Evening star., 1942-11-15
Printing Developers
.ToBe Honored in Book
Week Observance

Children Should Get
Help in Discovering
Pleasures Of Reading
BY MRS. p. C. ELLETT,
President. D. c. Congress Of Parents
and Teachers.
November is proving to be a most
important month, educationally. AL
ready we have observed American
Education Week, and beginning to.
day we will have a weeks observanc.
Of Book Week.
Book Week" by its very name, ha!
many implications. 1t might mean
concentrated effort on the part OF
booksellers to boost their sales; it
might mean an intensive drive on
the part of libraries to call attention
to their well-stocked bookshelves; OF
it might mean just the, setting aside
of this particular week by a grateful
populace as period in which to pay
tribute to the people who have made
books possible-the authors, illus
traitors, technical people, statesmen
libraries.
One wonders what life was really
like before books were known-when
stories were handed down from IA
ther to son by word of mouth, and
the art of the storyteller was one o.
the spoken, not the written, word
One might readily picture winter!
evening in those days, with the fam
lily gathered about the huge burning
logs, listening to the tales told by
the patriarch. Perhaps there is q
charm to such picture, but the fly
in the ointment is that every on.
had to listen to the same story
there was no choice.
Nowadays, the world and its peo-
pie, with their varying customs. and
characteristics, their richness of folk
lore, are as close to the average
American citizen as the nearest
library. And all because the art OF
printing was invented and through
the years since its invention has
been brought to its present splendid
perfection.
l sometimes wonder II any Of us
really appreciate the splendid heri-
tage that is ours in the cultural rich
ness imprisoned between the covers
of the millions of books which have
come from the country's presses in
the years since Benjamin Franklin
edited his Poor Richards Almanac!
Here one may find companionship
for any mood, may receive healing
for hurts and solace for sorrow, may
secure inspiration and courage, or
philosophy which will guide one
through many trying life expert
enceS.
BY all means, there should be a
Book Week, if only that we may in
this manner pay tribute TO the thou
sands of men and women who have
made it possible for us to have them
And as We ourselves pay this tribute,
let us take our children with us
into this fellowship with books. For
in these war days through which We
are passing, we shall be bestowing
a favor of inestimable value upon
them if We shall set their feet upon
the path that leads to the eXplora
ton and enjoyment of books! And
once the habit of books" is eStab-
lished, it is never broken, but goes
with one throughout life!
At the meeting OF the Board oil
Managers, on Tuesday, IL was de-
cided to invite all local unit preSi-
dents, or duly delegated elected
officer, to attend all meetings of the
board as ex-officlo members, the
purpose being to promote better
understanding of the aims and prof.
ects of the District of Columbia Con-
sresS.
The board also decided. in view OF
the fact that no city-wide campaign
for Christmas toys will be made, to
recommend to local units that they
try to care for their own children
who will need help. Mrs. B. w. Co.'S
tenbader is chairman of the COM
mittee to handle this project. She
will be assisted by Mrs. Donald
Warren. Mrs. P. A. Taylor, Mrs
Joseph Abel. Mrs. C. M Scates. Mrs
Earle F.. Allen, Mrs. H. l.. Mertz
and Mrs. William Linden. Permis-
sion will be asked of school officers
to use the schools for repositories
for the toys.
In a general discussion about the
status of the free lunch program
the consensus seemed to be that
each local school would more than
likely have to work out some solu-
ton to its own problem. 1t was sug-
geSted that sixth grade children
might be used in the serving of the
lunches, as we'll as in the sterilizins
of dishes and cleaning up of the
lunchroomS. However. any action OF
this kind must, OF course. be ap-
proved by the school authorities be-
fore it can be put into effect.
Mrs. John Allison, president OF the
Jefferson Junior High School Asso-
citation, presented, in the name OF
the association, stamp book in the
sum Of s1875, with which the D. C
Congress was instructed to pur-
chase a War savings bond for its
own use.
Mrs. Frederick Mohr, who haC
been named recreation chairman
has been called back to teaching
school, and Mrs. Millard Kenestrick
of the Stoddert association has beer
appointed to succeed her.
Woodbridge.
The regular meeting having beer
postponed due to tire rationing
the association will be Thursday
at lis pm. Visits to the class
0SITIONS