The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-29
Mrs. Thames Discusses The
 improvement Methods
MONTHLY REPORTS MADE
Forty-five of Sixty-seven Counties Are Now Organized and 700 Local Associations Are Doing Ex-
 ceIlent Work.
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery. December 2S.-(Special)- With 45 of the CT counties well organized for school improvement, Mrs. F. D. Thames. in charge of this work under the auspices of the Alabama education committee and the Alabama Federation of Women's clubs, sees light ahead for a great many things that have perplexed school people and friends of education for many years. She has completed organi- zation and requires reports. County of fieers are given regular and adequate in- structions and newspaper articles are pre- pared for each county so that the ad- vertising end may be cared for in ade- quate way.
 When Mrs. Thames took hold of the movement about a year ago there were B county associations, six city and 400 To- cal. Many had become inactive. how ever and it was necessary to begin at once to brace them up. The more I investigated" writes Mrs. Thames, "the more became convinced of the abso- lute necessity of a closer supervision and fostering care. To this end I sent letters containing a concise outline of the duties
 
 president and also informed them that from then on would call for a monthly report instead of half yearly as be- fore that time, this report to run like this:
 How many school improvement let ters have you written this month";
 How many articles and reports pub lished in the newspapers?
 How many addresses have you de livered?
 What do you most need to assist you and what new plans have you formed?
 By this means l know at all times the status of the work in each county News paper articles have been supplied each county president for publication In her county paper. This has heretofore been but rarely followed because the average county president has neither the time nor training to do this press work. Realiz- ing this l had them prepared by com potent writers and supplied them. -
 Literature concerning the s100 prize has been distributed and a column In the Educational Exchange supplied with school improvement material as regularly as possible that the teacher may be kept in touch with the work. I hope to have every county in the state organized by spring, but even then we will just begin to fight The closest supervision and fos- tering care must be maintained for sew eral years; in fact. as I see 1t, these last two are fully as essential as organiza- ton, which alone and unaided amount to little, save in sporadic instances"
 Mrs Thames has put her whole heart Into this work and has made a great showing as the figures prove. There are TOO local associations now in good trim and through these the schools are given inspiration to clean up have pictures on the walls prepare beautiful grounds look after the needy children and in general way brace up the tone and excellence of the schools The same line of service that is useful in the country is not in the city. so that different plans are kept up. In 1t all the club women have worked with the department of education so well that two lines of service have flowed to- gether for good to many needy little ones in Alabama