Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-11
DR.. CHEESMAN A. HERRlCk

DRESERNATION and extension of the
l. family idea in the institutional care of
children without parents should be the aim
of educators in that field, in the opinion of
DR.. ChecSman \. 1lcrriCk, president Of
Girard College. Avoidance of ruts in these
policies is emphasized by DR.. Hcrrick as of
prime Importance.
1--WE should never lose sight" said DR..
Herrick, "of the limitations of the institu-
tional form of life. As set forth by DR..
Erney c. lIirsh in the White House confer
ence on dependent children, childhood is too
sacred a possession and too mighty potcn-
tiality' TO be- handled on the ready made
plan. Family life is the normal condition
under which children should be raised, and
the institution can well afford to call upon
the influences of the family to help in its
work and to approximate as nearly as posi-
bic the conditions and the activities of family
life. | am sure that we in Girard College
believe in what Mr.. Joseph Lee calls the
integrity of the family, and that it is in
truth vital issue
"But society is full of exceptions to the
normal. Many and acute are the cXigencicS
of life. That father of n family should
die is o misfortune; that a young child
should be left dependent is a calamity, but
such are the conditions presented in thou
sands of cases.
Sacrifice Of Mother
There are various ways in which such
conditions can be dealt with. One is by the
disruption of the family altogether and the
incorporation of the lives of children into a
new family by means Of adoption. The
mother is thereby called upon to give up what
is almost as dear to her as life itself and the
child to lose the richness of affection which
comes only from the love Of n mother for her
offspring. Then there is the boarding ont
Of the child or the placing of him in an in
sti,ution for his carly years: aud finally and
best of all, there is the possibility of extend
In, nil m tho nothpr thnt hpr loma
may be kept together.
"A great disability upon the child would
be his being reared in an orphanagc from his
earliest years, and having at no part of his
child life the recollection of a home and
family conditions. We at Girard College
much prefer the boys who have been reared
in private homes to the age of admission.
"Undcr the terms of the Girard will boys
cannot be registered for admission into
Girard College until they are six years of age
and as the will operates many Of them are
not admitted until they are nearly ten. The
average age of the admission of our boys is
above eight years, so that the boys who
have continued with their mothers to that
time come to us with the remembrance and
the influence of home.
Expense Increases Gradually
1T is a we'll known fact that as boys grow
older the expense of caring for them in
CreaSGs both for food and clothing, and there
are increasing difficulties to Il mother who
is struggling to hold her home together, keep
her boys off the street and give them proper
care and education.
'Such an institution as Girard College
provides means of relieving what often be-
comes too heavy burden, and that, too
| without losing her boy. The boys who come
| to the college come from their mothers and
| if the mothers are worthy every effort Is
| made to keep close the family tie. The
mothers are permitted to visit the boys in the
| institution, the boys are permitted to 20
| home to visit their mothers monthly reports
| are sent and in case of serious illness the
! mother is Immediately called to be with her
| boy. Often for Il considerable space of time
| mothers have been accommodated in our
| inhrmary, 50 that they might continue con-
| stantly with or near their sons. All of this
serves to strengthen rather than to impair
| the family tie and obligation. The college in
| this sense becomes in effect a boarding school
| in which the boys are most carefully looked
! after and where every reasonable service il
! rendered which it is possible for money to
secure.
"rhc easy and natural course for every
one connected with Girard College, from the
| president to the latest CmplOyc. is to foIlow
! in the beaten track, but the rcgrcttablc furt
! is that, il the beaten track be followed, tbcrr
| can be no true advance. Would not the boys
| committed to the care of Girard Collrpn ho
| the gamers If there were written large in
| the policies of the institution the dircrtinr
put on modern improved highway, Don I
| Rut the Road?
| "Girard College has long been and per-
haps to an increasing degree Is becoming an