Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-18
RURAL COMMUNITY
THE CENTRAL TOPIC
Fifth Annual Conference of So
cial Work to BE Held at ST.
JOhnsbury October s and g.
Features of Interesting Pro-
gram
gram

The prog nm committee Of the Ver-
mont Conference Of Social Work an
nounces a program of unusual interest
to Ncrmonters. The central tonic of the
conference will be THE Rural Commun-
ity.' and the committee has been fortu-
nat" in securing number of able sneak
ers who have had exceptional opportuni-
ties for study of the social questions to be
discussed.
The fifth annual session of the Yer
mont Conference Of Social Work will
meet In st. Johnsbury in Fairbanks Mu-
scum Wednesday and Thursday October
and Q. The date has been moved back
from January in the hope that the possi-
bility of motoring to the meetings will
serve to increase attendance
AS usual, the Wednesday evening meet
Ing is the big time of the conference
The presidents address on Community
Planning" will then be delivered by Prof
K. r. 3. Flint of Norwich University, Prof
Flint, we'll known as 4 forceful and in
structive speaker. has won new fame
as social thinker by his recently pub
lished manual on town planning. The
second speaker for the Wednesday eve
ming session is John NJ. Thomas, the elo-
quent and gifted president of Middlebury
College. President Thomas will deliver
an address upon "Americanization.' which
is perhaps the Invest social problem Of
the country to-day
The program for Wednesday afternoon
includes: Social work for Girls in Ver-
mont, by Marion Gary, field secretary of
the Vermont Y. w. c. A.; Child Welfare
Work, by Mrs Ernest A. Linderholm
formerly on the staff of the Chicago
School Of Civics; the Social Life of the
hxr 49,
State Grange; and Rural Recreation by
Charles F. Ernst, formerly Of the South
End House, Boston, now Burlington Agent
of Community Service, Inc.
Thursday morning. Professor A. r.
Clifford. secretary of the conference and
president Of the Vermont Childrens Aid
society. will discuss "a Program of Social
Legisation:" Former Commissioner Of In
dustries r. W. Simonds will answer the
question: Has Vermont Child Labor
Problem Dr. c. +. Dalton secretary of
the state Board of Health, will have an
important paper on Rural Sanitation and
Professor G.. @. Groat of the University
Of Vermont will speak on Adaptation of
the Associated Charities Scheme to Rural
Communities.
On Thursday afternoon. the Vermont
Children's Aid society will hold it's
first annual meeting for election of Off
GERS and transaction of business reat-
ing to the matter of inaugurating the
work OF the new full time salaried gem
eral secretary. To this meeting, as to all
sessions of the conference, everyone in
terested is invited most cordially. Fol-
lowing the Children's Aid meeting there
will be held an open forum, in which any
one may Join in the free for-al discus
sion of the salient topics of the conference
program. This promises to be the livelest
time of the conference since there will be
no formal program, but the trend Of
discussion will he allowed to follow the
way suggested by the interests and con-
victions of volunteer speakers.
The Vermont Conference of Social Work.
since its organization in 1915, has played
an important ~tole. Through it's agency.
the State Board of Charities and Proba-
ton was established by legislative en-
actment. Through its good offices was
organized the Vermont Children's Aid
society, which aims to cooperate with and
supplement the activities of the State
Board. Because of It's fine record Of
achievement, as we'll as the timely inter
est of its program. the St. Johnsbury
meeting Of the conference is expected to
set new record for attendance. The
conference has become easily the mo-.
important social forum in the State, and
1t Is hoped that this year all social work.
ers-paid and Volunteer-will make a spe-
cial effort to be present