Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-02-02
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THE VALUE OF MOTHERS MEET.
lNos.

lNos.
Three years ago an attempt was
made to organize a mothers club
for each school building. Three
teachers united in this first effort
and about sixty Invitations were
sent out. On the afternoon set for
the meeting only five mothers came.
We discussed some matters and de
cided that the absent fifty-fiye should
BIO counted as voting against the
proposition and the attempt was
abandoned.
This year the interest in the
mothers meeting idea has developed
spontaneously and one club is thor
oughly organized in the second grade
In the West Side Building. It Isl
one Of tho best signs of the school
year, that the mothers of these
children have entered into a close
fellowship with the teacher TO make
more effective the work in behalf
OF the children. Nothing will or
can have a more wide reaching,
wholesome effect in training these
characters than this coordinate eff
fort Of mothers and teacher.
welcome this mothers club. 1t
means that there will DO effective co
operative training for these children
In at least five ways: training Of
the body. the senses. the mind, the
will and the moral nature. OF all
4 advances In our educational work
this year / look with most hope
upon this earnest mothers club, and
/ congratulate the teacher on sue
eeedIng in an organization, where,
three years before, the Superintend-
ent failed.
One OF the mysteries Of my teach
ing experience has been the fact
| that mothers will club together to-
study this, that, and the other, but
have not dubbed together to So
riously, earnestly study the child
and try to get the child's viewpoint
This child study club on the West
Side will lead the mothers to look
upon their work from the standpoint
of a universal work They will
learn that most of their problems are
the common problems OF all mothers
and they will realize more and more
the tremendous significance of their
work as mothers, and then the club
win become a vital power for good.
When the mother has learned to
look upon her child, not as her child.
but as life given to the world that
she Is allowed to develop and I'M
fold for humanity's service; when
she has learned to look upon her
boy as one more effort of the di'
vine life trying to manifest itself In
concrete form. then will come
happy day for the schools, and when
this day comes there will be such
an educational awakening as will en-
phasize the fact, as never before,
that the chief end Of education Is
the development of sturdy, robust,
honest. unshakable character fittedQ
for the largest possible service. Ed (
ucation for service win then sup-L
plant education for self-interest
Mothers fellowship meetings Will
teachers can do more TO bring abou-,
this educational ideal than any Oft =
or or all other agencies combine
II | were asked TO name the o.
thing most needed in our scho9ALI
today. | would not say money. nd.
equipment. but larger measure
mother help. Any twl tn
by four character can stand off ihSo
he dark and criticize. but il takes
. magnanimous soul to render sym
pathetic help.
A single newspaper column is in
to express a full apprecia-
ion of the value of mother hep c
n school work. A whole news. c
'aper could only begin to tell it, Il
J. e. T.