KINDERGARTEN ASSOOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 9708, 17 May 1895, Page 2

KINDERGARTEN ASSOOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Free Kindergarten Association was held in the Town Hall yesfcernoon, His Wprship the Mayor (Mr H. @ Fish) presiding. There was a good attendance of members. An apology for non-attendance \yas received from Mr M. Cohen. ANNUAL REPORT. The Secretary (Miss Kelscy) read the annual report as follows ; Another year of work in connection with the Free Kindergarten Association is ended, and it is satisfactory to be able to report that the work is being carried on more successfully and more widely 3ach year. At the present time there are forty children on the Walker street roll, with an average attendance of twenty-nine. At Yaralla the number on the roll is 104, with an average daily attendance of sixty-three. As it is one of the rules of the Association that children leave when they reach the ago of six, numbers have joined the district schools from time to time through the year.

A change of teachers was made in March, when Miss Dale took M iss Wieueko's place at Walker street and Miss Wieneke took charge of the laralla branch. This change was thought advisable principally on account of the students, lhe advantage of being trained by Miss Wieneke amongst the large number of children attending Yaralla is much greater than being trained in Walker street, where the number is comparatively small.

Judging from the number of applications from girls desiring to be trained as kindergartners in our schools, kindergartening is very much on the increase. Wc have had to refuse manv who were •}". X 1°"? *? learn the system. Miss Gilkison and Miss Middleton left at Christmas ; Miss Waters' Miss Benny, and Miss Miller remaining for their second year. Miss Peake, being too young to take her certificate, asked if she might continue with us, and her request was readily granted Miss Black and Mr D. White again kindly acted as examiners of the students. The Committee return thpm both their sincere thanks for their valuable services. They also acknowledge gratefully Mr White's and Mr Button's kindness in giving free tuition in English literature and drawing respectively. Old students trained bv the Association have now mostly kindergartens of their own ; they have formed a good library aud meet once a month for the discussion of kindergarten principles. At one of the Committee meetings, Mrs Dennistonread a paper giving a graphic description of her visit to one of the Golden Gate kindergartens in San Francisco. The paper was most interesting, portraying, as it did, a kindergarten complete in all its branches and possessing all the appliances necessary for the perfect carryingout of Froebel s system. She told how the little ones are taught to lay a dinner table in miniature, down to the folding of the tiny serviettes; how they learn to care for their baby brothers and sisters by dressing and undressing the kindergarten doll, which has all its clothes in detail, and is put to sleep in a oradle also completely furnished. The description inspired us with the wish to imitate our American friends in these respects, and we hope that some day it will be in our power to do so.

During the year the question of the payment of a small sum by the parents of the children attending the kindergartens was thoroughly discussed but this payment was found to be quite impracticable with the principles of the Association. However, from time to time many parents have contributed of their own accord to our fund. _ It was found that pinafores were needed at laralla. Working bee's were accordingly held Mrs Golquhoim and Mrs Cameron kindly inviting the Committee to meet attheir houses' A cabman, the father of one of the children attending Walker street school, took a ; he little ones for a drive to the Ocean Beach This was a gicat pleasure for them. Both Mrs Henry Mackenzie and. Mrs Sinclair Thomson had the children to their gardens for afternoon tea treats which were enjoyed very much. Our funds have been'--augmented in several ways. In November a sale of work and an art union, got up by the Committee, were held, and proved a financial success, the suni realised being £sl 7s. Mrs Maokenzie handed in £2O to the treasurer as the result of a drawing room entertainment given on behalf of the Association. We wish .very specially to mention the contributions sent us by Dot" from the "Little Folks' Witness I-und." We have received £1 on two

different occasions from the "Little Folk," who have denied themselves many things dear to their own hearts in order that they-might contribute towards our kindergartens. We hear many of the children are anxious to pay a visit to our schools. Their welcome, will be a warm one, and they will see with clearer eyes and gladder hearts because they have helped to bring joy into other little lives. We cordially thank Mr W. Fen wick, .who, m connection with this fund, has shown strmuch kindness.

A morning spent in one of the kindergartens is as refreshing to the Spirit as a visit to St. Clair is to our physical being. One may go feeling weary and jaded, and out of touch with the world; but half an hour spent in the sunny atmosphere of fresh child-life vanishes all weariness and restores our peace of mind. The little hearts are so soft and impressionable, the faces are all so bright and eager as they sing their morning hymns, and tell ui song how glad they are to come to school. They pass to their classes to sew in bright wools and silks, to weave gay-colorxd papers, or to play with bricks, their hands growing deft, and their minds unconsciously, developing as they sing about the work they are doing. Then a change is made. A circle is formed and games are played, which teach them to treat with gentleness and tenderness all living creatures. The morning is ended, and it is a pretty sight to see tin- children dismissed. Each child takes off its pinafore or helps the little neighbor, whose anus are too short to reach the button, while the teachers hold up the hats to be claimed by their owners. Then the boys, taking off their hat-. arid the girls, with a little bow, say in a Mvc«t< , .hnru<: "Cood morning, tva<-hi:r." and march wn.. ii.-'-.id of playing in their own way, they have been taught ItOK 'to play, and their play has unconsciously made them more helpful, more intelligent, more sweet-mannered and gentle, and has fitted them tp take a nobler and more useful part in the lives that lie before them. We do not wonder that an old man asked if the first syllable in the word kindergarten was to be pronounced like the English word "-kind." He preferred that it should be so, for the children are treated in the kind, loving spirit that brings out all that is kindest and best in their own natures, and creates a love of all things good where it does not exist. Thus " the object of the kindergarten system is to foster, develop, and strengthen the germ of the divine in man by occupations which render the children more personally perfect."

They are such fair, frail gifts ! Uncertain as the rifts Of light, that lie along the sky ; They may not be here by-and-bye. Give them not love, but more, above And harder, patience with the love.

Mrs W. H. Reynolds moved the adoption of the report, and in doing so referred to the great help given to the Association by the mayor and others. The speaker then went on to refer to the good work that may be done among young children by the teaching of kindergarten lessons. Mr G. Fenwick seconded the motion. He attacked the statements made at the last annual meeting by a professional man, who is also an educationalist, in this town against the kindergarten system, and said that, having lately seen the work in one of the schools, he was greatly impressed with the good influence it would have on the children. He would be very pleased to hear of the Government giving a grant in aid of the kindergarten worlc. The Rev. L. J. Harrison and Mr James Allen, M.H.R., also addressed the meeting. The Mayor referred to the larrikinism that was rampant in our cities today, and said that that state of things would always be found unless something in the shape of religious instruction was given in the public schools. It was a monstrous thing that the book they had been taught to look upon as the Book of Books was not allowed within the portals of their public schools. He knew he would be told that if what he proposed was brought about the secular system of education would be spoilt, but he cared not a snap for that if something better could be put in its place. The motion for the adoption of the report was put and carried. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows: President, Mrs W. H. Reynolds; vice-presidents—Mrs Turton, Mrs A. S. Paterson, and Mrs J. Sinclair Thomson ; treasurer, Miss Hutchison ; secretary. Miss Kclsey ; assistant-secretary, Miss Eva Smith ; committee-Mesdames Adam, Cameron, Chapman, Uenniston, Cohen. Denniston, Hosking, Colquhoun, Joachim. Martin, M'Kenzio, M'blashan, Michie, Ulrich, White, Misses Glasgow, Anderson, and Mackerras. Mr Worth FNiiTON, of the Temple of Truth, Christehurch, addressed the meeting on the kindergarten work carried on in that city by !nm. J J