The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-12-23
GREAT WORK FOR
KANSAS GIRLS
More Than 5000 Who Couldn't Afford to Attend
School Were Benefited Domestic Science
Through Clubs Proved Success.

MANHATTAN, Kan, Dec. 23.-Five
thousand Kansas girls who cannot af-
ford to attend school have been given
elementary instruction in course OF
domestic science and arts during the
past three years through Boys and
Girls Clubs" Not satisfied with lead
ing all other states in the percentage OF
her young people attending college, the
state of Kansas planned, and put
through a system of education for
those young people whose parents
needed them at home. Miss Frances L.
Brown, of the Kansas Agricultural col
lege, who has been in charge of the
girls home economics club since its
inauguration has received hundreds OF
letters from state institutions and pri-
yate schools and colleges asking for
explanations of her system. She has
ing the work, for the United Press
BY Frances l.. Brown.
(Kansas Agricultural College.)
written for the United Press)
Four years ago when a womans time
such lines of college work as the
womankind OF the state should desire,
one Of the first demands was for such
training in cookery and sewing as
could be carried on by correspondence.
Accordingly, the girls home economics
club work came in existence. The first
years work was failure, not because
the girls were not eager to organize
clubs, but because the material to be
used by these clubs was not prepared |
Consequently my first summer was |
spent in preparing a course in simple |
lessons in sewing and another in cook
cry. With this material to distribute,
the work was arranged under a state
matte plan and from the beginning OF
the second year has prospered.
How Clubs Conducted.
The plan by which these clubs are
conducted is as follows: Wherever
there is a group of girls who wish to :
take a series OF lessons regularly, a
club is organized Wherever it is pos ;
sible, these clubs are affiliated with /;
high schools and we find that as a rule :,
teachers make the best leaders for the
clubs, though occasionally we have
woman who is a superintendent's wife
or a minister's wife or Sunday school
teacher or house wife who has real
in girls. >
Meet Once Each Week. 9,
The Clubs meet usually once week. V
Reports of what the students have ac- h
at their homes during the cl
preceding week are read and discussed. 81
the students giving their own exper- to
ences. Work is then planned for the dt
week. These future lessons w
nay be worked out in one of several W
ways In some of the clubs the theory
# the lesson is explained by the leader,
,r by the pupils, and then demon -
trations are either given by the teach
r alone or by several of the students. Il
N many clubs the students take regu-
ar turns in giving demonstrations.
Meeting Places Optional.
The meeting places, of course, are
ptional. Many of the clubs meet regu-
arly at a high school or grammar
chool building or at the home Of the
,ader or one of the students. In other
ubs it has been found more conven-
mt for members to take turns en-
,rtaining the organization When the
eeting place is in a school room,
embers contribute the necessary ar
cles of equipment and material for
e evenings work if demonstrations
Implement the discussions. Quite Of
n, when the shcool room is the meet
e place, each girl works out here les
N in her own kitchen and prepares
paper which is delivered at the next
eeting At these meetings minutes
e kept and sent to my office. The
pense of these clubs are slight.
College Gets No Pay.
The college receives no pay for this
,rk. and gives no credit for the
urses, the work being solely means
self improvement to the girls, and
carry to them as much education in
me economics as possible. When
zen continuously and thoughtfully,
" will give to the girl who cannot
lerwise obtain it, a general elemen-