Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-22
EDUCATION As TOPIC
Meeting of Directors of 7. N.
c. A. Branch.
CONCLUDES WITH BANQUET
Election of Officers at Conference
Held Yesterday Afternoon.
REVIEW OF PAST ACTIVITIES
Development Of the Organization
and Its Value as Auxiliary
to the Association.
REVIEW OF PAST ACTIVITIES

The meeting of the Educational Direct
ors Association of the Y. NJ. c. A., which
| went into session yesterday morning con-
cluded last night with banquet at the
Tea Cup Inn. At the afternoon session
the officers for the ensuing year were
elected as follows: Frank P. Speare of
Boston. president; B. B. Farnsworth of
New York secretary; George B. Lands
of Columbus. Ohio. treasurer.
The Young Mems Christian Association
educational movement is gradually COM
ing into full recognition by the public
of its part in the general educational
scheme of the nation" said DIR. Brown.
United States commissioner of education,
in an address at the banquet.
Myron ]. Jones, director of education in
the Washington Y. NJ. c. A., presided
over the meeting. which was attended by
men representing all parts of North
America.
Commissioner Brown spoke to this
group of educators, who stand in the posi-
ton of pioneers, investigators and origi-
majors Of progressive educational activi-
ties in this country, on the subject of the
Continuation School" Briefly speaking
Men s Christian Association, and of his
continued interest in it's educational ac
| tivities and their relation to the great edu-
cational movements in this country, par
| ticularly along industrial and educational
lines, he said:
In its pioneer work the association Is
not only serving it's students, but the
great educational movement of the coun-
| try. The associations educational activi-
| ties are sort of skirmish lines, which the
main column of education in this coun-
try. largely limited by traditions: must
| follow. You. as unique educators in this
short time after the public systems OF
instruction move up and take the ad-
| vanced position.
Rapid Changes Noted.
Because of the rapid changes in our
social. industrial, commercial and politi-
cal life we are rapidly coming to prize
educational originality and invention to
meet new conditions of life. The Young
Mems Christian Association has stood for
this in the past. but In order to fulfill its
mission must continue to develop the
| powers of invention. For this reason
| there ought to be only the closest CO.
| operation between the associations edu-
| catonal activities and those of our public
| instruction systems.
| II have been exceedingly interested in
watching the development of your work,
and though great things have already
been accomplished. it would not at all be
may be results obtained in association
educational work which are not now an
| ticipated or even thought Of because
needs in some particular lines are not
| yet entirely seen. Your work moves rap
| idly and it is difficult to tell what the
| years may bring forth.
Reviews the Work.
|
the Chicago Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION, and. president of the kduca-
tional Directors Association of North
America. gave a brief review of the de-
velopment of this unique organization,
and named as some Of its detectives high
| standards of educational work and the at
traction of educational. capable men to
| direct educational activities of the thou
sands of men and boys in this country,
| who need peculiar education, which is
| not now being given them through any
| other agencies.
This educational organization Also"
he said. mot only stands for a high
| standard OF educational work itself, but
for even finer developments in the asso-
citation. For this reason, it stands for
| special studies and special Investigations
Of local conditions in order to meet pecu-
| liar local needs, and finally the organiZa-
| ton stands as the representative of the
association virile movement for social
| betterment and increase of social wei
fare in the general educational world.
Quality Versus Quantity.
| Mr.. Frederick B. Pratt. head of the
| Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, N. Y, also
| chairman of the education subcommittee
of the international committee of the
| Young Mems Christian Association, struck
the KEYNOTE of the educational work of
the organization now sitting in convention
| in this city in quality as opposed to guam
| titN. 1T Is not numbers that count in
the long rum" said Mr. Pratt. There is
a temptation to look for numbers as op-
posed to quality itself. SO it is for each
association in the highest development of
| its educational work. in which 1900 stu
| dents and more were instructed last year,
to develop that type of work which is To-
cally needed and appropriate, and should
do 1t in the best way possible
| Mr.. Frank p. Speare. educational d.
| rector of the Boston Young Mems Chris
| tian Association. and one of the pioneers
in this country. said tho real work that
is being done is in reshaping misfits." In
explaining his statement he said the ma
| jority of men are insists in that they are
not in that line of work for which they
are fitted. THE majority of men succeed
In spite of their education" he said, and
1t is for us to discover these misplaced
|
| and vocations for which they are cut out
| For this reason one of the elements Of
strength of our educational work is that
we strip our courses down to fighting
weight for practical purposes.
Other Themes.
Other subjects discussed during the day
were: Problems of Social Service" Ed
ucatonal Work Among Boys Demand
for Industrial Workers." Apprenticeship
Systems in Machine Shops. etc." Jour
neymen's Education Trade Schools"
The men in the movement came from
all sections of the country. represent A.
900 students number larger than the
| re gistration of ten of the largest UNIVERSE
| ties in this country Over 1000 of these
students are boys seventeen years old and
under. In addition there were last year
30. 900 men and boys who attended lee
lures and practical talks and 1900 were
in educational talks of various kinds. The
expenses of these educational activities
amounted to very nearly half million
dollars.