. there
are other reasons that might be urg-
ed against such an arrangement which
are unnecessary here to mention.
We therefore recommend that:
% No High School Meet be had
at any institution under the control
of this Board during the continuance
of the present war. and,
(2) That hereafter no High
High School Meet be planned or ar
ranged for at any Institution under
the control of this Board without
first having got the consent of the
Board of Trustees.
Too Many Summer Schools.
As to the Summer Schools. we ap-
preciate that perhaps the suggestion
Iirst submitted by the Secretary of
this Board made q rather wide sweep
and limited at questions beyond the
authority and jurisdiction of this
Board. OF course, this Board could
have naught 10 do with any Summer
School not held at some one of the
Institutions under its control. New
ertheless. charged as we are with the
high and important duty of guarding
the interests of the state in higher
education and being in a sense the
pilots of the Institutions of Higher
Learning. we submit that it is entire
ly within our province, nay ever our
duty. 70 take affirmative action in
all matters that pertain to the work
OF higher education. It is even our
duty 10 submit suggestions for the
information and benefit of the gen.
eral public that touch matters not
under our immediate supervision.
With this view in mind. we have
no hesitancy in saying that we do
not think the policy of lending state
aid to a Summer School at the Uni
yersity. TO n at the a. & NJ. Col
lege, to 4 at the |. l.. & c., to one
at Blue Mountain. to one at the State
Normal and 20 one at Mississippi Col
lege can be defended. In making
this declaration we are not unaware
Of the fact that this policy has the
seeming endorsement of the present
worthy head of the State Depart
ment Of Education. What he is do
ing was done by his immediate pre-.
decessOr and in fact. we believe. has
been done by that department for the
past fifteen years or more. But the
fact that an erroneous policy has beer
pursued Is no good reason for its
continuance. Unquestionably the
teachers can be accommodated
at fewer Summer Schools; the
attendance for the past half dozer
years amply verify this. Taking the
attendance for this year as an ex
ample, hardly thirty per cent o.
those engaged in public school worl
attended these Summer Schools. Anc
it stands TO reason that with fewel
Summer Schools, ADLER and better
instructors ran be supplied and tina
in all essentials better results can b,
obtained and at less expense to tn
state. We are of the opinion tina
the state needs to have the Univer
sity and the A. & NJ. College in oper
alton practically the year round
hence the work to be done az tn
Summer Schools fits in erv appro
priately and very properly with thes
two institutions. Under an orde
heretofore adopted since the ~creatio.
of the one Board of Trustees, the Uni
yersity now to give thOs