The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-30

home economics program of the BIZ
ennial held last May in New York
was made by Mrs. w. T. Gary of
Ocala. Mrs. Gary was honored by the
nominating committee at the Miami
session by being selected as state
chairman of the home economics de-
partment of Florida, so it is with an
unusual degree of pleasure that we
publish her paper, as one not only ex-
cellent in itself but the message of a
state officer.
The home economics conferences,
programs and exhibits were held in
the room of Co. "F' and the main au-
ditorium of the armory, in the grand
ballroom on the main floor of the As
tor hotel and in the north and east
bathrooms near the top of the hotel.
AS we were ushered about from con-
ference to conference, from room to
room and building to building, we felt
very much like the little woman who
had recently returned from trip
abroad and upon being asked if she
had visited Rome replied that she
didn't know; her husband always
bought the tickets. After we had
waited around almost an entire morn
ing for chance to purchase tickets
to the home economics dinner we GER
tainly wished that our husbands were
there to buy our tickets.
This dinner was the opening num-
Der of the home economics program.
1t was held at the Astor hotel on the
second evening of the biennial ard
was presided over by Miss Helen
Louise Johnson, the very efficient
chairman of the department, and
Mrs. Denison, one of the honorary
presidents of the federation.
The most spectacular numbers of
the entire home economics program
were those on the subject of clothes.
That this biennial gave so much at
tention to this subject was perhaps
due to the fact that the general fed
Grafton at the Chicago, biennial drew
up resolution endorsing the move
ment for simple, becoming and mod
est designs in women's clothes.
The first program on the subject
was opened by Mrs. Pennybacker, and
perhaps the most interesting feature
was the introduction of Lady Duff
Gordon. Mrs. Thomas A. Edison and
Mrs. Robert J. Burdette were other
speakers. DR.. Benjamin R. Andrews
of the teachers college, Columbia
University, and Miss Isabelle Lord of
Pratt Institute, were on the program,
and President Frank A. Parsons of
the New York School of Fine and APP
piled Arts, spoke on "The Vital As
poets of Modern Dress" All of the
speakers denounced the rapid changes
in styles on the grounds of extrav-
agance. A splendid exhibit was pre-
scented by Miss Jane Fales of Teach
ers' College, consisting of twenty cos
tunes of different periods during the
one hundred years following 1890
on living models. The purpose of this
exhibit was to show how slowly the
styles changed during that time, thus
making it worth while to buy elegant
and lasting materials.
Standardized dress was also agitat-
ed. This does not mean a uniform
dress but a general style for business
and street costumes which would be
good for several years. A manufac-
turer showed than on account of the
loss on "out of date" goods the retail
price of an "up-to-date" suit is many
per cent higher than it need be under
other conditions.
The subjects of domestic service,
food, shelter, child-welfare and moth
erhood occupied their places on the
program. | must also mention the
splendid address of DIR. George E. |
Vincent of the University of Mime
sofa on "Home- Making as Fine
Art" and no report on home eco
nomics would be complete without
mention of the states relation service
of the U. S. department of agricul-
ture. Hon. David R. Houston, secre-
tary of agriculture, and DIR. A. c..
True were on the program and of
course the American Home Economic
Association was represented by its
Miss Van Rensselaer,.
feel that am not doing the de-
oartment justice by mentioning mere
acts, for in comparison with the
great ideal of home economics these
ietails seem trivial, so | quote from
Miss Johnson's biennial report these
,eautiful words:
Remember, home economics is not
ust clean food, nor standardized
lress, nor safe housing, nor even the
making of budget and living on it.
t is right living, and this means
deals. It is Truth, Goodness, Beauty,
'eauty of life and living. 1t is to see
Iome and its meaning in its largest
ense and its relation to the men,
women and children in it, as well as
o the community in which it is plac-
d. 1t is to realize that to make home
ve must first define it, then have a
esire to obtain it, and an education