The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-10-19
A MESSAGE TO KANSAS WO-
MEN
(By Floy HORNE, Grinnell.)

We are sure every Kansas woman
wants her country to be the best in
the world. But we wonder how many
of our Kansas women realize what an
important part they have in making
their country the best.
Our nation is what its states make
it; the states what the communities
stand for; the communities are known
by their homes and what represents
the home as we'll as the children
found in those homes, and it is the
mother who has the greater respOnsi-
bility in the training of these chill
dren. The father must be away from
home most of their waking hours, but
it is the mother who has them under
her influence both day and night dur
ing their most unpressiOnable age. It
is the mother who must teach them to
be kind to each other and their play
mates, to be respectful, helpful and
dependable.
1t is the good mother who has an
interest in her child's school life, who
has his confidence in his childish
troubles and above all keeps her child
interested at home after school hours.
It is to be regretted that the word
"happer" has ever been applied to
our American girlhood, but with the
right cooperation from the mother,
it is not likely to endure long.
Mothers should wake up to the pos
sibilities that are hidden in the gang
spirit of our girls and boys if they
want to blot out this curse of flapper-
/ ism.
Children are full of energy and en-
thusiasm. If you don't find action
and interest for them they will find
it for themselves. And their imma-
| ture judgment is not safe to depend
upon. They will do things in a crowd
that they would never do individually.
Perhaps you have talked to your
daughter until you have reached the
| limit of your vocabulary and yet she
carries her powder puff, rouge box
an dlipstick wherever she goes and
stays out late at nights because all
! the other girls do.
Why don't the club women organ
ize departments of their clubs for
/ these girls? Let them help with
+ decorations and serving. Give them
: a part on the programs and help them
! in making out a club program. Make
them feel you are interested in their
work and that you appreciate their
interest in yours.
Take them to visit children's wards
in hospitals, to orphanages and to the
poorer districts of their town, so they
may see the-things they might do to
make life better for children who are
not so fortunate as they.
Get them interested in making
their town clean, healthful and beau
tiful, for there are lots of ways Of
/ interesting children in civic affairs.
They might have a club dance pic
mic or theatre party once in a while
with their mothers, so they will not
feel they are giving up all their good
times. Once they become interested
in wholesome fun and doing some
thing worth while there will be no
more use for the word 1apper. The
woman who has a comfortable home
and no children should share this re-
sponsibility of motherhood with the
woman who through lack of educa-
ton, support or ancestral backbone or
because of all three conditions is
making a failure of bringing up her
children for here lies the greatest
danger to our communities and ma
ton. While such children are small
they are a menace in school and
among other children. After they
are grown they are only good mater
ial for L w. WIS and Reds.
Yet if taken in time there is a
world of good to be found in the
child of the street.
] We have three State insfifutious