The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-12
THE Why
AND HOW OF
EDUCATION
Addresses Before New Church
Club Last Evening on Subject
Of Acquiring knowledge.

The first meeting OF the season of the
New Church Club OF Rhode Island was
held last evening at the Church OF the
New Jerusalem, a large number Of men,
bers being present.
An informal reception opened the meot-
ing, and at $50 the dinner was served.
Eight now members were announced by
the executive committee.
President Thomas Hope OF the club In
troduced as the frst speaker George r.
Weston. Esq. principal OF the Manua!
Training high school. the subject OF
whose address was Natures Lessons OF
The question greatly developed In the
human race is that of the why and
how, and ! feet that these are The
which comes TO him to inquire, TO seek
out--and they are almost the sole ave-
nues that we have To higher attainments
THAI God-giyen expression. Blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after
righteousness.' must be extended To take
discover what IL Is that some one man
and some one woman make more prog
ress In educational work and understand
there IL a hunger and thirst after know
ledge. and they are the ones without ex-
ccption, believe. who are filed-
"But In order TO understand the why
GUS experience upon which TO build. In
the development Of the human race the
earlier man. not having the breadth OF
experience that we have. looked out OF
eyes that saw not the truth OF things.
He was able to interpret only In the light
OF his experience. and his experience not
being broad enough TO get at the truth OF
things as he looked out upon nature he
only saw what were half truths or no
truths. and so we had the mystical In ma
ture. and that which could not be under
stood by the primitive man was translat-
ed into that which he did understand.
''Being acquainted with man and his
ways, very much OF that which he saw
and heard was translated into some hui
man form. To him the sun was not an
orb that gives heat and light 10 the
world. but II was flaming. fiery chariot
drawn by furious horses"
The speaker then illustrated his re-
marks by several references TO ancient
mythology. and closed by saving;
GOD IN THE GARDEN.
There is no thought more profound
than the difference between the early ac-
count of creation. when God. like a man.
walked in the Garden OF Eden, and like
a man, talked with Adam, and that deep
broad. spiritual solution which Is given
us by Christ when meeting the woman
OF Samaria he said: 'Ye worship what ye
know not, but they that worship Goo
must worship Him In spirit ana In
truth"
Warren Goddard, Esq, OF Brockton.
Mass. who spoke upon Some Needs IN
Modern Education" In part he said:
IT assume to speak only as an ordinary
observer of our public schools. one un-
able to provide technical betterments ~
sometimes able to successfully point out
"A,
ing an impetus from the devotion OF the
early New Englanders. our public schools
still occupy an almost sacred place In the
popular mind. and properly so.
AS furnishing an authoritative OASIS OF
cricicism, the speaker quoted somewnat
at length from recent essays. also refer-
ring 10 President Eliot's recent utter
ances that the public schools failed TO
rive explicit instruction along the lines
OF good citizenship and good moral iiv-
ing "Some OF these criticisms may Do
overdrawn, but they point out defects
that can be and should be remedied.
PLEAsURaABLE STUDY.
sThe defects are summarized as super
ficiallty, cramming the effort to make
study always pleasureable, the pursuit o.
education as an end, the exaltation OF
mere intellectualism above the training
of the practical affections Of usefulness.
and the PURSUIT OF euucau0h ns 90
or as a cure-all for all moral disorder, m
stead OF making II means to an eno'
"Confessedly this is a new age. In re-
ligion, In applied arts In education We
are youthful In our education as COM
munity The defects In our system OK
education are all youthful defects, ana
exist I'm the individual In the same forms.
Cramming, superficially. the idolizing or
| the Intellect the love OF display or the
oretical informa ton. belong 10 the So
called big head stage OF youth.
Not to be too severely condemned.
tn public school system, like the youth.
| should avail itself OF Professor Harris
| suggestion and establish educational ex-
| perinent stations as the correct remedy
| for our chaotic education. Steps along
| these lines have already been taken by
| establishing manual training schools and
| courses OF typewriting. stenography and
| practical banking
''The effort should be not so much ia
| cultivate ambition, which is the cause
| OF many a nervous breakdown among our
| pupils, not to foster the love or excel
| ling others, but the love OF developing
| those talents with which God has en-
| dowed the individual child, with the view
| OF ftting him to oil usefuliy and enjoy
ably that place In the body polite fos
which he was created
| At the conclusion OF the addresses
| brief remarks we're made by Rev. George
8. Wheeler pastor of the Church OF
| the New Jerusalem. and the meeting
| closed with a unanimous vote OF thank
to the speakers.