The Republican., 1925-06-11

to influence the mental growth of young
people. First, things and nature. Moth
ing can be better for a child's growth
than a kit of tools or a garden with
which he can work and learn for him
self the fine art of observation and
sense the joy of recreation. Second,
companions and people. Children teach
each other more than we realize, and
cOmpanionships between childhood and
maturity are among those priceless
things that have developed the best in
tellects the race has known. Third,
reading-not haphazard and accidental,
but planned for by parents, teachers,
and librarians, so that the child may be
familiar with that common background
of pictures and ideas that enable us to
live and work together. Fourth motion
pictures, the development of which has
been so largely guided by commercial
motives that their vast educational pos
sibilities are only beginning to be un-
derstOOd. What wonders of science and
history and life cannot be brought WV
idly to us all by this magic creation of
inventive genius? In such films as the
Chronicles of America our history
comes to children with a vividness that
makes our Nation reality-something
to be loved and served. And finally, ra-
diO, the youngest of the great educa-
tional forces, bringing the whole world
into our living rooms, where we may
have contacts with the great musicians
and orators, and men and women of af-
fairs
Truly the danger now is not too great
poverty of ideas, not too little of mental
stimulation, but too much. The chill
dren of this generation, who are to be
the leaders of the next, will be those
who early learn the value of time, the
need to select the impressions that they
put into their minds as carefully as they
select the food that they put into their
stomachs. We are not obliged to hear,
or read, or see everything that comes
along. We may reserve our attention
for the really precious and worthwhile
things, that we may turn to them with
all vigor. If the child or the college
graduate has learned that lesson, edu-
cation has done much for him.
The child should leave school with a
working philosophy of life. That phil
osophy should give high place to the
ideals of service and civic obligation.
The duty of intelligence should also be
exalted and the child made to under
stand that it is something to be used in
every act of daily life. He would then
come to the end of the school road with
a program for further reading and OBJ
servation, with habits of study that
would carry throughout life. To bring
to the masses something of the attitude
and the technique of the scientist and
the spirit of the public servant is the
primary mission of the school, 1t is
maintained from public funds. 1t can
not shirk its duty to insist on civic SER
vice and virtue.
Let us learn this lesson from COM
mencement in 1925-the curriculum
and the whole organization and spirit
of the school, from the kindergarten
through the universities and profess
sional schools, should create desires and
habits which will leave the graduate at
commencement time with a sense of
obligation so strong that he will con-
slider himself a Stacker if he faces life
without a program of enlarging intelli-
gence.-J. E. M.