Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-10-18
DESTITUTE CH|lOREWS HOME
Sind Annual Meeting Of Corpor.
ators Held Thursday.
Event Of the Year the Completion Of
Hospital Given TO Institution By
RedAelS Proctor-Reports Made
ana Officers Elected.

RedAel6 Proctor-Reports Made
ana 06icers Elected. |
The 52nd annual meeting of the corpora
tors Of the Home for Destitute Children
was held in the parl>rs Of the College
Street Church Thursday afternoon
three o'clock. The secretary, Miss Mary
Roberts. read the minutes of the last
meeting and the treasurer. Mrs. c. s.
Isham. made her report. Mrs. L. B. Plat,
president, then gave her report, which fol-
lows:
1.-THE first question we are generally
asked when q visitor comes to the home
Is how many children have you here?
"That. to US. is not the important ques-
ton; It IL not how many children we have
in the home. but how are they being cared
for And in this report would like to
quote. as nearly as possible. what a MEM
Der Of the board. whose duty It is to visit
the children, said to me after a recent
visit. She said, as I look back over my
visits at the home. during the past month.
II seems as II had been visiting one big
happy family with several mothers Not
once have I heard an unkind or fault
finding word. or seen an unhappy face. As
I turned to 90 into the home. I met one
Of the caretakers with several of the
children Just returned from the woods
Their hands were filled with wild flowers.
They knew the names Of many Of them;
they arranged them. put them in the play
room. and were early learning to know
and enjoy flowers The same visitor then
told me about going to the home and
visiting the Sabbath school, saying: 4
from the university. each one teaching a
class: and looking at the faces of the
boys and girls, It was easy to see how in,
terested each child was. The little ones
In the nursery from three to six years
old were as interested with Bible stories
they were listening to as were the older
children in the lessons they were study
ing
"Visitors are welcome at any time with
the exception Of Sunday. We like to have
our friends come at meal times, as, in all
institutions, there Is always the criticism
that the children are given too little
variety in their food. We cannot afford
nor do not try to give our children any,
thing but wholesome. nourishing food, but
this they have. and plenty of 1t.
Mr.. de Thestrup. the farmer. has with
skill and care greatly increased the
yielding Of our garden; this year there
has been an abundance Of vegetables for
the tables The cooks have canned over
! 150 quarts Of fruit. pickles and vege-
tables. and the class in domestic science
has canned 100 jars Of fruit and vege-
tables, and picked LIS quarts of cur
rants.
I'm last years report I wrote of this
| class In domestic science. We have
long wanted domestic training for our
girls. and when friend gave us money
to pay for the equipment Of diet kit
chen and an instructor. the gift was
greatly appreciated.
| 1t not only enables our girls to have
somewhat scientific knowledge Of cook
Ing. but 1t probably employs the chill
dren during the mornings Of their sum-
mer vacation.
1T Is dificult to both amuse and in.
struct children during the long vacation;
any mother knows this.
I'VE wish our boys might have a separ-
ate instructor. The boys help in caring
for the garden. but there are few boys
over II years old in the home, and little
boys working in a garden need careful
supervision. They must be told which
Is wheat and which are tares, and a
gardener who feels he must realize the
greatest production that is possible from
|
dred. has not much time to give to the
instruction of small boys
Yet there are many ways the boys
can help under a proper instructor They
could be taught to do excellent work in
the garden.
There are certain pleasures the chill
dren always look forward to, and in
these pleasures they are never o.sap-
pointed. The Episcopal Sunday school
gave them a very happy day on the
laks. and were given many goodies to
bring homo with them. The Unitarian
Church gave them a party and invited
them to their picnic.
Santa Claus was especially generous
this year. for besides giving the cnir.
dren their usual number Of presents he
added two victrolas. These came in re-
Spouse to letter published in one Of the
daily papers. The money for one of the
victrolas came from a man in New Jer-
sey and his children. That one is I'm the
older boys and girls building. and has
records that they appreciate and enjoy.
THE victrola in the nursery came from
several separate gifts and the letter
that accompanied each gift was almost
as gratifying as the gift itself.
THE little nursery children love the
music; 1t soothes them as a mothers
and instruction that comes to the chill
dren. through hearing the music. the
victrolas are the greatest help to those
who care for the children. Rainy days
and wintry days are not dreaded as they
used to be. because Of this never-ending
source Of recreation.
THE event Of the year will be the COM
pletion of the hospital, which is the gift
to the homo Of Redheld Proctor The
hospital is to be ready for possession in
November. we trust. and 1t is to be
called The Reception and Isolation
building The up and downstairs rooms
in that building are entirely separated
One floor Is to be used for the children
entering the home. They come from
many places, and are never received
without a physicians certificate. saying
they have not been exposed to any con-
tagIous disease. and are sound in body
and mind. But using every precaution
possible we have long felt that a large
percentage of the contagious diseases we
have had have come to us through chill
dren entering the home; and II is our
purpose now to isolate for two or three
weeks every child coming to us. and we
believe this will greatly lessen the num-
Der Of contagious diseases. Each floor
Of the building has two rooms which
could have three beds. II necessary.
There is room for the nurse. a lava
tory. a modern medicine closet. and diet
kitchen. with every convenience. In case
of an epidemic both floors Of the building
could he used for q hospital hut we hone