Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-01-18
ENSBORO SCHOOL
Building DEDICATED.
Corner Stone Laid By Rochelle Lodge
F. A. M. 100

Friday was red letter day for the
Owensboro School district, fifteen
miles northwest of this city in Wilcox
county, when their new school building
was formally dedicated and its corner
stone laid by the Rochelle Lodge F
A. M. No. 100. Dinner on the ground
was prepared by the patrons of the
school, 81 carcasses being barbecued,
besides scores of baskets of prepared
food, chickens, salads, cakes and pies,
being brought by the parents of the
four hundred children, prospective pu-
pills of this district school.
Mr.. ]. J. Covington, acted as Master
of Ceremonies and was kept busy car
rying out a program which suited the
occasion. At II a. M, the Masons as
sembled, separated from the common
crowd and after organizing the lodge
officially, some distance from the as
semblage, returned in marching ord
er and took charge of the ceremonies,
connected with the corner stone lay
ing, wlSsh was very impressive and
watche pagreat deal of interest
by the Shu rs who had gathered
to participate in the days festivities.
On the marble slab was inscribed,
Rochelle Lodge F. A. M. 100, Trust
ees; ]. T. Gibbs, ]. L. Mitchell, G.E.
Richey, w. A. Stone, Supt, Joe P.
Bowdoin, G. M. and F. L. Bigham,
Contractor.
The Building at Owensboro
The school house, constructed after
plans furnished by the Georgia De-
partment of Education, consists of six
class rooms, each 24x30 with two 8
foot halls on each side of the building,
and an auditorium with a seating ca
paclty of 400, for which regular opera
chairs will be installed. Entire building
is furnished with patent heaters, which
give uniform heat throughout the
rooms and admit perfect ventia-
ton. The entire building is a credit
to the community, the trustees, the
contractor and the designer.
A school garden is planned to be
feature of the grounds, which will be
laid out by a landscape gardener, fur
nished by the State College of Agri-
culture, after which it will be in charge
of Mrs. Bertha B. Luke, Home Eco
nomie agent of Wilcox County.
Remarkable Progress in County
Two years ago Supt. w. A. Stone
was elected by Wilcox County to take
charge of its schools. In this short
perkod Mr.. Stone has reorganized the
entire school systems of the towns and
rural districts, bringing all of them I'M
der the direct supervision of the coun-
ty authorities. During this time. Ro-
chelle. Abbeville. Pineview and Pitts
had separate school districts which
have been discontinued and merged
into the county system, reducing the
schools of the county to thirteen con-
solidated schools as against SO two
years ago. Three high schools will
be operated in the county. being 10
Gated at Rochelle, Abbevilie and Pine
view, to which all of the white pupils
desiring the high school course will
be carried from their homes. The sew
eral school districts voted Sl86,000 in
bonds for new buildings and equip
nent and within the year all of the
districts will have their new buildings
erected. Pineview Pope City Center
vile and Owensboro Schools are now
ready for occupancy,
The management of the schools is
in the hands of Sup. w. A. Stone and
the county board of education consist
ing of DR.. w. R. Googe, chairman,
Abbeville; and w. L. McKin1y. Seville,
w. D. Mann, Pineview, w. A, Gibbs,
Rochelle and J. D. A. Smith, Abbeville.
The teachers at the school are: Miss
leila Mccall, principal; Misses Julia
Mccall, Elizabeth Massey and Muriel
Scarborough.
Visitors Made Welcome
The auditorium was crowded to ca
pacity and Hundreds of children were
standing in the aisles in front of the
stage when Mr. Covington asked the
audience to join him in singing "Amer-
lea" accompanied on the organ by
hioo ZClld MSNdl vi lHC
school. Mr.. Whitehead a prominent
citizen of the community. in a few
we'll chosen words, introduced Col. R.
o. Holton. representative-elect for
Wilcox county. who delivered the ad-
dress of welcome and in thirty minute
address included resume of the edu-
cational development of this section.
County School Superintendent WA.
Stone responded to the welcome add
ress and briefly spoke of the plans of
the Board of Education for the future
development of the schools of the
County and urged the continuous CO.
operation of the citizens of the county
with the authorities in charge of the
schools. Mr.. Stone was followed by
Col. H. A. Hodges of Rochelle, who
introduced county superintendent M.
w. Harrel of Dodge County former
teacher of many of the mothers and
fathers of the present pupils of the
Greensboro school.
Mr.. Harrell gave history of the
development of the schools from the
one time log cabin to its present inn
posing 'edifice on the play grounds OF
the schools.
Editor Gelders Of the Fitzgerald