The San Francisco call., 1897-03-13
OUR GIRLS WANT
TO Be LIKE men
Scientific Discovery of a
Stanford Lady Psy-
chologist.
Hundreds of Schoolgirls Write
That They Want to Be
Strong and Brave.
A New State Association to Help on
the Rising Tide of Child Study
in Home and School.

A number of experts on children and
the study of them. and larger number
interested therein. crowded one of tie up
per halls of Native Sons building from 3
to p. NJ. Yesterday, and helped launch
and impart momentum to another new
and large movement in child study.
"Child study" is spreading apace,
largely guided from certain universities in
which psychologists are scientifically
studying child development with intensely
interesting results. Efforts to interest
mothers in systematic study OF their
children are increasing, and the life
book" is getting into the home.
The meeting Gof yesterday was result
of the long hoping and planning of Mrs.
E. G. Greene, now of Santa Cruz. who is
well known in the educational world as q
who was once National superintendent of
that branch of the W. c. 7. U.
She is engaged in forming State asso-
citation, which shall organize mothers and
teachers clubs, and unite the work for
children being done by. mothers clubs,
kindergartens, universities, ETC., and go
out along several lines of child study. 1t
is especially TO establish a closer relation
between the home and the school.
The ASSOCIATION has been quietly organ
lied in part with Mrs. E. G. Greene as
president, Mrs. Hester A. Harland as Sec
re.sry and with committee of arrange
ments consisting OF Miss Sarah D.
Hamlin. Miss E. A. Cleveland, Miss R. G..
Campbell, Miss F. Banning Mrs. NJ. l..
O'Neai and Mrs. William Clarke. Many
educators of the universities and schools
attended yesterday.
The president opened the programme
with an account of the organization and
its aims, for which the time had but just
become ripe.
Several addresses followed, all but the
first dealing with the subject in a general
way.
The first paper was on "Children's
Ideals" and in it Estelle M. Darran of
Stanford University gave an account of
interesting original research in the ideals
of children at different ages. With the
cooperation of teachers she had secured
400 compositions by school children re-
plying 10 the question, What person of
whom you have heard or read would you
most like to resem BILE? Why?" Seven
hundred boys and 700 girls presented their
ideals. They belonged to San Mateo
County schools and to two schools in st.
Paul The study was into the effect of
history and literature on children and
into the influences which work on the
moral natures of children at different ages.
The results were quite as interesting as
have been the other similar Investigations
OF the fears, wants, powers and concep-
tions OF thousands of children.
1t was demonstrated by this scientific
process that our girls are slowly but
surely becoming masculine. This may
not be news, but it is interesting when
scientifically demon nstrated. Girls nova
days want to be brave. Professor Dsrragh
read some of the com mnositions. A 13-year-
old St. Paul girl wrote:
believe that would rather resemble man
than woman, because the deeds of woman,
although sometimes great, self-sscrificing and
brave, sink INTO inslgnificance when compared
with the valorous deeds of man. Napoleon
Bonaparte in my fancy is hero of heroes.
Then there was 10-year-old girl who
wrote:
1 would like to resemble Barbra Fichey.
Why? Because She was such brave lady,
and you know there are not very many brave
ladies.
These were only two. The percentage
of the total girIish wish to be strong and
brave impelled the psychologist 10 OBJ
serve:
In closing 1 wish to leave one question with
yon. The zeitgrist is surely ana irresistibly
terics hitherto deemed masculine. Co-educa-
tion is undoubtedly greatly accelerating this
consumma,ion. Are we prepared to see drop
ping out OF womanhood, because no longer
emphasized, the patience and genteness and
seli-sacrifce and domeslicity with which our
mothers sweetened our childhood? II not,
then we must surely embody them in the per-
son of some of those brave ladies' admired by
our st. Paul girl. Have we the historical ma
terial for such presentation?
fhe composition of Frank Gadina, 13
years, of San Mateo County, and of for
eign birth, 1as given as significant. Little
Frank wrote:
The one whom I should like to resemble
most is George Washington, because he was
brave, honest and, moreover he freed his
country without taking pay for his valuable
services. He was also the one that formed the
constitution OF the honored country he had
saved.
This and others showed that children of
foreign, birth become Americanized in the
pubic schools and acquire American
ideals. Most boys want TO die for their
country.
Dr.. Thomas P. Bailey of the State Uni
verslty made plea that scientific"
child-stady be left largely to he psychoIo-
gists by the mothers. He advised parents
to write down simple observations of their
children rather T. an follow The syllabi of
the psychologist that the intu1tIve,
tnOuSHtlul WOIh Ol Inc mOLuc1 De not
lost. The most valuable work in child.
study could be done by two or three
parents studying their own children and
comparing notes.
Susan Howe. late of Cornell University
and now of Stanford, spoke on 1.-The Value
of Child Study 10 the Nurse" and Mrs. A.
J. Crnzan on 1.-THE Educational Value of
Music"
Milicent Shinn spoke interes tlngly, and
said that every thing a child does is an
indication of its physical, intellectual or
psychical nature. Mothers should watch
their children and record their observa-
tons by mothers commpn-sense methods
DR.. Harriet Maxson of ST. Helena, read
a paper on "The Hygiene of Adolescence" !"
and Madison Babcock closed the pro-
gramme with some fitting words.
The State Association will be definitely
named and organized at the Occidental
Hotel at P. NJ. next Monday, and child
study will receive still another impetus.