Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 294, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1912 — MONNETT HONE TO BE DEDICATED [ARTICLE]

MONNETT HONE TO BE DEDICATED

Dr. Geo. Wr Switzer Will Preaeh Sermon in Commemoration of - Addition to school. On afex| Sunday evening, Dee. 15th, at Trinity M. E. church tne Monnett Home and' Watts de Peyster School for Girls will be dedicated, this being a service arranged In honor of the addition built the past summer. The trustees have had printed i statement to be mailed out to many persons and setting out the origin, growth, equipment, financial condition, entrance requirements and prospects of the school. The text of the statement thus made is published herewith, as follows: . Origin—Miss Monnett, in 1907, at a time she was deeding property to the Chicago Training School, made a simple request that a house and ten acres of ground located at the edge of Rensselaer be used as a beginning of a school for girls. Such a school, in her fore-sight being needed for girls whose parents, parent, or guardian were not located -so as to give - their girls instruction under Christian influence. Disposal of Property to Date—The Training School turned over the property to the Methodist Deaconess Society, w'hose officers proceeded < to establish a school, finally placing the school under the control of a Board of trustees with 'an executive committee of Rensselaer people.—Board of Trustees: Mrs. Julia O Warrington, Mrs. Rella C. Pell, Rev. C. L. Harper, G. W. Switzer. Executive committee: Rev. Harper, Chairman; Mrs. Rella C. Fell, Mrs. Delos Thompson, Dr. M. D. Gwin, Grace Findley. Growth —Part of the land was sold, ahd the proceeds, with other donations, was put into the building. The school after five years of struggle now. has six deaconesses and all the girls the enlarged building will hold, about twenty-eight girls, 'and some applicants that are refused. Equipment—A building twice as big as the original, steam-heated, well arranged for school and five acres of ground. Financial Condition —Baths, lights and building all paid for but the steam heating system and sewerage—lacking SI,OOO of being paid for. Entrance Requirements—Any gilrl of good moral character, any religious denomination not having finished the Bth grade and paying a tuition of sl2 a month, age above six years. Similar Schools—The Deaconess Association has had a school for all ages except girls from six to fourteen years and the Rensselaer school fills the space. The Baby-Fold at Normal, 111., Jennings Seminary at Aurora, 111., with an enrollment of two hundred, the school taking the graduates of this school, the Orphanage at Lake Bluff, 111., and the School for Boys at Quincy I'll. Prospects—This school is barely self-maintaining because some few oi the girls are taken who can not pay full price. It is absolutely sure to grow as did Jennings Seminary, but ol course having no endowment iftust grow by donations as did Jennings. And they are beginning to come. Two local men gave • SIOO each. Thus you see It a school needed and destined to become big for its kind, in so far as you make it big. It is your school and controlled by your people. This school is entirely under the control of Rensselaer people. The Chicago Training School has no further connection.