FREE KINDERGARTEN ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20089, 4 May 1927, Page 5

FREE KINDERGARTEN ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Free Kindergarten Association, which was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, was largely attended. The Mayor (Mr H. L. Tap ley, M.P.) presided. CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. In his opening remarks, Mr Tapley said it was always a pleasure to associate himself in any way with the kindergarten .work in Dunedin. He noted that this was the thirty-seventh annual meeting of the association, and he considered that 37 years of achievement was a splendid record. It should, indeed, be gratifying to the pioneers of the movement to see how it had grown, not only in Dunedin but throughout the Dominion. The kindergarten movement, said the speaker, was one which catered for the mothers’ as well as the children’s welfare, and it seemed to him a pity that the association should be “up against it” in the matter of finance. He noticed that, although the association, apart from what it received in annual subscriptions and grants, was subsidised by the Government, yet it was still forced to augment its funds by means of jumble sales and bazaars, and he deplored the fact that these appeared to be the only methods of raising money for such a praiseworthy object. He congratulated the association on the work it had done during the year. The kindergartens took in children regardless of creed or class, and these children otherwise might bo running about the streets or at home worrying thler mothers. Under such cir cumstances, they had no interest in life, but the kindergartens created an interest for them. The present function, continued Mr Tapley, was the final one over which he would preside as Mayor, and he was glad to have had the opportunity of doing so. Ho wished the association the best of good fortune in the future, and hoped that it would carry on its good work. Ho hoped, also, that the various associations and public bodjes would realise the importance of the kindergarten movement, and assist it to the best of their ability. The City Council, he was glad to say, recognised the value of the work, and at present granted an annual _ contribution of £SO towards the association’s funds. He was sure, also, that the members of the council were individually in sympathy with the movement, and that his successor in office (Mr W. B. Taverner) would do all ho could to further the work. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the council, which was submitted to the meeting, read as follows: For 37 years the work of the Free Kindergarten Association has been carried on in this city, and it must be especially gratifying to the pioneers of the movement to see interest in the work steadily increasing, and also that so much has been accomplished. Teachers and students have done good work under the able guidance of their principal. Miss Dutton. The local committees have again been of great assistance to tho council, each having raised sufficient money to meet all running expenses and a credit balance in the bank. One thousand nine hundred and twentysix has been a red letter year for the association. In November tho members of tho Hudson family handed over a beautiful kindergarten, fully equipped, as a memorial to their late father. It is built on land at Caversham (also given by them), and known as “The Richard Hudson Memorial Kindergarten.” To all subscribers hearty thanks and appreciation are tendered; to Miss Brown, collector, for her valuable services; to the City Council for a grant of £SO; to the Rugby Union for a grant from the proceeds of the charity match; to an anonymous donor of £2O, and to the fathers’ and mother’s clubs for their financial help and unflagging interest. In July last a jumble sale was held, the proceeds from which realised £39. During the year members have assisted with street sales for the Plunket Society, Y.W.C.A., and Charity Saturday. In August a conference was held in Wellington, when it was decided to reorganise the Kindergarten Union of New Zealand, Mrs T. K. Sidey being chosen as president in honour of Dunedin being the first centre in which kindergartens were built. Once again Mr Braseh has audited our books. Wo thank him heartily. Thanks are due to the press, which has helped materially by giving publicity to our various functions and reports of meetings; to the Presbyterian churches for the use of Sunday school halls; to Otago Women’s Club and First Church for a room for committee meetings; to the Westport and Waronui Ooal Companies and A. J. Allen (Ltd.), for wood and coal; to the Olago Motor Club for erecting warning notices near the kindergartens. In conclusion, we beg to assure our subscribers and helpers of being deeply appreciative of their help to the association. Many of them have, since the formation of this Very important branch of child welfare _ work, contributed regularly. _ We shall in the coming year require to increase our income by a considerable amount, and hope that many new subscribers will come forward, thus' making it possible to carry on the work successfully, for tho hope of the nation lies with the children. Mrs T. K. Sidey, in moving the adoption of the report, thanked Mr Tapley for presiding ewer their meeting _ that day, and for tho keen interest which he' had always taken in the work of the association. She also offered congratulations to Mr \V. B. Taverner, a member of the Society s Advisory Board, on having been elected unopposed to tho mayoralty. Mr T. R. Fleming seconded the motion, A feature that had struck him in the report, he said, was the fact that the subsidiary committees were all sound financially. He then went on to refer to vocational education. He did not in any way wish to deprecate the value of this training, but ho thought that in paying attention to it, parents were nowadays losing sight of the importance of their’ children’s early education. Eminent authorities had all given it as their opinion that the early training of a child had a most important bearing on its future life. The kindergartens were creating good citizens, and it seemed to him only fair that the City Council should subsidise such a worthy object to a greater extent than it was at present doing. Dr Crawshaw, district medical officer of health, spoke briefly to the report, and said ho considered that the kindergarten movement should not be dependent almost entirely on the public beneficence. It was essentially a movement that the Government should take under its care, as in moulding the characters of the children the kindergartens were making good and useful citizens. The report was adopted. AMENDMENT OF RULES. Several minor amendments to the rules, which were proposed by Mr T. K..Sidey, M. and seconded by Mr R. Gilkison, were adopted. OFFICE-BEARERS. The following office-bearers were elected: —President, Mrs D. Phillips; vice-presidents—Mesdames Batham, J. Hutchison, G. M’Lean, and Miss Scott; secretary and treasurer, Mrs Mayer; hon. auditor, Mr H. Braseh; council—Lady Ross, Mesdames Cameron. J. B, Callan, Evans, R. Ewing, Garth Callaway, Gilkieon, J. R. Glendining, E. Halsted, J. A. Hanan, J. Hutchison, R. Hudson, Kelsey, Lough, J. Mollison, W. H. Reynolds,. T. C. Ross, T. K. Sidey, Solomon, Jack Shand, Taverner, E. Theomin, Ulrich, Wright, and Waddell-Smith, and Misses Mexauder, Brickell, and Jean Burt; Advisory Board —the Hon. C. M. Thomson, tho Hon. Mark Cohen, Professor D. R. White, Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., Mr J. J. Clark, Mr Gilkison, Mr W. Hayward, Mr Rennie, Mr Taverner, Mr Jones, Mr T. E. Fleming: hon. physicians—Drs Martin, Evans, Williams, M’Kellar, Whyte, Irwin; hon. solicitors —Messrs T. K. Sidey, M.P., Gilkison, and H. E. Barrowdough. THANKS. Votes of thanks were passed to tho Mayor for tho keen interest he had taken in the association's doings, and for presiding over the meeting that day, and to the press. The meeting concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.