Milford chronicle., 1925-05-22
SERVICE CITIZENS
REPORT PROGRESS
CONTINUED from first page)

ship, the Parent Teacher Asosocia-
tions have stood for the highest and
the most abiding things. It is unfor-
tunate when a state is divided by
race and speech, by religion and
politics, by geographical units for
governmental purposes and by COM
munity rivalries. AS never before
Delaware thinks of itself as a whole,
the good of each being the good of
ALL"
Great Growth Past Year
Parent-Teacher work in rural
Delaware has not only held its own
during the last year, but shows an
encouraging gain in both number Of
associations and membership" re-
ported Miss Wilson. I'VE now have
321 active associations, with a paid
up membership of 1885. The state
board during this period has closed
II schools. This means that our 321
associations include sc per cent of
the rural districts of the state, con-
trasted with the 81 per cent that we
reached last year.
From standpoints other than
numbers, however, we feel that this
has been the most successful year
in Parent-Teacher history. The big
aim in the minds of the state COM
mittee has been to foster, through
these groups, an increasing interest
in public affairs, and an active par
ticipation in movements working to-
ward social betterment, particular
ly in such things as relate to child
hood. AS a means to this end, a plan
for an informal study of local COM
munities, to cover a period of five
months, was submitted the first of
October, to every district in the
state.
142 Associations Adopt Plan
zone hundred and forty-two as
sociatiOns adopted the program ear
ly in November and started to work.
AS result, we have on file in this
office, questiOnnaires reporting on
conditions in over three thousand
Delaware homes, representing COM
plete reports on ninety-two rural
units, based upon the boundary line
VI IAC OOhOOA hAbkA4OJ LII eluuALAOA VIC
have incomplete reports from fifty
other associations.
Delaware, until this present |
month of May, 1925, has had the |
highest infant death rate per 1000 |.
live births in the Union. In the re-
port just issued by the United States
of Commerce, Bureau /
of Census, we are glad to say Del
aware has shifted to second place,
the statistics showing a reduction
during the year 1924 from 1O4 to SO
deaths per 1000 births. This is ex-
ceed in South Carolina.
with this gain of eight points
during the last year, Delaware's in
FAINT death rate still remains 18
points higher than the average for
the nation. Consequently, it is a
matter to which every association
Interested in the welfare of the child
needs to turn it's special attention.
500 Collectors of Data
Miss Welson said nearly 500 per-
sons have been collecting data. She
praised especially the work of the
state president, Mrs. Robert E. Lew
S, of Dover, the state treasurer, Mrs.
John B. Cleaver, of Middletown, and
he state auditor, George S. Will
Jams of Millsboro. She commends
he course given last July by Mrs.
2. c. Beverley of the Whitmell Farm
life School, Virginia, attended by 81
eachers, as preparation for the
Face the Facts" campaign. During
he year there were frequent meet.
ngs at each centre, eliminating in
for both white and col
red associations, attended by 1000
rom 227 school districts. The con-
'entions adopted unanimously reso-
utions lauding Pierre S. du Pont
nd his associates in promoting a
tate-wide school program.
In speaking of the defeat of the
u Pont school program DR.. Odell
aid: There is nothing to hide in
ur aims or methods. We believed it
D be the duty of the state to build
ew schools of modern type wher-
yer they were needed both in the
ity and in the rural districts. The
Ost to the state in interesting and .
mixing fund was clearly set forth. =
his work entailed excessive labor
n our part; indeed, no one will
yer know the strain we have been
nder during the past twelve
Ionths.