The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-12-03
GARY MOTHERS WANT
THE SPIRITUAL SANTA
Hold Meeting and Decide on
What Is Best for Their
Children.

Poor old kind hearted Santa Claus
was relegated to the rear yesterday,
consigned TO the Ananias club and
doomed to oblivion by the decree of
the Mothers club of Gary. At the same
time the recently popular Teddy bear
was brought upon the green carpet"
and subjected to no less scathing a de-
nunciation. Throughout it all, how
ever, the Teddy bear Rugged to its
claim of popular favor and after the
nd of the grueling, still held a warm
place In some of the hearts of the
mothers.
| Waiting intently for the arrival of
their mothers from the meeting at the
! Jefferson school building. the children
of Gary were able to get just a slight
linking of what they were to receive
for Christmas in the way of toys.
They waited breathlessly to see wheth-
er or not the automobile, the fire en-
CINE, the sled or bicycle would be ta-
booed and what the association of
mothers would conclude to indorse.
After all, however, there were but
three things which drew the fire of
discussion in which there was great
emphasis laid upon it's indors ement or
diversity of opinion. The first of
these was the Santa Claus, which has
always been one of the all-absorbing
questions in each individual home. In
Gary it was decided almost unanimous
ly that the myth of the alleged being
would be revealed to the child, and
hereafter on all future Twenty fifths OF
December he should be known as the
essence of generosity and kindness as
imbued in the human being.
scented not as any creature which may
exist, but as type for which the chill
dren should strive to exemplify, es-
, pecially upon Christmas day.
As far as the fate of the Teddy bear
is concerned. the jury disagreed. Many
expatiated its cause in the belief thai
it made the children more tender and
loving; that 1t was more practical thar
a doll, and should by all means remair
a part of the children's playthings
Others were equally convinced that the
} Teddy bear Slapped from the child mucf
of its paternal instinct which is mos
highly developed in the play with dolls
Upon this question the mothers agreed
to disagree and the Teddy bears will
occupy a prominent place in the hom.
of some Of the mothers, while in other.
they will be abandoned and forgotten
.
There was one thing, however. II
which they were as unanimous in in
dorsing as they were in opposing tn,
Santa Claus myth, and that was tn,
purchase of blocks for children. Blocks
they said, appealed to the imagination
of the child and to its ingenuity Grea
{ good can be had in playing with block!
and so far as they could discover. Their,
lurked no possible harm, providins
the child didn't play cyclone" to,
often.
? At the meeting of the club yesterda,
it was decided not to hold anothe
meeting until after the holidays, a
which time the fathers will be invite,
to attend social function provided b.
. the mothers, at which the subject o
children for the time being will b
omitted. They have not yet decide
upon the date, but 1t will be soon afte
the holidays
q The officers of the Gary Mothers
kindergarten club who were electe
yesterday are: Mrs ]. E. Metcalt
president; Mrs. N. Alschuler, vice presi
dent, and there have been two member
: of the executive committee appointed
The appointees are Mrs. j. E. Harmon
n and Mrs. Engleburt. It is understoo
that Miss Anna Kupples is to be mad
a member of the executive committe
and there will be one other appoint
ment announced later