The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
FULL REPORT OF SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
BY ANNIE PERRY REID
Bell Telephone No. 1897.

one NO. 1897.
soon as it will do to transplant them.
| We feel that we have done fairly well
and hope to accomplish more in the fu-
ture.
Sincerely yours in advancing the great
educational work in our grand old Ala
bama'
By visitation Mrs Craighead delivered
an address at Chronicle on "Chidren's
| Work for the Bettermen of Public
| schools" and an association of children
was the result. This little band has
been active in making and keeping the
| school house and grounds neat and at
tractive, and in this it has the assistance
of the Ladies' Civic Improvement ASSOC
citation.
Mrs. Thames reports as follows: Il have
| formed two county associations one at
! Greenvile, Butler county, the 25th of
| May, with twenty members. the other at
Troy, Pike county, the 10Th of October,
| with Mrs. Charles Henderson as county
| chairman. I made an address at Union
| Springs about three wekes ago and a COM
mittee has been appointed by the Maya
| zine club of that place to canvass the
| town in the interest of rural school i'm
provement, and looking toward the organ
/ ization Of an association there. Of the dis
| trict associations formed by me in But
| Ter county, the four are f1ourishing. One
/ raised sufficient MONEY to install new
| desks in their school house, another has
half enough to purchase desks, while an
! other has $40 which it expects to use in
| repairing the building. The fourth was or
ganlzed the last of the summer, and Is
just getting to work" Mrs. Thames work
has awakened active interest also in
Montgomery and Autaugaville.
| Mrs. Neil reports; II have been COM
municating with eight different schools.
| Two at Greensboro have committees
fDr al IafV,
| ginnings have been made at Planters
| Vile, Summerfield, Minter. Marion juno
| ton and Sardis, but as their ideas are
! so large they find it takes time to carry
| them out My committee In Selma is a
| magnificent one, consisting of six inter
J ested women and three liberal gentlemen.
These will have the cooperation and as
/ sistance of the board of health and Civic
| Improvement club Of Selma"
! am exceedingly happy to report that
the Twentieth Century club of Birming
ham has school improvement committee,
and that a good working organization at
North Birmingham is the result of its
efforts This committee has plans on foot
to organize improvement associations at
two or three other places in Jefferson
county. Two other clubs in Birmingham
have taken steps toward assisting I'm the
work.
Our circulars were distributed among the
ltdcueIS ut the AlaDdI1lb Educational as
ISOLATION, which metin Birmingham in
April, and 1t was found that the teach
ers have taken up the work in many
/ places, but feel that their work is not of
| sufficient interest to report It. 1t would
he OF great advantage to al concerned If
we could get reports of all such reports.
Miss Mamie Mcmillan. one of the teach
ers at Dadeville, Tallapoosa county. or
ganized an association there in the spring,
and Mr.. J. S. Thorn of Lower Peach
| Tree, Wilcox county. reports excellent
work done by an association that began
work there In March.
In February, our first city association
was organized at Birmingham. This con-
sists of a central association that has
special care of the High school, sand
! branch associations in the various school
districts of the city. This association has
raised and expended nearly $4,000. It's work
of greatest magnitude is carried on by
the lunch committee which serves the
children of the High school wholesome
attractive scent lunch every day Besides
this a grand piano has been purchased
grounds have been heautified, interiors
adorned with pictures and statuary. books
| added to libraries, needy children helped
| and the people brought into closer and
more sympathetic touch with the schools.
| In response to an invitation from Pro-
| fessor New of LAFAYETTE an, address was
made and an association organized there
in March. While this association has not
| done very much, request has come from
| the county superintendent OF Chambers
| county for help to start a county organ
! izaton. Miss Burns made an address
| and organized an association there last
week.
During the progress of the University
! summer school at Tuscaloosa your chair
man was invited to lead a round table
discussion on school improvement work,
and many interesting talks were made
! by teachers present. One of the direct
results of this was an invitation to at
tend a school rally at Cleveland. Blount
! county, September Q. where was organ
g., lied the banner association of the year,
so far as l know. The people had Just
! put up one of the best school buildings
in the country. and were anxious to raise
money to finish and equip it. 1t is a
rural village, there being $50 children in
the district, and since September 8 the
| association has raised and expended on
/ the school SSH
The banner association of the state is at
China, Conecuh county, it having won
the prize offered by the Alabama agricul-
| tural fair This is the first association
! that was organized under the auspices
of this committee and Is in Mrs. Craig
heads district The following is the re-
port in full;
! 1. Name of school improvement asso-
| citation, China.
. When organized May 81, 1905.
g. Number of members s.
A. Number of children of school age
in the district, 30.
T. Number of children enrolled In
/ school, 80.
G. Work accomplished. to-wt One
| but1dipu nioaIv furnished with two de-