St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-03-09
VOL. LXVI---NO. BAIT
Won,an's Club.

Considerable business was transacted
at the March meeting of the Woman's
Club, Monday afternoon, the question Of
interest being the appeal from the New
Hampshire Federation of Woman's s Clubs,
to add the endorsement of this club to
theirs, of Senator Gallinger's bill for
national forest reservation. The en-
dorsement was recommended by the ex-
ecutive board and accepted by the mem-
bers of the club, and it was suggested
that club members show their interest in
the matter by writing to Vermont's rep
resentatives in Congress or their at
taches, regarding it.
One new name was presented and ac-
cepted for membership, Mrs. Nellie M.
Smythe.
Itwas voted that for the April meeting,
section of article and section of ar
t1cle 4, concerning time of meeting and
limitation of the sale of guest tickets to
members be suspen ded.
1t was announced that at the April
meeting the bylaws concerning the ap-
pointment of standing committees by the
executive board and the committees
choice of their own chairman, would
come up for discussion and possible
amendment.
twas suggested by the president that
the manner Of nominating officers tor the
annual election be considered by the
members, and at the next meeting new
or improved methods be presented for
consideration if desirable.
The chairman Of the education COM
mittee, Mrs. Fl. c. Bond, was present ed
and introduced Mrs. c. Fl. Dempsey, who
spoke very Interestingly of Vacation
Schools" Her paper dealt particularly
with the Juveniles in the poor districts of
large cities, where such work is usually
under the supervision of Womens Clubs
or philanthropic organizations. While
attendance at these schools is not COM
pulsory, the appreciation of them is
shown by the usually large attendance.
The principal objects of these schools are
manual training, nature study and or
ganized PLAY. They improve the minds
OF the children, give them pleasure trips
into the country, and in practical and
pleasant ways occupy their time, which
might, especially among the poorer
classes, be spent in the streets and in un-
wholesome ways and places. Mrs.
Dempsey illustrated her talk with anus
ing anecdotes and awoke considerable
interest on this subject in the minds of
her hearers.
All who were present were delighted to
welcome to the meeting the other speaker
of the afternoon, Mrs. A. L. Hardy of
Amherst, Mass, formerly of St. Johns
bury. She continued the subject of Eva
cation Schools" giving very good idea
of what can be done, both indoors and
outdoors, in smaller towns, in this direc-
tion. The summer vacation seems too
long for children above the primary
grades, and there is often at the begin
ming of school in the fall, a noticeable de-
terioration in the behavior of children
since the beginning of the vacation. The
summer trips planned in many places by
churches or Y. M. c. AS. in part do the
work of vacation schools. Among the
subjects taught in the organized schools
Mrs. Hardy spoke OF gardening, work in
this line constantly increasing. manual
training, sewing, and cooking, and
nature study. She had for exhibition
and examination samples of wood work,
wire work, and sewing done in the
various grades of the schools at Amherst,
which gave very good idea OF the
work that can be done during vacations
or in the schools where manual training
is introduced. 1t proved that this kind
of work was very practical and was a
welcome addition to or substitution for,
during part of the school hours, the
regulur text book routine.
Both ladies gave very interesting and
instructive ideas on the subject under
discussion, and were most attentively
listened to.