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Bridgewater State UniversityVirtual Commons - Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater State Anniversary Publications Special Collections & Archives1940A Centennial Pageant: The First CenturyBridgewater State Teachers CollegeThis item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts.Recommended CitationBridgewater State Teachers College (1940). A Centennial Pageant: The First Century. In Bridgewater State Anniversary Publications.Paper 8.Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/anniversary/8A CENTENNIAL PAGEANT THE• FIRST• CENTURY This pageant is given as a part of the Cen-tennial Celebration of the State Teachers College at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The theme of the pageant is "Freely ye have received, freely give." The action suggests the rich heritage of Bridgewater and the ser-vice it has rendered for a century in many lands. Well has the school cherished its motto: "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Presented For the Alumni in the quadrangle before Boyden Hall, June 1, 1940, at 10:00 o'clock and again Presented for Senior Class Day in the Horace Mann Auditorium, June 7, 1940, at 10:00 o'clock A CENTENNIAL PAGEANT THE FIRST CENTURY For the golden century given to us We, in turn, raise high the torch Of Education. OPENING DANCE - GREETING Prologue PART I Historical Let these traditions of mind and spirit Light yet another cycle of the years. Th is part shows the gifts from the State of Massachusetts and from the Town of Bridgewater which made possible the founding of the Normal School. It also shows the generous gifts of the alumni after the fire of 1924 which helped to re-establ ish the school in its new setting. The grad-uation scenes show how the graduates of Normal School and College through a centu ry have gone out into the public service, both into schools and into patriotic service. Episode I. General Court - 1838 In the old State House a committee of the General Court discusses the new idea of Horace Mann that the State should establish Normal Schools. They vote a grant of money for this purpose. The first Normal Schools of America are thus con-stituted. Episode II. Town Meeting - 1839 The people of the Town of Bridgewater gather in Town Meeting. They debate whether and how they shall secure the new Normal School for their town. They vote money as a loan to help in building the new school, and disperse. This location has been unchanged for 100 years. Episode II I. Early Graduation Scene - 1848 In 1846 was built the first building in America to be erect-ed to house a State Normal School. In this building, under Principal Nicholas Tillinghast, a class graduates. The graduates of this period went out into town, village, and country schools of the period. Episode IV. Civil War Graduation Scene - 1862 In 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, Mr. Albert Gardner Boyden was Principal. Some young men left the School to join the United States Army. Their patriotism is honored by the playing of "Ta ps" and the reading of the roll of those who made the supreme sacrifice. Other graduates went out into the new-ly graded schools, there to serve their country by educating its youth. Episode V. Gradua tion Scene - 1918 Again in 1918, war claimed the service of patriotic youth. Many graduates and undergraduates went into the army, some giving their lives. Dr. Arthur Clarke Boyden was now Principa l. We see the graduation exercises suggested and the enlisting of young men. Other graduates were eagerly sought for teach-ing positions. Episode VI. Fire Scene - 1924 In 1924 occurred the disastrous fi re that destroyed th ree bui ldings. Students in quiet and orderly fashion departed to their homes, to be soon recalled to the make-shift classrooms and ra pid ly growing equipment furn ished by the generosity of the townspeople, alumni, and State. We see rep resenta t ives of the alumni bringing gifts. The new buildings were beau tified by the Alumni decora-tions and other gifts. These decorations are represented by the tableau of the central mural from our auditorium. Episode VII. Graduation Scene --1940 This episode shows the graduation of the present. The Normal School has become a Teachers College; we now see the academic procession. But the graduates, like all those of the past century, still carry the Bridgewater Spirit into the communities they serve. PART II World Influences From distant lands, from earlier times, Come to this place the three-fold treasure Mind, Heart, Spirit. Horace Mann enters. As he writes his "Seventh Report", in which he urges the establishment of Normal Schools, he recalls what he saw in Europe, and meditates on the future of teacher-training institutions. Episode I. The educational ideas of central Europe -Symbolized by Froebel and his school. Froebel, and his work with children and with student-teachers, typifies the best in European ideals which Horace Mann brought back from his t ri p abroad. He remembers Fraulein Louise Levin (Froebe l's Assistant) and student-teachers enter. Froebel enters with children,. who play ·two kindergarten games. Visitors watch. (Middendorf, Poesche, Dr. Kuehner, Dr. Ben fey, Baroness von Marenholtz Buelow) . Froebel greets visitors and a tardy child. All the children gather around him. The episode closes with a tableau, as Froebe! "looks to America for the fulfillment of his dream." Episode 11. The heritage of other cultures -Symbolized in song and dance. Through the century, Bridgewater has received the children of many nations. Each group has enriched the life of the school by contributions from its national culture. Bridgewater, like America itself, has become a fusion of many racial strains. This enrichment is symbolized by the songs and dances from many nations, all represented at some time in the student group. The order is as follows : Koiviston Polka, Finnish Folk Dance Lepolele, Armenian Dance Hatikyoh, The Jewish Anthem Gavotte, French Court Dance of the 18th Century Tarantella, Italian National Dance Rapariga Tola Tola, Portuguese Folk Song Noh Dance, Japanese Dance of the Theater Hambo-polska, Swedish Couple Dance Kirby Malzeard, English Sword Dance Irish Reel Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Negro Spiritual At the close, the entire group enters the school in an in-formal processional. Episode 111. The Bridgewater Influence-Symbolized by moving tableaux. (Enter) As the school has received the cultures of many lands, so her children, in their turn, have gone to many places far and near, carrying the Spirit of Bridgewater into our own and other lands. In some of these countries our students have been pioneers in forming new Normal Schools for training native teachers. The groups in the large semi-circle represent England, France, Mexico, Japan, India, and America. Graduates of dif-ferent periods come out of the school, and go toward these groups, forming tableaux which symbolize their service to these races. The last two represent the many graduates who are go-ing and will continue to go all over our own country, carrying with them their motto, "To minister." PART Ill The School of Today and Its Contributions to the Future. Still burns the flame lighted in other times Fed by the minds' riches from other lands We are the Present, illumed by a radiant Past Face-forward to a shining Future. Pass on this torch! In this part, the College shows its present modern spirit, and its out-look toward the future. It adopts the well-known "purposes of Education in a Democracy" as the basis for its forward look. These are presented in four floats, each showing one of these purposes. Let no one think that the Bridgewater Spirit lives in the past. Float I. Self-Realization A student peering into a telescope, a tiny girl admiring a huge flower, another speaking through a microphone, a boy studying with a microscope and a girl playing at archery, show that modern education aims to develop an Inquiring Mind, Ap-preciation of Beauty, the Ability to Speak Clearly and Read Efficiently, Intellectual Interest, Participation in Sports, and an Interest in Health. Float II. Human Relationships This floa t shows both school and home. Children discuss their work around a study table, others play together, and the older girl is designing draperies for a home. Thus in modern education children learn the value of Courtesy, Working and Playing Together, the Enjoyment of Friendship, and Apprecia-tion of the Home. · Float 111. Economic Efficiency The girl typing, a chi ld doing business at a teller's cage, another making a purchase at a store, with a factory suggested by const ruction show that modern education trains children as future producers and consumers. It helps each child to im-prove his efficiency, to know the value of work, to se-lect his occupation wisely, to become a skillful buyer, and to have a sound standard of living. Float IV. Civic Responsibility This float presents the circle, which symbolizes the intan-gible, together with the surveyor's instrument, and the ever-green' tree. By these we show that the schools foster civic re-sponsibility through the cultivation of Tolerance, Civic Planning, World Citizenship, and the Conservation of Natural Resources. As a result we hope to find the child appreciative of our Demo-cratic Government. Epilogue CLOSING DANCE - FAREWELL ALMA MATER I. COMMITTEES General Committee:-Mrs. Little, Alumni Chairman Miss Decker, Director Miss Nye, Art Miss Davis, Faculty Chairman Miss Hill, Speech Claire Curran, Harriet Mayo, Senior Representatives 11. Book and Research:- Miss Hill, Miss Bradford, Miss Caldwell, Miss Davis, Mr. Davoren, Miss Decker, Miss Marks, Mrs. Little, Miss Nye, Margaret Meade, Joseph Devitt, Normand Paquette, John Tobin. 111. Speech:- Miss Hill. IV. Music:- Miss Rand, Merilyn Studley, Winifred Silveira, Tynne Peterson. Victrola:- Ruth Bissett, Mary Cameron. V. Art:- Miss Nye, Mr. Stearns, Phyllis Slobins, Normand Paquette. VI. Modern Dance:- Miss Decker, Florence Kamandulis, Janice Kimball VII. Costumes :-Opening Dance:- Phyllis Simon. Part I: - Mrs. Little, Miss Alice Bowman, Mrs. Crawford Ferguson, Mrs. William Hunt, Mrs. Charles Jordan. Costumes loaned by many Alumni and residents of Bridgewater and vicinity. Part II:- Miss Thompson, Stefani Konrad, Marion Spencer, Florence Bradshaw, Tynne Peterson, Lena Trojano, Joseph-ine Meranda. Custodians:- Miss Sleeper, Miss Thompson. VI 11. Make Up, Wigs, and Hairdressing:- Miss low, Genevieve Doherty. IX. Sound and Photography:- Miss Graves, Anthony Perry. X. Grounds Arrangements:- Mr. Meier, Mr. McGurren, Mr. Durgin, Mr. Huffington. XI. Ushers:- Mr. Hunt, Dr. Arnold, Dr. Maxwell. XII. Finance:- Miss Vining, Mary Queenan. XIII. Co-ordinator of Children's Activities:- Miss Marks. DIRECTION Miss Decker, General Director Part I. Mr. Davoren. Episode I. John Tobin, Samuel Deich. II. Evelyn Allen, Alba Martinelli. 111. Esther Sullivan, Jean Lindsay. IV. Estelle Mackey, Ruth Chadwick, Martin Killory. V. Lysbeth Lawrence, Gertrude King. VI. Nance Marquette, Mary DeCoste. VI I. Mr. Tyndall, Nan Purtell. Part II. Miss Caldwell. Episode I. Miss Braley, Barbara Buffington. 11. Muriel Gamble, Mary Sheehan, Katherine Nolan, Norma Tuomala, Doris Burrell, Elizabeth Merry, Barbara Lutted, Ruth Bissett, Anna Kelly, Sadie O'Byrne, William Costello. 111. Annette Breen, Louise Forsyth. Part Ill. Miss Nye and Miss Dow. Float I. Miss Smith, Dorothy Fontaine, Junior Art Class. II. Miss Thompson, Ethel Melin, Sophomore Art Class. 111. Miss Graves, Ann Crosby, Freshman Art Class. IV. Miss Packard, Mercia Carter, Senior Art Class. Trucks are loaned by George Emerald, B. F. Ellis, J. H. Jones and J. A. Murray. ST AGE MANAGERS Barbara Freeman Margaret McHugh Gladys Moore Wanda Karc:zmarc:zyk Virginia Mayo Andrea Pearce TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS Miss Ethel Bailey (Emerson) - General Arrangements; Mr. Nelson Bell (The Music Box, Inc.) - Sound Expert. 

A Centennial Pageant: The First Century

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A Centennial Pageant: The First Century

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