TROISIÈME SECTION

— 422 —mission, the State Architect, the State Board of Charities, theSalary Classification Commission, the Building ImprovementCommission, the managers, other institutions, justices, inquiringfriends, and, unendingly, the letters to parents and to girls onparole or absolutely discharged but who are still appealing tous for advice and encouragement. In this last part of theroutine work, the superintendent has no adéquate assistancealthough it could almost ail be delegated to a responsiblesecretary. In difficult times when the head of any other departmentis sick or absent, the superintendent not only must neglecther disciplinary responsibilities but also the office work or elsethe most personal part of her work which no one else can do.This is detrimental to the school, and most unbusinesslike asit compels an officer who is paid a superintendent's salary todo much clérical work. We, therefore, need another well paidaid, a secretary. To rectify conditions, the board has twicerequested the Salary Classification Commission to establish forthis school the following positions; a chief clerk, whose dutieswould be largely those of a secretary, and a superintendent'sclerk, who would take charge of ail the clérical work connectedwith the keeping of historiés and records of girls. Request wasmade also for a supervising matron, among whose numerousduties would be the important one of training néw assistantmatrons. The growth of the school and the development of ailbranches of the work have made it manifest that thèse officersmust be allowed, if the school is to progress or even to maintainits position.Amusements. —Various entertainments have been givenduring the year—a stereoptican lecture on "A Trip to YellowstonePark" by Mr. P. M. Hull, and one on "Our Native Birds"by Mr. C. Edwards Jones, both of the State Department ofEducation, one on "Kindness to Animais" by Mrs. Sage ofthe S. P. C. A., and one on "A Trip to the Isle of Pines" byMiss Kathryn I. Hewitt of this school. A practical talk ongrafting and horticulture was given by Mr. F. B. Stevens, ofNew York Agricultural Experiment Station, and one on Schoolgardens by Mr. John W. Spencer of the Cornell ExperimentStation. A talk on Lincoln was given on the 12th of February- 423 —by Rev. Dr. Yeisley, of Hudson. Other visitors, when theyhave visited the singing classes, have spoken informally tothe girls.There have also been concerts, vocal and instrumental ;the Hudson Band was procured for an outdoor concert oneevening. The différent holidays have been appropriately observed.A Christmas play, taken from "Little Women", was givenby a group of our youngest girls. The girls of the third grade,as an apology for some unpleasant conduct during thespring, presented a dramatized version of "Hiawatha". Itwas well done and in the out of door setting produced acharming effect.On Décoration Day the high grade girls were taken to Mt.Merino, a hill overlooking the Hudson and about half a milefrom the school. Going outside of the grounds is not so muchof a novelty as it was, for not only are the white and blueribbon girls taken quite frequently into Hudson and où littleexcursions down the river or out into the country, but thegarden girls work very largely outside of the high board fenceand for several months a considérable portion of this fencehas been down as it interfered with work to be done on thepart of the grounds where new buildings were being erected.Coasting in winter ' down the hill on the road leading tothe institution is a privilège granted ail grades and is enthusiasticallytried. To many girls it is an entirely new formof pleasure.The simple pleasures are warmly appreciated and help thegirls to be satisfied with pleasures of like nature when theyleave the school.Exhibit at the State Fair.—Ah exhibit was sent to theState Fair for a two fold purpose. In the first place, it is ofbenefit to the girls to prépare such an exhibit. It arouses afeeling of enthusiasm and pride in the school, créâtes in newgirls a désire for instruction and enables older ones to see thepractical application of principles taught them in the industrialdepartment. It dignifies and enhances for them the value of theschool training.