The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-06-13
Commencement
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
SUCCESSFUL AFFAIR
Many Present to See High School Grad
yates Receive Their Diplomas
william G. Layelle Delivers
Fine Address Samuel
Speaks.

the Maysville High School auditorium
The large auditorium was well filled
with parents and friends of the gradu.
ates and splendid program was car
ried out.
An orchestra composed of Miss Eliz'
abeth Williams, Director; Mrs. Fee
Miss Stella Archdeacon, Elizabeth Cal
vert, Mary Woodson Taulbee; Messrs
John Kahn, ]. H. Richardson, Harold
Caplinger, Raymond Hirschfeld, Les
lie Walker and Gordon Childs made
beautiful music The High Schoo
Girls Glee Club sang several numbers
we'll and Sextet sang Miserere from
II Trovatore beautifully.
DR.. John Barbour of the First Pres
byterian church, made the invocation
and Mr.. william R. Smith, sang sole
in which he displayed splendid voice
The Salutatory by Miss Dorothy
Merz, the second honor pupil of thC
Senior Glass, was good and well deliv
cred. Her address was on the par
women will play in the future of thu
world while the Valedictory by Miss
Mary Owens Keith, the first honor pu
pill of the class, on Americanism wa:
very interesting, well prepared ant
delivered.
The Commencement address by vii
liam G. Lavelle, of the CoitAlbel
Lyceum and Chautauqua Bureau, wa:
unusually good. 1t was different from
the usual Commencement address
and was alike impressive to the grad
yates and the large audience. Look
ing Through Life's Telescope" was
his subject and he dealt with the lit
tie things so many of us overlook anC
yet which are so important in Twins
our lives. Mr. Lavelle is a man o
strong personality and splendid deliv
cry and he gained his audience at thu
very offset and held them through hi!
lecture, which by reason of the Ions
program and the very warm evening
was cut considerably short. His lee
ture was of the sort that will remain
with his hearers and many things hi
said will come up in their lives from
time to time to help them over rough
places. This is the sort of lecture tha
is really worth while to the average
man and woman, boy and girl and tn,
school authorities were indeed fortu
nate in procuring Mr.. Lavelle for thi:
Commencement address.
The closing part of the program wa
the presentation of the diplomas t
the graduates by President ]. H. Sam
uel, of the City Board of Education
Before giving the graduates the diplo
mas which they will always priz
highly, DR.. Samuel made a most inter
esting address. In part he said:
Observing the size Of this presen
graduating class and rejecting on tn
aggregate Of the two preceding classe
l am thoroughly convinced of the Higl
Schools right to be denominated, 9TH
Peoples College. According to tn,
Department of the Interior, betweel
the years 1902 and 1915 the enrollmen
in the high schools of the Unite,
States increased more than 100 pc
cent and in the year 1908 to 1918 ou
own high school increased its enroll
141 per cent.
Such being the facts, what thel
should be our conclusion concernin;
the content of the curriculum? Shoul,
the High School offer only those sub
jects that are college preparatory an,
devote its energies largely to the Il
per cent. to Is per cent that atten,
college, or should II give instruction
in vocational subjects that are lif
preparatory to the IS per cent. VIII,
do not 60 to college?
The very reason for the stupendou
growth before mentioned is that tn,
public high school is adjusting it
curriculum directly and surely to tn,
needs Of its particular community. N,
opportunity should be lost that will
relate the work of the school to tn,
home Every subject offered must hav,
direct. immediate and tangible in
fluence in the development of the pu
pill; that is. II geometry is taught. 4
must be for its effect on the growth o.
the pupil rather than for its value al
a preparation for advanced mathe
matics in college. In brief. the con
tent Of the high school instruction Il
to be determined by human needs
rather than tradition--not studied be
cause the race has formed the habi
OF acquiring such Information bu
rather because they serve the rea
purposes OF persons living today. Jus.
tice requires that the interests OF IN,
many who may not go 10 college
should not be sacrificed because oi
the demands which the colleges make
upon the few who enter. This condI.
tion IL speedily adjusted. however
when the community attaches as much
importance 10 the service the school
has rendered those who remain n
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