The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-21
WOMEN BUILD
FOR FUTUR|TY
y
Betterment of Public
School House the Plan.
WIDE SPREAD WORK
Of Earnest Women. The State So
ciety Meets. The Summer School.
Mr.. Busbee on Nature Study.
Prof Carlyle on Teachers
Duty.

TO casual view the great A. & M.
College Summer School presents pic
ture of leisurely rest, repose and recre-
alton. On a gently swelling lawn that
stretches slowly upward to a knoll
surmounted by the big brick main
building, clothed in it's protecting
masses of green vines so that its ingu-
rites are softened or obliterated
there are lounging students of both
sexes, apparently content to dot the
green with the white splotches of their
Summer dress, to gaze idly at the DRIFT
ing clouds, to let the world slide by
through the droning heat of the sum-
mer'S day.
That is the lazy, the charmingly lazy
view from the hlllsboro road, as one
stretches his legs over the green car
pet OF the grass, as he breatheS the
fresh wind that overflowS the hilltop
and pauses to contemplate the scene
beneath the shade of some one of the
kindly trees.
The other view is that which one
gets in the busy class-roomS, filled with
earnest women teachers from the
country, their faces 'abeam with the
steadiness of purpose that means that
opportunity has come with effort. This
is the real summer school, and this 1t
Is that is making the institution one
whose waves of influence are rolling
over the State like the far-fieeing rip
pies of an oceanic upheavaI.
The Summer school means much
for the teachers, the tired, underpaid,
indomitable women teachers of the
State at large 1t means for them the
rest and recreation that exist even III
hard work, when the labor is changed,
tho congenial and the mind is slim
uiated in new channels, and the eye
meets new sights, and the spirit
broader skyline for it's flights All
this the Summer School giyes--to the
teacher who has grown old with the
long struggle in the harness, to the
young girl starting in life of self
sacrificing labor. while there yet I'M
gers the light in her eyes. Ana
the beauty of it is that the teachers
know these things and are working |
responsiyely to them.
Betterment of School Houses.
Although the routine of the school
work was not interfered with, the in |
terest OF the day centered mainly in |
the meeting of the WomanS Society |
for the Betterment of Public School
Property which was held in the IL |
brary of the college, and was attended |
by a representative body of enthusiast |
tic women, drawn together from all |
Summer School students and women
of Wake county and the city of Raj |
ciyh whose interests are enlisted In |
the work.
Morning Mccting-Reports Received
That the women have become
very potent factor in the educational
work was very evident yesterday
from the first days session OF the Wo-
mans Association for the Betterment
H0nSPS
Carolina. The organization is little
over two years old, and the report OF
the work during the past year as IL
was told by the representatives from
each County Association is remark
able record 1t is a plain, simple
story that is told-a story told mod
estly, as one representative sara:
.Fhere are two things l am not in the
habit of doing, speaking in pubic
aud fainting; but l am in danger of
doing both here this morning.
1t is the simple story of how the
p,trons and officers of the schools
have been persuaded by these un-
selfish and unceasing workers to tear
away the old log school house and
build a home for the school children
that is both attractive and comforta-
Bile, and where true teaching can be
given. This was the report from
county after county, without pride,
without official school interest; this
year a new building, painted and well
equipped with two or three or TOUR
rooms, where the school attendance
has been increased from SO to 100 per
cent, and where the value OF school
property has been increased from
nothing to $4,000 or $4,000.
1t is the simple story of how these
women by organizing few workers
in each county, who have been wiling
to go in the districts and talk to the
patrons, have created among the
teachers and children desire FOR
better things-a desire to make the
old school room neat and attractive.
1t is the story of the wonderful effect
Of a plentiful use of soap ana water
on the windows, the effect OF rev
pictures hung on the bare walls, the
effect of removing trash and stumps
and the wood-piIe from the front
yard
1t is the simple story of how the wo-
rhen have made the patrons see that
the school room is nothing less than
q home for the children and that the
same refining influences that are car
red into the home should be carried
into the school room.
The report of the recording secre
try, Miss Marie c. Buys, shows that
thirty-eight counties in the State have
active associations and twenty-three
others have requested the president to
assist in organizing WomanS Bet
torment Association. Five counties
beaufort, Moore, Greene, Wayne and
Nake) each last year offered scholar
ships to the teachers that should
make the greatest Improvement dur
ing the year in the appearance of the
school house and ground The follow
ing teachers won scholarships: From
Wake, Miss Annie C. Abernethy and
Hiss Alice Penny: from Wayne, Mr..
n. CT. Lane; from Moore, Miss Mamie
Arnold; from Greene. Miss Susie Kill
ratrick.
The report of the corresponding
secretary, Miss Mary Taylor Moore. |
shows how the association has work.
cd In harmony with the county in
sItutes: how literature has been dis
t~ibuted among the different counties
how the Youths Companion has been
distributed free with large quantities of