Bern Public Lib.
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The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OF
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>RTH
er Copy
VOLUME 5
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1962
NUMBER 22
Very few New Bern citizens have
availed themselves of the oppor
tunity to visit Caswell School at
Kinston, although the State has
operated it as an institution for the
mentally retarded since 1914.
In the beginning it was known
as Caswell Training School, but
through a legislative act in 1959
the word “Training” was dropped.
Originally there were only two or
three buildings, but it is now an
estate valued at approximately 14
million dollars.
The school has a capacity of
1,975 residents, and serves 43 coun
ties in eastern North Carolina. The
oldest resident is 74 years old, and
there are over 200 who are beyond
50 years of age.
Maximum charge per resident is
$60 per month. In many needy
cases, these charges are prorated
according to the ability of parents
to pay. There are approximately
575 employees on the payroll, in
cluding the superintendent, cot
tage parents, and others necessary
to carry out the functions of an in
stitution of this size and nature.
The school campus is a big one,
beautifully kept at all times. Of the
1,200 acres belonging to the school,
there are 800 under cultivation.
The recreation department has a
comprehensive physical education
program, and stages parties and
dances to supplement its intra
mural sports. Included is a modern
swimming pool.
After an educable child has com
pleted his acadeinic training, he.
is referred to rehabilitation for ad-
C ditional training and simple voca-
tiQoal: wfflTk, bomemaking, -africub
ture, shop work, and other voca
tional jobs before placement in
society. Seventy percent of the re
habilitation funds come from the
Federal Government and 30 per
cent from State funds.
The Cottage Life Department is
the largest department on the cam
pus. The staff maintains constant
supervision of residents in the
building 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. In the living units, the
cottage parents provide a happy at
mosphere for the boys and girls,
and train them in manners, re
spect, how to care for their per
sonal belongings, personal groom
ing, and ways to live as a group.
Each group living unit is equip
ped with television. Most units
have record players and ample
toys, magazines and other things
to keep the residents busy and
happy. All v/ho are able to partici
pate have recreation either in the
building or through the recreation
program on the campus.
In the fall of 1959, a new 90-bed
hospital v/as opened. In addition
to a new hospital, there are a
Crippled Children’s Hospital and
an out-patient clinic. There are
medical wards and clinics in each
of the colony units. There are three
full-time doctors, 17 registered
nurses and 27 licensed practical
nurses.
Caswell School offers religious
services for all of its residents.
The services are nondenomination-
al, and three are held each Sun-
. day. One Sunday each month the
chaplain takes a group of the pu-
'pils to one of Kinston’s churches.
Feeding 1,975 residents is a tre
mendous operation. There is a
staff of 118 employees under the
supervision' 6f one food service
director, with two college gradu
ates in home economics as assist
ants. All- food is prepared and
cooked in the central kitchen and
served in 20 different areas. Ap
proximately 900 residents are serv
ed in a large central dining room,
while the two colony buildings con
tain 16 dining rooms.
Food is carried from the kitchen
in sterilized vacuum containers by
a panel truck. It is arranged on
carts in a serving kitchen and
(Cofitfnufd on Pag* 8)
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PREFERS SUMMER—Hubert Glenn Tolson, ffl, hates to
see the warm days give way to Autumn, and it’s easy to
understand why. Although he is just 4Vh years old, he is
already an accomplished water ski performer, as he dem
onstrates at Trent Pines here. His parents, Hubert and
Teensy Guion Tolson, are quite proficient themselves, and
with Wimpy Barwick gave him the instruction that started
him off.—Photo by Sara (Jonny) Green.
STEPPING HIGH—New Bern High school’s majorettes
chose this vantage point on a set of stadium bleachers when
the man with a camera arrived to snap their picture. Left
to right are Head Majorette Nancy Masters, Jesse Ruth
Arthur, Karen Higgins, Marthanette Pate, Laural Cox,
and Mary Beth Armstrong. They will be on hand with the
band Friday night, when the New Bern Bears play host
to the Jacksonville Cardinals.—Photo by John R. Baxter.