Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-22
History of "Boys
and Girls Clubs"
(By United Press Associations,

Manhattan, Kas., Dec. 22.-Fivo
thousand Kansas girls who cannot af-
ford to attend school have been given
elementary instruction in a course OF
domestic science and arts during the
past three years thrugh "boys and
girls clubs" Not satisfied with lead
ing all other states in the percentage
of her young people attending col
lege, the state of Kansas planned and
out through a system Of education
for those young people whose parents
needed them at home. Miss Frances
L. Brown of the Kansas Agricultural
College, who has been in charge of the
Girls Home Economics Club since its
Inauguration, has received hundreds
Of letters from state institutions and
private schools and colleges asking
for explanations of her system. She
has prepared the following article ex-
planning the work for the United
Press:
"Four years ago when woman's
time was given wholly to the exten-
sion of such lines of college work as
The womankind of the state should de
sire one of the first demands was for
such training in cookery and sewing
as could be carried on by correspond.
ence. Accordingly the Girls Home
Economics Club work came into exist
ence. The first years work was
failure, not because the girls were
not eager to organize clubs but be-
,ause the material to be used by these
,lubs was not prepared. Consequent
ly my first summer was spent in pre-
oaring a course in simple lessons in
sewing and another in cookery. With
his material to distribute, the work
vas arranged under systematic plan
and from the beginning of the second
year has prospered.
"The plan by which these clubs are
conducted is as follows: Wherever
here is a group of girls who wish
20 take series of lessons regularly
club is organized. Wherever it is
possible these clubs are affiliated with
high schools, and we find that as
rule teachers make the best leaders
FOR the clubs, though occasionally we
have a woman who is superintend
ent's wife or a minister's wife or
Sunday school teacher or a housewife
who has a real interest in girls.
He CluDS UlccC oHNS q
week. Reports of what the students
have accomplished at their home
during the preceding week are read
and discussed, the students giving
their own experiences. Work is then
planned for the ensuing week. These
future lessons may be work out in
)ne of several ways. In some of the
clubs the theory of the lesson is ex-
planned by the leader, or by the pu-
oils, and then demonstrations are eth
,r given by the teacher alone or by
several of the students. In many clubs
he students take regular turns in CIV
ing demonstrations.
"The meeting places, of course, are
optional. Many of the clubs meet
'egularly at high school or gram
mar school building or at the home
of the leader or one of the students.
In other clubs it has been found more
convenient for members to take turns
entertaining the organization. When
the meeting place is in school room
ticles of equipment and material for
the evenings work if demonstrations
supplement the discussions. Quite
often when the school room is the
meeting place each girl works out
her lesson in her kitchen and prepares
a paper which is delivered at the next
| meeting. At these meetings minutes
are kept and sent to my office. The
expense of these clubs is slight.
"The college receives no pay for
this work and gives no credit for the
| courses, the work being solely means
of self improvement to the girls and
| to carry to them as much education
in home economics as possible. When
taken continuously and thoughtfully
they will give to the girl who cannot
otherwise obtain it general elenen-
tary knowledge of the subjects stud
led.
| "The second years work was met
with such great approval and was so
successful that we wanted to estab-
lish the work upon a better basis.
Therefore the courses in cookery were
revised and instead of being scattered
lessons upon the various phases OF
the subject they are now arranged in
a logical order based upon the out
lines used in the regular college
courses. We have at present three
courses in cookery and fourth ready
for the printer The first two courses
cover the elementary field of cookery
in general, dealing with the five food
principles. The third course is given
to the more difficult problems of cook
cry, including some few lessons upon
the balancing of rations and some
special diets, while the fourth course
is devoted entirely to diets for special
diseases.
"In sewing the first course is made
up of elementary steps often termed
model work or hand sewing and is
supplemented by finished articles that
will illustrate the work. The second
course is a tape and rule system OF
drafting and making of under gar
ments. A third course is under prep
aration now and will deal with the
subject of alterations of patterns, care
and cleaning of clothing. and kindred
subjects. Another good feature about
our girls clubs work is that through
it's adoption many schools that cannot
afford a regular department can give