This Day In Norwood History-April 11, 1911-Club of Norwood School Children Going to Clean Up Town

To Give Practical Demonstration of Its Work Thursday.

NORWOOD. April 11 — The Clean-Up club of Norwood school children is to give a practical demonstration of its work on a wholesale scale Thursday has been assigned to the children of the Winslow and Balch schools by Superintendent of Schools Austin H. Fittz as a holiday, to be used under the direction of the principal of the schools, Miss Katherine Carbee, in cleaning up that section of the town. There will be over 400 children, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years, going about through that section and collecting the refuse, tin cans, and other such things, end carrying them off in wagons which the parents of the children will furnish. The superintendent has authorized Miss Carbee to do this, and to devote the day that purpose.

This includes practically the whole south end of the town, where many of the families of European nationality reside, and it is stated that at least 15 nationalities will be engaged in the work.

The Clean-up club was organized last fall by Miss Carbee among the children of the Winslow and Balch schools, and the children have done a great deal of good work. The civics department of the Norwood woman’s club took up the matter, and Mrs. Martha Winslow donated $50 to buy barrels to deposit the matter that the children picked up. It was then found that there was no town appropriation to have this rubbish collected from the barrels and taken away, and the Norwood business association and board of trade took the matter up and had an article inserted in the town warrant for the collection and disposal of rubbish in the streets and other public places.

At the recent town meeting, however, the committee of 15 on appropriations recommended that this article be Indefinitely postponed, and that the police department strictly enforce the article of the town bylaws relating to throwing rubbish in the streets. Before this meeting was held a warrant had been posted for a special town meeting, in which was also an article for the disposal of rubbish. So while the committee’s recommendation was accepted by the town meeting, it was on the understanding that the article would come up next Monday evening at the adjourned town meeting.

The children will be provided with sticks so they will not be obliged to handle the rubbish.

11 Apr 1911, Tue The Boston Globe