RICHMOND KINDERGARTENS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2761, 3 May 1916, Page 3

RICHMOND KINDERGARTENS

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Richmond Freo Kindergartens was held in the Council Chambers last evening. There was a good attendance of subscribers and others interested in kindergarten work, and the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided. Associated with him upon the platform was Mrs. Gill, president of tho. Kindergarten Union. After having apologised for tho unavoidable absence" of Mrs. Luke, tho Mayor called upon Mrs. Gill to present her presidential report, which was published in yesterday's issue of The Do.MIN'IOX.

Tho Mayor congratulated Mrs. Gil! upon the excellence of the work which was dono in the kindergartens. He also paid a very warm tribute to the work of Miss Riley, without whom they could not have reached their present standard of great merit, nor without the co-operatiou of her teachers. Ho thought that' tho £100 which was contributed ,to tho financial resources of the kindergartens by the City Council was iio more than what they ought to receive, and that it was 'possible that the same amount might be given this year.' He did not think that the work of the council ended with trams and electric lighting and all the rest, but that it extended into the direction of. seeing that the children of the city were well provided for on orderly, wcllgoverned lines. He also thought it possible that the Trustees of the Macarthy Trust might be prevailed upon to repeat their contribution this year. in seconding the motion for tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Professor Hunter expressed tho opinion that the setting up of the various local committees had been a very satisfactory step in regard to the-organisation of the resources of the. kindergartens. It was a great advance upon trying to keep the interest concentrated upon tho ono central organisation, as unless the parents were given some share tho interest could not be maintained. To have the local committees represented by members on the Board of Advico was also a good step. Ho congratulated the council upon the admirable way in which they had used their finances. Ho thought- a tremendous amount had •been done for the money, and ho was sure that- the Education Department would be hard put to it to find any o.ther sfmilar sum better spent. ' Perhaps among its vacant spaces of land the City Council ■ might see some admirable spot on which the foundation stono for new kindergartens might be laid. The success of tho kindergartens was duo to the enthusiasm of the ladies' executive, to Miss Riley, and to the efforts of tho local committees. He looked forward in New Zealand to the time when we would no longer bo under reproach, as wo were now, for not-doing what wo ought in the matter of kindergarten work.'. Mr. I<\ Clarke expressed the sympathy with which the Wellington South kindergarten committee viewed the work, and Mr. Jenkins thought the Education Board ought to help tho kindergartens in a handsome manner. Tho adoption of the report, was carried. ,' ■ Tho report of the headmistress of the kindergartens, Miss Riley, was presented. The success which had attondedt'ho work was, Miss Riley stated, largely duo to the enthusiasm and conscientious way in which tho promises of the students had been, carried out. ■alio local committees had greatly helped tho kindergartens financially, and m assisting with repairs, sciiool_ equipment, and gifts of various kinds. The examiners' of tho students' practice wonk were much struck with the freedom _ allowed in expressing th:. rndivi'Aiality of directors, students, and children alike. To those" working' along modern lines such a criticism was most encouraging, as freedom to express ourselves was surely worthy of all British support. Miss D'Oyley's account .of kindergarten work ;as she saw it in California was. interesting, and Miss Riley was assured that the work in Wellington compared most favourably as regarded method and development, but was sadly behind as regarded housing and equipment. The necessity. •;. for more students could bo realised when it was understood that every student represented twelve or more children admitted to tho kindergartens. Another urgent' need was for a room adjacent to tho Taranaki Street building, which could, be used and equipped as a training col-. lege. • , .

In seconding.' the adoption of Miss Riley's report/' Mr. W. Ferguson suggested could nbt the City Council consider the sweeping away of some of the ramshackle bunldmgs in the city, and ■reserving the ('round'not only as" a sito for Itintlergarjjan buildings, but also as playgrounds .'for the children. Tho adoption of Hho report was-carried; ' The election of tho council resulted as follows: —Mrs. J. C; Anderson, Mrs. A. R. Atkinson, Mrs. Burnett, Miss Myers, Mrs.; Clark, Miss Hiscocks, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs,. Hannah, Miss England, Mrs. Grady, Mrs. D. A. Ewan, Mrs. Gill, Miss .'flelyer, Miss Newton, Mrs. H. Smith, Miss Stowe, Miss Seaton, Mrs Vickery. " The. jiatehce-sbeet showed an incotuo of ;£B2ii lSsi. Dd., and an expenditure of £763 18s./7d., leaving a'balance of £61 17s. 2d. .

Mr. V/>nion C. Redwood, nephew of Arolidoac on Redwood, of Now Zealand, and Mr;;. Redwood, are at present in l.oiidonV having.left their six children at schocj'in iNew Zealand, and intend to tour■; Great Britain and give concerts ■(/.'tales a London correspondent). Mr. Efidwoad was M.i 1 . for Toowoomba (Q.), 3 layor more than once, and chair-, man of tho Toowoomba Chamber of, Comnj erce. lis lias. been in Milan stu<ly|mg singing for two or three years. A'; quiet weddine; was celebrated at Tabli jhuids on Friday, when Mr. -.Frederick !B. Green (son oi' Mr. J. B. Green, of .Itydpukurauj, and ' Miss' Marjory Dor othy Dryden (daughter of. 3lr. Uerber; Dryden) were married. The brido wstu attended liy her sister, Miss Qt/cenio Dryden, and Mr. Baird, of Master ;ton, acted as best man.

'Those new Silk Bag Mounts in dainty si Jver designs are only to be had at RowI find's, tho jeweller in Stunners Street, ■'.■(mall halls vs.- 6d., large lis. .fid., post free. These bags aro all the rage in Melbourne mid Sydney, and are 'so easily crocheted.—Advt.