Evening journal., 1915-04-16
PROSPEROUS YEAR
At THE settlement
Miss Sarah Pyle, Head
Worker Submits Report
at Annual Meeting
F. E. STONE Is
CHOSEN PRESIDENT


:. Malone. second vice president, lrv-
ing Warner: recording secretary. ).
Edgar Rhoads; corresponding socrc-
tary. Miss Anna Woods Bird; ircasur-
er. Henry S. Townsend: assistant
treasurer. Mrs Charles +. Holiday.
Aside from the election OF officers
the remainder OF the meeting was dc
voted to the reading of reports OF fho
treasurer Henry s. Townsend and tic
head worker of the settlement, Miss
Sarah Pyle. The report Of the treas
urcr showed general expenses Of &c.
5l523; amount paid on mortgage,
ST. 200. amount paid as interest on
mortgage Si695S, contributions
amounted to S745OO2. and house rcv-
onuo Sl574S
The feature OF the afternoon was
an address By Madame Mary Kings
bury Slmkoviich of New York City.
notably ono of the greatest settlement
workers i'm the country. Nine. Sim
kovitch is head of Greenwich House
in Greenwich Village. on the Lower
West Side of Now York City and she
spoke In an interesting manner OF
her work there Tho real topic OF
Mime Simkovilch's talk however was
"Thc Place of Settlement as
Community Centre and one Of the
principal features brought out was
the influence such a settlement has
on q community IN which II is To-
Gated She declared the Peoples Set
tlcmont House TO be ono of the best
systcmaiizcd and cooperative social
centres she has ever seen.
Following Nine. Simkovitch's ad-
dress an open discussion was held.
those taking part included Miss Mary
II Askew Mathcr Miss Anna w.
Bird and Or. Josephine NJ. II. White
DeI-acour AS president of the Set
Element. T. Allen Hilles presided.
Following is tho report of Miss Sarah
Pyle the head worker at the Settle
mcnt
The annual report of one of the
leaders of The settlement movement
in the cast begins Ell ever there was
a time when the creed OF the social
settlement needed TO be reiterated
and It's Significance thought through,
that time is now. And goes on TO
say. First and most important Of all
in the understanding that the social
settlement works in a creative, in
terproiativo field. Second, It's organ
ization must be such as TO enable the
creative motive TO have fun action
In the light OF this analysis the
stan of the Peoples Settlement agree
that the particular field of creative
work entered upon by this house dur
ing the fiscal year just passed, has
been a demonstration of the need Of
medical inspection in our public
schools
Heretofore the report of the head
work has been largely one OF siatis-
tics and comparisons with other
years. Today the report deals with
broader lines of thought.
After thirteen years of activity we
have developed through our classes
and our group work 70 point where
we can look outside TO the community
and it's needs. knowing that the set
tlemcnt must he the servant of the
community in which il lives.
During The fam and winter OF 1914
Is some interesting statistics have
been secured and important c0nclu-
sions reached through medical in
speciion of children in the
public schools of this city directed
by nurses from the disponsary con-
nected with this settlement In this
study of the child under IA years
of age. fourteen schools have been
visited with The result that LIPS pu-
pills were found 10 be In need of mcdi-
cal attention or this 33i were eye
cases i3 adonoids. 20 tonsils. rs
hearing and 92 catarrh. OF the spe-
cial eye cases. Dr. Wonders has made
free examination OF over 100 in his
private Office. There we're cases OF
discharging ears treated. 8 operations
performed for adenoids at the settle
mcnt and Ia by DR. White at the Del
aware Hospital. making a total Of ls
operations. Many of these cases came
for treatment several times. The to.
tai number of visits made TO the dis.
pensary and treated by the staff was
over 900 to date. In this report nc
account has been taken Of the under
grade or mental defective for whom
special classes should he arranged. In
the schools visited. at least 10 pei
cent OF the children we're found un.
degrade and per cent mentally de-
fectiyc AS attendance at the dis
pensary was not compulsory and chill
dren were not forced TO buy glasses
even after the doctor had prescribed
the proper lenses. the results we're not
altogether satisfactory and have dem
Onsiratod the fact that "A strong pOin
OF medical inspection under the Boar,
of Education would be that children
wcrc compelled 10 secure propei
glasses before their studies could bl
continued in the public schools. On
OF 331 cases where this need o
glasses was clearly apparent. onll
157 children attended the dispensar.
voluntarily and a fair proportion o
these children did not secure glasse
although the doctor examined AM
prescribed for them In many case
where the interest OF the parent
was secured proper steps were takei
as soon as the need was shown. Tn
teachers in every instance have bee
appreciative and cooperative and Il
several instances have called up tn
settlement to speak of the improve
ment both in study and deportmen
shown since the defect in eyesight O
hearing had bcen remedied.
We appreciate the cordial co-opera
ton Of the Board of Education in IN
past. and We have asked most ear
nestly that as a result of the Wor
done in the schools this year whic
has made it most evident that ther
is a broad field fec medical inspes
iion in the schools. a school nurse 81
cured and paid by the city of WI
mington. under the direction OF tn
Board of Education. and working
cooperation with the city physical
be introduced into our public school
All that has 9ccn aCcOmnliShc