DUNEDIN FREE KINDERGARTEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20705, 1 May 1929, Page 5

DUNEDIN FREE KINDERGARTEN

ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. The annual mooting of the Dunedin Free Kindergarten Association was held yesterday afternoon in the Council Chambers at the Town Hall. '.Hie Deputy Mayor (Mr J. S. Douglas) presided over a large attendance. The chairman, in his opening remarks, said.it gave him great pleasure to preside over a meeting of such a worthy organisation. It was one of his last duties in an official capacity. Looking through the report he found that .the year’s operations had been very successful. Last year the Mayor (Mr -W. B. Taverner) had advised the association to make representation to the Government for assistance, and now that Mr Taverner was a Minister of the Crown, no time should be lost in making the representation.' It was quite evident that a fine spirit of cooperation existed between the various branches of the association in the Dominion, and that spirit of co-operation had been fully maintained. With such an energetic and splendid band of women in the ranks, there was no reason why the association should not continue it) prosper.. The citizens as a whole deeply appreciated the manner in hvhieli the kindergarten work was carried out. He referred to the loss the association had received by, the death of Mrs W, H. Bey no Ids, one of the founders of the organisation. The president of the association (Mrs D. Phillips), in moving the adoption of the report, said the year’s work had been characterised- by steady progress rather than by special incident. It wolud be difficult to over-estimate the value of the help given by the local committees, and the association congratulated them upon their results, particularly their energy and originality in devising fresh means of raising funds. The fathers and mothers’ clubs had also been of great assistance. The co-operation between the mothers and the head teachers in carrying into the, homes the aims and ideals for which kin- 1 ’ dergarten stood, had been most, gratifying.. The association thanked Miss Dutton, the principal, and the various direc-. tors of'-the schools for ; the splendid and self-sacrificing manner in which they had carried out their duties. It was with very deep regret that the council had to record the passing away of Mrs W. H. Reynolds, who, in'’ conjunction with the late Mr Mark Cohen, helped to foimd the association in 1889. - Mrs Reynolds became, its first president, and occupied that position for 17 years, The association had been always deeply sensible of her great work, and had fjhown its appreciation by naming the first model school-the R. S. Reynolds Free Kindergarten. This was truly a fitting monument. The death of Miss Hutchison severed another link with the association’s past. About 15 years ago she filled the position, of treasurer with great credit to b’erself; arid; the council. The date , secretary \ and treasurer (Mris Mayer) had also passed away. SKfehetd'jpffice for two.years and-a-hhlf, and. UerT.work stood' out as. ah-example of devotion to duty . in' spite of indifferent health-,' The council was'--fortunate in having secured Miss, Suhdqrland' as' her suCctss'pr. Miss ■ Suhderlnatlwas ~ doing splendid work.' .At the ;liah-Paeific,'Con-ference), held at Honolulu last August, the principal (Miss Dutton)’ was choseiv to represent the free kindergartens of New Zealand.,"Miss Dutton came back full of impressions, and had ■ delighted many audiences from Auckland to Dunedin. In the kindergarten, as well as ; in all branches of educational work, new ideals were arising, which seemed to challenge ’traditional’ methods. Exports in child psychology and hygiene had forced kindergarten teachers to reconsider some o'f tho existing practices, arid on every hand they found that the atmosphere of kindergarten was becoming more free, and spontaneous. The importance of the physical care of children was more than ever realised, and in this connection the'council was under a- debt of gratitude to Mr Renfrew White, the well-known orthopedic Surgeon, who had extended his research work to the KelseyWaralla Kindergarten. His examinations had disclosed that an undue number of little children had defective teeth and mild rickets. It was hoped to be/able to-.dcr something .towards raising the standard ;of health amongst the preschool children; and-application had 1 been made to the Department of Dental Hygiene, which, as yet,- had not seen its way to place the association upon, the same basis as the children of the'public schools. The council regarded this decision as unfortunate, to say the least, and, it was considered that they should have the periodical services of a dental nurse at the kindergartens. Lectures in hygiene and the care and feeding of children were given at the monthly meetings of -the mothers' club’s, and opportunities’ were taken for instilling into the minds of the mothers the necessity for watching the mental, moral, and physical well-being of the children in their homes. The Union of - Free Kindergartens of New 'Zealand held its biennial conference'at Wellington in September. ■ The Doriiinion president (Mrs T. -K. Sidey) occupied the chair. The impressions gained were, that am other step had been achieved towards the general broadening of the kindergarten outlook in New Zealand.

The motion was seconded by Mr L. F. de Berry, who delivered <m interesting address on the welfare ami free life of children, ”,and congratulated the association on its accomplishments during the year and since the inception- of the organisation.

Mr G. M. Thomson expressed his deep appreciation of the splendid work carried out by tbe association in the city throughout'the year,, and congratulated the organisation on its splendid work. Mr R. Gilkison said it was always' a pleasure to attend the annual meetings of the association. .He briefly' referred to the early work of the organisation and also to the changed conditions of the present day. The, association now had six schools in various parts of Dunedin. These schools were serving a long-felt want, as. while the children' were being educated on the right lines, the mothers were relieved -of anxieties. ■He 1 congra-’ tulated the council and the association‘on the scope of the work during, the pastyear. ‘ •

The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year:— President, Mrs I) Phillips; vice-presidents Mesclainoa Hutchinson. R. A. Ewing. W. Evans, and Miss Scott; secretary'and treasurer, Miss W. Sutherland; council—Lady Allen, Lady Ross, Mesdatnes Bathanu Brewer, Brickcli. Bundle, J.. B. Gallan, Cameron, Sandford Cox,, Garth Gallaway, Gilkison, .J. R, Glendining, A.‘N. Haggitt, E. Halsted, J. A. Hanan, G., Henderson,- K. Hudson, J. . A. Jenkins, Lough. ’G. MacLean, J. Mollison, J. ' -Shand, T. K. Sidey, Solomon, Taverner, E. Theomin,, Ulrich. Waddell-Smith, Wright, Misses Kelsey and Ulrich; Advieo'rv Board—Messrs G; M. Thomson. T. K. Sidey. J. J. Clark, Gilkison, W, Hayward, Rennie, W. B. Taverner, .Jones, ,T. R. Fleming. Professor D. R.’ White.