Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 03: GOVERNANCE ADMINISTRATION
Series 05: GOVERNANCE – BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Series 07: DIRECTORS
Director’s Reports to BOT 1916 
Katherine Pettit, PMSS Co-Director, 1913-1928
Ethel de Long, PMSS Co-Director, 1913-1930 

GOVERNANCE Director’s Annual Reports to BOT 1916

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TAGS: Governance, director’s annual reports to BOT 1916, PMSS Board of Trustees, Katherine Pettit, Ethel de Long, cornerstone laying, Mary Sinclair Burkham School House I, Uncle William Creech

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CONTENTS

Much of the indomitable spirit of the school is captured in the remarks of Uncle William Creech and Ethel de Long at the laying of the cornerstone for Burkham School House I in 1916:

001 “Report of the Laying of the Cornerstone of the  Mary Sinclair Burkham Memorial Building., Wednesday, October 11, 1916.” Prayer by Mr. Daniel M. Lord, then Miss Ethel de Long introduces Uncle William Creech, who states: “…I have been a great many years desirous to build a good school for the building up of my country. I have invested all I have, pretty near, in making a start to build this school.” He praises Pettit and de Long, calling them the “mothers” of the school, if he is to be called the “father.” He then directs his talk to the children, wanting them “to be in obedience to the teachers of this school and try to gain a better people than we have had here before among our people. I want them to rise up for a better standard.”

Miss de Long speaks: She refers to the words on the cornerstone: “In Memory of Mary Sinclair Burkham” and holds up her photograph. After Miss Burkham died, her sister, Miss Caroline Burkham, decided to have the memorial built for the “children of the mountains.” Behind the cornerstone will be placed Burkham’s photograph, “a little book” special to de Long and Pettit, and articles about her burial in the New York papers.

002 The “little book” was used by Miss Burkham, a co-founder of a society in New York to help in the education of children,  to record business meetings. The School sang the Doxology, “which Miss Mary Burkham loved so well.” 

After the placement of the cornerstone items, Miss de Long continues with comments about her and Pettit’s friendship with Mary Burkham and her illness. She describes Caroline Burkham donation of $5,000 to build a school house and observes that, “From all corners of this country our school has gathered help. … [All of whom] have this common idea, the American idea that “you can trust men if you will train…[missing page?]

003 Miss de Long and Mr. Creech talk about the length of time that one needs to be education, comparing the 25 years it takes to grow a poplar. “…[S]urely we ought to give each boy and girl at least one quarter as long as a poplar tree.” 

“The American ideal [is] that you can train men to make them trustworthy….” and good citizens. She lists the local ills that indicate the need for continued “work to make our country what we dream it to be. The Pine Mountain Settlement School is to raise citizens for America.” 

In closing, Uncle William held the flag while the children gave the salute. This was followed by a talk by Mr. Daniel M. Lord of Chicago [PMSS trustee].

[For full transcription of this report, go to MARY SINCLAIR BURKHAM Memorial School House I.]

GALLERY: Director’s Annual Reports to BOT 1916

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Return To:
GOVERNANCE Directors Annual Reports to Board of Trustees GUIDE

See Also:
DIRECTORS Guide Chronological Listing
GOVERNANCE DIRECTORS Alphabetical List
GOVERNANCE

GOVERNANCE BOT Alphabetical Guide 1913 to Present
GOVERNANCE BOT Chronological Guide 1913 to Present 

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