Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1913 — NEW HIGH SCHOOL FORMALLY DEDICATED [ARTICLE]

NEW HIGH SCHOOL FORMALLY DEDICATED

Large Crowd of Patrons Gathered to Hear Address of Former Teacher and Program. , ' .-e \ The dedication of the new high school building Friday evening proved of wide interest and brought out about six hundred people, completely filling the large assembly and the corridors, while many were in the gymnasium and the manual training rooms. Although occupied since last November the formal dedication had been postponed on account of a number of conflicting events. The program as carried out was very interesting and the students had parts in the choruses, the orchestra and the other music, while others acted as ushers or assisted in serving the punch and wafers in the gymnasium. A little vexation was felt by the school teachers at the outset when a fuse was burned out and a few moments later the same thing occurred again, leaving the big and good-natured audience in complete darkness. It was the first time that all the lights had been turned on and the fuses were not of sufficient strength to carry the load. The difficulty was soon adjusted, however, and had no bad effect, except delaying the start of the program. When the lights went out the sec ond time the high school chorus had just entered the stage for their first song and they sang it through in darkness. The rendition of “The Village Blacksmith” as a cantata was very ably performed and brought forth considerable applause and many compliments for the participants and for Miss Stover, the music instructor, who also proved a capable leader throughout the musical part of the program. The orchestra selections were also liberally applauded as was the girls’ quartette, composed of Lura Halleck, Wilda Littlefield, Marjorie Loughrldge and Pearl Sayler. Principal Ross Dean made a tenminute talk about the present methods of Instruction, the present course, the enlivened interest in vocational studies and the sue cess being attained in the manual trainng and agricultural studies. His talk proved that Rensselaer is keeping abreast With the modern educational plan and that the new building has made it possible by means of better facilities for chemical laboratory and manual train ing to give the pupils mote and better training than ever before. Mr. bean spoke of the gymnasium and what has been accomplished in the way of physical development by means of athletics. George A. Williams, as president of the school board, made some introductory remarks about the cost of the school building. About the uear-error that was Involved in the original plan of building an extension to one of the buildings, about

the loyal support the public had given when it acquiesced in the plans of the board to erect a new and modern high schbdl. His talk was very interesting and instructive. *

Superintendent Clark stated that this was the first opportunity he had had of talking to a public gathering of school patrons and he read a well prepared address filled with many practical suggestions of modern school methods and which doubtless made every person who heard it rest assured that our schools are under able control. Edgar O. Holland, superintendent of the schools of Louisville, Ky., and for two years after his graduation from college a teacher in the Rensselaer high school, was introduced to the audience and talked for a little more than half, an hour. He spoke of the difficulties he had experienced in getting an education, and said he was glad that he had been compelled to get it by hard work. He said: “You have a good building here, but it is not the building alone that will educate your children, and it is not the teachers alone that will accomplish this end, but it is the power that you give them by getting behind them and giving them encouragement. That is what will count.” Later in impressing the audience with the fact that it is not wealth that constitutes success or the quality that makes for the greatest good, Mr. Holland said: “I doubt if there is a person here who could tell who the wealthiest man was during the period of Plato; I know I could not: I doubt even if they could name the wealthiest man during the time Shakespeare lived; I could not. You might know who is the wealthiest man in Chicago, but even if you did, you would not accord him a place over the men who are actual factors in an effort to make for civic improvement. And the histories of the future will have but little if anything about the men of wealth, but will'accord a place to those whose works have been based upon helpfulness to alj mankind.” Mr. Holland’s address was a plain talk with many practical, advisory', arid encouraging suggestions for pupils and grown-ups. He held in bold relief the fact that labor is the basis of success and that one must forget self in striving for results for the world’s betterment. His address met warm approbation with all who heard it. Following the dismissal of the dedicatory service Mr. Holland was met by a large number of his old friends, many of whom were scholars during the time he taught here some sixteen years ago. The class rooms, office, manual training rooms and gymnasium were thrown open and patrons were shown about the building, finding many things of interest. In the gymnasium puncp and wafers were served, the pupils being very watchful in assisting the visitors. The meeting was in every manner a complete success and certainly all who were there came away with just pride in our public schools, and great satisfaction in the supervision of the teachers. It will prove interesting in this connection, we are sure, to read something about the position Prof. Holland is holding in Louisville, where he is the city superintendent of all the schools. There are a total of 27,000 pupils in the schools and. a corps of 700 teachers. Five thousand of the pupils are colored and one hundred of the teachers are colored. There are four large high schools. One of these is for girls, and has an attendance of 1,500. At the head of this school is another foiiner Rensselaer teacher, Prof. Ohio L. Reid, who has also made a fine success and is climbing the ladder in education work. Mr. Reid’s wife was Miss Hellen Kelley, for many years a resident of Rensselaer. Superintendent Holland is still a bachelor. He remarked to a friend while here that he had always been so busy that he had never had the time to get married. Mr. Williams, president of the school board, made a suggestion in the course of his remarks that we believe should be adopted. It proposed that hereafter a big meeting of this sort be held annually, at which the public be familiarized with the school work, with the teachers and equipment of the schools. There is much to commend this plan and we believe it can be adopted with profit to the educational advancement of the city.