The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-11
Girls Should Be Educated in
Personality for Initiative
lnluatlve Is OF First Consequence in School Education
and Rests Fundamentally Upon Personality, Which
To-day Is a More Potent Word Than Character.
NJ REV. THOMAS BICu<FNORD. MA.
Principal Sea Pines school for Girls, brewster. Ma.

others. This transformation Is taking
place simultaneously in her body and
mind. II surges within her and sweeps
around her. She is a now being In a
new world. Spiritually speaking. she
Is born again Internationally she Is
adolcscent She is still and always
Will be herself, only on successive
higher planes. The centre OF her being
does not change. but mounts into new
regions OF experiences. This Is the most
beautiful and critical period Of n girls
life. Spiritual thoughts and feelings Inn
bue her soul a. naturally as fragrance
pervades the flower.
Now she begins to learn how to think
she does not merely memorixe and obey,
but acts from original ideas. II for
tunately she has been trained In habits
OF p~unctuality, order. accuracy and
thoroughness. these mental tools will
serve her well. Thus begins that un-
folding that results in Judging and judy
Ing her own Judgments.
The Importance Of adopting the use
OF the definite term personality and its
consequent value Is noticeable here. A
most cursory glance over the pages OF
permanent literature belonging to any
era OF history plainly shows certain sig
nifcant words which were at the time
used for giving emphasis to tho fresher
thoughts OF hat day. Such words may
have been current in everyday life of
the period, but they are significant
chiefly because they once received care
full adoption and honest Endorsement OF
exact thinkers for expressing what was
then regarded as most essential for
human happiness and usefulness.
II is BY the established mode OF
thought communication hat the highest
Intelligence of any time Is developed and
utilized. Many controlling words. by
force OF necessity or convenience. must
be either newly invented or freshly de-
fined as terms for acceptable use. This
gives them scientific value. Thereby
they soon bear we'll worn thumb marks
or those who are intent upon readjusting
the changing outer conditions OF the
times to those inner fundamental race
tendencies which must always govern
human progress.
There may be nothing very new about
the word personality except its unmis-
taxable new applications in every ad-
vance movement OF the times. While
personality has for a long time held an
important place in theoretical discus
slons. more recently the popular mind
seems to have appreciated It's hereto
fore comparatively hidden meaning. II
Is being used with surprising fertility for
expressing tho new world consciousness.
Some better term may yet be adopted.
but It Is a valuabls word now simply
because II has philosophical meaning n
generally recognized application for
social. commercial and individual in
tents.
This controlling word has perhaps re-
ceived too ready use by unframed think
ers. lager to emphasize some of the new
human values. Personality has not
only received from the word character
an air of distinction, but stands for most
worth while ideas in Industrial and
economic forms. II is finding a right
OF way in newspapers story books are
fioated by the attractive title news
stands in a variety OF ways are making
conspicuous this noble attribute; some
! helpful contributions to pedagogy discuss
: personality. but all this can be only
understood In n loose. popular way by
most young people.
The term "initiative" also deserves
more careful educative use. Initiative
Is being written IN large capital letter.
for business and Industrial uses. Boys
and girls are told tina to do things well
they must a initiative. Initiative is
a motto OF modern progress n pros
t'A@AFt oAN - b'aiAh A''ollIlll'Alutu "
adoption on an immense scale.
The school Is no longer the chief edu-
%cational agency The public are educat-
ing themselves to this idea. This has
come about through the new movement.
We are now realizing that II cannot
simply be n question OF educating youth.
but II must also be one OF uneducating
them.
In the moving picture show. with It's
varied reflections of every department
OF m associations, even the deep
est thoughts Of the soul are being de-
picted in passion and pathos. The
photograph echoes every moral feeling
and clamors with many lower senti-
ments. Multiplied licenses furnish
means for now social commingling
Daily papers are interesting In senti-
mentality. Monthly magazines too often
contain Wild adventures and suggestive
stories. All OF these innumerable and
multiform devices for fellowship and CO.
operation are engraving marks upon the
hearts and minds OF our youth. The
atmosphere is tremulous with an intense
ness OF human familiarity. divertive OF
individual opinions and dlversive OF high
common aims.
To some, this aspect Is degrading, and
even degenerating. They are alarmed,
anu b'litNt tldl the SOCIAL NINA Ii Sll0-
ing away from "A once sound ground for
culture. and is frivolously floating along
on unanchored fragments OF what was
once unquestionably accepted as being
secure for highest aims OF living. But
parents should not be too seriously con
cerned for on the whole the outlook is
hopeful. No popular conception OF
worth while things should remove the
practical side of the discussion from
educators and authorized institutions.
This view entities the writer to much
leniency of criticism. since the particular
phase of the subject is In a pioneer
stage and personality IL only beginning
to be recognized by the popular mind as
a logical basis for education in initia-
tive. Young people are being encouraged
to work out the problem OF their individ-
ual schooling. and most interesting re.
suits are evident.
Much of this especially relates to the
education Of a girl. Her part In the
movement calls for the recasting OF
many molds for the introduction of her
association. cooperation and counsel
This movement has already entered into
history. The question can no longer be
the new woman. but must become the
new girl. In view of an impending so
cial order. she must find out how to
think originally. positively and to the
point to acquire the art of calcula.
ton. Her training will not he any less
cultural than vocational but. rather
more cultural because OF her special vo.
cations. She will be alert to think with
out being told what or how she should
do things. She will jump over more
han one line of red tape for quick re.
suits. and promptly go ahead, independ-