Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-20
Parent Teacher Associations
What They Are Trying to Do

Arrangements are being made for
the meeting in Augusta, June / and
of the Maine Branch OF the Ma
tional Congress and Parent Teacher
Associations. Miss Nettie e. Bauer,
representative of the congress is in
the city on business connected with
the work of the association, leaving
here this Friday for Houlton and
other parts of Aroostook county.
Miss Bauer in speaking of the work
said it was meeting with good re-
Spouse wherever she has been.
"The strong urge for a better I'M
Outstanding of child nature, feeling
of impotence in solving the important
problems of parenthood, inspired the
call of the mothers of the country to
meet in Washington on the 18th Of
February, 1897, day which. has al
ways since been celebrated as Child
Welfare Day, for it was the first time
in the history of the world that a
body of. women, from all parts of a
country. met and conferred on the
most important thing in the world,
the welfare of the children of Ma
tion," said Miss Bauer. "They called
themselves the Congress Of Mothers
and at this first meeting laid the
foundation for many Of the protec-
tive measures which have since been
enacted into laws in our various
states and in the National Congress.
They have held yearly conventions
ganization is over 100000. The Con-
gress of Mothers, always recognizing
that the home is the greatest factor
in child life, resolved to reach as
many homes in the land as possible
and therefore organized Parent
Teacher Associations, knowing that
through the schools they could reach
the greatest number Of parents. In
1915 the organization took the COM
bined name, Congress of Mothers and
Parent Teacher Associations, and
they have state branches-in "a states
in the United States.
IAN organization is essential to
carry out well established theories of
child welfare. and NO. combination Of
people are so capable of doing this
as the parents and teachers. Includ-
ed in the membership are all those
who are interested in the purpose for
which the organization is founded,
and the fathers share in this work is
earnestly solicited. The aims of the
association are to raise the standards
of home life and community life to
provide the best schools possible for
our children, to promote health and
recreation as part of the educational
system and these aims can only be
accomplished by intelligent partici-
patton of all the members of the COM
munity.
1.-THE purpose of a local association
should be three fold, first to help the
school with which the association is
connected, there is no school that has
not some need, neither your school
board, superintendent or teachers can
supply these needs, the responsibility
belongs to the community. Where
| these organizations have been estab-
lished, intelligently Differed and ac-
| tive they have been of the greatest
| benefit to the schools. BY arousing
public interest they have secured
larger appropriations and better sal
aries for the teachers.
1.-THE second aim of an association
should be to secure the best legisla-
ton for the protection of the child
in town, city, county and state. and
this can only be done by forming a
strong State Association. Juvenile
, courts, better films, good libraries,
health measures. child labor laws,
mothers aid, supervised recreation,
continuation schools, seperate schools
for the subnormal child.
1.-THE third aim of the local asso-
citation should be to support such
National Legislation as will attain
the standards for which the National
Association is aiming, a good home. a
good education and a fair start in life
for every child, only in this way can
we retain the place for the United
States as the first nation in the world.
We all recognize that the. conserva-
ton of our childhood is the most i'm
pOrtant work in our country TODAY"