Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-08-18

EXAMPLE is THE LESSON


Miss Mary 4. -Woolverton, county
superintendent, said that the most i'm.
pressive thing which she witnessed
while attending the National Educa.
tional Association at Des Moines was
the pageant given by students Of the
schools for the non English speaking
population which are teaching Amer
icanism through the example Of the
teacher and acquaintance with the
language of America. She explained
it as follows:
The schools for the non English
speaking population had closed the
year with pageant the Growth of
America" as a demonstration to the
authorities and to the city of what
was being accomplished In Ameri-
icanization. The DEMONSTRATION was
TO be repeated for the teachers.
There were forty teaching char
acters representing twenty,seven
nationalities not one Of whom had
been in America longer than a year.
They ranged in age from the inter-
mediate grades to middle life and
nearly all were wage earners.
1.-THE oldest character, Polish
girl, almost grown, represented the
Goddess of Liberty. 1t was her birth
day, she said for she landed In
America, July 4, 1920.
1.-THE pantomine Of Lincoln free
ing the slaves was singularly well
acted by a. young man who had bur-
led his mother the day before. On
being told that he need not take his
part in the pageant he asked why"
and replied 1T is my duty, l shall
60"
1.-The men who represent the re-
cent period were World War veter-
ans. Each wore their national uni
form.
"Hvery character was eager to
do his best and each showed a quail
ity in his Interpretation due to his
that idealism which brings
almost every foreigner to our shores
and which was terminated In his
early childhood by the slaves OF
Washington and Lincoln and later
by our political philosophy which de-
clares that each person by nature
and by right ought to be free and
equal and guarantees protection to
each in his pursuit Of life, liberty
and happiness.
'In the Des MOines school these
people had simple -curriculum-the
reading, writing and speaking of
English. In his analysis of the
school and its aim the principal said
that they make no attempt to teach
because Americanism
is something that must be lived to
be taught. The hearty prolonged
applause from the audience of near
ly six thousand delegates showed
how much they appreciated such a
stand in the face of all the Organi-
cations which are bearing their
heavy weight upon the schools. How
weary they are of the arbitrary
standards and irrevalent demands
which sap the life of the schools
and how eager they are for time. and
freedom in which to teach the essen
tials.
patriotism more than any other
phase of philosophy must be prag-
matte, that is ever adjusting itself
to the needs and conditions of the
hour. Any attempt to dclfne it and
TO give it direction as would be nee
essary in a Course of patriotic in
is an attempt to give form
and texture to a process evolved out
If the interactiOn Of the national
md the undivided mind and ideals
md which attain it's greatest stabil-
ty when the individual enjoys the
greatest constructive freedom. Again
10 two minds or ideals are alike
md the whole differs from its parts.
70 attempt to Genuine any process
o an outline is to limit it to an
luthor or at most to group of
authors and to a period in time, thus
It the outset excluding the many
md precluding the future which
we're it possible would take its life.
However much we may PROSTATE
,atriotism we cannot kill it. After
rational adversely it is always at
ow ebb as it is in the world today
t will rise again-to what height
epends upon the patriotic honesty |