Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-02-20
JOINT SESSION OF CLUBS.
Members of the Different Local Clubs Meet
With Mrs. E. P. Arpin.

In response to an invitation extend
ed by the Historical and Literary club
10 meet and discuss the advisabilty O1
Incorporating Manual Training anG
Domestic Science into the schools OF
Grand Rapids, tifty-two ladies, repre-
Seuting the various clubs of our city
assembled Monday evening at the
pleasant home of Mrs. E. 2. Arpin
After two solos, rendered by Miss
Reeves in her usually pleasing manner
Mrs. Emma Brundage opened the dis
cuSsiOn of the topic before the clubs
with an able paper on domestic Sci
enCe." Mrs. Brundage brought clear
ly before the clubs all that thorough
training in hOme-making means to a
woman. To quote from her paper
"All education to be practical must
tit one for ones life work. Girls IN
the normal order of things are des-
! tined to become wives and mothers
and |, for my part, can see no Objec-
tIOn to their recognizing their destiny
aud being educated to discharge these
duties with the highest possible eff.
cheney. Education that aims at mere
scholarly requirement rather than
useful Intelligence is not practical.
| We are getting beyond the day when
instinct and providence were expected
tO do duty for definite knowledge and
! special training in the business OF
hume-making. Give domestic science
place with other sciences and there
will be healthier, happier homes, and
girls education will enable her tC
make home something more than a
name"
Miss Carolyn Briere continued the
discussion. ''Correlation of Domestic
Science with the Course Of Study
was her special topic. Language,
drawing, geography, nature study,
mathematics, reading, spelling, writ
ing, are all brought into requiSition.
Miss Briere presented the plans of the
new high school building and ex,
planned the preparation the board OF
education are making for this science.
Mrs. James Miller followed Miss
Briere with plea for sustaining our
record of keeping Grand Rapids schools
in the leading van.
The president, Mrs. Renne, then in
trOduced Mrs. Jameson, of Neenah,
teacher of domestic science in the
Neenah and Appleton schools. Mrs.
Jameson told inform ally just what
was being done in these cities. Four
hundred dollars she considered a lib
eral sum for the equipment of one
labOratOry-One laboratory serving for
seventh and eighth grade and high
school girls. The girls devote one
hour each week to the work The
first lesson consists in teaching pupils
h OW to build fire Next comes pre-
~ ion nf 81 I1lnc thpy Z ~ nnn1D
ing Of vegetables and cereals. Then
comes meats, making and cooking of
bread, cakes, etc. One whole year is
devoted to cooking the very simplest
forms Of food. Pupils are taught how
to Judge meats, the most economical
tfAHts TO bnT5 and the meats best
adapted for roasting, etc. And with
AL this goes the chemistry of cooking
and the relative food value of the diff
ferent kinds of food. Not only are
the pupils taught cooking, but they
are taught to care for their utensils
and room. Making of beds, duSting,
sewing, and all kinds of domestic work
are looked after. Mrs Jameson told
OF the part the WOmen'S clubs Of her
city played in the introduction of this
work in the public schools. Glasses,
too, are organized outside of the pub-
lie schools
Miss McKercher's paperon Manual
Training" was thoroughly good and
to the point. To quote: MANY peo-
pie have wrong or limited idea of
I he scope of the work; 1t does not
mean simply the handling of tools,
but includes every line of work in
which the hand is factOr in acquir-
ing knowledge. 1t is method rather
han a subject, means to a definite
end: its methods do not belong to
hand-Work only, but influence the en-
tire school curriculum"
prof. Woodward of Washington
University after twelve years OF
experience claims as the fruits OF
manual training when combined with
Il liberal education. l. Larger classes
OF boys in grammar and High schools.
,. Better intellectual development.
3, More wholesome moral develop.
ment. +. SOunder judgment of men
and living issues. 5. Better choice OF
occupations. 6. Elevation of many
occupations from the realm of brute
force to intelligent labor. s. Solution
Of labor problems"
Mrs. NatwiCk completed the formal
| part Of the discussion on manual train
ing, She made clearly the point that
| by dignifying labor aud teaching &
| boy the use of his hands he would
early learn his capabilities and we
would have more good mechanics anC
fewer second rate professional men.
The company then resolved itsel
into a committee of the whole to dis
cuSS the advisability of presenting
petition to the Board Of Education
expressing their sympathy with th.
work and asking if they could co
operate with the board in helping t.
place this work in the schools at al
early date. Mrs. Geo. r. Gardner wa
chosen chairman of the meeting anC
Mrs. E. B. RoSsier, secretary
The question before the club
brought forth much earnest discussion
The objection to taking any action ir
regard to the matter being the fea
that the board of education Nigh
misunderstood the spirit in which tn
help was offered, when it was mad
plain that the object of the clubs wa
to work with and help the board t,
place these sciences in the schools a
i