New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-29
SCHOOLS WE'LL DISCUSSED.
THE CIvITAS CLUB OF BROOKLYN GIVES
IT'S BIENNIAL REPORTS.
GOOD WORK BEING DONE IN THE TRUANr SCHOOL
DRAWING TAKEN Up IN THE PRIMARY.
AND SEWING IN THE GRAM
MAR GRADES.

MAR GRADES.
I. was an important day yesterday for the Civitas
Club OF Brooklyn. The members assembled IN tho
cubrooms al No 1eO Joraemon-st.. 10 hold their
biennial election and to listen 10 reports read by
ohairrnen Of various committees.
Miss Harriet F. Blackford chairman Of the Ex-
tension Committee. said that they find an outlet
for their energies IN the superintondence OF
kindergarten a mothers meeting. a working girls
club an afternoon sewing class and library. IL
their kindergarten they have about thirty tots VINO
are mostly tho children Of lonGshoremen near Sou'
Ferry The club is hoping that the Board OF Edu-
cation may be persuaded 10 incorporate 'her
kindergarten into the public school system
The report Of the Philanthro3ic Committee was
read by Mrs Clifford l.. Lutkins She SAID tha'
the committee had visited the Kings county nos
,ital and found the chdren's ward in greater need
OF reorganization than any other part OF the IN
.,i,u,ton disappointing feature is the fact that
,be Poorhouse near tho hospital building. en-
courages pauperism. which. she asserts wouio DE
lessened If Kings County would substitute Tor IL
workhouse The good features of the hospital are
,.,ee,- due 10 the influence and energy OF Dr.
Duryea
The longest report was that OF the Educatonai
Committee OF which Mrs. Frederick T. PRATT IS
chairman She said that the president OF the BOARD
OF Education had asked the city for S251"o Tor
school purposes. but having received only s0""V
n had been possible to provide only four ne"
schools for the thousands Of children who are Wa'-
ing 70 enter school Eight kindergariehs VIII DE
admitted into the public schools next fall IL Is I'M
nortant that they be started in the true froeoei
spi-it and hence II Is hoped ;hat the pest hiu VI
supervisor will be secured.
SEWING DEPARTMENTS.
A subcommittee of two reported tNenty-six
,chools that teach sewing. The average age u
,he children taught is from eight to fourteen
Years and the average cost per child for instruc-
81, &, sewinp for ten months Is from y 10 II
can.s Even the boys sew and make neat patches
that are credtable to them.
THE TRUANT SCHOOL
The Truant School has been under the direction
OF Superintendent Maxwell and the Board OF Edu-
cation only little over year. hut during that
time II has been made into a model home as wei
as a place OF instruction. OF us boys committed
between October 1895. and June. 1886, only nine
we're recommtted. Truancy is caused largely by
what is known freezing out. process De
coming great evil in some schools. AT the
Truant School every boy makes his own bed Be
sides the regular school course there are drills.
singing classes and instruction In manual training
Within the last weeks George Junior Re-
public has been started The boys have ''legis-
10 make an attempt 10 govern themselves.
sub-commit,eee, Of FIVE EiseG the primary
cylinder In clay then draw them model animals,
Designs ant they follow the tcachers geometrcal
directions and then use Their own ingenuity hran IN
patterns of Saracenic Gothic Greek and Egyptian
objects from memory in fifteen minute periods.
and also draw from life. the pupils themselves
standing as models before the class.
THE FROEBEL ACADEMY
A subcommittee of three visited the Froebel
Academy They say 1t is the only institution in
New-York Brooklyn which carries the kinder
garten IDEA Of training up through the academic
grades. The Felix Adler School is similar. but the
work there is carried from ethical stand
point and not from the idea of the spiritual unity
Of all things which is the basis OF the FroeDel
system.
Mrs Pratt closed her paper with a report of the
children's department o. the Pratt institute Ii
brary the most original feature being that the
Shelves all within reach of the children. and
each chooses his book personally, ana takes ii
himself TO the desk 10 be charged. Thirteen nun
OF books averages 10 The entrance fee 10 the
library is clean hands and face"
The report of the Committee on Arts and city
improvements was read by Mrs. Edward ". Allen.
She said that the committee mad done much in in
teresting friends the Free Library Association
the city by planting trees and removing unsghtly
fences IL has also presented to the brooklyn lnsti
tute cast Of "The Winged Victory worth 500 to
be the central ornament OF the main hail
Before adjourning the club ratlned the action or
the directors in giving 80 10 place girl al the
Seaside Home under the charge Of the NewYork
Association for Improving the Condition OF the
Poor
The officers elected for the next two years are as
follows: President, Miss Alice Campbell; vice presi-
p Pratt; recording secretary. Miss Louise Van An
den: corresponding secretary. Miss Lucy Jenkins;
treasurer. Miss Isabelle Hardness: senior director.
Miss Katherine l.. Matby directors. Miss Mary
Dexter Miss Alice Lowell. Miss Susanne McWill-
Jams and Miss Anna Pinkerton.