Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-09
MRS. MARY VAN METER GRIcE
On the Homo and School League


"TNHERE is a growing feeling that home
l. and school leagues must sooner or later
become part Of the work of the school, d-
rccted by trained workers. says Mrs. Mary
Van Meter Grce, founder Of the league
movement in this city.
'Fifteen years ago / organized the first
Home and School League, and its growth
was astounding" she added. ''In one year
we raised more than 1000 through the
school communities, and the money went
right back into the school building, buying
pianos here. starting library there and
placing attractive pictures in the school
houses.
THE Home and School Associations grew
out of an awakened sense on the part OF
those In the home that the years given to the
education Of the child in the school were not
producing results commensurate with the
needs of adult life.
Must Mold Child at Home
"At tho same time. the school realized
that the few hours given it each day could
not be used In such manner as would COM
pete with the influence Of the forces playing
upon the child moding his body, mind and
spirit during the much longer daily period
when he was not in school.
"NhCrCvcr the movement has proved n
success it has sprung into being through n
simultaneous reaching out Of the homes of
a n"ighborhood and the school Of the com.
munty. Many experiments have been tried
in the working out Of social influence through
home and school associations, and there is
now a growing feeling that to be permanent
they must become part of the work of the
school, directed by its trained workers
The financial problem of such progressive
work would solve itself were the people given
the proper kind of school buildings 10 use.
There Is now partial use of school build
ings in Philadelphia, but II Is very slight
when compared with the real need. And that
need. in the large, is to arouse the people of
the city to an intelligent interest in the great
school system functioning in their midst.
Would Harmonic Forces
The purpose of the Home and School
League is to bring about harmony and unity
between all the forces that have to do with
the building of "A citizen of the Republic.
In what better place could these forces meet
than in the building the very name of which
Is sgnihCant--a common SCHOOL,
"ln Fourth of July orations and other
Oratorica flights Of public speakers we hear
\ great dca of tn" keynote of democracy
being tho working together of tho people and
the institutions of the State created by them
This Is not something that can be forced on
community; rather 1t is the calling together
of that group and its stimulation TO an OK
preston Of those activities that will result
in the bctcrmcnt of the ncghborhood men
tally. morally and spiritually.
This note of cooperative interest was
struck again and again the other evening at
tha dinner given by the allied associations of
public school employees. 1t was rung out
with force by the State superintendent and
echoed again and again by the city supern-
tCndcnt. 1t was voiced by every man and
woman who followed on the program.
Each time it was said We must create
public opinion-the people must take a
deeper interest in their schools, my mind
yisoned the tightly closed school houses all
over the city, the thousands Of men and
women who, having passed through the pub
children through the schools, still remain
Indifferent. They know nothing of the almost
unlimited possibilities of education in its
real sense, what it might mean as a civic
asset.
"One Of our deep religious thinkers has