Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-15
W0RkOFlHE MOTHERS
+
Tardy in Getting to Work
This Morning.
REPORTS RECEIVED
WORK OF KINDERGARTEN DE-
scR1BED By LOCAL WOMAN.
Mrs. Murray Talks of Benefits to the
Colored Race--The After
noon Session.
REPORTS RECEIVED

| Metropolitan NJ. E. Church this morning,
| and just a handful responded to the request
| of National President Schoff to repeat the
| Lords prayer in unison By the time the
meeting was well under way. however, the
| body of the church was well filled, and the
galleries also.
The platform had new dress of decora-
| lions this morning. There were several
large jars of carnations and roses. and Mrs.
Sarah D. La Fetra, anticipating the inter-
national features of the day, had loaded the
palm jars with rainbow of colors. On one
side the flag of Spain, red and yellow, and
of Japan, the white field, with it's blood-red
| SUM- censorted, and on the other side the
union jack of old England. the black and
white and red flag of Germany and the gay
coiored flags of the South American repub-
| lies We're entwined.
The congress got down to business. i'm
| n!edlately beginning with reports from In
| dlvIdual clubs. and closing the session with
! addresses by Mrs. Anna Murray of Wash
ington on Negro Children of America"
| and Children of Spanish America" by
| Senorita Carolina Holman Huidoboro of
Chile. which was read by Mrs. David o.
| Mears, Senorita Huidoboro not being able
| to be present.
The mothers have not had a great deal
| OF music in their congress- not even in
| dulglng in congregational singing, so that
the rendition this morning of the Scotch
HUSH L nee, ny MIS-. Satan
| M Sheridan, was received with every evil
| dence of pleasure, and she graciously re-
sponded to it with another Scotch song.
| Mrs. T. A. Morgan, president of Wash
| lngton Mothersy and Teachers Club, of
+ Des MONIES, Iowa, reported an organization
| five years old This club, she said operated
| IN South Des Moines. and is made up of
| women from the working classes and these
| mothers, she said, are so interested in the
| work that they sent two delegates to the
| congress. The mothers, she said, called
| the meetings of the club little bright
| spots in their lives. She stated that .he
principals and teachers of the schools joined
| heartily in the work of encouraging the
| cup. They have parents and teachers
meetings., WHICH are of great value in the
| work.
Schools of Englewood.
The Englewood Woman's Club of Chi
| cago president. Mrs. L. F. Fosburgh, sent
| greetings to the mothers congress and
stated that 1t was working very earnest
| ly in connection with the schools of Engle-
| wood. and has established scholarship
| of one year at a university for a worthy
| high school student, and another for
| worthy student at the art institute. and a
| scholarship for one year for a child thirteen
| years old, who otherwise could not have
| gone to scheOl.A 1T has also established
! lunch rooms at t1a Englewood h sh schools,
| which have daily patronage 473 pupils,
| whose average Individual check Is II cents.
Mrs o. c. Mckenzie of the Mothers Club
| of Albany, n: Y.;oreported that her club is
| energetic and -uhtirinS in its efforts to
| awaken Indifferent mothers to a sense of
| their responsibilities and ambitions to at
| tain high ideals in club life, that they as in
| diyiduals may be the better fitted to prac-
| tice them IN home life. This club Mrs. Nc
! Kenzie estatedy hasE taken hold OF a sectfou
| of the city which, IS Occupied by dilapidated
| houses. removed them and made it into a
| beautiful park, in which splendid play
ground for children has been established,
| and is so situated that mothers who cannot
| send their children, away for the summer
| can send them every day to this park Toys
| and games are provided by the club,
Mrs w Harry. Smith, president of the
| Mothers Club of Bristol, Pa, presented
| report. This club, she stated had worked
principally along the line of educating
| mothers that they may have higher ideals
| for the upbrineing of their children. trying
to make them understand that their duty
to their. offspring, is not concluded when
! they have washed, dressed and fed them,
but paramount, Mrs. Smith said, to all
other considerations, must be the training
| for the inner life.
Mrs. Murray's Address.
| Mrs Anna E. Murray of this city who
| is of African descent, in opening her ad-
| dress. said
at is true that the children of any race
are the hope of that race is doubly true
| of all backward races, and especially true
| of American children of African descent.
| The problem of republic is the problem of
| childhood, and in America there is race
| problem which will be solved Alright only
when the republic of all childhood Is nur-
tured and guarded as the jewel of our civ
| liZation.
..The large mother heart of the negro
| woman responds so readily to the needs OF
| little children, as shown by the nanny
| love of old slavery days.
"Our hone" she declared, lies in the
children. To them we must look for the
growth of the future, for the increase of
right living. for happiness and peace Upon
them we must lavish our greatest care If
we would throw off the heritage of slavery
and do our part toward the solution of
Americas race problems.
Nurseries should be established where
working mothers may leave their children
and where others may come for advice and
| help as to what is best for the child
In a number of places in the north and
few in the south. she said, these nurseries
| have been opened but when attempted by
| the colored women unaided by the whites
| they have generally failed Cooperation is
| necessary, for the results are as beneficial
| to whites as to blacks.
| She said in closing that it was her belief
| that the kindergarten would do more in
| esta blishing these ideals than anything else
| The most signal success of effort in this
direction has occurred here in Washington
How much it owes to the mothers con-
| gress is beyond expression. 1t was under
| taken in 1896 by the Colored Women's
| League. through which was issued the first
| call for national convention of colored
| women In the search throughout the coun-
| ty for kindergarten teachers such a lament
| able dearth' of women prepared for this
| work made almorsfIat training school an i'm
| perative Necessity AT the close of two
| years of effort, and one week after the
| graduation at oHJl first class, through CO.
| operation with the white men and women
| Interested in the establishment of kinder
gartens for white. children" stated Mrs.
| Murray, amid applause. Congress gave a
| Joint appropffatibh of $12,O 900 for introduce
| ing the woyk into our public schools OF
! der our cara Have graduated forty five.
! all of whom 'savec nine, who have married
| and whose smaternal instinct turned into
| insight, m,Iss make their home life purer"
| Among other reports were those of Mrs.
| Richard MYERS of the. mothers and teach
ers, clubs offWilfiamsport. Pa; Mrs. Thos.
| G. Rafferty9of Philadelphia and Mrs. F. j..
Lowe of the Mckinley Teachers Club of
| Des Moines, Iowa.
morrow morfiingo There will probably be
but one changeaih the present staff. Mrs.
Du Bots, national treasurer, feels that she
cannot serve any longer because of pres
sure of other duties, and Mrs. Louis K.
ellison of Ohio Will be designated by the
nominating committee to take her place.