FREE KINDERGARTENS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11222, 30 May 1922, Page 9

FREE KINDERGARTENS

ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIA- : TION. WORK AMONGST THE CHILDRENThe annual meeting of the Wellington Free Kindergarten Association was held at the association’s rooms last evening. Mr J. Caugliiey, director o! education. 1 presided over a large attendance,, and spoke of the splendid effect kindergarten , work had upon the voung. If it were not for the free kindergarten movement: he* said, a certain portion of the children in the congested areas would ■ not be adequately provided for in the mattor oi early guidance. PRESIDENT’S REPORT. , The president (Mrs Gill) stated in her annual report that the fine kindergartens in the city had been carried on quietly , and steadily during the vear. The fact that the fifth had been opened in Newtown, and relieved the waiting list- in Wellington fourth, it was stated, was temporarily successful, but the waiting list wa.s now as large as ever. The Wellington South people certainly appreciated the kindergartens, and showed their appreciation by entering the children from birth. The children were there, but there was still a cry for more teachers. This year a branch of the Taranaki street kindergarten had been opened in St. Peter's Mission Hall. There were 30 children, and as there were only two teachers available more children were waiting for admission. Each new student added to the kindergarten staffs meant another 15 children entered on the roll. The council tendered' grateful thanks to the pupils of* Chilton House School for their untiring efforts in providing a fund for the improvement of the ground. ’ The three local committees , —Wellington South, Berhampore, and : Brooklyn—were all working hard to amass a. sufficient sum to acquire kinder- ! gartens of their own in each of those suburbs. The report referred at length to various functions held in aid of! the association funds, and tendered grateful thanks to numerous benefactors. Referring to the financial condition of ! the association, Mrs Gill regretted that a balance -was shown on the wrong side of the ledger. The chief reason for this : was the hard times under which almost everyone was suffering. She hoped the general public would see to it that the work of the kindergartens, so important to the little ones, would not suffer from lack of funds. It required only a small amount from each one interested to make in great -difference in the association’s i finances. |i FINANCIAL. | : The financial statement showed an excess of expenditure over revenue of .£37 iYOs 2d. The largest item on the expenIditure side was . that of <£lol3 19s involved in salaries; «£54 was written off ■ the value of property and plant for depreciation. The revenue consisted of <£556 by donations, <£557 Government capitation grant, <£loo from the City Council, <£loo from the T. G. Macarthy Trustees, <£6s from the Commercial Travellers’ Association for Christmas : cheer, and <£l4s by rents. The balance--sheet as at March 31st last showed cash at the bank amounting to ,£495 0s Bd. The building fund showed a credit balance of <£ls9 18s 3d,, fend the playground fund a credit balance of <£3lß 14s lOd. THE PRINCIPAL’S REVIEW. The Principal stated in her report that : the dominant note of the year’s work appeared to be, first and foremost, the increase of interest on the part of the general public who seemed to be awakening to the fact that the kindergarten was a real and a live movement in this or any city. The expansion of interest was accountable, perhaps, for the increase in the number of students. The central building at Taranaki street was inadequate in many ways for the demands made upon it. Many children had to wait a year or more to be ad-

mitted, and it was time something was done to meet the need as soon as possible. The prompt and generous help of Chaplain Fielden Taylor made it possible for us to open in February, in St. Peter’s Mission 'Hall. Although far from being ideal as a kindergarten, Mi«s Scott and her staff are to be highly commended for the spirit of good fellowship, energy and real happiness that already pervades that kindergarten. It was only as one watched such an experiment as the opening of a new kindergarten that it was borne in upon one very forcibly what a tremendous power for good it, was. " The numbers of students had increased during* the year, but the maximum had I been reached for the reason that a new student meant more children admitted, and the association never came to the very end of its “waiting to be admitted” list. ELECTION OF OFFICERS . Officers for the ensuing vear were elected as follow Members of council: President, Mrs Gill; vice-presidents, Mrs Henry Smith and Miss England; Lady Luke, Mesdames Burnett, Dixon, Hannah, S. Eichelbaum, H. Gibbs, Grady, Peacock, J. C. Andersen, Misses Helyer, Cable, Hall, Isaacs, Rothcnberg, Seaton, Dr A. Patterson.