Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-02

| our normal schools are full OF bright,
i ambitious, young men and women,
summer schools arc well attended
and our superintendent are taking
special courses at Columbia, Harvard,
CaStine and Gorham.
I'VE welcome this opportunity to
! acknowledge with sincere apprccia-
| ton many cOurteSieS extended to us,
I the cordial and sympathetic attitude
| of our Governor who gave distinc-
ton to our organization by nominat-
ing your president to the board of
normal school trustees. giving us a
contact with the teachers in training,
! which must prove helpful, to DR.. Au-
GUStus o. Thomas, State Superintend-
cnt schools, to Miss Florence M. Hale,
agent of rural education, always
CHEEKY and ready to serve and to
| .Ndclbert w. Gordon of the State de-
partmcnt of education.
| I'VE are further indebted for cour-
| tcsies shown by the national organi-
Zation. We have received monthly
! bulletins from all organized states
and these have been most enliShten-
! ing and inspiring, but in some ways a
| bit discourasing in that we get i'm
patient to do the big things that they
have done. The organ of the nation :
|
| Magazine, is fine and ought to be in
every home. The editor of this maya :
zine, Mrs. Reeve. was elected presi-
dent of the National Congress of
! Mothers and Parent Teachers at
| Louisville. She is eminently fitted
and would gladly have come to us
for this occasion, but Michigan spoke
| first. She sends her best wishes"
Miss Florence M. Hale
Miss Florence NJ. Hale of Augusta,
! State agent for rural education. in an
address at the annual convention of
! the Maine Parent Teacher ASsocia-
! ton at the State House Friday
! afternoon on THE Extension Pro-
| gram of Parent Teacher Association
work" declared that parent teacher
| associations should have definite OBJ
! jccts as well as being means OF
, promoting social enjoymcnts-al-
| though the latter has q very impOr-
| tart part to play in bringing about
! CO. operation between the home and
| tie school.
| 1.-TWO years ago I was a member
Of the nominating committee of the
: State Parent -Tcachcr Association
! continued Miss Hale.
at was at that time extremely
| difficult TO secure enough names to
| complete our slate OF officers owing
i to a general Indifference to the work
! of this organization. This year it
! has happened that l have been on
! the same committee. The difference
! in the situation has made me eX-
! tromcly hopeful regarding the Par
! cnt-Teacher Association work in
this state. This year we have met
with few >refusals. but rather those
g. 10 11n, cl- 10 fol In
different Offices have expressed their
: belief in the work and their desire
| to be of any possible assistance.
| "This hopeful state Of affairs is due
! in no small measure to the conStruc-
| tive policy of our State president.
/ Mrs. Abbott. Our president has
seemed to he able to see both sides
Of the proposition and to appreciate
the special problems of the parents
and the particular difficulties OF the
| teachers She has consistently adopt
! ed a policy of creating cooperation.
| tolerance and mutual understanding.
Both teachers and citizens are be-
/ ginning to see that the Parent
Teacher Association is not an Or
| ganiZation OWNED to interfere with
! the work of the school or to criticize
! the home or the school but rather
3
! all concerned.
1--WE have good number Of as
! sociations in the State and new ones
are being constantly added, but I feel
personally that it is better not to
! work largely for a big record of
many associations, but rather en-
courage the creation of new organi-
cations onlyas there seems to be a
' felt need for the Parent Teacher AS
ISOLATION in the particular locality.
| 1T is better to have reliable and ac-
| tive associations accomplishing real
definite objects than a long list of
! names with very little accomplished.
II neither parents nor teachers feel
that the association can be Of value
| to them it is better not to try to
force an organization upon them but
rather to try to make the parent
teacher associations already in the
field of such splendid assistance that
communities and schools will begin
to feel that they cannot do without
this valuable work.
Parent teacher associations should
have definite objects as well as being
Il means of promoting social enjoy
unconstitutional the latter has very
important part to play in bringing
| ''''u' to-clINtrtAoll DclWceH tHS nome
and the school. For example, some
organizations already in existence in
other lines Of work have become in
terested in educational matters and
have taken upon themselves the task
OF doing something definite for the
education of worthy young people.
The State Grange Business and Pro-
fcssional Women's Clubs, the Port
land Women's Literary Union and the
|, Maine State Federation of Womens
Clubs are becoming deeply interested
in establishing scholarship funds to
be used for the education of the
most promising boys and girls who
, need such assistance. All of the or
CARNATIONS above mentioned have al
ready devoted a specified sum for
this purpose. For example. the
Maine State Grange has this past
year been assisting IS different young
men and women to secure education
by loaning them money and also by
giving them encoura cement in other
ways. In every community there are
doubtless young men and women who
desire such aid. The parent teacher
association might well acquaint itself
with the ambitions and circumstances
of young people in school and find
out which ones need some outside as
sistance.
Parent teacher associations in