The evening leader., 1918-11-07
WOMEN'S CLUBS TO HELP
U. S. SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY

every one of the twenty-five mil
lion school children of the United
States should be given the opportuni-
ty to feel that he has a part in the
work of winning the war;" says Mrs.
Mary X. Sherman, formerl secretary
of the General Federation of Women's
Clubs, now serving as assistant re-
gional director of the United States
school garden army, in charge of the
garden army activities of club women.
"One vital service that may be put
within reach of these boys and girls
is the chance to produce food. There
is no other one thing that comes so
distinctly home to every individual as
food, and if every child is shown that
by raising even a little food that he
himself eats he will be helping to keep
the soldiers on the battle fields from
going hungry, he will see that he has
a part and can help in the great world
struggle.
Secretary Franklin K. Lane, thru
the bureau of education, has put in
operation a practical plan for the
mobilization of the school children of
the country for garden work. The
responsibility for bringing this oppor-
tunity within reach of the children
rests very largely upon the women.
The General Federation of Women's
Clubs, through its department of the
conservation of national resources, is
urging its membership of two million
women to aid in the work for school
gardens. The citizens of a community
who dare not make it possible for the
school superintendents, principals, and
teachers to conduct school gardens,
according to the plan of the United
States school garden army are not
awake to their full duty. Collective
support and individual service must
be given and public interest aroused.
We. must vision the possibilities and
keep in mind that the aim Of the Unit
ed States school garden army is to ma
tionalize, unity and to greatly extend
the work now being carried on by the
school children of America.
at IS one of the anomalies of life
that good often comes out of evil. AS
this war IS the most destructive in all
history, so are the potentialities for
good beyond estimation. This oppor-
tunlty for garden work by the school
children Of the country is three-fold.
The material help in the production of
food, the sense that it will give each
child that he is doing his part in win
ming the war and, of greater import
ance than either of these, is the bene-
fit to the child from an educational
viewpoint. The opportunity is so full
Of possibilities that unless we utilize
it to the full the garden will fall short
in the highest sense notwithstanding
satisfactory patriotic and economic
results.
''1n the garden the mysteries of ma
ture are unfolded. Under sympathetic
guidance the child's imagination is
stimulated and his powers of observa-
tion are developed. Trees, flowers,
waving grain field, bird, mountain and
valley will come in time to have their
full meaning to the boys and girls
who are taught to see natures lessons
in their first garden.
"Now is the time to plan for next
summers work. If the fathers and
mothers do their part the children
will do theirs, and the little citizens
of tomorrow will be better equipped
than ever before for the responsible
ties of life, and will be glad and hap
py in their ability to give immediate
service"