Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-09-13
EDUCATION
In the Home
Issued by the National Kindergar-
ten Association. & West 10th ST.,
New York City
In the Home
One Pattern
By LUCIA MALLORY

THE Mary Schaffner scholarship in
home economics is awarded to Joyce
Rowley"
A tall, fair girl stepped out from
her place among the gray-clad seniors
to accept the gift from her high school
she turned to smile happily at her
mother, who sat in the front row OF
the section reserved for parents.
From my own seat on the other side
of the auditorium, I caught glimpse
of the love and pride in the mothers
answering smile.
Walking home from the commence
ment exercises with my friend, Flora
Barron, recalled that smile and spoke
of Joyce Rowley's achievement.
There is little story behind Joyce's
success that think you'd like to hear,
Lucia Flora told me.
Knowing how much Flora had con-
tributed to the welfare of her own
anT ether peoples children, was not
learn that she had had a part in
Joyce's success.
THE Rowley's have been our neigh
bors for three years" my friend began.
There are three girls in the family
Ruth and Genevieve were in nlga
school when Joyce was born. Both were
brilliant students, graduating, with the
pOSo4DlC 4AlSS WIN
through the state university with the
same fine scholastic records and be-
came successful teachers. Ruth Is now
at the head of the history department
in large high school. and Genevieve
is married.
Joyce was a happy, chubby child
whom everyone in the neighborhood
loved. She liked nothing better than
to come over to help me take care OF
Jack and Helen when they were babies,
though she was only few years older
than they.
Mrs. Rowley found her youngest
child entirely satisfactory, until she
started to school. Then she was dis
mayed to discover that Joyce could
not, or did not, win honors by her
achievements. as her sisters had done
1t was true that she did not fail; she
simply passed with average grades.
Joyce was contented in school until
her mother began to nag her and urge
her to do better work. The child was
kept in from play and made to study
after school. She was scolded because
she brought home report cards with
grades instead of the Is her mother
thought she should be able to attain.
Everyone could see that the little girl
was losing her happy disposition and
becoming conscious Of inferiority.
MY CNarCe 10 nelp came one eve
ming when Mrs. RoWley brought the
offending report card over and asked
me- as an old teacher, how she could
wake the child up!
Don't you know that children
can't all be cut to one pattern?' I
asked her. Ruth and Genevieve were
fine students. but Joyce has her own
eXCellencies. Don't you remember the
day that our club met with you last
winter, and Joyce came home from
school and slipped out into the kitchen
and quietly washed all of the dishes
for you? How many 10-year-olds could
prepare a simple meal for their faith
ers as Joyce does when you have a
headache? I'll tell you, Mrs. Rowley.
all of the fine grades in the world
could not enable me to keep my. house
clean or take good care of my babies
That was something I had to learn
when stopped teaching school. There
isn't a greater career for a girl than
homemakirg, and Joyce has already
made a fine start in that direction!'
TO my great relief, Mrs. RoWley
accepted my advice in the spirit In
which it was offered. You saw the
end of the story when Joyce received
her scholarship. Mrs. Rowley needed
only to learn that one pattern of
ability and achievement would not fit
all of her children. Since that time,
she and Joyce have been the happy
mother and daughter that you saw this
evening"