FOR THE CHILDREN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1911, Page 9

FOR THE CHILDREN.

THE KINDERGARTEN UNION. , ' ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The annual meeting of the Kindergarten Union wqs held last evening. Miss Coates presided, and referred to the laudable character 'of the kindergarten work done in a quiet but effective way in Wellington, and on the proper and only lines to make good future citizens. Miss Freeman read her annual renort, which showed that the work begeii in 1906 w'th 13 children^ now had four schools and 219 children. It had nowbecome a permanent institution in Wellington, and ifc would be hard indeed for it to be done without. Babies soon learn to love kindergarten, she said. Moreover, it established a bond of union between parents and teachers. Parents had subscribed £25. Miss Freeman also expressed thanks for the help and sympathy the schools had received. Attention was given to training the minds, bodies, and morals of the young. They were taught that the good was true and beautiful, and that the evil was false and ugly. Mrs. Cleghorn read the balance-sheet, which was of a very satisfactory character, £805 11s 9d having been received. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mrs. T. H. Gill gave an interesting account of work done in Sydney and Mel- , bourne, much of it among the very poorest children, with most beneficent results to them and directly to the parents. In Sydney there were children — blac.k, white, and yellow — helped by kindergarten schools. Tne district nurses cooperated with the teachers in looking after the health of the children, and they were more influential with mothers than teachers -might be in directing their attention to childish ailments. Mrs. Gill had marked the freedom of Sydney from child-vandalism, and wondered whether j the trees and flowers did not owe their freedom from destruction to early kindergarten training. Patriotism, too, was taught to quite young children, who repeated at the hoisting of the flag, "I give my head, my hand, my heart, to my country." ' OFFICERS. 1 The following officers were elected : — President, Mrs. T. H. Gill ; vice-presi-dents, Mrs. Buwuslt, and Miss Richmond (organising secretary) ; treasurer, Mrs. Cleghorn; council, Lady Gibbes, Mesdames A. R. Atkinson, Lindsay, Winder, Cohen, Duncan, W. Gray, Corless, W. IJ'ell, H. Smith, Chatfield, Campbell, Peat, Beveridgo, Darling, Grady, D. M'Lean, Helyer, Misses Fitch, P. Myers. RICHMOND SCHOOLS. On the motion of Mrs. Helyer, secended by Sir Robert Stout, it was reselved to henceforth call the schools "The Richmond Kindergarten Schools," as a compliment to Miss M. Richmond and her father, the late Judge Richmond. Sir Robert heartily supported the suggestion to so perpetuate a name that was so honourably associated with New Zealand. Those who had known the Richmond family would be glad to have the name associated with such an institution as the kindergarten. It had spread far beyond what was formerly known as the kindergarten school. The institution of kindergarten was advocated some forty years ago in Dunedin by the late Mr. M'Leod, who even went so far as to endeavour to induce a, teacher, to come from America, whither he had been. That scheme fell through because Mr. M'Leod fell ill and subsequently died, but his daughters had carried on excellent educational work in South Africa, whither they had gone almost as missionaries of education. No doubt the enthusiasm of their father had done much to help these ladies in their successful work in South Africa. The advantages of teaching the young in th© kindergarten discipline and how to enjoy life could not, Sir Robert continued, be over-estimated. To enjoy life wfts the great aim of all institutions, and to try to get as much happiness out of life as possible was their desired end. He would like to see the schools named "Mary Richmond Schools." The proposal was carried. Miss Richmond acknowledged the honour done to her father. The value of the work of the ldndergarten schools had been testified to by the infant mistress of Island Bay school, who had found that the kindergarteners were more intelligent and better equipped than those children who were unacquainted with the training. Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., eulogised Judge Richmond, and heartily approved of the proposal to name the schools after him. He also referred to the great work begun by Froebel. He thought the work done in Wellington 1 would redound to the i-redit of the I name of Richmond and to New ZeaJand. The New Zealand educational system was the finest in the world, but much could be done in the kindergarten by enlisting interest of the child in the- things around him and also in all appertaining to civic life. The subsidy of the Government to the kindergarten work was most worthily earned and expended, and iL was the bounden duty of I the Government to help the work, which had the hall-mark of God and the appreciation of the people. Mrs. A. R. Atkinson proposed a vote of thanks to Miss Coates, the speakers at the meeting, and to the press. The kindergarten work did not train children in book-learning, but it did develop in them character and good habits. Mrs. J. P. Luke spoke in terms most praiseworthy of the work and of the good influences on children by kindergarten generally.