Beginning in 1921, the Girls’ Program began competing against other Girls’cottages in physical activities in the hopes of being awarded a trophy. The west side cottages at this time were reserved for female students and included Bennett Cottage, Brooks Cottage, Fisher Cottage, Keller-Sullivan Cottage, May Cottage, and Oliver Cottage. The cottage system provided a family-like environment where students lived, ate, and performed chores and were overseen by a house mother. The five cottages housed 22 people each: 16 girls, 1 housemother, 3 or 4 teachers, and a cook. They slept two to a room, and everyone in the cottage shared in the chores.
Ferguson, Mary Howe, “The Girls’ Program for intercottage competition.” Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind One Hundredth Annual Report of the Trustees 1931, pp. 44-46. Available on the Internet Archive.
McGinnity, B.L., Seymour-Ford, J. and Andries, K.J. (2004) Campus Place Names. Perkins History Museum, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA. Available on Perkins.org.
This Annual Report has been digitized and is available on the Internet Archive in its entirety, however, transcriptions may be error-prone or missing altogether. Learn more about Perkins Archives digitized text and how to request accessible resources.
Ferguson, Mary Howe, “The Girls’ Program for intercottage competition.” Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind One Hundredth Annual Report of the Trustees 1931, pp. 44-46. Available on the Internet Archive.
This recording is a digitized copy of audio created for the Perkins Museum circa 2011. Copyright belongs to Perkins School for the blind. This recording may be quoted if cited. A preferred citation is provided. For any other uses please contact [email protected].
Ferguson, Mary Howe, “The Girls’ Program for intercottage competition.” Recording of reading, circa 2011. 2022-22, Perkins Museum Recordings, AG217 Perkins Museum Collection, Perkins School for the Blind Archives.
The following excerpt was written by Mary Howe Ferguson from the 1931 Perkins Annual Report:
The Girls’ Program for Intercottage Competition at Perkins.
Visitors at the school, noticing a silver trophy cup in one of the cottage living-rooms, are likely to inquire: “How did you earn the cup?” and the members of that cottage family are proud to reply: “We have a number of intercottage contests during the year, and our team having made the greatest number of points in this period, we won the cup.”
These competitions started in the fall of 1921, and each year the spirit of emulation, with the love of fair play, has become more marked.
The program of sports is varied each year, in order to add interest. As soon as school reassembles in the fall preparations for Field Day are begun. On this occasion, which usually comes about October 12 (Columbus Day), running, jumping, races and games are enjoyed. The girls have learned that good teamwork affords a standard to strive for, and many mornings at half-past six they are out on the campus practising. They come in for breakfast with their cheeks all aglow, laughing and shouting after their play.
The contest forms a red-letter day, a gala occasion, graced by the attendance of relatives and friends and by the presence of the little girls of the lower school, a-tiptoe with excitement. The judges are on hand with their programs and notebooks. As the separate cottage families march on to the field with their cottage colors and banners and mascots, the scene is indeed a gay and lively one. The first event is always the singing of the cottage songs by the several groups, the words written and fitted to music by the girls themselves, and the best song selected by the judges.
As the days become cooler indoor recreation is sought, and all are eager to trip “on the light fantastic toe.” Great joy is expressed when the date is announced for a dance, at which the girls have the pleasure of meeting outside guests, also of entering the waltzing competition; and the most graceful dancers receive as a reward points for their cottages.
The winter months are spent in preparing for and carrying out an Indoor Meet in the gymnasium. There the best work performed on the apparatus receives recognition.
Stunt Night is fun for all, for there are individual events that lend themselves well to competitive ends. In the preliminary practising in the cottage living-rooms the girls become convulsed with laughter, trying to put their team-mates through these various twisting and balancing acts. There is even more gaiety when a teacher is one of the participants.
A week is devoted to talks and exercises on Posture. During this period the girls who have made the best appearance in regard to Posture and general neatness win the points for their cottages. There is additional competition in the production of the most acceptable slogan on Posture, and the girl whose offering is adopted is both proud and happy.
Swimming is another favorite sport, and this affords the last opportunity for winning points. Sometimes the scores have been so close that very last event in this meet decided to which cottage the cup should be awarded. All are encouraged to learn to swim or to perfect their swimming strokes.
In their emulation the realization of “being in things” gives to the girls self-confidence, ease and freedom of manner, as well as pure fun and recreation, and loyalty to the home group.
“Girl’s Cottage Families.” Perkins School for the Blind Archives Digital Collections, Flickr.