The San Francisco call., 1904-09-05
Report of the Principa.
ArouSes Vital
Interest.
BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

Parental School by Principal Richard
ID. Faulkner and read to the members
of the Board Of Education On Thurs
day.
Not that the diction was especially
distinctive-not that. It was couched
in good old Anglo Saxon, simple and
direct as becomes official reports, with
few "whereases" and "therefUres" in
its structure ard very like hundreds
of other reports passed up monthly at
the City Hall.
But in every line there runs a tense
human interest-and therein lies it's
honest claim to literature. Besides, it
deals with children, and the type of
children that most concerns us, because
they have passed parental control and
who are now at the turning of the
roads that lead to good citizenship or
on to the embattled walls of criminal
ity. For it is known-and definitely
knOwn-that from the ranks of the
habitu3l truant are recruited the men
who fill the jails. Reared on the street,
the brain cells are fed on the pabulum
of the street. the mind creates it's
ideals from the street.
Therefore is the Parental School
only a few weeks old, it is true, but
according to that bit of literature" it
is sheltering fOrty-five boys within it's
gates and actually holding them.
FortyfiVe lads have been rounded
up from as many neighborhoods who
have sorely perpleXed the inhabitants
thereof-and incidentally the policeman
housed together in school, with dead
things called books to deal with and
coming to schoo! daily of their own
VOlition.
These forty-five boys" says Mr.
Faulkner, whom the lads have grown
to know as their friend, have been at
tending regularly since their individual
enrolment, with bat Cae exception.
That detection was but for day."
The secret of this? Just ask Mr..
Faulkner, or his assistant teacher, Miss
Ray Alexander. Or better still, go out
some day to the little schoolhouse on
Eighth st.eet and see for yourself
First of all, the school was formed
as an integral part of the compulsory
education law. Before the establish
ment Of the school the habitual truan-
cies were reported by principals to the
truant officers. who thereupon set out
to gather up the lads. Upon capture
they were reinstalled in the schoolroom
only to repeat the act on the morrow
After time these lads were given up
as hopeless, as they interfered with
the routine of school work and were
dropped-dropped to become vagrants
and TO prey upon the public. Now,
there are the lads-forty-f of them
that have been interested sufficiently to
come to school every day, and what is
more, to manifest that interest by
working cheerfully within it.
How? All, good friend, love and tact
and human sympathy lie a the bottom
of parental school methods, when the
good" in the lads is reached and ap-
pealed TO. 1t takes specialists to do it,
even as il takes specialists to treat
your body when it's i'll. for these chill
dren of the street are ill-morally and
mentally ill-from heredity. environ
ment or acquired physical deficiencies.
Now that the school is reality the
California Club the Associated Chari-
ties, the juvenile court committee and
all the allied friends of children are
truly grateful TO the Board of Educa-
ton for this enlightened step-which,
however, is only beginning.
A dormitory is needed TO complete
the training Of many truant lads-lads
to whom home" has come to mean a
place where his folks" as they term
them, meet to sleep, drink, eat and
fight. But all things will come in good
time when the cause is just.
The Board OF Education possesses
some good lots out by the Golden Gate
Park. Here would be an ideal place
for a Parental Home. one such as
Chicago, Boston. Philadelphia and New
York possess. Here the boys could be
taught gardening and the elements of
trades, combining elementary school
work with hand work-all of which
would greatly assist III the upbuilding
OF new brain tissue, new thoughts new
ideals and new boys. And success to
it. Likewise 70 its friendsi
The clever Cap and Bells" have
postponed their opening Gay until Sep
tembcr 15. What a crop OF good stories
viii be on tap that day. after an ac-
emulation Of three months. The fol-
lowing announcement has been issued
Social day Of Can and Bells - Mrs. W. p.
Buckingham. president: Thursday, September
10. 1901 At home Cf Mrs. w. 8. Gage. 2f7O
Broadway. at 2:30 p. m; board meeting at 80
W.T. and humor ............... BY the members
Niclin xo,os-a ..Romance'' (svendson1: b
'Perpetuum Mobile (Res) ).-..............
.......-.-.......-..-...- Miss Grace Freeman
Buck and wins dance in costume .-.......
waltz Cog in costume -..............
..--.......-. Ramon and Lorine L.andsberger
Russian Romance" Nine Paraskera Grcsrslky
Accompanist Miss Ena Langworthy '''e-
Programme under direction of Mrs. s p.
Blumcaberg.
The Claiming Auxiliary, Of which
Mrs. w. II. Wheeler is president. will
hold its first monthly meeting of the
year to-day at 3 o'clock in the parlors
of the First Unitarian Church. The pro-
grammc will be presented by Miss Inge-
borg Resch Petersen. the charming
Swedish singer. Her programme will
be: Aria. with Verdure Glad" from
The Creation" CHaydn); (a) 'Loreley'
0iszt), OBJ lie Violette" (ScarlattD :
(a) "Syneves Song (KjerulD. OBJ wed
SUndet" "a. Dacker GrondahD. (c), Id,
(e) Norwegian folksongs.
The California Club has issued the
following calendar for September,
which augurs we'll for the activities
under the earnest new president, Mrs.
Aylett r. Cotton.
club meetings. Tuesday. September 6-By
reason OF knights Tenpa-'s parade and receD-
lions no meeting viii be held at $50 y. m
Tuesday. September 13 Special meeting to
consider and decide upon al questions relating
to building clubhouse. and TO transact any
other business that may come befors the meet
ing Tuesday. s Dtember 20 ~ Pro.ramme in
charge of the DEPARTMENT OF education: Nine
Emilia Tc5ctt. chairman: outline of work by
the chairman oc the Department OF civics and
Of the deDartment of social science. brief re-