Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-05-19
PLANS OF CHILD .
CONFERENCE.
Effort to Provide a Central
Source Of Information.
NATIONAL SOCIETY ORGANIZED

Workers In Different but Allied FisIds
Will Be Brought Together at Big
Meeting In Worcester, Mass.-or-
eanization and Increased Efficiency
Demanded.
The second general meeting OF the Ma
tional Child Conference For Research
and Welfare is being planned for the
last days Of June and early July.
This meeting will be at Worcester.
Mass, where the conference came into
existence nearly a year ago. Leaders
In various forms of effort for the bet
terment of juvenile citizens will ad.
dress the sessions The conference
will last five days. This organization
aims to be central clearing house for
information and for definite action for
the welfare of children In all depart
ments. Instead of taking some one
phase Of child nature, such as garden
ing or Fairgrounds or health. the con-
ference regards the coming citizen as
unit and attends to the units needs
In their relation to one another and to
the community.
Speaking on this popularity of the
organization. Henry S. Curtis. the Sec
/ retary. said that thirty-three child
helping organizations were represent.
ed at the first meeting In July. 1909.
"It Is expected that there will be a
still more general representation this
year." he added. "At these meetings
matters of general interest are dis
cussed and methods that might apply
to different fields are considered. 1t
| Is the purpose of the conference to
| bring the different organizations closer
| together. SO that there may be less
wasted and misguided effort.
I'VE all know the results of organi-
| zation In the commercial world and the
Increased business efficiency that fol-
lows. We want to secure some such
results for phianthropic movements
We want to make 1t easy fer various
kinds of social workers in different
but allied fields to become acquainted
with each other. with each others
troubles and methods. and to provide
them with central source of informa-
ton and assistance when needed.
Plan For Capitalization.
Further, this centralizing idea is
going to offer the general public an
easy way to keep In touch with prog
ress In the whole field In these busy
days not many men or women have
time to look into the work of hun
dreds of organizations scattered all
over the United States. But when we
get central clearing house-call it a
philanthropy trust II you like-then
any person can 6Dd out with not much
trouble what Is being done In any Civ
en- line OF effort"
Another benefit aimed at in this unity
Of purpose Is ths bringing together OF
the scientific studenty and the prac.
teal workers The theorists and the
field workers have not always ad-
yanced In step. The conference In.
tends to assist each class to under
stand the other and thus benefit the
general purpose for which both are
striving by different but equally i'm
portant methods. The Child Conference
ttS eyes uACu VII w dHu
wants some day to secure a federal
children's bureau Resolutions have
already been adopted favoring bills be
fore congress for that purpose.
THE time has come. In the opinion of
this conference" u last years resoIu-
ton ran. when all efforts for the
amelioration of The conditions of child
hood of II charitable and phiIanthropic
nature should be based upon and SO
far as practicable guided by the re-
suits of scientific child study. and
only thus may the various lines pr
given more scientific aud workers u
more professional character"
In other words, this organization in-
tends to kill or lot of haphazard
work that has been going on with the
avowed purpose of helping children
and substitute work that is more in
teiligently directed and more bene-
f1ciaI to those who do II, to, those who
are the subjects and likewise to those
who support 1t by money or personal
interest
A National Organization.
Dks ~. oluhiCy L1ails tCSiucub OI
Clark university, who Is also presi-
dent Of the Child Conference. approves
this sort of conservation of organized
energy. There is "a crying need to
correlate" the societies of the country,
says he. I'VE could present an inter
esting list of overlapping and lack of
coordination. Some committee OF a
general scope which would not be local
or connected with any one institution
and which could also comprise and
make contact with and have every
one of the child welfare societies rep.
resented on it-that is the thing that
we chiefly desire"
To get at its work the Child Confer |
ence has established national organ.
ization, which will meet In Worcester,
Mass, June 2s to July 2. Inclusive It
Is planned to have local conferences in /
various centers throughout the United |
States which will attend to nnifying |
local organizations and interests for ,;
local purposes. A start has already |
been made in this direction A local
conference has been organized ra |
WOFcester