The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-01
Meeting AT the lei. S. Build
ing Shows That They Are
Doing More Than Follow
a Curriculum.
They DEVELOP CHARACTER
Experience-Fest Presents Concrete Elk
amples Of the Ways and Means OF
Teaching Citizenship and
Social Service.

John, Jacob, Thomas, Thaddeus,
Marguerite, Mary, and Madeline, are
learning moro than reading, writing,
arithmetic, domestic science, and manu-
al training in the Kenosha Public
schools; they are learning also citizen
ship, social service, everyday chart
ty and the higher moralities.
This much was proved conclusively in
the general teachers meeting held at
the High School Building on Monday
afternoon under the presiding genius
Of Mrs. Mary d. Bradford, local super
intendent Of schools. The gathering
presented chiefly community singing
directed by Miss Edna Cameron and
round-table discussion of character
building" as a positive activity in the
Kenosha public schools. The strange
program was a elimination rather than
an incident in itself, inasmush as it
presented only the best of similar ma
terial already introduced into prelim-
mary teachers meetings at each Of
the schools in the city.
Had the function been held in an
evangelical church it would have been
termed an experience-meeting'. Any
way the principals of each of the
schools literally "spoke out in meet
ing" with stories that had come un-
der their observation or had been re-
ported to them relative to the methods
Of teaching haracter-building en-
ployed in every grade from the kind
ergarten to the High School,
Teachers of history showed how the
war had been used as means of teach
ing patriotic obligation and practical
citizenship; teachers of manual-train-
ing explained that honesty, persisten-
cy and respect for the rights of others
had frequently been inculcated by the
work Of making clutches for blessees
or wooden birds for the fatherless chill
dren in France; kindergarten teachers
told how their little charges had been
affected by single stories to such an
extent that the ideas which they had
expressed had become ruling passions
that poetry, both ancient and modern.
had been used to teach Beauthy and in
spire lofty ideals in lives otherwise bar
rem of aesthetic appreciation and spirit
uality; and principals proved conclu-
sively that honor-systems, miniature
self-governments and the like had
taught their pupils to assume and dis
charge responsibilities with sincere eff
fort and something approaching ma
ture results.
Mrs. Bradford was highly pleased
with both the speeches and the spirit
of the meeting. When interviewed to-
day she said that it was evidence that
Kenosha teachers had caught the high
err aims of education, namely training
for successful service not 50 much for
ones self as for ones neighbors, one IS
country, and all mankind character
building Of the type that makes John,
Jacob, Thomas Thaddeus, Marguerite,
Mary and Madeline, Mister, Miss and
Mrs. x, Y, or 2, prominent and useful
citizens in their respective communi-
ties.
Further evidence that the meeting
was characterized by near religious
fervor and enthusiasm is to be found
in the fact that it began at four clock
and continued until ive-thirty and even
after that for few teachers who in
sisted on staying after meeting to
swap" a few more stories on most
fascinating subject.