REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF THE BEVERLY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE BEVERLY INDEPENDENT INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 1912
To the Trustees of the Beverly Independent Industrial School:
GENTLEMEN I submit herewith the fourth annual report of the work of the school maintained under your direction. Accompanying this report of the Secretary is the report of the Director of the School, to which I refer you for detailed information. Our school has reached the stage of assured success from the factory point of view, and substantial improvement and visible strength from the school standpoint.
Since early in October the school has been independent of its former High School associations. Mr. Riggs, instructor in Science, up to this time, severed his connection with the school. An instructor on full time will take his place early in the year. I feel that we owe a word of appreciation to Mr. Riggs for his sturdy attachment to the school and his earnest toil in its behalf.
In its new quarters at the McKay building, where three rooms, office, and reading room is at their service, the teachers and pupils feel that they have a domicile and an equipment for their own service.
The noticeable achievement of the year was the graduation of our first class (14 boys). The exercises took place Wednesday, December 18, 1912. The attention received from the public upon this occasion demonstrated the place, which the school has taken in the community. It has been accepted and endorsed as an institution worthy of support.
The wage-earning capacity of these boys when they entered the school is conservatively estimated at $6.00 per week. A capitalization of the boy’s economic value to the community based on his wage-earning power at the time of entering the school may be placed approximately at $6,000. $6.00 per week for 50 weeks=$300, or 5 percent on $6,000. The wage-earning capacity of these boys at the time of graduation ranged from $15.00 to $18.00 per week. A similar capitalization of the boy’s economic value, based on the wage-earning experience of the fourteen boys graduated, gives a figure between $15,000 and $18,000; it varies with the individual. $15.00 per week for 50 weeks=$750, or 5 percent on $15,000. $18.00 per week for 50 weeks=$900, or 5 percent on $18,000.
When we sent these boys out into the factory on full time, it had cost the municipality and the State a little over $11,200 to maintain the school. The net cost to the city of Beverly was $5,600. The wages paid back to all the boys and returned to the community during the same period had amounted to a little over $10,000.
Giving no consideration to the remaining boys (56 in various stages of preparedness) and estimating the total cost as the price paid to place fourteen boys in the shop as skilled workmen, the cost is shown to be $800 per boy.
The expenditure of $800 per boy had raised the capitalization of his economic value from $6,000 to $15,000, or $18,000: a 13 percent investment in two and one-half years had increased the capital 150 to 200 per cent. We had left an active “stock in process” (56 boys in various stages of preparedness for the trade) and the prospects of a very much larger capitalization as years go by and the graduates become more skilled. During the two and one-half years the community had been profiting by over $10,000 in wages earned by members of the school.
In the world of finance an investment of this kind would be considered very favorably. I submit it as a very interesting’ problem in deferred dividends.
The work of the coming year will be that of working out in detail the academic course of study as it should present the school side of the work in parts, each one of which functions definitely in the making of machinists and men.
Your Board has not confined its efforts to the established school. Recognizing the scope of its usefulness as larger than the measure of this school an attempt has been made to find the status of boys and girls leaving school to enter the industries of our city. A report of an investigation carried on through the co-operation of the representatives of the Woman’s Educational and Industrial Union of Boston has been made.
This report has been based entirely upon information secured from the pupils’ standpoint and will be printed later.
An investigation of the employers’ side should be prosecuted next year, and from the two investigations some definite program for part time, continuation, or other industrial school activities should be presented.
A chronicle of important actions taken by the Board of Trustees includes:
January 9, 1912.
Investigation of the possibilities of establishing an Agricultural Course authorized.
April 29.
Report of that investigation made as follows:
An investigation regarding the demand for agricultural education was conducted by: (1) a letter of inquiry sent to parents of about 250 boys who had left school during the last two and one-half years; (2) a canvass of all of the boys now in the High School; (3) a canvass of all of the boys now attending Grade 8.
Three responses were received from the above inquiries claiming an interest in the establishment of an independent school in connection with the Industrial School. I advise that it is inexpedient to establish such a course.
In the conduct of this examination at the High School, considerable interest was manifested in such a course as a part of the High School work. An inquiry along this line resulted in sixteen bona fide applications for work in Agriculture.
Consultation with Dr. Stimson, Agent of the State Board of Education, confirmed my own conviction that this warranted the establishing of an Agricultural Course in connection with the High School.
I advise that it is inexpedient to establish such a course at this time, and recommend that steps be taken to make such a course operative commencing January, 1913.
It was voted that the above report be accepted as a report to the Board of Trustees of the Beverly Independent Industrial School. It was voted that the Board of Trustees request the Board of School Committee to continue its two members (Messrs. Moulton and Dow) on a special committee to co-operate with His Honor, the Mayor, in bringing about “the establishment of a Course in Agriculture in connection with the High School, the same to be provided not later than January, 1913.”
On Mr. Dow’s motion it was voted to forward that portion of the recommendation which concerns the Board of School Committee with request for favorable action thereon. (They did take favorable action upon this.)
April 29.
Appointment of an Advisory Board to consist of: Member of Company-F. T. Wentworth.
Foreman-Roy P. Hatch.
Journeyman – George A. Smith.
Outside Mechanic – Franklin C. Maude.
Citizen – I. Augustus Sturtevant.
June 19.
Joint meeting of Board of Trustees and Advisory Board.
September 20
Joint meeting of Board of Trustees and Advisory Board.
September 30
Investigation authorized regarding employment of minors throughout the city.
November 26
Graduation of full time boys authorized.
December 18
First class graduated.
December 31
Annual report of Executive Officer received. Authorized continuation of investigation of juvenile employees.
The foregoing report is submitted to the Board of Trustees with the accompanying report of the Director of the School and certain statistics.
Yours respectfully,
R.O. Small
Secretary and Executive Officer
December 31, 1912
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