The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-12-18
To TEACH
MAINLAND
,rrom Saturdays Advertiser)

the Hawaii Promotion Committee talk
ed last evening at the meeting OF ths
Territorial Teachers Association held
at the High School. Mr. Woods prin-
cipal plan was to have stereopticon
sides prepared of scenes about the is
lands. together with descriptive lee
ture concerning them. to be sent by the
schools to some state. as Nebraska, for
instance. Tne slides and lecture to be
started in the High School in Lincoln.
then passed along to various other
schools in that city and then sent to
| all cities and towns for use in each
| school,
MIR. Gartley spoke generally about
| the help that schools might give and
! dwelt somewhat on the school-letter
plan. That is for pupils to write let
ters to pupils in schools on the MAIN
and in exchange for others from there.
This would not only help Hawaii and
| the pupils on the mainland receiving
| the letters, but would give the local
school children an opportunity to learn
| the art OF descriptive letter-writing at
first hand.
Mr. Wood thought that Superintend-
ent Babbitt of the Department Of Pub
| lie Instruction could readily prepare
the lecture to accompany the slides.
| He went on further to say that a
list of all school teachers, in whatever
state is selected, could be obtained
from the State Superintendent. To
| them the Promotion Committee could
send folder concerning the plans of
the local schools for such an illus.
trated lecture and follow it up with
folders concerning the islands. In this
way information about Hawaii could
be impaired to thousands Of teachers
and scores of thousands of pupils. He
believed that such a plan would meet
| with the hearty approval Of teachers
in mainland states. The State Super.
intendent could readily give the press
| statements concerning the lecture and
| the loca! school system would be given
| credit for what he considered splen-
did educationa, plan.
Mr.. Wood thought that If the teach-
ers fell in with this plan they might
devise ways and means to defray some
of the expense attached in a way
which would not be much to any of
them, say ten cents month from
teachers and five to ten cents year
from pupils He believed that this
would appeal to the patriotism of
heads of families.
AS to letter-writing. Mr.. Wood said
that there was abundance of subjects
that could be utilized and would be of
the greatest interest to pupils else
, where. There were topics such as su-
gar cane. rice, towering shrubs his
torical events. legends, island history,
early engineering works of the Hawai-
ians, etc. These would be of the
greatest interest to people on the main,
land.
Mr.. Wood personally offered prize
of IS to be made on his behalf by
Principal NJ. M. Scott to the pupils of
the High School for the best descrip-
tion of the flowers and shrubs sur
rounding the islands, to be passed up
on by committee.
He also stated that he would be
pleased to offer the use of the promo
tion rooms to the Department of Pub
lie instruction for an exhibit of school
work. The fixtures used for the pho
tographic exhibit would shortly be
available. He suggested that a COM
mittee of teachers take the matter in
hand.
Superintendent Babbitt said he fav-
ored the idea, although he would not |
ask schools to make special effort |
in future, but to take the work al
ready in hand. There was a fine coll |
lection of past work and right up to
the present to make a creditable dis |
play.
Our schools are almost as little |
known right here in Honolulu as they |
are away" said Mr.. Babbitt. "All |
sorts of criticism is offered about the |
schools and almost all of 1t is ignorant
criticism. Those who visit the schools
find little to criticize; those who don't
visit them, criticize"
Prof. Scott spoke of custom prevail |
ing among some principals years ago
of having their pupils write descrip
tive articles concerning things of ev-
eryday life, such as the water buffalo
and what the animal was used for in
the islands. the description accompa-
MED by a drawing of the animal. Then
the taro was likewise treated, sugar
cane, rice. 1t was very interesting. Ex-
hibits of branches of grade work, such |
as examples of writing. class work in
history, mathematics, ETC., did not ap-
peal to the average person viewing an
exhibit, but descriptions of that sort |
referred to, did. He said that the ex-
hibit sent on to Buffalo, st. Louis and |
Chicago, attracted much attention.
but, according to Miss Dawson. who
had charge of the exhibit at Buffalo, |
N. Y, the portion most interesting to
visitors were those little illustrated
descriptions of water buffalo, and other
things he had mentioned.
The result of the meeting was the
appointment OF a committee of five to
take the matter of an exhibit In hand.
comprising Prof. Edgar Wood of the
Normal School. chairman: Mrs. Frash-
er, Miss Needham. Miss Robertson and
Mrs. Douglas
All school principals will be called |
upon to interest themselves In the pro-
posed exhibit and It Ia anticipated that
most of them will readily respond. It
is not the mass OF stun that is wanted
but attractive material. Superinten-
dent Babbitt offered the use OF a room
at headquarters where the committee
could arrange the material before
sending 1t to the promotion rooms.