The Penn's Grove record., 1919-01-24
WOmen'S Club Activities
Education and Civic Training
Explained and Urged

A large gathering of the Mothers
Club of Carneys Point and the
Woman's Club of Penns Grove as
sembled in the Card Room of the du-
Pont Club House for a joint meeting
on Tuesday afternoon.
The program began with the Club
Collect, followed by the singing of
America with Miss Rena Leap at the
piano.
Mrs. Henry Sturges, president OF the
Mothers Club, presided. Mrs. Stur-
ges addressed the assembly in a
brief and most fitting talk. She ex-
pressed her appreciation of the splen-
did spirit of cooperation that existed
between the two clubs and spoke of
the advantages that would come from
this shoulder to shoulder movement.
Mrs. Sturges then reviewed the Wo-
mans Club movement from the begin
ming. Prior to the Civil War woman
found no place in any activities out
side the home. In 1868 the first Wo-
mans Club was formed. Since then
every state has its federation of
clubs and in the United States the
General Federation of Clubs numbers
5000, 900 women. In New Jersey
there are now over 10000 club women.
The Woman's Club movement has had
%stupendous power in making higher
education possible to women and IN
bringing about many reforms, Ma
tional, state and local for the uplift
and betterment of society. Mrs Stur-
ges then introduced the guest of honor
Mrs. Thomas Agnew, Jr., of Bayonne,
N. j., chairman of the Department of
Education of the New Jersey Fedora
ton. Mrs. Agnew, a woman of fine
intellect, charming personality and
broad experience, gave a most llluml-
mating talk on the Education of the
Reconstruction Period now at hand.
She first congratulated the two clubs
on their splendid progress, saying that
two of the most frequently spoken of
clubs on the State Board were the
Mothers Club of Carneys Point, and
the Women's Club of Penns Grove
Mrs. Agnew said that one of the
phases of our civilization that the war
had revealed for reconstruction was
Education. 1t was found that
10000 drafted men could neither read
nor write. 100000 read and wrote SO
poorly that they could neither receive
or JAKe ORDERS. XXI 10 "
framing a bill to provide for funds to
create a department of education IN
the Cabinet, along with the other de-
partments. This department will then
have the power to standardize the ed
ucational systems of the several
states.
The State of New Jersey is also leg
islating along educational lines. The
Continuation School is the subject of
one bill. The Continuation Schools
provide for the schoo | opportunities
for the boy or girl between the ages OF
IA and Is who are obliged to go to
work. The boys and girls while work.
ing must attend classes at the con-
tinuation school for a number of hours
per day. This does away with the
Night School for pupils of these
years.
Mrs. Agnew then outlined the Swiss
system of education, an education that
provides for military training and obi
CATION until the man is 4S years OF
age, a system of education that is
generally democratic and stressing
physical training and craftsmanship
one eminently suited to maintain and
uphold such neutrality as Switzerland
did in the European war.
The speaker then showed how the
part played by each of the different
nations in the World War was directly
responsible to the aims of their edu-
cational system.
The aim of Germany's educational
system brought about her ultimate
downfall. In Belgium education places
honor in the first rank, then Belgium
and the king. Belgium's honor IN
keeping sacred the treaty that Ger
many called a "scrap of paper" is di-
rectly in keeping with her education
The supreme sacrifice made by the
French nation was the outcome of an
education that combines high ideals
with the practical. The unfiinchine
stands made by the British troops
came about from an educational sys-
tenn in which the individual was train
ed to be of best service for the good
of Great Britain. In the United
States, the aim of the educational
system is to do the most for the in
dividual, to make him the best posi-
BILE, so that he may be capable and
made fit for a government of the peo-
pie, by the people and for the people
After Mrs. Agnew's talk "Tea" was
served and the two Clubs enjoyed a
delightful social time. The meeting
was a splendid success in every way