The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-18
READS PAPER ON
FOUNDERS DAY AT
PIT. A. MEETING
MRS. M. E. BERKOWITZ IS
HEARD ON SUBJECT; MANY
OTHER TOPICS MAKE UP.
PROGRAM

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At meeting of Harris school
Parent Teacher Association held
Wednesday, paper ON Founders
Day was read by Mrs. M. E. Berko-
WITT and which was a part of the.
program outlined for this meeting.
This. paper brought many inter
esting points to members of the
Harris school Parent Teacher AS
sociation and was as follows:
Founders Day commentaries
the anniversary of the founding of
the National Congress of Parents
and Teachers in Washington, d.
c., February II, 1897.
'"The first serni-public words re-
garding a national congress of
mothers were spoken by Mrs.
Theodore w. Birney, at a kinder
garten meeting at Chautauqua, N.
Y, in 1885, conducted by Miss
Francis E. Newton and Miss Mary
Louise Butley. On returning to
her Washington home, Mrs. Birney,
and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Arthur
A.. Birney, called on Mrs. Phoebe
A. Hearst, well known for her in
terest in the establishment of
kindergartens. Mrs. Hearst was
much interested in the proposed
conference and generously con-
scented to finance the gathering.
Call On Mrs. Cleveland
mrs. Birney and her sister-in-
law, then called upon Mrs. Grover
Cleveland. wife of the President of
the United States, who cordially
welcomed them and gave them per-
mission to use her name in visiting
the ladies of the cabinet, several
of whom became earnest workers
and chairman in the first and lat
er congresses.
SIN response to the call sent out
by Mrs. Birney, a large and rep
resentative group of men and
women of intellectual achievement
and reputation, leaders in religious,
educational, philanthropic and So
cial affairs, fathers and mothers
of humble station to face unknown,
came to Washington all drawn to-
gether by an object which should
most appeal to the father, mother,
teacher, heart of the Worldthe
highest welfare of children.
"On the converting of this new
organization, Mrs. Cleveland was
hostess at reception at the White
House.. The success of that first
congress of mothers amazed even
the most sanguine. A Washing
ton paper thus comments: The
National Congress of Mothers is
not congress to make laws, nego-
tate treaties, impose tariffs, de-
bate political questions, but is a
congress organized to discuss ques-
lions of more vital interest to the
nation than any measure the Unit
ed States Congress has before it,
the welfare of children and the
manifold interests of the home
Native of Georgia
''Mrs. Theodore Birney was a
native of Georgia, and was the
wife of a prominent lawyer of
Washington, and the mother of
three little girls. Mrs. Phoebe A..
Hearst was the wife of Galifornia's
leading senator. She had endowed
many kindergartens for poor chill
dren, established training classes
and working girls clubs both in
California and Washington. She
also met the expense of the first
two congresses.
"The National Congress of Par
ents and Teachers dedicates itself
to child welfare every day in
the year. It is of value. however,
to set aside a special time when
the ideals and purposes of the
founders may be better understood
through programs especially pre-
pared for this occasion.
cit is a time when interest may
be conferred upon the highest we'll
being of the child in all relations
of life, when more intimate, in
telligent and sympathetic coopera-
ton may be secured between ma
tional, state and local organiza-
tons. and a birthday offering Civ
en- for national and state work.
The observance of Founders Day
was established in 1910 at the
Denver convention.
Messages Of Presidents
Messages from our first presi-
dent: Irrespective of creed or con-
dition. we stand for all parenthood.
childhood, hometood. In the child
and in our treatment of him rests
the solution Of the problem which
confronts the state and society of
today
"To cure was the voice of the
past; to prevent. the divine whisper
Of today.
MAY the whisper grow into a
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