The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-04-23
MOTHERS CLUB
HOLDS Meeting.


which was as follows:
A visit to the Lincoln school 10
Santa Barbara. Calf. three years Bgo
revealed conditions as nearly wpat
tbey ought net to be as 1t Is possible
to fiud ia any public school IN THIS
country-Fnugh. weed grown grounds,
dilauidsted buildings, dirty and dis
figured furniture, (mu h of II refuse.
banished from the other buildings OF
the city, n very high record ot tardl- |
ness and a very low average OF attend |
nnce; disurdPr, rowdyism. and VIC
iousness. aud an almost entire lack OF
ANYTHING that might he called
wholesome and proper school spirit.
The reputation Of the school was
bad; its traditions were wholly |
wrong; 1t was looked upon by the
board With disfavoI and treated as
necessary evil Two things, however.
the school did possess: plenty OF
children and few COOL teachers.
Unfortunate experiments In trying
TO "fx things up" at the Lincoln |
school made the getting OF money
from the board for improvement pet
ty nearly an impossibilIty. They did,
however, as a sort of a joke, give the
SUPERINTENDENT an old tumble-down
building occupying part OF weed
patch that served tor a play ground, on
condition that he should get u
moved away without expense TO the
district. The discovery of some good
building mat rial IN its walls resulted.
after vigorous efforts on the snperin-
tendent's part. In the sale OF the old
wreck for s75, and upon the expendi'
ture OF this sun depended the pbysi.
cal transtor aud rejueenation
OF the school
Previous Efforts at flower growing
aud tree planting had resulted every
time in the theft or destruction OF
every plant put out. This time, how,
ever, a canvass OF the entire ward
was made and the Co operation OF the
psrents secured in the effort to col
iect proper plants and trees. he en-
thusinsm OF the pupils was worked uo
to the point Of clearing the yard and
getting IL ready for lawns and SHRUB.
berry. A professional gardner living
near by volunteered to supervise the
planting, and a committee OF parents
petitioned the superintendent to
make 1t the "palm school" and set
out only palm trees. So great was
the interest aroused that nearly thirty
varieties of palms we're given and
some forty others bought by subscrip-
tion-and all this among laboring
people. A fine, large lawn was put 10
with climbing vines and loses, ana
all kinds OF flowers. Then the school
board took hold OF the movement,
the play ground was graded and the
building repaired and repainted. TO,
day 1t is one of the most beautiful
and we'll kept places in the city.
All this helped some in decreasing
tard mess and lessening absence, but
II was soon seen to be only the begin.
ming of things needed. Ground was
secured aud fine garden planted.
Vacant lots nearby we're rented, liked
up end planted with potatoes, squash
and pumpkins, aud the proceeds real
lied from the sale of these crops we're
used to equip workshop In the base
ment. The old style, rn-out desks
we're banished rom two OF the large
school rooms and replaced by chairs
and tables at less cost to the board
than new desks would have been.
One OF these rooms was turned into a
wcrkroom for the girls, corresponding
to the shop for the boys and the
other room was made a workro Dom for
both the smaller toys and girls.
Much OF the old formal order of the
school room disappeared the child
rem helped each other, they work to-
gether at hand work and they study
and Iecite together. From the first
grade to the eighth, this idea OF work
ing together Is carried out and yet
there is no weakening OF control on
the teachers part nor lessening OF
real "good order" on the part OF the
pupils. One group of children will
be found gathered about "rug
FRAME" transforming with busy I'm
gers piece of old burlap and some
discarded clothing into serviceable
rug: another group Is tying quilt (;
another building book case; and
still another constructing punt foI
surf boating. And during much OF
this time, while their hands are busy,
they are talking over or reoiting their
lessons, most OF which are based upon
the things they are working with. AT
work with cotton goods they have q
real, living interest In cotton and
they ert its geography and history
and nature study because they have q
real reason Tor wanting to know IL.
Arithmetic and language grow out OF
the work in the same way, and with a
like liviRg interest.
The courses of training that this
school Is giving are as varied rs the
home needs OF the locality and the
AkaI tanIann1au md nhu
sical requirements OF the children.
For example, there is a course 10
mendIng mending anything that
belongs In or about the home, whether
of paper. or cloth, or wood, or leath'
or, or iron, or tin, or crockery.
Everything about the school Is thus
repaired, and many things ar,
brought from home.
And this is the way of 1t: A brok
en- thing Is placed before two or IN ore
children aud they are asked to work
out good plan fol meuding It,
When they have done this, they re
port to the teacher aud after some
discussion plan is adopted and car
ried through--to success, whether OF
the first trial or on the third. And
am quite persuaded that the eduoa
tlonal value of problem like that il
equal to any that may be found IL
books. The ingenuity that some O
them display in this mending is quit,
remarkable, and the training that the!
get makes not only for power but fo
culture as we'll, and for utility. Thes,
children have mended and recon
structed more than hundred chair
and desks aud other articles Of schoo
furniture, they have rebound NOR
than two hundred school books ant
they have constructed many cup
boards aud bookcases and shelves ant
other things Of use for the variou
rooms. Before any one can start upol
the construction of any new thing b.
must draw working diagram of th
thing, and figure out just how mucl
stuff IL will take and what 1t will cost
There are courses In sewing and quilt
ing and rug making aud basketry ant
Housekeeping, simple housekeeping