The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1918-05-23
.Supt. Blun1e Makes Annual Report
to City Board of Education

| ages! The boys lost their enthusiasm
for the work and have failed to live
up to expectations. A number, how
ever, have proven loyal and may be
found each Thursday evening doing
their bit in the Red Cross work rooms.
Through the Boys and Girls Clubs,
a class has been organized for the
younger school children to do Junior
Red Cross sewing. This work has been
put in charge of Cora Fuller, 10, and
Alma Paulsen, '1S. They have taken
up the work with enthusiasm and are
doing splendidly among our students.
These two young ladies are a credit
| to our school and are to be commend
! ed for their energy in promoting this
! junior sewing. am glad that our
grade pupils are having this opportun-
| ity of sewing for the boys cover
/ there"
Owing to the conditions, it was de-
cided this year to omit the spring va
cation, closing school one week ear
lier. But to assist the farmers in OBJ
tanning labor for seeding, we allowed
the boys, whether they lived on the
farm or not, to leave school from
| April first to May first. A number of
the boys availed themselves and
either assisted their fathers in their
farm seeding, or in the case of town
boys, assisted others in this work. We
can scarcely permit farmers boy
to drop out of school when the farm
/ work starts in the spring and advance
him his credits as though he had been
in regular attendance and had finished
his courses, merely because he hap
pens to be farmers boy. At that
rate we might as we'll graduate a
farmers boy after he has attended
regularly for three years or little
longer and assign as our reason that
he is a farmers boy. 1t would be a
marked injustice to others. On the
other hand, the rural pupils presence
in our High School is to be encour-
aged. Nevertheless, the student is en-
gagged in as serious a business as his
farmer father, for the acquiring of an
education is a serious business. If
the boy or girl desires an education,
it should be given his or her earnest
attention and thought. l fear too
many times the farmer fails to grasp
the necessity and the seriousness of
acquiring an educotion. IA. makes no
determined effort to secure extra laho :
in order that his son might continue
uninterruptedly his school duties. He
figures his son can save him wages.
This is calamity for the son. But
in these war times with the scarcity
of labor, the schools have been glad
to come to the rescue with their bit
and assist the farmer in securing ad-
ditional labor by excusing some of our
boys from their regular school duties
for a month.
This year we have again encour-
aged the work of the Boys and Girls
Clubs. So well did the children do in
Dickey county last season, that club
leader has been assigned to Dickey
and Sargent counties in constant
charge of this work. This year the
emphasis is being placed on the gar
dening and canning. Under the local
leadership of Rev. Wolfe, number of
the pupils throughout the schools have
signed up for this work. 1t is hoped
that not only those who have signed
up but every family in Oakes will have
its war-garden. The planting of a
garden, its care, etc., can very well be
done by the children as we'll as by the
older folks. We have, therefore, urged
the children to plant their gardens as
their patriotic duty.
EARLY in February the late Post
master R. E. Vessel, sent in my name
to the Treasury department with his
recommendation that be made sell
ling agency, with others, for thrift
stamps. Accordingly received my
certificate from the department.
then proceeded, with the help of the
teachers, to organize the schools for
thrift saving. Again the children have
responded nobly. Up to but not in
Guiding May 18th, the pupils in our
schools had purchased a total of
$392.75 worth of w. S. S. and Thrift
Stamps since about March first. I
have also found that in our High
School and Eighth Grade alone, $1,000
worth of Liberty Bonds are owned
Last, but not least, we have given
of our school boys to Uncle Sans
Army and Navy. The graduates and
former students have responded nobly
and many are now with the colors
That we might show our appreciation
of their sacrifice and devotion, we
have dedicated beautiful service
flag, displaying forty-one stars, and
which is now hanging in the assembly
room of the High School. Forty-one
of our graduates and former students
in the service of their government.
I think the Oakes Public Schools need
not be ashamed of such record.
Aside from the war activities, not
much has been attempted. Last fall