Evening star., 1933-06-11

his readiness to help and skill in making
needed household repairs? Mays application
Of her lessons In personal hygiene and home
nursing in the care of the family during its
influenza attacks went beyond its value to her
own loved ones. She kept the spread Of the
disease to her neighbors by her insistence
following the methods taught her in her trade
school
II she happened to have been graduate Of
the Dennison Vocational School for white girls.
located on street in rather antiquated build
ing near the busy traffic artery of Fourteenth
street northwest she has fascinating alma
mater. In this prosaic looking structure which
gives no hint from without of the variety and
motion Of real living going on behind its dull
yellow walls, is assembled all those industries
identified with the homo. 1t offers prescribed
courses in practically all those trades recog-
nized as being most open for women including
the elementary training for business office
routine 1t is more than school house, how
ever. It Is an example of what modern edu-
Gators interpret as the technical background
for future home makers and girl wage earners
The school established for the hand
minded girl especially If she wished TO earn
her own living. but its greatest function is the
whole picture 1t gives her as to what constitutes
the efficient, the economical. the scientific, the
ethical, the beautiful and the social environ
ment for an American family.
An instance of this cooperative planning and
operation might well begin with the large sunny
kitchen. The girls putting the snowy coconut
icing on a luxurious layer cake in this class
to wearing gay chintzy coveralls. These
were made by other pupils in the sewing
classes (where many Red Cross garments
have come into being this past Winter from
bolts of cloth purchased downtown by Miss
Mary Lackey, the principal, from money earned
by products OF the school. (The coconut cake
was an order from the outside). Naturally, the
coverals will become soiled by the brisk clean
up of stoves and tables to be done by the cooks,
the students of the laundry classes in the
basement have for them stacks of smoothly
ironed ones ready for the next days wearing.
In case some of the cooks need renewal
marcel new water wave or manicure they
will have a chance before dismissal to stop~by
the beautician's class room and get it under the
watchful eye of the teacher, who breads the
misuse of hot iron in the hands of a beginner.
This same cooperative idea extends through
out the building The green and yellow tea
room is the working laboratory of the girls
specializing in cafeteria and mass feeding work.
The food is prepared by the aforementioned
cooks and everything. from the menu planning
to the service at the small tables where
luncheon Is served to the teachers and pupils,
Is done by the students. They learn how to
type the menus in the commercial department.
on the top Aoor; to manufacture the curtains,
table linens and bright hook rugs in the sewing
rooms; to fashion artificial flowers for the CEN
ter Of the tables in the handicraft section and
how to balance the budget in the domestic
science classes. The indispensable Emily Post"
is present also. There is instruction of how to
set table properly from the most formal
dinner to a tea for two, how to welcome a guest
for an evening of games and dancing, how to
go about getting job and the proprieties Of
business ONCE. Child care and home nufsing
comprise course.
Girls enter as young as 13 years old and nay
go into senior high school on their Dem
nison diploma. Some OF the girls are 20 years
of age, having come for the trade course after
academic work elsewhere, and upon finishing
the Dennison they are considered to have the
equivalent of a junior high school course All
8 trade students are required to take related
academic curriculum along with their occupa-
honal training
HESE related subjects are worked out equally
well over in. the boys trade school the
Abbot Vocational School for white boys on O
street near Seventh street northwest Care is
taken, too. to accustom the pupils to the same
details current In their respective trades In the
outside world. As an example the school states
its problems In plumbing, such as how to run
drain pipe through a ceiling, In the same
language and on blueprint with white inh
Just as would q contractor stating specifca-
tons for such q job The principal in this
school, w. F. Smith, is constant reminder to
the boys of the advancement possible through
continued study. He left day school at II
years of age, but ultimately reached degree
at George Washington by continuing his
scholastic paths through the night classes.
For eight years he earned his livlihood with a
cabinetmaker thus having had, as many Of
the teachers In the school do actual trade ex-
perience
= The boys have one advantage over the girls,
IN that the guilds CT organized labor in the
city take an active and definite interest. in
placing the graduates in normal times The
iessened number of jobs now available has tenl-
porariy put this help in allegiance reversing
completely the old or6er of things when q
boy could hardly get his trade school course
finished before he would be engaged in it's