The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24

a half ago there was organized at
the State Normal and Industrial Col
lege in Greensboro the Woman's As
ISOLATION for the Retirement of Public
School Houses in North Carolina. This
organization is unique one, at least
IN the history of this State. 1t is an
organization of women of all classes,
ages, and conditions, drawn together
by common cause, interest in the
children of the State. At first it was
help their State. Now it is band OF
earnest women striving to do great
service to the children around them.
The name of the association eX-
plains its object. 1t is to improve the
buildings and the grounds of the pub
lie schools. 1t is not necessary to
plead the need for this work. Every
enlightened person knows that the ma
ture of child'S surroundings has
much to do with the formation of his
character. Those who know the con-
dition of educational affairs in North
Carolina know that there is not a
school house in its borders that can
not be improved in some way. Many
of them are dirty and dilapidated to
a degree that is past belief to those
who have not seen them. Realizing
this condition, this band of college
girls under the guidance of DR.. Charles
d. McIVer, began this movement,
knowing full we'll that they could de-
pend upon the other women citizens
of the State for help. Nor have they
been disappointed.
The plan of organization is as fol-
lows: First, there is the Central or
State Association, with headquarters
at Greensboro Then there are the
county associations and last of all the
local or voluntary associations. The
State Association is composed of all
the members of all the county and
local associations. 1t meets annually
and elects it officers. The present
State officers are:
President-Mrs. w. r. Hollowell
Goldsboro, n. c.
e-President-Mrs. E. e, Mofftt,
Raleigh, n. G.
Recording Secretary-Miss Mary K.
Applewhite, Scotland Neck.
Corresponding Secretary-Miss
Mary Taylor Moore, Greensboro, n. G.
Treasurer-Mrs. NJ. c. Stanback
Sanford, n. G.
The executive committee is COM
posed of those mentioned above and:
Mrs. L. w Bagley, Littleton; Miss
Viola Boddie Nashville; Miss Leah
D. Jones, New Bern; Miss Mary Nc
Arthur, Fayetteville; Mrs. Charles
Price, Salisbury; and Mrs. Lucy Polk,
Warrenton.
Inc state ASSOCIATION dJlenlpLS lllll6
of the real work of Improvement. It's
principal work is to organize Branch
associations and to help them to carry
on the work. SIT necessarily deals
largely with theory. i gives sugges-
tons and depends upon the branch
associations to prove their practical
bility. 1t gets the reports of the
work from the different parts of the
state and tries to keep the various
49, 1f,t, tot ~ in vii h
each other. Any white woman in
North Carolina is eligible to member
ship if she will do something toward
improving some school house. There
is no membership fee for women who
become active members. Women or
men who wish to become associate or
honorary members may do so by pay
ing an annual fee of one dollar.
The county associations are COM
posed Of the public-spirited women
of the counties in which there are
organizations. The officers are elect
ed annually and their meetings are
held monthly, quarterly, or annually,
as is most convenient. 1t is the coun-
~ associations that have to do the
real work of improvement. The plans
for work differ in the different coun-
ties. Some work by means of the
local or voluntary associations organ
lied at the school houses, while 9TH
ers depend upon eacn teacher to in
terest the people of the community so
that they will assist her in improving
her school and grounds.
The local or voluntary associations
as stated above, are those organized al
The separate Schoolhouses. They are
composed of the teacher, the children,
and the parents. The members of the
county and local associations are the
ones who clear off the school grounds
plant trees and flowers, paint the
house, wash the windows, get new
furniture, and put books and pictures
in the room.
The State association has held there
annual meetings. The first of these was
at Morehcad City during the session
of the Teachers Assembly in 1902.
There plans were made for the work.
che object of the first summers work
was to let the existence and object of
the association be known as widely as
possible over the State. The WORK was
presented at picnics, teachers" insti-
tutes, or any public gathering where
an opportunity presented itself The
women who did this and who organ
zed many of our county associations
are know as field workers" Among
those who have been most active in
this field work are: Mrs w. r. Hol-
lowell Miss Leah Jones, Miss Viola
Boddie, and Miss Edith Royster. The
first summers work resulted III the
organization of about twenty-five as
sociations The second annual meet
ing was held in Greensboro in May,
1903. The third was held during the
past July at the A. & M Summer
School in Rale gh. These meetings
have been made very interesting by
the reports given of the work that has
been done.
To show som ething of the real work
done and as an example of these re-
ports, one is here given:
Wayne County Associat on.
Our assoc citation has a membership
f about one hundred. composed OF
all the teachers, several ladies who
are not teachers, and several asso-
ciate members.
The county association has held
three meetings during the year. We
have in the county twelve regularly or
gained voluntary associations with a
total membership of two hundred and
forty. The work done by the Volun-
ta,y association is as follows:
Amount of money raised for
pictures '....S 1h.''
AMOUNT of money raised for
other purposes ........ 4@41
Number of pictures placed in