Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16
REVIEW OF YEARS WORK
Annual Meeting of Corporation of
Home for Destitute Children.
Health and Prosperity Reported for ths
Past Twelve Months-One Hundred
and 1hirty-four Children Cared
For Officers Elected.

dren was held in the chapel Of the Bap-
fist Church Thursday afternoon. with a
good attendance. A summary of the
years work in the institution is found
in the annual report of the president.
which follows in full:
The board of management are glad to
report for the year just past, that it has
been an uneventful one; neither serious
sickness nor great disaster has visited
the home during its course, but general
health and prosperity have been the pre-
vailing condition There have been ad-
United during the year a new chill
dren and eighteen have been returned
| from trial homes for various reasons.
| October !. 1901 we had in the home seven
| ty-two children, making sum total Of
| one hundred and thirty-four that have
been cared for during the year. or these
| there have been sent out to trial homes
! ffty-nine. to the Industrial school at
| Nergennes two and there have died four
| feeble infants october !, 1902 there were
sixty nine children in the home. Total
! 1874. The new admissions have been from
the following places. viz:
| Barre, /; Burlington II, Cabot. 6: Cam
| bridge, |; Essex 2: Hnesburgh, /; Jeri-
cho, /; Mendon. p Putncy, l. Rutland
! 4; st. Adams, 3; Shelburnc. .: Webster
vile, 8; Winooski, 4; out Of the State. 2:
making total of fourtyfour
The prospect of the coming winter be-
| ing unusually nard for the poor has al
| ready led us to the serious consdera
| ton of ways and means for giving re-
| lief to as many as possible In this con-
nection wish to bring to your attention
| one fact, that is the source of great per-
| plexity to your executive committee; a
! condition of affairs which to all persons
| engaged in the work of child-saving.
presents peculiar problem. I refer to
the alarming growth of the number Of
deserted families in every community.
rural and urpan alike. This fashion Of
| fathers leaving their wives and children
| without support and wandering away to
| parts unknown is threatening aspect Of
! modern life ana calls for special leGisla-
| ton in our State. ind that some States
| have already enacted laws for the ben
| eft of these recreant fathers. making
| their dcsertion Of their families a crime
against the commonwealth. The follow
| ing clause from the penal code Of New
| York might serve as as an Illustration
viz: Section 2S7, Penal Code. ~ Y. "A
parent or other person having the care
| or custody. FOR nurture or educa-
ton of child under the age Of six years
VINO deserts the child in any place with
intent wholly to abandon it. Is punishable
by Imprisonment for not more than seven
years"
We do not wish our institution to be-
come means Of relieving parents Of
their responsibilities or in any way to
| encourage the casting off their most
| elementary duty--that Of caring for their
| children. but it is frequently most diff
ficult for us to decide where the exact
line between justice and mercy lies in
such cases The children are not orphans
| but they doubtless are destitute and the
! chance that they suffering is always
! a potent factor in our final decision as
to their eligibility for admission to the
/ home. But If such cases are to come
/ sary to enlarge our accommodations In
definitely and our income accordingly.
i 1t is with ueep satisfaction that we
report closer approximation to the
normal life and spirit in our various de-
/ partmcnts curing the last year than ever
before; the civilzing influence Of our
| well-appointed sunny houses. OF a gener-
Gus diet and most of all the judicious
training of our corps of attendants, many
of whom have had several years Of ex-
perience with us is showing good re-
suits. The children profit by the con-
scientious care they receive. both at
home and IN school and it gladdons our
hearts to percGve the transformation
wrought in their young lives; even the
most unpromising shows some result and
who can measure the end thereof.
The task of suitably placing them in
| private homes remains the same difficult
and perplexinE business that II has al
cases of devoted love and care for our
little ones to be found all over the State;
that there should be now and then a
case of an opposite character requiring
, investigation and possibly recall Of a
child is not strange.
, In the early spring the project Of build
ing cottage for the use of our steward
took form and plans We're made for it,
but owing to the difficulty Of obtaining
both material and mechanics. it was
abandoned. Something Of this kind will
eventually be necessary and you will nc
doubt approve any action looking to-
wards it. which managers in the future
may take.
; Tho seasons crops from our little farm
and several acres of hired land have
been excellent. Our garden has yielded
abundantly of small fruits and vege-
l tables. both early and late. This source
. of great satisfaction and health for our
family, averaging at least one hundred
. persons is much appreciated, sup
plementcd as II is by a bountiful supply
, Of milk from our own herd OF COWS
Finally, / will add that years Of exper'
fence only strengthen my oft-repeated
opinion, that we can hardly over-esti
. mate the effect of environment in thC
i development of young children: hereditN
. is indeed a powerful force on the physi
= cal side of life and must not be overlook
ed on the spiritual side but after all the
, miracles OF nature are constantly UNI
d folding before our eyes and may not tha
= which sun and rain accomplish for but
d and tender leaf be taken symbol ant
promise of that which love and JUS
treatment may accomplish for the hu
= man plant.
. have been much interested in thu
q following words found In recent scien
tfc article and will close with this cor
> roborative testimony:
D "A latter day theory held by man.
, physicians and wise men is that heredt.
d is of no particular consequence, whil
environment and education are ever,
: thing in establishing character"
Respectfully submitted.
MARY f. G. MINER,
e President
: Officers for the ensuing year were cleo
II ted as follows:
n President-Mrs. C. II. Miner.
= Vice president-Mrs. l., b. Plat.
IS Treasurer-Mrs, A. G.. PIERCE.
Z Secretary-Miss Mary Roberts.
Auditor-W. C. Isham.
Board of managers-Mrs. l.. B. Plat
Mrs. A. T.. Richardson, Mrs. FIRE,
d Johonnot, Mrs. A. G. PIERCE, Mrs A. y
d Grinnel, Miss Mary Roberts, Mrs. G. II
y Perkins, Mrs. c. p. Smith, Mrs. C. S
Isham Mrs. b. ]. Andrews Mrs. l..
N Lord. Mrs. b. S, Jones.
n Honorary members of the board-Mrs
VI C NJ Spaulding, Mrs. Il. A. Hopkins
a Mrs. S. r. Torrey.
a Advisory committee-Miss NJ c. Tor
10 rev, NJ. A. Bingham, Robert Roberts.
'e County managers-Mrs. John Fletche
le of Mddlebury, ..iss S. L. Park OF Ben