The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-04-03
Leading Workers in Uplift of Boys Of
wisconsin to be Among Speakers at
Annual Meeting of Wisconsin School
Arts and Home Economics Ass n.
(By Frank NJ. Knarnes)

held In Kenosha April II and II, have
been made. Headquarters for the
meetings and exhibits will be at the
Frank. school, There will be a general
meeting Friday afternoon, banquet
with addresses Friday and sectional
meetings Saturday morning.
The association was organized as a
branch Of the Wisconsin Teachers As
ISOLATION in the fall of 1909. In ad-
dition to the work done in sectional
programs at the regular fall meetings,
an annual spring gathering is held at
which all schools of the state which
have such courses are expected to be
represented by exhibits of drawing,
domestic science and manual training.
Thus far, meetings have been held at
Madison, Appleton and Eau Claire.
The Kenosha meeting bids fair to
surpass in many ways any other meet
ing of the kind ever held in the state.
Some of the best authorities on indus
trial education in the middle west are
to take part in, the program. Among
these are Prof. Frank M. Leavitt Of
Chicago University; President L. D.
Harvey, of Stout Institute; Prof. Fred
d. Crawshaw, of Wisconsin University;
Prof Hans w. Schmidt, head of the
Industrial Course Of the Oshkosh State
Normal School; Supt. A. ]. Hutton Of
the Waukesha industrial School; and
some member of the staff of Bradley
Polytechnic Institute. This is only a
partial list of prominent speakers who
will be present. Mr.. Leayitt and Mr..
Hutton will b. The main speakers at
the banquet TO be held at the Congre.
gational Church on Friday evening and
which lis open to all local people who
are interested. Mr.. Leavitt will speak
on a subject covering the school arts
field in general and Mr.. Hutton on the
subject, "What Shall We Do With the
Boyg" 1t is pretty thoroughly and
widely known that Mr.. Hutton is
man who can answer this question.
Round table talks will characterize
the programs and it is hoped that To-
cal manufacturers and business men
will be present to take part in the dis
cussions and help to further the solu-
tion Of problem which is more and
more becoming vital one as affect
ing the life preparation of boys and
girls who leave our schools at SO ten
der an age and go out as wage earners.
Its an economic question which needs
serious consideration.
1t must be recognized that Man
ual Arts" in its broadcast sense, as
covering the industrial work now be
L ing offered to boys and girls in all of
our larger public school systems, has
established itself as having partic-
ular purpose to attain. Such courses
are no&Ionger fads and 1'frills = and
today, the one who opposes rather than
the one who promotes, is in the minori-
ty. To be sure such courses have fire.
quently met with just criticisms be
cause of the limitation of their scope,
but this was due to an individual or
local condition rather than to fun
damental fault.
In many schools of the state such
courses have made it possible to give
definite instruction in several voca-
tions which have more or less direct
! ly prepared boys and girls for wage
earning positions. For example: Sew
eral schools are giving instructions in
plumbing, carpentry, bricklaying, ce-
ment structure, forge and machine
shop practice for boys, and in cooking,
dressmaking, millinery, etc., for girls.
l Granted that the boy or girl may
not become skilfull in all or any par
ticular line. or have learned a trade in
a practical way, the time is not far
off, at the present rate of progress
when this will be accomplished.
Furthermore, even under present condi-
tions, a start, at least, has been made
and better than that an experience has
been obtained that enables the one
concerned to g find himself AS a re-
suit, year or more of the boy or
girls time has been economical by
lenabling them to do the experiment.
ling as to selection of life work at an
opportune time and under favorable
conditions. If, as statistics show,
something like eighty-nine per cent of
our school children leave without com
pleting even common school educa-
Ition, work Of this kind has claim to
La place in the curriculum.
| The demand for and practical results
lof efforts along this line in business
colleges and commercial courses in
| high schools is further recognition of
| the truth of this statement. The rapid