EVENING MEETINGS AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 238, 19 April 1915, Page 10

EVENING MEETINGS AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS.

On Saturday, March 20th, members and friends were entertained at a Garden Party cm the pleasant and beautiful old garden of Mr Geo. Scott, Opawa. Though the wind was cool, the shelter of the fine old trees made it possible to stroll and sit on the lawns 111 comfort. Tennis, croquet, and confabs were* the order of the day, and the delicious afternoon tea provided by the* entertaining I nion (Christchurch) added the finishing teuc h to our enjoyment. It was a verv pleasant thing to be thus enabled to greet old friends, make new acquaintanceships, discuss burning questions concerning methods of White Ribbon work, and the Garden Party may be* considered as one of the most enjoyable “functions” of the 1 c> 1 5 Convention. Our President, Mrs Don, ably aided Mrs Harlow Thompson, of Christchurch, and succeeded in cajoling cash from our pockets to the' amount of £.U for the X.Z. Treasury, amid much merriment. On Sunday evening, through drizzling rain, we wended c ur way to the Baptist Tabernacle to hear the Rev. |. |. North preach the Convention sermon. Through some misunderstandings the Harvest Festival was being celebrated at the same time, so Mr North preached a stirring sermon from the words, “God is not moe ked; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” He* emphasised the fact that much care was taken to sow good seed, provide good soil, and eradicate* the* evils that might check growth in the vegetable kingdom. W bat more necessary than the application of such methods to our human life? Let us start human agriculture, be as ruthless in our dealing with hindrances as the expert farmer and gardener arc. The W.CT.L. was attacking many evils. Might it continue to strive fer the better conditions for the human being. There is not space to give in more detail, but the speaker's intense earnestness and fearlessness made one realise that earnestness and singleheartedness of purpose were essential if pr gress were to be made quickly. After the service a visit was paid to the* brightly lit Grand Theatre, where the Rev. |. Cocker holds his mission services. Here* there* was lively hvmn singing and prayer, an 1 then Dr. Florence Keller, Mrs A. R. Atkinson, and Mrs Lee-Cowic took charge. Dr. Florence Keller outlined the* meaning of Christian citizenship, and spoke eloquently until she* was reminded that her time was up. Mrs A. R. Atkinson dealt with the* Revenue “bogey,” its death blow so far as that audience was concerned, and one could not help wishing that it were possible to have that same blow dealt by the same speaker before an audience in every town and

countn place* throughout the Dominion. Su< h a clear, forceful, and convincing statement of facts is rarely heard. As the hour was then late, Mrs I.ee-Cowie urged her hearers to be* each one working, and illustrated her point by a story told in her inimitable style. The Benediction closed the meeting at 9.30 p m. On Tuesday afternoon delegates visited the Women’s Hostel, and saw there all the* most recent and up-to-date methods and appliances for training girls in domestic economy. A few delegates visited the* Reformatory at the* same time as the main p irty went to the Hostel. On Tuesday evening Mr Howell, Director of tlu* lechnical School, gave his impress!'uis ot educational methods and >< hooU visited in the* l lined State's during an eleven weeks tour. 1 he lecturer said: “My interests were* m..ini> centred in technical education, including agriculture* as applied to tec lime al education; hand work and domestic science in primary schools. After my return to this Dominion 1 met a North Canterbury teacher, who remarked that he* siq j )>ed I had se en nothing better on my travels than I had seen in New Zealand. As a matter of fact, I found tnu li tn.it was in advance ot New Zealand methods. This Dominion lias much to be* proud of; it has scenery, beautiful and grand, and ter its size extremely varied. It has much to I e proud of 111 its educational sxstem, some things which are unsurpassed in any country. We m iv be proud that our pioneers rccogni cd education as a national affair, and made it a charge upon the consolidated revenue, and not on any town or locality. In England and A.noiica we have seen muon to make Us admire the wisdom and forethought which did this. In l .SA. the local authorities determine the sum which shall be spent on education. In some States the local authorii.es say how much a child is recpiiricl to attend sc hod, whether three or six months, or at all. In Ne w Zealand we s,iy every child must attend school until it attains the age of ij xears (with reservations), to attend whenevci the school is open. We may congratulate ourselves on this, but we must not rest content with what has been accomplished, and must not think we are too superior to make* 1 rogress. In many ways we are 1 ehind, and my conceit was knocked out of me at the* schools of I’.S.A. and Honolulu. In Honolulu the buildings, grounds, and equipments are superior to Ne w Zealand schools. Wc never before saw woman in education as wc* saw her in America. Our experience was limited to eleven weeks. We went from Honolulu to San Francisco, thence to Los Angelos. Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, Montreal, Toronto, New York, and Washington. It is very difficult to generalise about the* C.S.A., as each State has its

own varieties of people, singular diversity of language, and great problems to be faced. I hey are facing these problems with courage, and a great measure of success. Everywhere we found women holding positions as principals in large elementary schools. 1 here is nothing like it in New Zealand. Schools ot over 1000 pupils have women as principals.

In Honolulu we visited the kaiulani School, called after the Princess of that name. We recommend anyone interested in educational and ethnological problems to visit Kaiulani Sc hool. There are i 4 nationalities represented there, and naturally we expected to find the children spht into groups and showing- a lack of espiit cle corps. \\ e met the children leaving >< iiool for the play ground; we saw nothing of separate ness at all; all were merry anil happy, and showed no lac k of harmony. The Head Mistress, Mrs Fraser, was a tine type of Scotchwoman, and muc h lovc-ci by the children over whom she exercised a remarkable influence. The school had a system of self-government, and the mistress rarely has to interfere' in its discipline. The schoolrooms .ire bright and cheerful, e«ry unlike n** dinary school; curtains are on the windows, and flowers and palms in classrooms, whit h are spotlessly clean. We saw a cookery room built by the boys, and domestic science instruction was given there. A lunch was provided every day, and served by the children. It was well cocked and daintily served, and the children also took the money and kept the accounts. Every morning in this school a ceremony is gone through. One child recites the following ( 1 vie Creed: —“(iod hath made of one blood all nations of men, and we are Hi> children—brothers and sisters all. We are citizens of the United States of America, and we believe our flag stands for self-saciitice and for the good of all the people. We want, therefore, to be true citizens of our great country, and will show our love for her by our works. Our country does not a>k us to die for her welfare; she asks us to live for her, and so to live, and so to act that her government may be* pure, he r officers honest, and every corner of her territory shall be a place fit to grow the best rr.cn and women, who shall rule o\ei her. ”

In San Francisco we visited the. Jean Parker School. The domestic science equipment lure* is not remarkable. In this school the nationalities are 89 per cent. Italians, balance Spanish, Portuguese, with a small mixture of Americans. Truly a remarkable country is U.S.A., when in one school in a modern town there is such a large percentage of foreign nationalities. There is great difficulty in dealing with ih«*><* children in a primary school. Their mother tongue may be any one of a dozen, yet all are taught English, and American teachers do it well, for their pupils sneak English with a

pure accent. They recite readily, in what to most of them is a foreign tongue. Here again was a head mistress who maintained perfect discipline. Asked if she* U'ed corporal punishment, she replied that she would if necessary, but seldom found it necessary, say once or twice in .1 year. The building is of sandstone, splendid and large, of beautiful proportion, no elaboration, dignified, amph, and internal arrangements >pac ious, nothing mean or cramped about it.

At Los Angelos we visited the 7th Avenue School, which was the most remarkable primary school we saw in the U S.A. 'The entrance hall, of polished wood, the children march out to small orchestra played by pupils t hem-elves. Here, too, is a head mistress, and the atmosphere is more like a home than a school. There arc* Moo pupils, and all seemed to look on her as a mother or friend. Many Chinese and Japanese attend this school, and the mistress remarked, “We love our Chinese children.” The Chinese children are popular and friendly with others, but the Japanese are a little more reserved.

In Minneapolis we visited the oldest school in one of the* poorest quarters. Here the furniture was good, in visitors’ room lounge in oak, Morris c hair, oak t!e>k. much of this presented by classes on leaving. There are no long desks all dual or single. All rooms are well lit. Every classroom has its own < loak room. There arc* large wall blackboards, a gymnasium, cookery and woodwork room. Though this s< hool is 50 years old, its equii rnent is better than anything we have here. There are never more than 50 pupils in a class, and the average number is 40. The* buildings are finer and the equipment superior to anything in New Zealand. The New Zealand people don’t realise what ought to be provided, or they would find the money.

We need to make great advance in building, equipment, and size of classes. A New Zealand teacher would think 40 pupils a milennium. The salaries of head mistresses are good, from ji'4so to .£SOO per annum, comparable with salaries of head masters here.

In regard to Kindergartens, New Zealand has many stages to travel before she catches up to U.S.A. In tin* first stages. Kindergartens were private, and pupils had to pay. 'Then they were charitable institutions. This i* the stage we have reached in New Zealand. 111 the progressive State> they arc* a part of the* primary school system. In New Jersey and five other States more than a quarter of the children between the ages of 4 and 0 years attend Kindergartens. They have the best room in the school, bright, cheery, pleasant, with < urtains and flowers, and small individual furniture. The mistresses are well trained, and are able women. The* general opinion in regard to Montessori system in America is that this system a* carried out by Mad-

amt* Montessori, is not suitable for U.S.A. They value its freedom and help given to the child, but thir.k more scope should be given to the imagination. Montessori has no dramatisation, and provides for no organised play. In Colorado children were acting parts of Hiawatha dressed as Indians, and very much interested. American teachers are probably right 111 their criticism of Montessori system. In lower grades of elementary sc hools they co-ordin-ate I istory and geography. In Los Angelos in first grade classroom was a sand tray to represent land and sea; pine trees, Indian wigwam, canoe, and figures, all made by the c hildren. Arrival of Pilgrim Fathers portrayed. The* Fathers cut in paper, coloured the drab of the Puritan ; then log huts, weaving mats, etc. Teac her s help only by suggestion. and allow full scope for pupil’s originality. At Christmas they nuke things suitable for the season. Christmas scenes reproduced, flour dusted to imitate snow. It is a pleasure to the children, as well as a means of training. In regard to sewing, white work is seldom met with in lower standards. Materials are large, and thread coarse. Work is mainly decorative, not utilitarian. Rugs are woven by children in classes corresponding to our Standards 11. and 111 In Domestic Sc ien< e the U.S.A. is in the advance guard. The results are not striking in primary schools. Cookery and woodwork are taught everywhere. Laundry tubs are of porcelain, and taps and pipes of nickel. The secondary schools are carefully equipped for Domestic Science and Art. In Hone rufu, Kamehameha, a native school is beautifullv equipped. and designed to give higher ideals to the girls. In Los Angelos High School a mixed school, gills received training in all home work. They apply art to dres-- and furniture, design houses and room decorations, and draw up colour scheme. Home training is brought to a remarkable pitch in U.S.A. In this school, with its jock) pupils, ranging in ages from 14 to 18 years, a remarkable system of self-government. Students adr on duty outside the class-rooms to hinder loiterers and to keep order. Teachers spend a half day every six month' in visiting c.ther schools. Once they .ill went together, and left the school to manage itself. A visitor went to the school that day. A c lerk showed him round; hr asked to be introduced to a teacher, but was told there* WH' no teacher there. A teacher will show you round, and students work just as well in her absence*. Pottery and loom-weaving are taught. A dozen looms for rug' are there; beaten work and enamel work are also taught. .n tne Agricultural Colleges th**; go on the prim iple that it is no use to train .1 good farmer unless you also train the farmer s wife. So

these college* have «a boys’ and a girls’ side. (iirl> are trained in general culture and domestic science, also fowl and bee-keeping. In Toronto University, Home Science is taught. It is a beautiful building, interior of white marble, Mosaic pavement, furniture oak, lavatories marble table tops, stone uninjured by acid, two gymnasiums, a swimming bath, and .1 wainscotted library. Nothing elaborate or gaudy, but everything noble and dignified. Open-air schools are common in America, not to treat actively disease. but those weak and likely to become diseased. In Toronto; with a population of 400,000. there are 33 doctors on the Hoard's staff, and 33 nurses. Nurse visits the school every day, and in huge sc hools was a member of the regular staff. She examined the children, and visited their homes. The nur>o was better than a truant officer. Consol'd ited schools are a feature of American educational system. Instead of isolated country schools, is a central school, to which children are brought in vans, with footwarrners in winter time.

In the* State of Wisconsin, with a population double 1 that of our Dominion, travelling libraries arc* sent to all parts of the* State. Fifty books are sent out to any place for six months, with no charge except cost of transportation. The t’niver>it\ has it-, correspondence* side*, extension classes with lectures provided. The Cniversity has a general information and welfare* department. Nothing of use to the State* is too small for the Cniversity of Wisconsin. In fact, the Slate i» the Cniversitv. In America the schools are more used as social centres than they are here, and home and sc hool life are far more co-ordinated. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Howell for hi' very instructive and interc ting address.