Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-09-19
RECEPTION is
WELLATTENDED
LARGE NUMBER ATTEND PA
RENT-TEACHER RECEPTION.
PROF. VTNTNG MAKES GREAT HIT
His Address on Child Development
One of the Finest Ever Heard by
Ashland Parents-Others Speak
Also.

The reception held by the Parent
Teacher Circle of the West Side
school, which was held at that school
building Monday evening, was a
great success, not only from a social
but from an intellectual standpoint
and from the standpoint of the work
and aims of the circle.
The assemblage was called to or
der by the president, Mrs. r. P.
Campbell, who explained the aims
and workings of the circle, stating
that they, devoted the first Monday
afternoon of each month to visiting
the school, and the school work on
those days was followed by a joint
meeting of the teachers and parents.
She emphasized the fact that though
most of the members are ladies, the
circle is for the parents and the faith
ers are desired and needed in the
work as badly as the mothers. The
membership is divided into two
classes, active and associate. Active
members pay annual dues of 10
cents, which go mostly to the state
and national work, and local dues of
~ ICibo POI hiOllNAis al uoCu
for the local work.
The first speaker called upon was
Professor Briscoe, city superintend-
ent of schools, who gave a very in
teresting talk concerning the rela-
tiOns between the parents and teach
ers. He said that he believed that
most of the problems of the parent
and teacher were very similar. That
being at once parent and a teacher
he had found that the lines were
closely parallel as regards the child
problems, and that if the teachers
and parents worked and conferred
together, with fairness on both sides,
much good could be accomplished
Among the practical things needed
to be done was to place many more
fine pictures on the walls, that the
pupils might have to live up to re-
fined surroundings. Other equip
ment was needed which the board
was unable to buy, and there shouIu
also be rest room or a couch in
each room where pupil or teacher
taken suddenly ill could rest and be
cared for. Professor Briscoe also
urged that all suggestions of change
in school methods, criticisms, etc, be
thoroughly discussed in the circle
and then presented to the principal
of the school involved by the officers
of the circle. 1t would be impossible
Tor the teachers to listen to each in
dividual and do their other work
and that the multiplicity of counsel
would be such that it would confuse
and hinder rather than help.
Miss Engle, principal of the West
Side school, said that she wished to
emphasize what Professor Briscoe
said. If she had a hobbN it was
school visiting. She believed that if
the truth We're known every unusu-
ally clever pupil had some special
home influence which aided in that
development. She also strongly
urged that if a child had any special
defect, such as deafness, near sight
edness, nervousness, ETC.. the parent
should at the beginning of the child s
work under each teacher go to, them
and tell them of this, as many a child
was deemed inattentive when really
hard of hearing, or defective of sight
The teacher, she said, did not want
sympathy from the parents, they
wanted help, and the parents could
help best if acquainted with the
school work, and she urged more fire.
quent visiting of the school.
Mrs George King of Medford, pres
fdent of the Parent-Teacher Circle of
the Roosevelt school in that city, told
briefly of the work of that circle.
They had, she said, turned their at
tention more to the material than to
the intellectual or spiritual part of
the work. They had fixed up the
school grounds, furnished help to
those unable to buy books, had
equipped rest room, etc.
Professor Irving Il. Vining of New
York was the principal speaker OF
the evening. Professor Vining is a
graduate of the Ashland high school
and was member of the faculty OF
the Southern Oregon Normal School
leaving here for the east about ten
years ago. Mr.. Vining talked alone
the lines of Child Development" and
his address was of deep interest and
great value to parents and teachers
alike, and it is to be regretted that
only brief outline of his address
can be given
In opening. Mr. Vining stated that
50 per cent of the problem of child
development was that of ventilation
That when it required conscious
effort to keep above the dead leve
in mental activity no good work
could be done. One OF the greatest
crimes that could be committed
against child was to permit him tC
work at dead level until it became
a habit. Poor ventilation and higl
temperature were responsible fol
many failures and neither parent ol
teacher had any right to let a chile
take as minutes for work that shoulC
have been done in Is. The child II
kindergarten work or play should b,
allowed to take its own initiative
but should not be allowed to leav,
either work or play until what it Sc
out TO do was completed to the bes
of its ability. He quoted Mr.. Gid
dings, an eminent educator, as say
ing that the present kindergarten
methods were the greatest crime o
the world-they deprived the chill,
of his initiative and incapacitate,
him for effective work in life.
The problems of child life and o
dealing with criminals are similar
Each life was a circle, and how t,