Primary tabs
1912-04 WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 082 1912-04-26 Minutes of a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Bellingham State Normal School held in their room this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Present: Chairman J. J. Edens, Trustees Donovan and Hammer, Principal Mathes and the Registrar. The minutes of the meeting of March 18th were read and approved. Principal Mathes presented the appended: MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE THREE NORMAL SCHOOLS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. April 3, 1912. Moved by Dr. Mathes that we elect a chairman and secretary for this meeting. Motion carried. By motion, Mr. G. A. Fellows was elected chairman, and H. N. Stronach, secretary. Moved and carried that all actions taken by this general Board shall be ratified by the Board of Trustees of each normal school before becoming effective and official. Principal Showalter, of Cheney, reported on our normal school lands. A general discussion followed, touching the manner in which these lands are now handled, proceeds from sales of same, interest on cash fund, etc. Moved by Dr. Mahan that the three normal school principals, as a Committee from the trustees, be named to act with the other institutions to recommend some legislation regarding the sales and the handling of our normal school lands. Motion carried unanimously. Moved by Dr. Mahan that the three normal school principals also make recommendations, through their Board of Trustees, to the State legislature, with reference to the distribution of the interest and lease money derived from normal school lands. Motion seconded and carried unanimously. A general discussion then followed touching matters of vital interest to the three normal schools, which was finally embodied in the following resolution: BE IT RESOLVED by the three normal schools that we recommend as follows: (1) That the school year shall begin on the first Tuesday in September, of each year, and close about the first of June following. (2) That the summer session shall begin on the Monday following the annual Commencement, and close not later than August first following. (3) That the month of August shall be known as the regular midsummer vacation. (4) It shall be the duty of the principals of the three normal schools each year before the publication of the annual catalogues, to prepare a uniform calendar for use in all of the normal schools in the state for the following school year. (5) The salaries of all teachers regularly employed by the WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 083 1912-04-26 normal schools in the State shall be paid, each year, in twelve equal monthly payments, beginning with September; but it shall be understood that the salary of any teacher shall not be paid for the months of June and July, when such teacher, at his own request, is excused by the Board of Trustees from teaching in the summer session of the institution for that year, and it shall further be understood that each member of any faculty shall, without prejudice, be entitled to be excused from work in a summer session each alternate year, under conditions stated in this paragraph. (6) That teachers who may wish to be excused from service in any summer school session shall so signify such desire to the Principal not later than April 1st preceding the summer session. Moved and carried that it is the sense of this meeting that a uniform contract would be advantageous, and that the matter be submitted to Mr. Lund to prepare a draft with a view of having same approved and adopted by each of the normal schools. Moved and carried that we heartily endorse the Page Bill now pending in the United States Congress, and that we co-operate in every possible way to bring about its final passage during the present session. Touching the Page bill, the following resolution was adopted: "We believe the Page Bill provides more completely and more adequately for all the provisions of practical education than any bill of similar character having been proposed in our national legislative body. We feel that such a measure will guarantee a basis for the furtherance of this all-important educational work which is both needed and demanded throughout our country." (Copies of this resolution to be sent to our senators and representatives in Congress). SIGNED: CHENEY NORMAL SCHOOL by N. D. Showalter, Prin. G. A. Fellows, Trustee. C. P. Lund ". H. W. Collins, ". BELLINGHAM NORMAL SCHOOL By E. T. Mathes, Prin. J. J. Donovan, Trustee. Emerson Hammer, ". J. J. Edens, ". ELLENSBURG NORMAL SCHOOL By W. E. Wilson, Prin. E. P. Wolff, Trustee. J. D. Cornett, ". J. A. Mahan, ". Meeting adjourned. H. N. STRONACH, Secretary. It was ordered that the recommendations made by the conference of Trustees and Principals of the three normal schools at Cheney be approved by this Board and made effective for this school as soon as present contracts with teachers expire. WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 084 1912-04-26 The principal presented the appended: State Normal School Bellingham, Washington. To the Board of Trustees: The regular session of the school year for 1911-1912 will close Wednesday, June 5th, and the work of the year has witnessed a number of important improvements. Among these improvements may be mentioned the completion of the organization of the high school department in the training school; the addition of assistant teachers in the departments of English, foreign languages and home economics; the construction of some thirty oak book cases, the purchase of nearly one thousand volumes for the library and the employment of an assistant for this department; the erection of an open-air school building; the construction of a dozen pieces of playground apparatus; the installation of several drinking fountains, and the purchase of more than four thousand dollars' worth of apparatus for the various departments of the institution. While there has been no increase in the attendance over the previous year, the requirements for admission have been raised, and several new elective courses have been offered. The outlook for the summer session of 1912 and for the coming school year is very encouraging, and, in order that adequate preparation may be made for the session of the coming year, the following items are respectfully submitted for the consideration of the Board of Trustees. First: There is urgent need for an additional critic teacher in our training department. The gradual increase in the enrollment in our junior and senior classes has likewise increased the number of practice teachers each quarter, until at present it is necessary for certain critic teachers each to attempt to supervise, some quarters of the year, daily, the work of twenty-five to thirty practice teachers. It will be necessary to pay $1,200.00 to $1,400.00 per year for this additional teacher. It can probably be arranged so that the employment of this additional supervisor may be delayed until February, 1913, but we urge the desirability of formally establishing the position at this time, so that the work for the coming year may be intelligently outlined and assigned. Second: The establishment of the ninth and tenth grades in the training school has increased the enrollment of that department until we have at present about 160 children in the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth grades, one half of whom are boys. These eighty boys, together with the forty young men in the normal school, should be given additional opportunities for industrial training. The work in manual training offered in the institution at present is highly satisfactory for the girls in all classes of the institution, and these is plenty of work, with the girls alone, to occupy the full time of the two teachers now in the department. We recommend, therefore, the establishment of a department of industrial training for men, and the employment of a young man, for this coming year, if possible, to take charge of the work in manual training for the boys of all grades and classes in the institution. To carry forward this work successfully, this young man should be provided with materials from which to contruct, with student labor, a small wooden building in which to carry on his work. The salary for this position should be not less than $1,200.00 for the first year. Third: The very limited appropriation granted to this institution by the legislature for general printing purposes has, for a number of years, proven a constant handicap in the daily work as well as in the general advertising features of the institution. We believe, therefore, that it would be wise to provide equipment for a small printing office in the institution and have the same operated as a part of our regular manual training work. In this way, much printing could be done for the school with practically no cost except for materials used. Such an equipment need not cost more than $200.00 for the first year, as we already have considerable available material in our equipment for the writerpress, which is a printing machine for duplicating typewritten work. Fourth: During the past year, through a temporary arrangement, we have been able to give the young men of the school some systematic instruction in physical training, and by an expenditure of about $30.00 to $40.00 per month, this arrangement could be continued through another school year, and thus provide competent physical instruction for the young man, both in the gymnasium and on the athletic field. The young men of the normal school and of the high school grades have petitioned for this work, and it should, if possible, be provided. WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 085 1912-04-26 Fifth: Owing to the failure of Mr. T. A. Bonser, of Spokane, to report for work in the department of zoology last September, it was necessary, just at the opening of the school year, to reorganize, to a limited extent, the assignments for work in the science departments for the current school year; but in the judgment of the writer, little loss was sustained as a result of the readjustment, and it is not believed that it will be necessary to fill that department for the coming year; but some provision should be made for carrying on the work of the department. We suggest two or three methods for taking care of this question: (a) The department may be continued and Mr. Moodie given the position of Professor of Botany and Acting Professor of Zoology. (b) The two departments might be consolidated into one general department to be called the "department of biology." If this is done, it will be necessary for teachers in other departments to assist in the work of this department, which is not always satisfactory or desirable, from the standpoint of members of the faculty. (c) The work of zoology might be added to the department of botany, and the work in physiology and hygiene added to the department of school nurse. By this plan, we probably could provide satisfactorily for the work of the department, for the present at least, and this we believe is the most desirable solution of the problem. In making this re-adjustment, it is recommended that the salaries of the teachers in the departments affected be reconsidered and suitable increases granted. Sixth. No department in the institution has met with more universal endorsement than that of Home Economics, and this department is seriously in need of additional room. By a readjustment of our museum, a large part of the third floor of the science building may be made available for this department, but the alterations necessary to render the rooms suitable for domestic science work would cost probably $250.00. If the Home economics department were moved to the third floor, the Y. W. C. A. might be moved to the basement, which would give an additional room for the high school work, and this will be needed in the near future. Unless we can see our way clear to erect a cottage within two or three years for the home economics department, the readjustment suggested above should be made at the first opportunity. Seventh. It is recommended that the Trustees authorize the further investigation of available lands for a demonstration garden, and that such steps be taken as may be necessary to lease land upon which to begin such demonstration work not later than April, 1915. Eighth: The resignation of Miss Ruth A. Gottlieb, as School Nurse, makes it necessary to secure a new instructor for that position. The importance and steady growth of this work make it imperative that the position shall not be left vacant for the coming year, and a number of letters of inquiry have already been sent out asking for candidates for the position. Ninth. We beg to report the resignation of Prof. G. Sidney Stark, as teacher of stringed instruments, and wish to recommend strongly Mrs. Mamie Davenport Engberg, of this city, to fill the position made vacant by the resignation of Mr. Stark. We recommend, further, that the position be tendered Mrs. Engberg upon the same or similar terms as were accepted by Mr. Stark. Tenth. A study of the Recommendations passed at the joint meeting of the Boards of Trustees of the three State Normal Schools, held in Cheney, April 3rd, 1912, will suggest the need of a readjustment of the salaries of our faculty if these recommendations are adopted by this Board. The following brief analysis of the question will suggest the minimum increase in salaries that will approximately cover the extra service demanded of each teacher. At present, we really demand of each teacher three weeks of Summer school work in addition to the regular school year to entitle him to pay for all twelve months in the year. Under the new plan proposed, each teacher will be required to work about seven or eight weeks in addition to the regular school year to be entitled to pay for all twelve months of the calendar year, which means that we will require about one month more of work under the new plan WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 086 1912-04-26 from each teacher annually than we require under the present plan. It seems clear, therefore, that we must increase the salary of each teacher at least by the amount of one month of his salary if we are to compensate him for the extra service required under the new contract. This will mean an increase of $3,650.00 for the year and will increase the cost of salaries about $2,130 for the remainder of the present biennium. In the light of other urgent needs, as outlined above, this question of readjustment of salaries should receive very careful and yet, if possible, favorable consideration. All of which is respectfully submitted. Principal. The principal was authorized to investigate the matter of securing a man to assist in the teaching on the Manual Training department. He was also authorized to purchase a small printing press and some type. He was further authorized to engage a student assistant in the department of Physical Culture at a salary of from $30.00 to $40.00 per month. Miss Montgomery appeared before the Board by request to present her grievance that Miss Gray had been sent to Spokane to attend a meeting of the deans of the northwestern state schools while she, Miss Montgomery, had not been granted expenses to attend a meeting of the Inland Empire State Teachers association at Pendleton, Oregon, several years ago. The discussion extended over an hour but no action was taken. Trustee Donovan read a personal letter from Governor Hay announcing that he had been compelled to postpone his visit to Bellingham and this school until about the 20th of May. The chairman offered the written resignation, addressed to him, of Miss Gottlieb as School Nurse in the Department of Hygiene to take effect Sept. 1st, 1912. It was ordered that the resignation be accepted. The appended bills were approved for payment: MAINTENANCE FUND J. Wayland Clark, Registrar, Revolving Fund - $386.75. Ehrlich-Harrison Co. - 98.40. Bausch and Lomb Optical Co. - 30.00. Engberg's Pharmacy - 29.55. Trunkey and Sons - 472.14. Whatcom Co. Ry. and Lt. Co. - 47.90. Graham and Munch Drug Co. - 16.00. Union P., P. and S. Co. - 21.15. Munro and Haskell - 23.55. Earles-Cleary L. and S. Co. - 35.13. Morse Hardware Co. - 22.08. WWU Board of Trustees meeting minutes for April 1912 Volume 04 - Page 087 1912-04-26 LOCAL FUNDS Peter Frank - $1.75. Ida E. Powell - 8.00. Nobles Bros. Dairy Farm - 1.00. A. P. Erickson - 179.65. Whatcom Co. Ry. and Lt. Co. - 10.89. Ulrich and Horat - 68.20. F. L. Blodgett - 53.22. J. E. Flick - 12.95. Wilson-Nobles-Barr Co. - 62.75. Pellin ?? Bay Grocery Co. - 4.40. John Rindal - 51.83. The Ford Creamery Co. - 136.51. Palace Meat Market - 2.70. Pacific Steam Laundry - 9.10. Pacific Tel. and Tel. Co. - 5.80. B. B. Furniture Co. - 4.05. Gin and Co. - 6.66. Bellingham Truck Co. - 14.80. Whatcom Co. Ry. and Lt. Co. - 31.75. Christopher and Blythe - 7.90. Sweet Grocery Co. - 188.75. A. C. McClurg and Co. - 17.15. Lowman and Hanford Co. - 8.42. Montague and McHugh - 2.60. Ruth A. Gottlieb - 10.00. The Board adjourned until 2:30 P. M. May 7th, 1912. There being no further business, the Board adjourned. Minutes approved. ##