Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-30

AT the close of the music by the bant
George K. Gibson. President of tht
Parental Association. after making
few preliminary remarks dehyere
the following address:
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The permission recently given by
the Board of Education, to the Par
entail Association, to use the Scboo
Buildings for such educational, socia
and recreational purposes as do not
conflict with the prime activities Oh
the buildings, was not given without
due consideration for all the condi-
ions involved, and | believe it has
| the endorsement of the great major
lIy OF the parents and teachers. If
such a movement, coupled with the
larger one. to make the school hous-
es neighborhood centers, can with
proper restraint and conditions be
erected, We, of the Parental Asso-
citation, believe it will be distinct
contribution to the social and moral
| welfare of the entire community.
Personally, | should rather do some
thing to safeguard the youth of our
cities from the noisome and pestilen-
tlal influences that surround them.
by giving them wholesome and Ieeiti
mate substitutes that may reason
ably appeal to them. AS to the Pub
lie Schools as social centers. moth
ing in our municipal equipment is
better adapted for the purposes. The
church and the colleges have set I'D.
from time to time, settlement houses
and IN other great municipalities they
are doing a most effective work. but,
1t is after all only partial and limited
/ have spent a great deal of my
time during the past ten years in va,
louS departments of what might be
called Social Service Work" and
am frank to say that even in the
best equipped and organized enter
prlses that have been devised. little
more has been done than to break
ground Of course, this pioneer work
is of immense Importance. but the
trouble is that we try to do a great
work with too small an equipment an
With too little money. In every city
in this land We have modern, school
buildings, ideally located and many
Of them ideally built and arranged
for social and recreational purposes,
and no good and sufficient reason
has thus far been submitted why
they should not be in service in the
evenings as neighborhood centers.
and under the organization of par
ents and teachers a variety of social
functions conducted therein What
the character of these social
functions should be, should largely
be determined by the needs and de
mands of the people of the locality
to bd served. 81
Church buildings and parish houses
however we'll built, have not I'D to
the present time made a large appeal
to the great mass of the people for
purposes of general recreation, and
personally | believe the church can
serve higher purpose by preserv-
ing her religious enterprise from en-
tanglement with social and civic j.
IDEAS and methods Do not misunder-
stand me, | think the church should
be the promoter of everything that
is wholesome and good for our youth |
and older people as well, but you do
not have to employ church property
to effect these ends. The Church
is the center of inspiration, and we
shall do well to remember that modern
social service is a product of the
Christian religion and not a asubsti-
tute therefor.
The young people of our cities are
going to have certain pleasures and
ecreations, and if they can not have
them under fair and wholesome con-
ditions, it is possible they may have
Them under other and less desirable
conditions. L have such a profound
and abiding respect for the parents
of the children in the schools in Grand
Rapids, that L am willing to submit
to their combined judgment with re-
ference to providing the wholesome
recreational activities desired.
After all, the maintenance of high |
moral standards has to do with par
entail and not with school control.
The Parental Association of Grand |
Rapids stands for such social ser
vices as outlined. We believe the |
time is here, and now, when the par
ents should get together in one
compact and intelligent body for |
the purpose of considering and solv- |
ing some of these pressing problems |
connected with the school life and |
social association of our children
He was followed by Miss Ruby Nat |
wick, an alumni of the Lincoln school |
who rendered one of her choicest /
in her charming way. 1t |
40 iVooIiy oTSh CIldC hLSo 4NdiNlCh 10 |
d popular favorite in Grand Rapids |
by the hearty encores she received |
which she graeiously> responded to. |
Miss Sitter, instructor of English |
in the high school department then |
rendered a selection from KipIing |
that was very cordially received and |
she responded to a hearty encore to |
is excellent whenever she appears |
on the platform.
Prof. C. w. Schwede then gave
-b nrt 70 LIZ tn tho parantc and oynracc /