Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-15
RELIGION IS HELD
NEED IN TRAINING
GiIIigan, at Langdon School
Dedication, Talks on Char
acter Education.

Religious training should be the basis
of any plan Of character education
which might be put into Washington's
public schools, and the two committees
now framing a character education
course should devise some means of
making religion the foundation of that
course, Henry L. Gilligan, member of
the Board of Education, declared in an
address at the dedication of the new
Langdon School last night.
Mr.. Gilligan, himself a Protestant,
said that character education which
does not take into account a religious
training is no character education at
ALL"
THE greatest teacher of all times. :"
he declared, "once said to seek first
the Kingdom of God and that all
other things would be added unto YOU,
and believe that If we are to have
a character education which is to pro-
vide the things which make for better
men and women we will have to place
it upon a foundation of religion. I
believe the citizens advisory commit
tee on character education, which was
recently appointed by DR.. Carusi, ought
to devise some means of Incorporating
a system of religious reading which
would be acceptable to Protestant.
Catholic and Jew alike"
Would Appoint Clergy.
Mr., Gilligan added that he meant to
propose that three clergymen, a Pro-
testant, a Catholic and a Jew, be ap-
pointed to the citizens committee to
render the expert counsel of which
he
ligion as a basis of character training.
He will make this proposal, he said
today, to DR.. Charles F. Carusi presi-
dent of the Board Of Education.
The meeting at which Mr. Gilligan
spoke marked the dedication of the
Langdon School. at Twentieth and
Franklin streets northeast. which was
opened little more than two weeks
ago. Besides the School Board mem
Der, the meeting was addressed by DR..
Frank w. Ballou, superintendent of
schools; Seldom M. Ely, supervising
principal of the fifth division, in which
the Langdon is located: Thomas j
LIewellyn, president of the Rhode Is
land Avenue Citizens Association, and
Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter president of the
District Of Columbia Congress Of Par
ent-Teacher Associations.
The meeting was opened when Albert
L. Harris, municipal architect, pre-
sented the keys of the building to Miss
A. M. Sisson, principal of the school.
Besides her new schools keys, Miss
Sisson was presented with life mem
bershtp in the National Education Asso-
citation by Mr.. Ely, who acted for the
teachers and old graduates Of the
school. and with many baskets of
flowers.
Sievers Presiding Cfficer.
e. @. SieverS, chairman of the schools
committee of the Rhode Island Avenue
Citizens Association. was presiding off,
Ger. while Mrs. E. L. Norris, president
OF the Langdon Parent-Teacher Asso-
citation, was general chairman in charge
of the affair.
The meeting in the schools audi
forum was preceded by dinner in tbs
domestic science room, at which the
teachers and the speakers were guests
The meal was prepared and served By
the parent-teacher association mothers
The invocation was pronounced BY
Rev. Raymond Barnes, rector of the
communitys Episcopal Church, and
the benediction by Rev. j. E. Malloy
pastor Of st. Francis de Sales Catholic
Church in the same community, Music
was provided by section of the Marine
Band, and general inspection of the
building followed the close of the audi
torium meeting.