The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-04
STATE FEDERATION
OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
IN ANNUAL MEETING
Continued from first page. J

Philomathan club as hostess. The wom-
ems clubs are now factor to be counted
with in any community where they exist.
Mayor +. c. Glysson was the next
speaker. He welcomed the guests to
Barre and gave them the freedom of the
city, remarking that for the past four
or five years he had been in position to
know more intimately of the work of
women's clubs and had watched their
growth with interest, He expressed his
admiration of their teamwork, and con-
sidered that such an organization was
morally, financially and socially a. bene-
fit to any community.
Chauncey NJ Wiley, treasurer of the
Barre Board of Trade, compared the aims
and ideals of the two organizations, stat
ing that in many respects both were
working for the same end. He expressed
his pleasure in having the state fedora
ton meet here and offered the services of
the Board of Trade in any capacity pos
sible to give the guests of honor pleas
ant time in the city. He complimented
the women of the country in the part
they took during the recent war.
The response to these greetings was
made by Mrs. Walter w. Slack Of Spring
field, first vice president of the Vermont
Federation of Women's Clubs, who stat,
ed that, although the women had been
looking forward to their visit in Barre
ever since the invitation was extended,
nevertheless their prime object here was
for business. She extended an invitation
to the public to attend all meetings Of
the convention except the executive COM
mittee sessions and spoke good word
for the Board Of Trade who have planned
for their pleasure while in the city. In
closing, she compared the granite indus
try with organizations of women, in
that as artisans shape the great stones
of granite into whatsoever shape they
wish, so these women's clubs are mould.
ing the lives OF the members into fuller
and more complete beings.
After solo, 1.-TWO Grenadiers," by
George Mackay, Mrs. Arthur c. Jones,
past president of the Barre Womans
club, gave a report of the work done
here, referring specifically to each de.
partment of the club work, telling what
they had accomplished and what their
aims had been.
"Americanization."
linen tdIlt UIltl lHlcI UllsslpIls Ipt'
lowing which the president introduced
John +. Scully, superintendent of schools
in Brockton Mass, who gave very in
teresting and instructive address on
characterization" Mr. Scully, after a
ride over the hills of Barre yesterday
afternoon, complimented the city on its
location and surroundings, and then went
at once to his subject Americanization,
said he, is big problem, Now that the
war is over, we realize that thrift, dis.
eipline, sense of righteousness, and the
need of being as one nation are more
important than we thought, and that re-
ligion and education are two much need.
ed things. We have. through the war,
learned the joy Of service, instead of
selfshness.
Germany is an example Of the situs-
tion where nations ideals are made
by leader, put into the schools and
the remarkable result obtained She had
been 30 years in preparation for war.
Her cooperative agency and her won
derful army were both due to her schools.
In Japan it is the same; the schools are
responsible for the change from feudal
ism to modern times in two generations.
But there ia weakness in both their
systems, for there science developed into
the murder of systems and men. Ger
many now hates to pay the price. Her
education lacked God and morality. The
allied nations were fighting for prin-
ciple and there was no question OF the
final result
There is also a weakness in the Amer
lean educational system. Note the ply
steal condition Of the men examined for
service in the war. In the drafts were
found 100000 physically unfit men, most
of them with defects which could have
been removed in childhood if taken in
time. Conservation of human resources
is as necessary as that of natural re-
sources. The Towner bill, now before
Congress, would provide S20,000,000 for
physical education in the states, each
state to provide a like amount TO that
furnished by the United States for that
state. Between the ages Of q and 81
there were these 100000 men who could
neither read nor write. Ignorant men
are a menace TO the country and are
always exploited by others.
Our problem is a definite one. The
immigrants who have been coming into
our country in the last 80 years are not,
as whole, of as high quality as those
who had come previous to that time.
The war showed us that we were not a
united nation. There are too many
groups of foreigners. Danger is a great
teacher 1t taught the American people
to make these foreigners understand
what the war was and what we were
fighting for. One year ago in the United
States there were 5,5l6,l63 persons 10
years of age or over who were unable to
read or write in any language. These
millions Of foreign born and also the
people of our own country must be edu-
Gated to make them physically and in
telectually sound.
This is not an easy problem to solve
America is not the land of equal OPP
portunity people would have us believe
In educational lines the speaker asserted
as his opinion that Vermont had made
more progress since the coming of DR.
Hillegas to the state than any other
state in the union
Last year there were 10000 schools in
our country which did not open because
of lack of teachers. We must American
ize the foreigners.
The problem is being studied from all
angles, but there are many drawbacks to
these schools, as to teachers, etc, know
ing little of the nationality of the men
and what appeals to them. To these
schools large numbers of these foreign
ers came at first, but they soon grew
fewer. This problem must be studied
out. Factory classes in English are be-
ing held in many large towns. The sys-