The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-02-04
LONDON MOTHERS
IN A BIG CONTEST
5000 Women Preparing For
Great Event.
TO VIE IN CARE OF BABIES

Tests-How to Dress Child, Feed IT,
Make Clothes, Cut Patterns, Are
Studied-Forty Schools Teach the
Science-Get Useful Prizes.
Five thousand London mothers are
already in the new year training for
the greatest competition in mothercraft
ever known. Several championships
Of mothercraft will be awarded in the
final rounds of the competition, which,
owing to the high standards to be at
tained and the multiplicity of qualify
ing events, will not take place until
the second week of April. But the
mothers who believe they know how
to feed, wash, dress and generally
care for Il baby on scientific lines are
starting to practice for the great
event.
AS evidence of the vast scale of the
competitions and the Importance with
which they are regarded by the dis.
tinguished doctors, bishops, professors,
ministers, peers, members of parlia-
ment and women health workers, un-
der whose auspices they will take
place, it may be stated that three
great societies are responsible for the
organizing work. They are the Asso-
citation of Infant Consultations and
Schools For Mothers, the National AS
sociation For the Prevention of Infant
Mortality and For the Welfare of In
fancy, of which the king and queen
have just become patrons, and the Ma
tiOnal League For Physical Education
and Improvement.
Forty Schools For Mothers.
Miss ]. Halford is the general direc-
tor of the scheme. She explained to
correspondent that there are now
forty schools for mothers In London
and any mother who brings her baby
regularly to one of them is eligible
for the competitions. The enthusiastic
mother-pupils number about 5000.
The arrangements for the "eliminat.
ing trials" are in the hands of the local
schools.
Here are some of the championship
subjects:
Glass 1.-Questions to be answer
ed verbally. Examples: How would you
cook a simple dish for a child under
Why should you not give your baby a
comforter? How would you insure
that the baby's feet are kept warm?
Glass Embarrassing and dressing
a baby to show the mothers skill in
handling the child and the suitability
of the clothing.
Class 3.-The baby showing evidence
of the best condition and the greatest
care.
Glass 4.-The best knitted belt or
vest for baby made at the local class.
Glass 5.-Cutting out a pattern for
any garment from memory.
Glass Ga shortening petticoat of
the most suitable material, cut out and
made by the competitor at the local
class.
Only six at most of the prize winning
mothers from each local school will be
allowed to enter for the blue ribbon
of mothercraft. The 200 final competi-
tors will be required to bring their ba-
bies, feeding bottles and garments to a
central hall-probably London coun-
ty council school.
Useful Prizes Awarded.
The prizes to be awarded to the clev-
crest mothers will take the form of
some useful article or, 1t is suggested
in some cases, the opening of a saw
ings bank account in the name of the
baby. Miss Halford will be glad to
hear of any one who would like to give
a prize.
Miss Bunting who has acted as ad-
vertiser in general to the st. Pancras
mothers on matters of mothercraft, is
most enthusiastic about the competi-
ton.