The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1919-05-06
THE MOK|HANA
MEETS NJ 'CAUGHEY

The Mokihana meeting on Friday
afternoon was an unusually large and
successful one; a renewed demonstra-
tion of the progressive and harmoni-
Gus character of the Lihue women.
There must have been over a hundred
of them-as pretty and varegated as
beautiful flower garden.
The president, Mrs. Swan, was in
the chair and conducted the meeting
very gracefully. Mrs. X. c. Ahana
sang several selections, and as always.
was received with enthusiasm.
After the reading of the minutes and
other routine business, Mr. Vaughan
MacCaughey, Superintendent of Public
Instruction, was introduced as the
speaker of the day and was received
with much favor.
He began by assuring the Mokihana
Club and it's friends that he was no
stranger to Kauai; that he had long
known and appreciated it's charm' and
beauty; ever since the time, some
years ago when he made a somewhat
extended tour of the Island and made
the intimate acquaintance, not only of
the more accessible sections, but also
the more remote attractions of the
Napali region, places like Wainiha
mauka and Kalalau, which are seldom
visited by white men.
BY way of introduction to the speci-
fc matters on which he wished to
speak, he emphasized the great acces-
sion of new interest, which was evi-
dent everywhere, in the purposes and
problems of education. In a new and
more vivid way it was dawning on
the world that education is absolutely
indispensable to success, and that the
problems of education are of vital i'm
portance to every one, not only in
their own personal interest, but in the
interest of all those about them. He
congratulated Kauai on having such
a club as the MOkihana, with brOaC
vision and high ideals; it would NEAR
great things for the cause of educa
ton, as well as for the other higher
interests of life.
He wished to speak very simply and
directly of some of the specific in
! terests of education on Kauai under
ten heads.
I. Rural Schools.
The rural school after all, is the key
of the whole national situation, ant
| the foundation of our whole civiliza
| ton. Heretofore, in these Islands, al
elsewhere, we have given the weigh
of our attention to the city schools
mostly in Honolulu. The best teach
ers, the best appliances, and the bes
equipment were reserved for the cit,
almost anything was good enough
for the country. This is all wrong
The very best should be given to tn,
country
2. An Adequate School Plant AM
Equipment.
am very glad to hear from MI
W.shard that you look forward to hay
ing here at Lihue a fine two stor
building consisting of two 12-roon
wings with a connecting link for OF
fees, assembly room, etc. That is tn
way to ld,-permaaently, durabl
and adequately-for the future. Th
day of the cheap and inadequate buns
low has gone by. 1t was alright PEI
haps as an emergency makeshift mea'
ure; the best that could be done unde
the circumstances; but you see how
works out, in two or three years yo
are left with a lot of useless junk o
your hands. 1t is high time that W
should settle down to a permanen
long range policy of school equipmen
The schools are with us not for toda
or tomorrow merely, but for the Ion
future. A short-sighted, hand-t
mouth policy is extravagant, wastefl
and woefully inefficient.
, 8. Socialze the School Grounds.
The school grounds are general
, central, public, and more or less in
proved and equipped,-yet how muc
of the time. out of school hours {
=. term time, they lie absolutely idle an
unused A sort of exclusive scho'
ownership has perhaps prevailed tc
| much We should encourage the ide
| that the school grounds belong to th
, public, and give the qublic facilitit
a for using them. There is no reason
the world why these school ground
should not be used for the yariol
popular games,-base ball, volley ba
basket ball, lawn tennis. etc.
Do that and you awaken a mu'
[ more direct and vital public intere
/, in the schools and in their needs.
n The taxpayer who uses the scho
grounds himself will be much mo
l. ready to spend money on them.
Continued on page 81