Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-02-01
Caledonian Slanders Barton Peeple
and Academy.


Is Lacking in Support of Academy %
the st. Johnsbury Caledonian of
January 8, prints the following libel
GUS statements regarding Barton
academy and people:
Inc friends and pupils of Barton
academy are quite disappointed in
the lack of athletics in the school
tnis year. Many of the pupils have
tried to interest the townspeople and
tnose who are in position to for
ward any movement 8 of this kind
| but to no avail. 1t is mainly the of,
forts of the pupils and their school
spirit that makes any school a suc-
cess. Then how can the village Of
Barton expect to have high ranking
academy if the people are unwilling
to put forth any effort to make the
scnooi worth while to the pupils so
that they will have a reason for a
school spirit that will carry the
school to success.
The townspeople are willing and
glad to put money into golf links or
| anything like that for their own
pleasure. But when it comes TO
something like athletics in the acad-
emy, thing that trains their own
children and makes Of them men and
women with fighting spirit that
Will carry them successfully through
lie, then they are too busy or too
poor to put forth any effort or to
help financially one of the most es-
sental things in the training of the
younger generation of Barton. In
the absence OF school athletics. is II
to be wondered at that the pupils, our
children, seek amusement on the
streets and in pool rooms?
I'VE have the building and mater
ial for school that Barton can be
proud Of The pupils have as fine
a spirit as any school can show, but
there is something lacking, and that
something" is the backing of the
townspeople, not only financially, but
spiritually as well.
"That backing is the thing neces-
sary to bring out the school spirit,
make the pupils satisfied with the
school and its teachers, and to raise
the school to as high standard as
any school has ever reached.
The friends and students of Barton
academy are hoping that sometime in
the near future that the. townspeo-
pie will wake up to the fact that
their lack of interest in their own
school is holding the pupils back and
keeping them from the success that
might be theirs. Athletics and "A
chance for competition with other
schools Is the thing necessary to
overcome this disadvantage that the
pupils are laboring under"
There is so little of truth in the
above that it hardly seems creditabIe
that an editor would let pass or a
newspaper print such an article, un-
less sponsored by some citizen of
standing in Barton, and every citi-
zen of Barton with any knowledge of
affairs whatsoever would not stand
sponsor for any such statement. The
English of the article is above re-
proach but the conception and sab
Ject of the story appears like that
of school kid with a chip on his
shoulder.
MANY of the pupils" it says, "haye
tried to interest the townspeople and
those who are in position to for
ward any movement of this kind, but
to no avail" Who are the many"
students and who the townspeople
who have failed to give them proper
attention.?
"How can the village of Barton
expect to have high ranking acad-
emy If the people are unwilling to
put forth any effort to make the
school worth while to the pupils"
says the article. The people of what
village, city or town, pray tell, is do
ing and has done more for its high
school and it's students ? No town
students so fine school building, the
fn1 I'll
in Barton exceeds the average tax,
the faculty is recognized as second
to none in the state, the equipment
is better than many larger place
affords and for social activities no
town the size of Barton IN this part
of the state provides such splendid
quarters. AS for spiritual back
ing, it is not just plain what is
meant, but State Commissioner of
Education Dempsey has referred to
the interest Barton people take in
their school from the public rostrum
in several Vermont communities,
holding Barton up as an example.
Backing is the thing necessary to
= raise the school to as high a
standard as any school has ever reach
ed" What backing? By cpmpari-
son, at least, no school ever had bet
ter financial or spiritual backing
than Barton academy.
The author of the article hopes
the people will in the near future
awake up to the fact that their lack
of interest in their own school is
holding the. pupils back" **S "Ath-
letics* = is the thing necessary **.
No one denies the fact that school
athletics are a splendid thing. Bar
ton has usually had sufficient athlet-
les, but because circumstances, not
entirely outside the student body it
self, has made basket ball practically
this season is no possible
excuse for such sweeping condem-
nation of the people of Barton. No
more loyal, more generous and more
people ever made up a
school district than the people of Bar
ton.
To charge that the lack of interest
on the part of the people is holding
the pupils back is false and coward
ly statement. The author of the art
icle is challenged to prove his state
ments and these columns are open
to him.
CONGREGATIONAL Church Notes