Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-05-16
PLANS OF CHILD
CONFERENCE,
Effort to Provide a Central
Source Of Information.
NATIONAL SOCIETY ORGANIZED
Workers In Different but Allied Fields
Will Be Brought Together at Big
Meeting In Worcester, Mass.-Or.
sanization and Increased Efficiency
Demanded.


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 ut Worcester,
Mass. where the conference came into
existence nearly 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
a 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
rotary, said that thirty-three child
helping organizations were represent
ed at the first meeting In July, 1909.
1T 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.
cation in the commercial world and the
increased business efficiency that fol-
lows. We want to secure some such
results for philanthropic movements.
We want to make it easy for 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 a central source Of informa-
ton and assistance when needed.
Plan For Capitalization.
Further. this centralizing idea ia
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 a central clearing house-call 1t a
philanthropy trust If you like-then
any person can find 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 the bringing together Of
the scientific students and the prac-
teal workers. The theorists and the
field workers have not always ad-
vanced 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
has its eyes fixed on Washington and
wants some day to secure a federal
children's bureau. Resolutions have
already been adopted favoring bills be-
fore congress for that purpose.
1.-The time has come. in the opinion of
this conference" last years resolu
ton ran, when all efforts for the
amelioration of the conditions Of child
hood of charitable and philanthropic
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 be
given more scientific and workers a
more professional character"
In other words. this organization in
tends to kill off lot Of haphazard
work that has been going on with the
avowed purpose Of helping children
and substitute work that Is more in
diligently directed and more bene
fetal to those who do it. to those who
are the subjects and likewise to those
who support it by money or personal
interest.
A National Organization.
DR.. G. Stanley Hall, president Of
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 % to July 2. inclusive. 1t
is planned to have local conferences in
various centers throughout the United
States which will attend to unifying
local organizations and interests for
local purposes. start has already
been made in this direction. A local
conference has been organized in
Worcester.