The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-19
STATE BEHIND
ALL OF THE CHILDREN
Kansas Intends to Stand Sponsor for
Every Boy and Girl In the
Commonwealth.


Commonwealth.
LAWRENCE, Kansas, Oct. lS.-The
state OF Kansas is going to stand spon-
scr for every boy and girl in the com
monwealth. Kansas isn't satisfied
merely with giving It's children the
benefit of eight or nine months of
regular public schooling. The state
will mother its children outside Of
school on the playlots, in the home,
through the Department of Child Wei
fare established as an extension
course at the University OF Kansas, at
at Lawrence William A. McKeever,
formerly professor of philosophy at
the state college at Manhattan, wns
called here to take full charge of the
work as being the best known expert
on child welfare in the country. He
will devote his entire time to the task.
The boys and girls and mothers and
fathers OF the state are his pupils.
Since Kansas Is glad to pay his salary
to tell the mothers and fathers of Kan
sas how to bring up children, his
views may strike home to every faith
er and mother in the United States
His article, written specially for the
United Press, follows:
[By William A. McKeever, Written for
the United Press.I
First among the efforts of this new
department to make out a more COM
plete and unified plan in behalf of
boys and girls-to redirect the lives Of
town and city children be the
following:
i. A plan for the vacation employ
ment Of the city school boy. The chief
purpose win be to provide work that
Is disciplinary, and hopeful to his
character as well as remunerative In q
small degree. III.
2. The formation OF parents clubs
and such kindred organizations as par
ent-teacher associations. In this con-
nection, 1t is hoped that there may be
frequently an opportunity to offer par
ents short course in child psychology
say six to a dozen lectures extended
during weeks time.
8. The establishment of Fairgrounds
and social centers for the young. There
is already much interest in this matter
Throughout the state, but the enthusi-
asm for it needs expert advice and
guidance.
4. Assistance in the organization of
civic improvement clubs, In all cases,
where the proposed program of work
includes the local child welfare inter.
ests.
5. To offer individual counsel and
advice through correspondence to par
ents who have special problems in the
training of their own children.
In short, the effort will be to supple
ment the child welfare work already
being done by the school, the home,
the church, and the other institutions.
Thus we may be enabled to make out a
larger and more unified plan for the
retaining of the boys and girls of
Kansas.
Boys and girls on the farm are being
brought up under a great variety of
plans and specifications. Many are
over-worked, and thereby denied the
privileges of play, recreation. and SO
cial activities such as rightfully belong
to their years Very many are with
out the advantage of helpful plans and
motives for acquiring an advanced edu-
cation. Many promising farm boys
and girls are growing up crude and un-
trained, simply for lack Of a clear
vision of some high achievement which
might be brought within their reach.
Usually the farm parents are earnest
and conscientious in their desire to do
the fair thing by their children, but
they are at present suffering from
lack Of well-thought-out plan, such as
will guide and stimulate them in their
effort to bring their sons and daugh-
tiers to the accomplishment of some
large purpose in life. This new de-
partment of child welfare In the Uni
versity of Kansas will make a serious
effort to meet the needs of the farm
boys and girls as suggested above, and
to place in the hands of their parents
set of definite plans, methods and
ideals for child training in the rural
home. We must have far reaching
plan for growing new crop Of men
and women with sane, wholesome,
and courageous sentiment In regard to
life in the country.
Home Training Bulletins which are
now known throughout particularly all
the English speaking world-will be
distributed at the nominal price of two
cents each for samples, and one cent
each for quantities intended for free
distribution. The titles OF the bulle-
tins are: