Imperial Valley press., 1941-02-26
war. business as usual
Children First

from our families, means man
things, but for the majority o
women, the Parent Teacher associa
tons come first And rightly SO. TO
they concern our children, and i
we have no children, they concern
those who will be the future lead
ers of our country.
The P.-T.A. is the largest women
organization in Imperial Valley, thu
association which comprise this, thu
29th district of the California Con
greSs of Parents and Teachers, hav,
ing total membership of nearl,
1900 women.
Through these associations there
has been developed not only closer
understanding between the home
and the school, but a concerted pro-
gram which has as its objective bet
ter health, better living conditions
and environmental influences for
the children of our valley. Study
groups for parents are instrumental
in awakening mose intelligent in
terest in child development and in
the educational program.
Improved Health
PA, members are responsible
for improved health conditions and
have succeeded in securing various
types of clinics, free lunches for
underprivileged children, milk, fruit
and tomato juices for undernour-
ished children, clothing for young
sters who are all too often prevented
from attending school for lack of
decent covering.
Money for these projects is OBJ
tanned in a variety of ways: the
associations sponsor carnivals, Hi
jinx, concerts, card parties, etc..
and both parents, teachers and chill
dren work together 20 make these
benefit affairs successful and in
this sense the P.-T.A. program is
also community program.
Suitable recreation for the hours
outside of school is another P.-T.A
project in which tie associations
work with other civic organizations
to see that the proper environment
is provided for the children in their
free time
With the influx of migratory
workers during the peak months
when our crops are being harvested,
and we are essentially an agricul-
tural community, we nave special
problem peculiar to this county.
Not only do we have to take care
of the workers, but their children
enter our schools and it is here
that the P.-T.A. groups function,
seeing that they have food and
clothing and the proper health care
not only for their sake but for the
sake of our own children with whom
they come in contact during the
months that we have them in our
schools
Parents Councils
Our P.-T.A. groups carry on their
activities largely in the elementary
schools although in some of our
high schools we have parents coun-
ellis which have much the same
function and which spend consider
able time in seeing that these boys
and girls have an adequate social
life under proper conditions. Recre-
ational dances have been inaugur-
ated for high school and junior COL
lege students and have met with
considerable success.
Aside from the P.-T.A. we women
take an active interest in various
character building agencies, such as
the Girl Reserves, Camp Fire girls
and have many women on the exec
utive boards of these and similar
organizations. And while we are not
directly responsible for the Scout
program, mothers Of Scouts play
their part also in encouraging this
organization.
Perhaps next in the number of
members are the Women's clubs. We
have six clubs which constitute the
Imperial County Federation of
Women's clubs which in turn is af-
filiated with the state and general
declarations. This year we are hon
ored by having one OF our own club
women, Mrs. r. L. Glasby of CAL
eXico as the president of the South
ern District of the California FEEDER
alton of Women's clubs, the South
ern district consisting of the five
southern counties of our state, I'M
perial, Orange, San Bernardino, Riv-
erside and San Diego.
Womens Clubs
Our Women's clubs are similar to
federated clubs everywhere in the
scope of their activities and the
type of progress they offer their
membership. We have aside from
our general club meetings many
study sections in which everything
from international relations TO gar
dening is taken up. Most of us own
our own club houses, built as the
result of many food sale and ben
eft club party.
After all, we are not far removed
from the pioneer days, as Oldest
club is only 80 years Of age. We
still have much of the pioneer in
genuity and enterprise which proved
SO successful in removing obstacles.
For example the inland Women's
club which has but 20 members,
decided it wanted to have its own