The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-22

! Stuart, Mrs. Watson, the daughter
or Irving Powers, and the many
others who have helped so gener-
ously in the work. Nor must we
forget those who out of narrow
! means have given greatly. 1t is
not the size but the sacrifice of the
gift. "Not what we have but what
we share. for the gift without the
giver is bare"
The school has been most for
tunate in another very important
respect, in the thinp which is the
central factor in the greatness ot
any school. 1t has not merely had
great and true friends in the
management but however dark its
financial condition may have be-
come at any time it has always had
excellent teachers. Mr.. Brown was
for a long time its successful prin-
cipal and he afterwards became
the leading member of the faculty
of a western college. Another long
period of splendid service as prin-
cipal was that of Mr.. Ranger who
is now at the head of the public
educational system of Rhode Is
land. Mr.. Mathewson who has so
long been the principal of the
school has taken high rank among
the educators of New England.
With greater. resources at his COM
mand than those who proceeded
him he has made superb use of
them; has enlarged the faculty so
that the instruction covers the
whole range of subjects that
should be covered in a school like
this and gives the students instruc-
ton of the first order and to his
ability as a teacher he tunites a
faculty for business management
and administration which has con-
tributed SO greatly to the recent
success of the school. Space will
not permit the mention Of the
many other instructors whose
names would show the general
teaching of the school has been
maintained upon a high level.
So much for the past, and now
a word as to the future.
The institution has acquired a
momentum and a forward move
ment which have the promise of
carrying far. To begin with, the
surroundings of the school are
ideal. To the beauty of the situa-
ton is added the salubrity of the
climate which is unsurpassed. The
New England winter has until re-
Gently been regarded as a deter
rent in keeping many out of New
England institutions who were
able to go elsewhere, but the win
ter has become an attractive force.
1t is ideal for winter sports and as
result the college just to the
south of you has been overrun by
students from all parts of the
country. 1t has far more wishing
to come than it is able to receive.
] do not know what your plans
may be. Of course the school will
especially devote itself to the edu-
cation of the boys and girls in its
locality; but if it should be able
to do much more than this the adj
vantageS of its location would
make nationwide appeal and it
would be fortunate for those in the
remote parts of the country if
they could come here and receive
its benefits. | predict that if you
desire to do so, it will become a
national school of the first rank.
The academy, as an institution,
is, think, destined to grow
stronger. The public schools reach
the younger children but they are
naturally supplemented by an in
stitution which can do the work of
the high school or something more
for a wide territory covering many
towns. 1t gives a centralized di-
rection and control and a combina-
ton of resources which will pro-
duce better results than would be
possible for small towns working
alone.
College education is an excellent
thing for one who desires to follow
a profession or to make a speciality
in the higher realms of learning,
but there are many to whom
college education is not feasible,
and there are, | think, many who
have it who do not appreciate its
advantages and who leave college
in few respects better and in some
respects worse than when they en-
ter it. In a school like this it is
possible for a boy OF girl to get a
sound education. They can pursue
the Latin language SO that even if
they do not enter a college they
can have a proficiency in it; and
Latin is the language, which if it
does not lie at the basis of all Ian
guages, is nearer the foundation
than our own tongue or than the
languages of continental Europe.
1t helped make better English
scholars and its study has a high
disciplinary value. The courses
here give them command OF the
French language and enable them
to read French literature without
difficulty. They can master here
the domestic arts and the rudi-
ments of science. The study of
English is pursued for enough to
lead them to acquire the habit of
reading the best English literature
which is not surpassed by any lit
erature in the world, and the stud !
les necessary to efficiency in bust |
ness such as bookkeeping and the
mathematics that would take one
algebra and geometry and |
up to surveying are given so that |
one who finishes the course of !
study in this school and faithfully |
devotes himself to its work may
expect to have developed a taste