Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-02-06
Schools Sell
Magazines

some by the Student Councils,
and some by the school faculty
The individual school profits,
which range from $500 to S1400
annually, are used for such
luxury" items as band uni
forms, choral robes, bleacher
stands. an electric organ, as in
the case of Gaithersburg, school
papers, or 60 into the general
fund for necessary school ex-
penses.
The educators, for the most
part, frOwn on the whole idea
but, in the words of Wheaton's
principal, ElwoOd Mason, ICON.
slider 1t a necessary evil"
1--WE don't like it" they say,
"But we need the money and
what else can we do to raise
it?"
These principals would be
glad to be relieved of the re.
sponsibility and bother of mag
azine subscription drives. But
until the board of education
furnishes the money for items
which the schools consider nee
essary, they see no other way
out.
The best statement of the
dilemma facing the educators
was presented by George Hitch
cock, principal of Montgomery
Hills Junior High.
This school has not had a
subscription campaign in at
least 10 years. For the past two
years, Hitchcock has been try
ing to get $500 in the school
budget for blackout curtains for
the gymnasium.
Knowing that his students
are being denied films and lee
lures which he considers a
necessary part of their educa-
ton, Hitchcock finds the idea
of "just a small campaign" very
tempting, ''in spite of the in
convenience"
In other words, these educa-
tors, hard-pressed for money
for the so-called "frills," almost
feel that it is their duty to
undertake the extra work in
volved in this kind of fund
raising.
This attitude puts the ques-
ton squarely up to the commu-
nifty. Do the people want to
raise the money for such items
through taxes or do they want
to take it out of their children's
education time?
One of the biggest unan.
swered questions, of course, is:
how can the principal logically
refuse any other commercial in
terest the opportunity TO have
hundreds of junior statesmen
peddling its product? Some of
the biggest commercial inter
ests in the country would drool
over the prospect of such re-
cruitment opportunity.
How much time is actually
involved? Richard Montgomery,
where the magazine subscrip-
ton drive has been an annual
event for more than 10 years,
is a good example of the ex-
tremes to which such a cam
paign can go.
This school, in the middle of
its current campaign, has its
% homerooms divided into two
teams, the "Yokums" and the
"Scraggs." In each homeroom,
prizes are given daily for the
team selling the most subscrip-
tons the day before.
A daily prize also goes to the
high salesman for the whole
school. Ten top prizes for high
statesmen will be given at the
end of the campaign.
Any student selling over S35
will go to a skating party when
the drive is over; students sell
ing more than $50 will 90 to a
dinner and movie in addition.
Last week an hour-long sne-
cial assembly was attended bv
the whole school tn kick off the
drive. A representative from
the Curtis Publishing Conpanv
which has the mononolv on
these students efforts. ex-
planned the profits and prizes
to be won.
One of the teachers gave
helnful hints on selling tech
niuues such as 'Don't let them
see the order blank before YOU
are ready to make the sale"
and "You should get in the
house before YOU tell them
what YOU are selling"
Last year Richard Montonm-