1928 - Annual Convention

              F O U R T E E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 27
they are provided. What we want is co- operation between the Women's
Institute and the trustees in everything which w i l l tend to better schools
— not a taking over of their prescribed duties.
The members of one branch have taken turns in teaching the children
sewing; another lias arranged for dental and medical inspection; another has
donated the National Geographic Magazine to the school, while another has
helped to pay for the Delco light plant.
Through the influence of the W. I. public opinion has been aroused to the
necessity of regular attendance and of sending the children to school u n t il
they pass Grade VIII and in many instances on to high school, technical
school and schools of agriculture. Let us continue the good work, for it is
through well- directed public opinion ways and means w i l l be secured which
w i l l result in the greatest good to any people.
Many able addresses have been given, and many cleverly w r i t t e n papers
have been read at the regular meetings of the different branches. These
have been followed by helpful discussion. Some of the topics which have
been taken up are " Suitable School Pictures," " O u r Boys," " C h i l d T r a i n i n g ,"
etc.
I am pleased to note that playground supervision is receiving some atten­tion,
but much remains to be done. The teacher has many opportunities of
teaching outside as well as inside. Many things happen which would not
i f she were outside keeping watch on what is going on and helping to organize
the games.
As to the possibility of giving secondary education to our r u r a l children
the prospects are good. The School Act is to be revised this year, and
indications are that changes will be made which will make it possible for
every one who wants an education to be able to get it. There is also a step
forward in our teacher training. Those attending Normal schools w i l l be
sent out to r u r a l schools where, under the supervision of the teacher they will
have to take charge of the school f o r a certain period. This w i l l give them
some idea of what is to be expected in an ungraded school.
I am not sending out a new outline this year, as I consider there is much
to be done along the lines suggested in the two you now have, but I wish you
to make a special study of " Education of the child in the home." I feel
it is here that we as mothers and members of the W. I. can and should put
f o r th our best efforts and from which the best results w i l l be obtained. The
child's education begins while it is quite young. The child comes into life
as raw material, a little plastic creature responsive to the influences of the
home into which it is born. Children learn from example. They do not
learn nearly so much from what their parents tell them as from the way
they see their parents behave. Let us t r y to understand the mental process
that goes on in the child's mind, and not expect a small child to reason and
see things in the same way as we do. Let us t r y to answer their questions
as kindly and sympathetically as we can without laughing or making fun of
them or being annoyed. They w i l l then learn to come to us for information
and w i l l learn to express themselves freely and without fear. In the home
the child should be taught obedience, truthfulness, self- control, unselfishness,
personal hygiene and respect for others. He should be taught to think, to
act and to be self- reliant.
Parents must exercise discipline over themselves. When they say " N o , " see
that it means no; when a command is given see that i t is carried out; and
that promptly. Do not follow one policy today and another tomorrow. If a
child cries for something hard enough the foolish parent will often give it
what it wants. Far better teach it to stop crying, and say, " Please, may I
have t h a t ? " It w i l l learn that self- control, rather than the lack of control,
has brought the reward. Parents should never indulge in f a u l t - f i n d i n g or
personal gossip before children. A child should not be allowed to invent
physical symptoms to escape its duties. If, for instance, he says he has a
headache and can't go to school, let him stay in bed on a restricted diet,
restricted companionship, until it is better. If he has been pretending, he
w i l l not do it so often. Let us enter into the lives of our children, be com­panions
with them, read to them, go with them. Thus a comradeship is
established which will do much toward moulding the child's behaviour for
the better. If we do our duty to our children i n the home, the difficulties
often experienced in school w i l l be perceptibly lessened. Our relationship