The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-04
THE FREE KINDERGARTEN
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ELM
 CITY ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Elm City Free Kindergarten association was held Friday morning. March i, at Center church chapel. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows:
 President-M Emily H. Whitney.
 Vice presidents--Mrs Fred Adler. Mrs! Lewis English. Miss E. W. Far nam.
 secretary-Miss Laura Sargent.
 Treasurer-R. w. Chapman.
 Chairman executive committee-Mrs. "A. D. Gridley.
 Directors-Miss Ruth Adams, Mrs. Walter Camp. Miss Coy, Mrs, c. L. Dickerman, Mrs. A. H. Graves, Miss Florence Hall, Mrs H. B. Learned, Mrs. F. L. Leighton, Mrs. c. G. Morris, Mrs. w.. Newberry, Mrs. o. G. Ramsay, Mrs. F. s. Root, Mrs. l. M. Ullman, Miss M. K. webb, Miss Cora Wetmore.
 Auditor-Mrs, Henry G. Newton.
 Reports for the preceding year were presented by the secretary, Miss Sar- gent, and the treasurer R. w. Chap man, as follows:
 SECRETAlRY'S REPORT.
 The board of managers of the Elm City Free Kindergarten association are able to report year of development and progress. The schools at 93 Water street, Welcome Hall and Leila day nursery have continued their work, 1SO children having been registered during the past year.
 Of these the children at the day nur- sery are mainly Irish, while those at Welcome hall and Water street are largely Italians.
 Tn the two latter kindeTgartens the children get their knowledge of Eng fish together with their kindergarten training, and thus enter the public schools in every way better equipped for their work.
 In April the district nurse association offered to send a nurse to the Water street kindergarten to treat such chill dren as suffered from skin diseases, vermin, ear and throat trouble, and Dr. Rand offered to go to the school once a week and prescribe for those needing his care. These regular week. ly visits have proved of the greatest value to the children.
 Tn October the managers were de- lighted to receive a note from Dr. Steele offering to do the same work for the children of the Kindergarten at Welcome hall where he and Miss Hills have worked faithfully ever since.
 tnt gc al tnflIl to Mr. Spaulding who has donated the medicines prescribed for the children by the two physicians.
 In May owing to the kindness of the landlord the children at Water street were allowed to use an adjoining va- cant lot as a garden, where they dug and planted with enthusiasm, and later had the joy of picking their own flow { CTS and vegetables.
 1 The schools were closed the end of June for the summer vacation, and re- opened in September with an enroll ment of 125.
 l Tn october a rummage sale of gar ments was held at water street which brought in $53 26 to the association and gave the mothers of the children an opportunity of buying, at a very small price, clothing of good and durable ma i terial.
 In December the usual Christmas sale was held at the lawn club and was eX- tremely successful bringing in much ne ededfunds for the support of the | schools and tiding them over until Feb ruary should come with it's annual sub scrptions.
 The managers wish to call special at tentlon to the crowded condition of the school in Water street in spite of hav- ing given up the old square piano and replacing 1t with an upright piano in order to get more space.
 The children are crowded and the work of the school Is much impeded by lack of room.
 There is a store. next to the school which can be rented and thrown to- gether with the one already occupied at small extra cost. Situated as it is at the edge of one of the most populat- ed districts of the city, there are chill dren enough close at hand to more thar | fill any additional room thus obtained The managers hope very much that the friends of the association will, by their contributions, make them feel justified in entering upon this new expense al the beginning of the new school year.
 Those who listened to the reading oi the last annual report will recall g story of four years persistent effort under somewhat disheartening circum. stances.
 Reviewing it all we feel that we have reason to be satisfied with what ha1 been accomplished; for from one schoo financially crippled, to three schools fairly able to stand is a progress wor thy of congratuation.
 The association is indebted to eact subscriber and friends who has mad, this improvement possible. Some of tn, visible results may be seen by a morn ing visit to either of the schools. Tn, results that are invisible may be under stoad when one reflects upon the do mestic condition of the. families iron which our children come and on thu benefits which we believe do inevitabl, flow back to these families from tn schools.
 It is a pleasure to mention the per sonal interest given by the teachers t, these new Americans to whom botl the land and language is bewilderinl and strange.
 This voluntary offering of strengtl and time on the part of the teachers deserves the highest praise. Tn : members of the association can in n better way express their recognition c it than by occasional visits to tn