Mexico weekly ledger., 1914-12-17
HIGH SCHOOL CROWDED
WITH INTERESTED PAL

SCHOOL CkOWDED
WITH INTERESTED PARENTS
With the auditorium crowded to
its fullest capacity the meeting for !
mothers and girls Tuesday afternoon
vas a great success. The musical
program by the girls chorus, the or
chestra and the boys glee club was
an interesting part of the afternoons
entertainment. These organizations
gave a glimpse of the students actl-
vities that have so much to do with
making life at Mcmillan worth while.
In a brief talk Supt. Pryor stated
that the purpose Of the meetings was
to acquaint parents and students
with school problems, and to bring
to their attention the need Of close
cooperation between home, church
and school. The speaker of the al
%ternoon, Miss Ella Victoria Dobbs'
was then introduced.
Miss Dobbs spoke on the subject
of "Beauty" which, she said, was at
all times of interest to women n
girls. Miss Dobbs said that beauty is
not determined by money or clothes
or social position but by the thoughts
and actions. She spoke Of the oeau-
ty of youth and of the beauty of age
The beauty of youth consists in a
fair skin, rosy complexion and the
energy and enthusiasm of youth.
The beauty of age consists in the
character which has been developed
by a life of right thinking and right
acting. By beautiful living we re-
move those things from our lives
that bring the wrinkles to the face
and the droop to the mouth in old
age. Her address was an inspiration
to her hearers and gave food for
much thought.
Mrs. R. D.. Worrell, President OF
the Mothers and Others Club, made
a forceful talk in which she urged
the necessity of having teachers who
teach because they can not be happy
at ANYTHING else. The work Of train
ing children is too important to be
intrusted to those who use teaching
) as a stepping stone to other things.
: Mrs. s. P. Emmons and Mrs. E. X.
t Locke likewise made interesting talks
that added to the value Of the after
noon program.
The evening meeting was a climax
e to the series Of cooperative meetings
g which have been held recently. In
t suite of the inclement weather, there
+ was a large crowd of fathers and
e mothers present-parents who WERE
deeply interested in any movement
d which would lead to a finer and more
n perfect educational system for the
it benefit of their children.
After another delightful program
by the musical organizationsof thu
lie High School, Miss Dobbs again spoke
discussing the reasons for the radl
W cal changes in the course Of stud,
ty and the methods of teaching in tn
hit modern school. In her plain forcefu
to manner Miss Dobbs showed that tn
e. rapid changes in home and eeonoml
re conditions have necessitated a sin
a liar change in the subject matter tina
he we teach in u school. Not man
generations ago the home was pract
le. cally self-suficient. Nearly ever
NJ nhase of the economic side of Iii
tly ,centered in and about the hon
at The mothers spun, wove and MAJ
he the clothing; the food was raised
ich the farm and prepared in the fam
md kitchen. The children learned
Dry first hand the great secrets OF nor
re- economics. But u more compl
in system of modern life has broug
with it a change in the number a
ces nature of things taught in the hon
f a No longer do children learn
for helping their mothers in the kitch
rial or their fathers in the field. Fact
yes. les and specialized industries ha
ssia now taken charge of the work for
,ent erlv done in the family circle, and
the child has no opportunity to learn
it the most important and commonpli
3 to things of life. 1t has developed VI
tate the school, then, to fill in this {
ess, the educational system. Accord
lrge Nv new subjects have been found tt
way into u curriculum. Instead
merely teaching the language,
will tory. mathematics, and the like,
wish have added such courses as mar
,lete training and domestic science, SIN
-hich because of the fact that the c
,nize must learn these in the school or
Jews main ignorant of them.
wish Not only has there been a chang
ap- the subject matter taught In
schools, necessitated by u char
manner Of living, but there has
been a change in our methods
~ teaching this subject matte
AOS change brought about by our
mp creased knowledge OF the cnlld.
my til comparatively recent times I
my was the generally accepted OPP
/ how ! that the child's brain was very !
=. = aDTsa like a desk full of empty pigeon
viii into which the teacher endeavor'
hat cram facts for use at some II
that time. We know now that the
these like the plant, has within it all tn
Idtieys sential requisites of growth,
to, be that the mission of the parents
II last the teachers is simply to throw
asking this unfolding life the very best
sible environment. Formerly the
mo' was current that when the actiy