Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-21
M0LDINC Of CHILD.
Women Discuss Schools as Nor
al Factor in Com.
munity.
PAPER BY SUPT. H. B. HAYDEN
Character Building Pointed Out as
Most Important
of All.


tor" was the subject considered at
the monthly meeting of the local
branch OF the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union, held yesterday after
noon at the residence of Mrs. III. w.
Reed, 80 Fifteenth street. Papers
prepared by Superintendent H. B. Hay
den. of the city schools. and Principal
II. z. Brown. of the high school. re-
spectiveiy were read by Mrs H. w.
Reed. and Mrs. w. E. Bailey. There
was a short address by Rev. II. w.
Reed and paper by Mrs. NJ. NJ. Stur-
geon. the latter having charge of the
meeting The musical features con
sisted of piano solos by Miss Shear
and Mrs. Knight.
Respect for Rights of Others.
las | view it," Mr.. Hayden's paper
states. lin common with many others,
the public schools find their most i'm
portant function in the work of char
acter-building.
In their essential organization they
demand of the children habits of pune
tuality. industry. and application-ail
of which are most valuable habits in
the business of adult life.
In the work of the schools. constant
demand is made upon pupils to pre-
pare lessons independently and render
them honestly; to be truthful in their
statements, clean in their language
and conduct, quiet and respectful in
their manners, courteous and polite
to those with whom they are thrown
in contact in the schoolroom.
Thrown together in large numbers
each child is taught to respect the
rights of others and to be obedient
to duly constituted authority-two es-
sentials of good citizenship.
within the school the child is in
constant association with the teacher.
The teacher is. or should be, living
exemplar of the moral virtues. BY
example as well as precept, then. the
schools should tend to the up-building
of high type of moral character.
sentiment From Bible.
Literature and science, the reader
and the history, the bible itself in
morning devotions, constantly instill
of patriotism towards cOun-
try and reverence towards God. and
teach the duty of man towards his
and towards his creator.
This is the positive and favorable
side of the proposition. On the other
hand. where large masses of children,
coming from all classes of homes and
outside associations, are thrown to-
gether in playground and other school
relations, there is bound to be some
of the good by coming
in contact with the evil. some suffer
ing of the weak at the hands of the
But the pupil who gets most
out of his school work is the one who
most fully meets it's high demands and
most closely adhereS to its loftiest
deals
Training of Character.
Mr.. Browns paper was as follows:
THE first. indeed the prime motive
for the establishment of the American
public school system is the training
of character and the school must rise
OF fall by this test. Character finds
its expression in actions and these in
turn are either good or bad, moral or
immoral 1t should be the object o.
every good teacher to make each les
son taught lesson IN morals. Inc
necessity of self restraint, temperance,
punctuality in attendance,
obedience to law mot because it is
but because it is right, re-
spect for authority, cleanliness, ac-
curacy, all these are lessons in NOR
ais and if well taught We need have no
fear for the future of the pupil.
..Of the three moral agencies which
stand out preeminent in our American
life, the home, the church and the
school, / am inclined to believe the
latter. taking all classes of children
into consideration is fully as great a
moral factor as either of the former
for children of immature years. Each
should do its portion of the work and
because they differ each from the 9TH
er, we find the reason for the effec-
tiyenesS of all"