The sun., 1919-06-15
RIvERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL.

Commencement echoes at Riverdale
Country School. Hudson.
New York city. centre chieny on the
evening production on the open air stage
Of "a Midsummer Nights Dream" The
effects produced by the lads of the lower
school, who interpreted this fairy dream
Of Shakespeare, were heightened by
the amazing beauty OF the lights and
shadows upon the rich foliage OF back
ground. The breeze which sprang UP
during the performance fiuttered the
leaves in such a way as to make the at
mosphere absolutely fairylike. With the
soft notes of Mendelssohn's music, the
ensemble caused many Of the audience
to say that they never had attended a
performance moro truly poetic.
To speak of the play as by the boys
OF the lower school, even though they
did all Of the acting, is not Just to the
fellows Of the upper school. for they ar
ranged and managed all Of the lights,
made all of the properties and directed
the stage.
The entire production was the concep-
ton Of Frank Lea Short. who is the d.
rector Of expression at the school. When
he put the plan before the head master,
Frank s. Hackett, 1t seemed almost i'm
possible Of achievement. The difficulties
of presenting the play with young boys
at night and OF assembling an audience
so far from the city seemed insur-
mountable. In point OF fact. however,
there has never been q larger audience
at Rverdale than the more than 500
who were present, and none Of the
Shalsespearean plays has been given
with great effectiveness.
Second only to "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" in commencement reflections Is
the enthusiasm for the sixth form
dinner given on Friday evening at the
school to the seven members of the
graduating class and their fathers.
With the exception OF one student. now
In California, all boys and fathers were
present together with many Of the
faculty, members OF Riverdale's victo-
rious baseball team and a group Of old
boys Just back from the war. George
McAneny presided and there were
speeches by ]. Wilson Murray. athletic
director: Frank Lea Short. dramatic
instructor: Allan Murray. representing
| the sixth form: William NJ. Whitner.
who came all the way from Havana
| to be present at the commencement and
who was given a decoration for this
| feat; Edward c. Detailed, one of the
| directors: Burt l.. Fenner of McKiln,
Mead & White. the architects OF the
| building and also the father of a sixth
form boy, and by Frank S. Hackett.
head master.
The spirit of the occasion. which
marked the close of the twelfth year of
Riverdale. was not only congratulatory
| to the sixth formers and the school.
but as well anticipatory of the great
work which lies ahead in education.
The first appointment OF a Riverdale
graduate to the teaching stan OF the
school Is that OF Walter Baines- Griffiths
Of Spuyten Duyvil. who has just COM
pleted his course at Princeton. Mr.. Grif-
| fths while at Riverdale took both schol-
astio and athletic honors He will have
charge Of the fourth grade in the lower
| school and will assist in athletics. An
I otfer interesting appointment is that OF
Wells E. Aldrich to be head Of manual
arts department Mr. Aldrch. who
taught manual arts for five years before
entering the navy, where he saw service
as an ensign, has since the close OF the
war been teaching in the art depa rtment
| OF the High School OF Commerce. There
remains now only one vacancy on the
Rlverdale staff for next year and II Is
expected that this will be filled in the
course Of the present week.
! The registration of the school is also
rapidly approaching the limit Several
classes are already hlled and In the
boarding department there remain only
: four places. From conversations which
the head master has had with other
school heads II appears that this condi-
ton Is very general and that parents
who fail to apply early for admission to
the best private schools will probably
! find themselves in the fall without the
| possibility OF securing for their sons the
| opportunities they seek.