Andrew Drumm Institute - The Operation of the Andrew Drumm Institute

By George C. Berkemeier

Five years after the Drumm Institute was established; I was asked to come work for the “Home, School, and Farm” for orphaned and indigent boys. I was teaching Agriculture at William Chrisman High School in Independence, when the school term ended the last of May in 1934. John Wilson had been teaching the Vocational Agriculture classes at Drumm and was leaving the teaching profession to manage his father’s car agency. Mr. H.R. Nelson asked if I would help work with the boys of the Institute for the summer.

It was the first week of June when I came to work----time for cutting and placing the first cutting of Alfalfa in the huge barn lofts. The hay was pitched onto the farm wagons. A hefty team of Percheron horses pulled the wagons beside the barns and a “hay fork”, guided by a one inch rope lifted the heavy Alfalfa up and into the loft. Early in the afternoon of the first day of my work----the rope tore apart. Mr. Nelson was behind the desk of the office and I went to the office door and called out---- “Mr. Nelson the hay rope broke”. He never looked up from his writing. I waited some seconds and this time I talked with a louder voice---- “the hay rope is broken”. This time he answered me, but never looked toward me-- he just said, “fix it”. After standing in the doorway for a moment, I went into the school room across the hall. On a shelf I found a shop manual that contained a chapter ---- Uses of rope. I took the book along with me and headed back to the lower barn. The boys and I figured out how to make a long splice for repairing the torn rope. The boys then continued to fill the loft with hay without further delays. I learned a lot on that first day of my work at Drumm. “Don’t give up ---- do something ---- and get it fixed”.

For the 1934-35 school year the Institute employed Mr. Justin Doak for the school term. I was back teaching Agriculture in the Independence High School. Then in the summer of 1935 Mrs. Berkemeier and I moved to the Institute and spent a total of forty years working with the boys.

There were times during this forty year period, when those in the field of Social work labeled the Institute as a farm where boys just lived and had to do farm work to earn their keep.. It’s true the boys were involved in chores on the 372 acre farm. They milked cows, took care of a flock of sheep, fed hogs, grew crops, tilled a huge garden, filled silos with forage, cleaned chicken roosts, collected eggs and whatever needed to be done on a farm.

There were many more activities; all with an emphasis on LEARNING. We believe that one learns by doing. They belonged to an active F.F.A. chapter, the 4-H club, belonged to scout troop 229, attended church, fielded teams in football, track, basketball and baseball. The boys were busy. School work and receiving good grades was a top priority. Superevised study time was a part of each day. Summer classes for those needing extra help with their studies was given each year after the regular school term ended.

All the boys were required to attend church on Sunday morning. Sunday evening youth activities were optional. Drumm’s will said that the Management of the Institute shall be wholly non-sectarian. Those in charge were to inculcate in the minds of the youth the highest principles of morality and honesty. The youth went to the church of their choice. During one period of time they attended eight different churches. It was a problem to take the boys to that many churches. Fortunatly five denominations had a church in a radius of three blocks just west of the Independence Square. Many of the boys chose to take part in Sunday evening youth organizations. They became officers of the groups and ofter went to church camps during the summer months.

The F.F.A. (Future Farmers of America) and the 4-H clubs (sponsored by the Missouri Agriculture Extension Service) provided learning and leadership. The only time in the history of these two youth organizations that a state president came from the same local group was in 1951. One Drumm youth headed the state F.F.A. and another the state 4-H movement. An honor indeed; and after more than 75 years has not been duplicated.

The F.F.A. required each youth to have a “project”. They owned calves, ewes and lambs, flocks of chickens, sows and litters, grew and cared for potatoes and sweet corn. The youth were responsible for keeping records, feeding and marketing the project. The animals and crops were shown at local, district, and American Royal events. Profits from these learning experiences were placed by each boy in the First National Bank of Kansas City. The boys added to the savin2s account by picking up walnuts on the farm, shelling and drying the nuts and selling them to customers. A program was developed for the seniors in high school to work away from the farm. The boys could use part of these earnings in “spending money” but at least two thirds had to be put into the account at the bank. Each year as a boy earned “more project profits” the bank account grew. This was each individual boys money and upon completion and his graduation at Drumm made a good “nest egg”. Both organizations (in addition to the productive projects) gave opportunities for the boys to be in judging, demonstration, and public speaking events. The Drumm teams in judging livestock, meat identification, public speaking and parliamentary procedure often were the top teams in local, sub-district, district, state, regional and national contests. The entire walls of the school room were covered with ribbons and trophies showing their achievements. During a span of 1948 to 1956 the lads from Drumm won the state F.F.A. finals (held at the University of Missouri) five different years. Another Drumm speaker won the state 4-H public speaking contest held in the capital at Jefferson City during this same time period.

In the spring of the year when the Greater Kansas City Science Fair was held in the Convention Hall the Drumm boys developed and exhibited their displays. Some years more than a dozen boys showed their projects and stook behind the exhibits to answer question for the judges and the public. More opportunities to learn by doing.

Belonging to the Boy Scouts was optional; but nearly half of the boys chose to be scouts and rose in rank from tenderfoot-to second class-to first class-to life and finally receive the Eagle Rank. Mrs. Berkemeier was often asked by the lad receiving the coveted rank to be on stage of the Convention Hall in Kansas City when the ceremonies were held. One year four boys living at Drumm received their Eagle Rank in the organization at the same time during a ceremony held for the entire Metropolitan area. During the summer, Camp Osceola in the Ozarks was open for troops to come for ten day sessions. The Drumm boys who were active in Troop 229 attended. Some were asked to return as counselors.

Many years the boys of Drumm were hosts to F.F.A. and 4-H teams receiving practice for entering livestock competiton. High grade livestock was available on Drumm farm for these learning events. Four animals made up a class and the youth scored them 1-2-3-4 and then gave oral or written reasons for their selections. All score cards were gathered and tabulated. Service clubs from Independence and Kansas City (like Kiwanis and Chamber of Commerce) provided men to help with the tabulations and hand out ribbons and trophies to the highest achievers.

Earning and wearing a Drumm sweater (Mrs. Berkemeier spent hours sewing on the emblems earned) and proudly wearing the blue and gold knitted garment was an achievement. The award consisted of four parts. Scholastic, citizenship, sports and participation in F.F.A. and 4-H. In years after receiving the sweater award a bar was added to the sleeve to recognize further achievement. Twenty two of the thirty eight boys living at Drumm received the sweater the first year the award was given. Grades had to be an M or above. The boy had to participate in at least three sports. Good citizenship (no grounding to campus for misbehavior) and be active in the F.F.A. and 4-H organizations.

The Institute wanted each boy to receive as much education as he desired. As early as the late “30’s” two young men remained on grounds after completing high school and shared a room above the school rooms (second floor of the former 10 room residence of the owners before Mr. Drumm purchased the site”. These two boys attended Junior College in Kansas City. In 1948-49 when a seperate school building was constructed some rooms on the second floor provided space for boys who wanted to continue their education. They attended colleges in the area - K.C. Junior College, William Jewell College, Longview Community College, Park College and Warrensburg State University. Each young man living under this arrangement helped “pay for their keep”. They helped take care of younger boys, were drivers of the Van when needed, helped with study hail and run many errands. This was the Institute’s way of helping the young men continue their education beyond high school. For boys going into the Armed Forces the G.I. Bill helped many young men. Records show that just over 30% attended college and most received a degree.

Holidays were important. As long as the home was outside the city limits of Independence, in the evening of July 4th each boy had a bag of sparklers and some firecrackers and rockets to shoot, Homemade ice cream, cake and pop ended the evening. At Easter time eggs from our flock of laying hens were colored and it was time to see who could eat the most eggs for breakfast. Thanksgiving was the time for stuffed turkey and all the trimmings. Christmas brought Santa (a former Drumm boy played Santa--but who was he??) Mrs. Berkemeier and our friend wrapped individual presents for each boy. When our enrollment reached 50 to 60 boys, this involved wrapping over 250 packages. Of course a size 13 white stocking filled with candy, nuts and an orange was included.

About the first part of August was time for all the boys to prepare for and go on our annual camping trips. These were two week trips that took us to State Parks, Washington, D.C., Yellowstone Park, Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Minnesota Lakes and many more. We took our own food, mostly grown on the farm. I can only recall several times that we “ate out at a restuarant.” Once in the Senate Chambers in Washington, D.C. and the other when we visited the Air Force Base in Colorado Springs in Colorado. A twelve gallon stew kettle that held our famous “Mulligan Stew”. For transportation our bus had a capacity of 42 boys. A Carry-All held some boys and supplies. Our truck, with a special rack we built on the truck bed, held all our food, tents, cooking utensils and a duffle bag for each boys clothes. When the number of boys enrolled at Drumm in the late 60’s and early 70’s the older boys and younger boys made seperate camping trips. At times most of the month of August involved these educational and recreational trips. Mr. Nelson always said the events were, beneficial because the boys had fun and learned and we the adults got to know each boy better.

By the 1950’s many of the former graduates had married, had their own homes, and were established in various fields of employment. We asked these young men to return and present the graduation address during the ceremonies of each years senior class. Starting in 1959 to 1974 fifteen former Drumm boys did this. Their fields of endeavor included a Farm Director of a large radio station, LT. Commander in the Navy, Teacher in a public school system, Research Director of the General Electric Corporation, Missionary in Korea and other occupations. Undergraduates contributed by singing in a chorus, playing a musical instrument or reciting an oration before the audience.

By using double deck beds in the only dormitory the Institute had when the facility opened in 1929 we could care for 24 boys. By the early 1970’s we had buildings to house some sixty boys. Remember Drumm’s will said that $50,000 was all the management could use from endowment fund for adding new buildings. Ruby McClure the daughter-in-law of Meade McClure (Meade was the young man Drumm had given a position when the bank was opened in Kiowa, Kansas and years later was the head of the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City) in her will provided for the bulk of the McClure estate to come to the Institute. Two other benefactors remembered the Institute in their wills. Some of this money was used to add capital improvements if the board member placed the money in the endowment fund, then only interest could be used for constructing buildings. Interest earned each year from the endowment fund was used for operations. Any money not used could be saved for several years and then when the account was large enough a building was constructed. In 1948 the big home that was used for school room and apartments for employees was renovated and provided enough space for 20 boys to live, a cottage for the Agriculture Teacher was completed by September, 1949, a seperate school with vocational shops and office were complete --- now 36 boys could live at the Institute. (20 in the renovated big residence and the rest in the original dormitory). In 1964 the McClure estate provided funds for a cottage of 16 boys. In 1958-59 a regulation size gym was built. In 1967 a wing was added to the school building with more room in the basement for the vocational shop. The addition gave more office space and living areas for additional employees. Also in 1967, an addition to the vocational teacher’s residence added two bedrooms to that residence.

In 1970-71 a seperate building for the dining room and kitchen facilities was completed. Then in 1973-74 another cottage housing 12 boys was constructed. Now with the renovations of some buildings and six new structures built on campus; we were providing for sixty and more boys.

The youth of Drumm were involved and helped construct these projects. They learned by doing. Many of these projects were constructed before Voc-Tech schools were added to public school systems, like Fort Osage and Raytown. Yes the boys worked --- but they were learning. From drawing blue prints, to pouring concrete walls for the basement, to sawing and nailing studs and rafters in place, to laying roof shingles, to wiring for electricity, to laying floor tile, to varnishing woodwork and planting shrubbery and laying sod the boys were always helping and learning.

As our boys left the Institute to seek employment the employers have often come to us and said “Your boys make such good help --- they know how to do so much and are not afraid to try” and the wives who our boys married said “they are good husbands --- they can cook, repair what needs fixing, use tools, and keep our car running”. We are proud of the boys that grew up at Drumm from 1929 to the 1980’s.

Time brings change. The legacy of Andrew Drumm that established the Institute in 1929 and served the “orphaned and indigent boys” until the 1980’s has now changed. A recent article in a newspaper explains the new concept for Drumm. Yes, time brings change. Some of us think the Institute that served boys for six decades was working. It did not require FIXING. It did not need what Mr. H.R. Nelson told me about the hay rope that came apart when we were putting hay in the barn in June of 1934. We trust the “New Drumm” can continue and meet todays needs and that the legacy provided by the founder helps youth in the century ahead.
(Written in April 1997)