ANNUAL BANQUET

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 147, 18 March 1937, Page 12

ANNUAL BANQUET

Business and Professional Women Meet ADDRESS ON KINDER. GARTEN SYSTEM Under the huge blue banner of the Business and Professional Women’s Round Table clubs of the world, more than sixty members and friends of the Wellington Y.W.C.A. group gathered in the Blue Triangle Hall last night for the annual opening banquet. An interesting address on pre-school 1 education was given by Miss E. G. Wilson, principal of the Kindergarten Association. No one could afford not to be interested in the child-life of the community. and in its development, she said, because the education which the child receiver! to-day would directly affect the slate of society in which it was to take its place as a man. To safeguard the future of the race, the right conditions must be created for the children. Miss Wilson reviewed the appalling conditions that had existed for the children of Dickens’s and Lord Shaftesbury’s days in England. "This is definitely the children’s era,” she said, "but every age has its evils, and education to be effective must be progressive, ready to keep pace with changing needs. The kindergarten is looked upon by many people to-day as one of the most progressive movements in the educational field. This is due to the fact that the pre-school branch of education more than any other is attempting to understand the individual needs of the children and to create an. environment in which they can really live, rather than be prepared for living. In many States of America it was part of the national system for all children to receive kindergarten experience, and in England more and more emphasis was being laid on this branch. Australia and New Zealand still lagged behind. What provision was made for the young child was made by voluntary bodies helped by the Government, so that the greater percentage of children were without its opportunities. But education began at birth, and it was important that every child should form right attitudes to life and be given a foundation of good habits and an opportunity of developing natural interests and talents. A happy approach to life would encourage a child to show friendliness and co-operation. If he was taught to be courageous and persistent in overcoming obstacles and to enjoy the work of his hands, he would have the basic qualities to become a good citizen. He should be encouraged to be purposeful and thus to experience the satisfaction of doing things for himself and of tackling his own problems. It was often said that things were made so pleasant for children nowadays, but after all why should life be drudgery? Real living could take place only when there was interest, for then one’s, whole being could be applied to the work on hand.

In conclusion Miss Wilson appealed to club members to support the kindergarten system, which aimed as they did at friendly co-operation rather than competition. It strove to build, and did build, understanding between the children themselves, their parents, the teachers and the committees. It was this fine co-operation between people of all classes and ages that made a groundwork for citizenship. In the kindergartens, too, children of different nationalities were welcomed because they gave added opportunity to extend the ideal of national citizenship to the broader one of international citizenship. During the banquet Miss H. Batham supervised the following list of toasts: Loyal toast; “Our Guests,” proposed by Miss E. Fitzgerald, response by Miss Kathleen Moore; Guest of Honour,” proposed by Miss Toomath. response by Mrs. P. Fraser; "Business and Professional IVomen of the World, coupled with the Wellington Club,” proposed by Miss E. Bennell, response by Miss E. Harper, president of the Round Table Club; “International Y.W.C.A.,” proposed by Mrs. R. S. Mclnnes, response by Miss J. Stevenson. The accompanist for several community songs was Miss E. Bowden. Mrs. H. G.. Philpotts sang a solo. A vote of thanks to the speakers was proposed by Miss M. Toulson.