Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-25
WOMAN CLUB HEARS
TALK ON PURPOSE OF
HIGH SCHOOL OF TODAY

terville Woman's Club was held
Tuesday evening at Library hall
with the program in the hands Of the
educational department of the ciuo,
who furnished one OF the most de-
experienced during the winter
During the business session a COM
nittce consisting Of Mrs. J. +. Lar
rabee. Mrs. r. T.. Drake, and Mrs.
Frank Austin was appointed ~
make arrangements for the spring
picnic which will take place next
month.
Mrs. Frank Austin, chairman IF
the educational department of the
club presided at the presentation Vt
the program. which consisted Il
musical numbers and an address on
The Mission Of the High School IT
To-day by Louis J. West. principal
Of the High school.
The program opened witt, must
cal numbe. by the junior orchestra
under the direction of Miss Eva
Tonne, supervisor Of schools. II was
revelation to everyone present 70
'i'-'Ai anu 80 tiAESS scAA0GLHIs HbAs
They have been assembled in or.
chestral work only about six weeks
but under the able leadership If
Miss ToHne. they have made rapid
progress and their work was MARVEL
lousy good when one considers the
youth and limited experience of :ho
performers. The orchestra gave
three selections during the evening
America Forever" Graduation
March" and waltz number
Miss Doris Grondin then sang
Hawaiian Moonlight" in very
sweet voice and Miss Faith Cony
gave charming Dance Of the
Rose" with Mrs. Charles Pooler III
the piano.
Mrs. Alden then introduced the
speaker of the evening, who gave a
most excellent address. the audience
only rcgretting the lack Of time to 60
into the subject more fully.
Mr.. West said thatin America We
commonly think of the public higil
school as directly following the
grades but that this is not true in
Europe. That the secondary schools
in Europe are designed primarily fol
the training of the future leaders q,
the nation but that in America tic
| vast majority Of secondary school:
; are democratic and throw theiI
doors wide open TO the children @,
all the people urging them TO enter
ana that statistics show that SO pei
cent Of all the pupils who attend sec.
ondary schools arc enrolled in t,ie
public high schools.
That since the war ,heHattentiop OF
most school boards throughout the
| country are taken up largely with
two important problems. the in.
crease Of teachers salaries and the
building question. That the outstand-
ing fact which tho war has brough.
| nome t" the schools is the +, urgen,
need Of making adequate provision
: Tor training in citizenship. He gave
Ensish, sciences. mathematics, his.
Tory Latin and French as the lorna .
lion OF the very backbone Of a well.
balanced education for citizenship.
Mr.. West then took up each subjec,
IN turn and told of the advantages to
pc gained from each study and then
touched upon the subject Of vocation
! al education. OF the latter he said
| that it is safe to affirm that no spe
| cial phase Of education has NOR
strikinsly justified itself in the re.
cent crisis than vocational education
Under the latter he spoke of book.
keeping, stenography and salesman
ship.
In closing Mr.. West asked the la
dies il they realized that the mos,
essential factor in any school is the
teacher and said that the weakes,
point In the waterviile school syster.,
is the ridiculously low wages paid t.
its teachers. He stated that thi.
would prove disastrous, not to the
teachers. because they could 60 else.
where but to the bols and girls OF
Naterville who will have to be in.
trusted to inexperienced and incom
petent teachers. since standards OF
educational opportunity cannot be
sustained IN any such wage scale as
prevails In Waterville tday. Mr..
J west said that the educational de-
partmsnt Of the Weman's Club could
not possibly be identified with any
more worthy movement than one to
secure more nearly adequate wages
Tor the teachers and as in many 9TH
or places retroactive from Jan I.
1890.