The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-09-28

N
aNngaffI8 tNu ~ nii14|1h MN t1n.
vince one that II has a vital plnci
In TIE NE OF any community.
The quality Of citizenship Is M
measure OF any community. II mat
not w ttaltrn1id hnd push o.
a people; Il matters not Tie thrift
fnd| 4AinF qualities; N there be mol
4 bedrock Of eolid character under.
lying these there y no success.
worthy the hmme fOr TINT commu-
NV. A.ff rl t--f
The schools and the homes Of the
land are, The ,solls That produce
either good or bad citizens. n The
home influence be what Il should
be. and is' followed BY the right sort
of school training. the average boy
or girl viii develop into 4 credit
able product. n either Of these fail
IN their mission the result dctracts
frem success In proportion 10 the
decree Of failure.
The old idea that formerly pre-
vailed with many OF our people
that the child should be left 10 run
wild until school age arrived, when
he could b. readily nodded into the
correct shape. has been exploded
True undcr this program many no.
bic characters have been produced
but u has bcen IN spite Of. rather
than because OF. the method.
The kindergarten deriyes1ls srrat
value from the fact that the first
few years Of a child's life constitute
the period IN which groundwork
Of character Is laid. The impress
ions stamped on the young mind
from the age Of PM or two years 10
live or six. are permanent. No
amount OF after training can en-
tircly cbhlcrate them " these i'm
pressions aro hcslthful and whole
some. The child % fortunate n the
reverse, the child has boon hurdened
with an incubus that may require a
lifetime 10 shake OF.
Now u 10 true that the home life.
Is supposed 10 furnish these early
influences thai shall start the child
on the right road in, life. In TOO
many instances. however. the home
life does not furnish these inhu-
ences. and In many cases II Is no
fault OF the guardians ofthe home
Supposing the home life 10 APP
|proximaie the ideal; that the par
ents are all the should be; that they
have a vital interest in the develop
meni Of the young minds and souls
entrusted 10 their care; the fact re-
mains that an intelligen guardian
ship Of the child during every day
and hour OF rs life Is a practical
impossibiliiy for Ne parents. n life
held for them no other duties this
might be possible. But there are
other duties that demand their at
leniion, and for The sgke Of the child
these duties must not be eyaded.
Who has no heard the express
ion from many a distracted mother
Iof an aciiye boy; I'll be 50 glad
when be starts 10 school" Not that
this mother wishes 10 shirk her re-
sponsibility. but the sober thruth Is,
the job "a too big Tor her. The young
hfq Is too vigorous for her super
vision, encountered as she Is with
many other duties, all Of which
must be met.
II Is at this point that the enc
lent k~indergarten teacher steps into
the brecch and bridges over the
trying period Of the young life from
infancy 10 childhood. A few hours
every day wherein the parent can
shin the burden OF the childs care
upon other competent shoulders,
gives time for re~cuperation Of en-
ereies and a renewing Of enthusiasm
for Tho tasks temporarily laid
down.
But the qualifications for a sue
lcessful kindergarten teacher are
rare. Few people possess them.
One must not only love children and
be possessed Of unlimited patience.
One must also be able 10 put one
self Ia harmony with the child life
and be able 10 see clearly he child's
point Of view. The successful
teacher must be able 10 enter whole
heartedly into al the interests that
80 70 make up The child's world. as
n no other way can the confidence
and love Of the ehild be gained, and
without these the teachers efI0rla
are worse than wasted.
Perhaps no other one influence
has had more 10 DO IN the great i'm
pfOvement noted ON all hands In the
rising generation. physically, men
tally and morally, than the Kinder
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