Newark post., 1910-11-09

interest as the topic assigned to me
possesses. This club through its edu- |
catlonal committee, has been ready to |
help forward on all occasions any
movement that promised to improve I
the educational opportunities offered |
the youth of our State and the intel |
ligent and active interest of the mem
bers has not on.y greatly enlightened |
those who are directly engaged in the |
work OF the schools, but has encour-
aged the general body Of our citizens
to a higher realization Of the value OF |
training for the performance of duty |!
and the enjoyment OF pleasure. The
organized agencies for the education
of the young only become effective
when they are connected with other
efforts OF society to make the most OF
citizenship i'll all relations Of life. The
Century Club is working for circuat-
ing Libraries for the schools has add
ed much to their power for good. The
travelling library has done much to
encourage young people of our State
to engage in good reading. The
country schools especially have been
very much helped by them as furnish
ing the best reading matter and inject
ing into the daily routine a new life.
Many a boy or girl has had taste
for good literature instilled into his
young life which has proved a rich
blessing i'll after years. Far more
useful is the habit Of reading the best
books than any other accomplishment
which is the result of school days.
Bernard Shaw has lately said that the
,,,a,,t,J he, nf
is appalling, and he makes a strong APP
peal to the English people to encour-
age the children to go to the theatre
for healthy amusement. This too Of
ten fails entirely to furnish a whole
some recreation TO the schoolboy or
schoolgirl Indeed in the present state
of the stage it is rather TO be argued
| against as psnderi.sg to s9w appetiics
and as furnishing very unwholesome
food. Then again, Delaware, outside
of Wilmington, is almost completely
| rural, while Mr., Shaw has only ur-
ban population in mind when he was
| making his impassioned statement OF
| the awful dullness i'll the lives of the
| people of England The travelling
Libraries seem to be the best means OF
reaching the remote country schools
and with the live teacher to awaken
an interest in the boys and girls they
will find the healthy enjoyment that
will make their lives full and sweet
| The introduction of Nature Study
into the rural schools offered much
relief from the deadcning pail that was
wont to settle down over the school in
| the long winter months, but, in re-
| I,,- III
fishers flooded the market with books
which were too often compiled by
authors who did not observe the true
| bearing OF facts in their statement.
| The nature fakir perpetrated some of
his widest dreams in the name of
| Nature study and the schools were
| overwhelmed with the tide OF misn
formation. Professor Bailey, of Cor
nell University, gifted with rich poe
! tical temperament and a wide fund of
! knowledge, gained after years of
| study in different departments OF nat
urGj SC .ence, Urged the teachers not to
! depend upon books but to lead the
| scholars to study natural objects by
| direct observation, selecting such
| manifestation of nature as the locality
| and the seasons afforded But the
| teachers too often tagged out with a
| hard days work and not being blessed
| with an imaginative temperament
| stumbled along with pitiful make
believe at brightness, making of what
| should have been a half hour OF relief,
rather a period Of greater depression
than the drill and grind of regular
! lessons. a survival Of this movement
is seen in many of our schools in pots
of Towering plants which add so much
| brightness and interest to the room
1t has spread out to the play ground
| ard what was formerly an ugly spot,
| Uttered over with waste paper and
| boxes, is now covered with green
sward and sheltered by the umbrage-
! Gus foliage OF trees.
This tendency has been extended to
| cutivating waste ground and growing
| vegetables furnishing wholesome re-
| creation to boys and girls, and shows
how work can be made attractive when
performed in the midst OF pleasant
surroundings. Here | may add that
when the chiid's interest is elected
| there will be no trouble i'll getting the
| attention. 1t matters not how you
gain the child's interest, when that is
secured. and not until then. the edu-
cational process will follow. The
same may be said of his course OF
st,dv. provided it is sufficiently broad
II furnish him specific training III stud
les preparatory to his after life. Once
the child's mind is aroused and MS
interest awakened he will go on to
wider activity and greater accomplish
ment. The stimulation furnished by
the stories and descriptions found III
the libraries ;the Nature lessons once
in a while introduced to drive away
the shadows that sometimes gather
i over the school room; talk aDout
| The potted plants or work in the school