Evening star., 1902-03-01
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
RETIRING PRESIDENT PRESENTS
NEW OFFICERS.
Addresses by DR.. Davis, Senator Dolli-
yer of Iowa and Clara
Barton.

the District of Columbia, Mrs. Bertha Z.
Wean of Chicago Mrs. Fred T. Dubois OF
Idaho and Mrs. D. o. Mears of Illinois. met
with the honorary and retiring president,
Mrs Theodore Birney, in her parlors at the
Cairo. and after comforting on certain plans
for the future adjourned to meet at the call
of the president.
At the board meeting this morning Mrs.
Robert Morris was again made chairman
Of the press committee. Mrs. Morris has
been chairman of this committee for the
past few weeks. and has proved herself
most efficient and thoroughly capable She
was formerly teacher in the pubic
schools. and her husband is now a profess
sor in one of the Washington schools. Both
are greatly interested in the mothers con-
gress.
The executive committee has for it's
chairman Mrs. Frederic Schoff of Philadel-
phia The other members are: Mrs. Robert
r. Gotten, North Carolina; Mrs Edwin c.
Grice New Jersey; Mrs. Fred. 7. Dubois,
Idaho. and Mrs. David o. Mears of Albany,
N. Y.
The chairmen of the other committees
are as follows: Education, Miss Harriet A.
Marsh. Detroit. Mich. legislation, Mrs P.
l.. Mckinnie. Evanston Ill: program. Mrs.
Joseph p Mumford, Philadelphia; on do
mestic science. Mrs. d. w. Standrood. Po-
catello, Idaho; in philanthropy. Mrs. A. A.
Birney, Washington, d. c.; on printing,
Mrs B. F. Hawley. Philadelphia.
The place of next meeting had not been
chosen when The Stars report closed.
A Successful Conclave.
Mrs. Birney said this morning that In
many ways the sixth congress had been the
most successful of all. that have been held.
and this opinion was confirmed by many of
the delegates. Perfect harmony marked
the entire action of the convention, they
said. Then it was remarked that the re-
ports from the various states had been or
nf hav n
in enthusiastic vein. At noon the delegates
and officers started on trip to Mt. Ner-
non.
Last evenings session of the congress
was a continuous love feast after the one
formal address of DR.. Sherman A. Davis OF
the chair of psychology of the Indiana Uni
versity. The Rev. Frank Sewall pronounc-
ed the invocation and Miss Irene Bently
sang. The songs were arranged by herself
for use in her school work They were en-
Enthusiastically received. For encore she
sang THE Sugar DOLL a dainty little
musical bit. Short talks were given by
Miss Matilda Lindley, founder of the Ma
tional American Institute in Paris, and by
Mrs Robert r. Haines, jr, of the mothers
council of Germantown, Pa, where women
are doing excellent work in the public
schools.
DR.. Davis, who has made a study of chill
dren and who is a well-known psycholo-
gist spoke on ''The Period of Spiritual
Awakening In the child.
DIR. Davis Address.
"The child of today he said, "is rich in
inherited impulses. He needs the same form
of experience as his ancestors that these
impulses or tendencies may be made ac-
tual. They are necessary to his best un-
foldment If he does not experience them
he fails to flower out. The laws Of child
growth and Of plant-growth are one and
the same. Their tendency is to produce the
hes 81 If fhair L. ind fnr In 6oin how
tribute most of the good of the species Any
given plant will develop best when the con-
dit1ons for its growth approach most near.
ly to those conditions which developed the
species. These conditions are it's habitat.
When these conditions are removed it must
readjust itself to its changed environment
This is accomplished only with much effort
and the death of many thousands Of in
Givduals, because 1t required the death of
these thousands to enable the species to
thrive in this environment
That action equals reaction is true in
biology, as we'll as in physics The COM
mon seaweed is beautifully adapted to its
place in life. 1t must have oxygen, there
fore it is provided with air passages
throughout its length. 1t must reach near
to the surface of the water to obtain light
In the order of the child its organic un-
foldment is determined by its impulses.
Like the seaweed, 1t must realize itself.
Childhood is eminently racial in type. In
the development of games the child shows
largely the transmitted types of race ac-
tivities The child comprehends capture,
fishing, hunting, trapping, swimming and
the sight of anything extraordinary will
be little reflection. The suggestion from
without is usually transmitted into an i'm
mediate activity"
Resolutions Adopted
Miss Harriet Marsh of Michigan submit
ted to the congress number Of resolutions
her committee had considered. The resolu-
ton relative to making Mrs. Birney an
active honorary president for life was
unanimously adopted. Mrs. Birney herself
objected to being named as the founder
OF the society, feeling that Mrs. Phoebe
Hearst ought to share that title, because
Of the splendid support she had given the
society in It's infancy. She thought Mrs.
Hearst should bear half that title at least.
Other resolutions recommended were
vote Of thanks to Mrs. Roosevelt. to Mrs.
Henderson and to Mrs. Barber for hespi-
talities extended to the congress. A vote
of thanks to Mrs. Dubois. DR.. Joseph Wall
and Miss Susan Pollock for their work in
connection with the day nursery and kim
dergarten and to local merchants for their
cooperation In loaning furniture.
Still another resolution recommended
that all forms Of publicity given by the
dren's parties. be condemned, and that
children should be free from all excite
ments tending to precocity.
Thanks were rendered to soloists and
school children who had contributed music
to the program. to the local committee for
Its efficient work and to the press for full
and fair reports of the proceedings.
New Officers Introduced.
Mrs. Theodore Birney. the retiring presi-
dent. then called about her the newly,
elected officers Of the National Congress
Of Mothers and introduced them to the
audience. She paid high praise to the
president Mrs. Frederic Schoff, whose per-
sonal zeal and executive ability she had
seen tested and proven. Mrs Schof re-
sponded feelingly. Mrs. Robert Gotten,
the first vice president. made a happy re-
sponse to the eulogstic introduction of
Mrs. Birney. and Mrs. Grice. third vice
president. said that she hoped she could
bring to the work three essentials. that
marvellous trinity Of human life-faith.
vision, courage
Mrs. Birney regretted that she could not
introduce the treasurer. Mrs. Fred T. Du-
bots, but that she was showing her devo-
tion to the principles of the National Con-
gress of Mothers by remaining at home TO
minister to the needs of her husband Sem
ator Dubois. who is i'll.
Senator Dolliver Speaks.
Senator Dolliver appeared in the back