HOME ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17014, 12 April 1923, Page 3

HOME ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION.

We know the paths wherein our feet should pros , Across our ' litii rts arc written Thy decrees. Vet now. O Lord, be. merciful to bless With more than these. Grant us the will to fashion as wo feel. Grant us the strength to labour as we know. Graut us the purpose, ribbed and edged with .steel. To strike the Low. Knowledge wc ask not--knowledge Thou hast lent, But Lord, the will—there lies our bit.ter need, Give us to build above the deep intent The deed, the deed. To-morrow (Friday) evening, in the Concert Hall of the Y.M.C.A., demonstrations will be given in raffia hat making, basket work, and beading. Members are particularly requested to } be in their places by the time ;:d- ---, vertised for the opening of the meet- i i mg. so that the demonstrators may not j , lie interrupted by the noise and con- . fusion always occasioned by late ar- j rivals. | In a recent number' of the Anieri- • j ca,n Journal of Home Economics is I a report of the proceedings of the I fifteenth annual meeting of the Ameri- j can Home Economics Association. . From the president’s address we quote ; the following paragraph :—“ While there is much to give us hope in the i past there is much yet to be done, and if wili take more lortitude, more l'aith, j more steadfastness, more courage, than i pioneering. . . All home econo- ; mies work needs the home-maker, both ' the professional home economics woman in her home, and the untrained womuu in her home. She has a tremendous •

contribution to make to our theories of care and training of the modern child. The association should capitalise ! this tremendous asset of our 10,000 trained home economics women in j homes of their own. They are to 1 he the great force which will recharge, l revitalise our point of view, reinterI pret to us out' education for liomej making.” ! Another very interesting address <le- : liveved at the same meeting was bv | Caroline Hedger, M.D. (Director of I the M’Cormick Memorial Fund Child I Welfare Agency), on “What the Com--1 m unity-Owes the Child.” Dr Hedger concludes an earnest plea for the right ! of every child to high and pure paroiui age in the following words:—" The •evasion of responsibility stunts our giowth in human and in spiritual life. ! Responsibility involves selflessness. Underlying the responsibility of the body " bicli is the carrier of the spirit.

we should bring the child into a realisation of the fact that ho is the \ social unit and owes something to the State, to the nation, and to himself. In so doing we shall have largely discharged our responsibility to tlie child.” C. W. Vngsley. assistant secretary of agriculture. spoke on 1 Home Economics and the United States Department of Agriculture.” Referring to the life of u woman farm worker, he said: -“ She or someone else must 'ill the place of the farm housewife. It is the home economics worker’s .job to help lie? shorten her hours, lighten her work, and increase her pleasures. If this can be done no work can be more pleasing than hers, for she may have beautiful ~nd healthful surroundings for herself and her loved ; ones. • • • The Secretary of | Agriculture believes that homo j economies work should he greatly strengthened and lie authorises me to state at- this time that he has in. view ‘ making the home economies work an independent bureau ranking with the other bureaus of the Department and placing at its head a woman with executive ability, thorough scientific training, and a broad and sympathetic understanding of what is needed to make the bureau of help to the women of the land.’ ” So many deeply interesting papers (including one from Ann Gilchrist Strong, of the Otago University, on Home Economics in India and New Zealand) were read at this meeting that it is difficult to stop quoting from them. But two more extracts must suffice. The first ‘is tlie concluding paragraph of Isabel Bevicr’s paper on “ Some of the Larger Relationships of Home Economics”: "The passing days emphasise the necessity for wise expenditure of time, money and energy on the part of everybody. Whether women understand it or not, forces quite beyond their power are giving them a part in the economic and political life of the nation. Home ecoipunics workers need to hear and heed the command, 1 Enlarge the place of thy tent and let. them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not. lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes.’ ” The second extract is from Anna E. Richardson’s paper on “ Home Economics in Adult Classes”: - “J. Since we agreed that every child, has the right to be well born.

it is imperative that our schools provide training which will aid our women to bo physically fit both to bear and to rear children. " 2. Since it is the home’s responsibility to care for the child up to school age, the school must offer training which will fit our women, to care tor the physical, social and moral development of the child. “3. Si me modern life demands the greatest wisdom in expending the income, the school must, offer courses which tVnin 'in intelligent 4. Every woman must not only perform her duties as a home-maker, but she must also assume the responsibilities of a citizen. No training is complete which does not recognise this demand. •• 5. Modern life with its multitudinous activities makes it important that our evening classes not only offer vocational training, hut also training in the wise use of leisure time- This is as necessary for tlie homo-maker as it is for the woman employed in the factory or office. A true balance in education demands preparation, for both work and recreation.” The following correspondents are thanked for their contributions:- — Obedience.- i hope you will like the accompanying little poem, which I have copied from an English magazine, as much as I do. There wa« a man who smiled Because the day was bright, Because he slept at T*ight, Because God gave him sight •”o e-.v.c noon his child. Because his little one Could leap and laugh and run, Because the distant sun Smiled on the earth, fie smiled. He toiled and still was glad Because the air was free. Because he loved, and she That claimed liis love, and lie Shared all the jovs they had. Ro.na.u.ve the grasses grew, Because that he could hew And hummer, ho was glad And so, ho smiled. Keep on Smiling.—For a good many years now I have been teaching in our local Sunday School, trying to make useful there my life-long experience in educational work. For some time past 1 have been giving my children one verse to learn each week of -John Grcenlcaf Whitrier's, beautiful poem. ‘"The Eternal Goodness.” Last Sunday I spoke to them about the lines. " 1 dare not fix with mete and bound The line and power of God.” On Monday morning, during luncheon recess, one of the parents culled upon me and said. ‘I just called in to toll you of a remark my little girl made at tea hvt night. We had a few friends witli us and my wife had made some Bath buns. As she was eating one. our Janie suddenly looked up and said. ‘ Teacher says God can do anything He likes- He could put fifteen of these Bath buns into His mouth at once if He wanted to.’ ” What put such an idea into the child’s head T cannot think, but her words shall be a wholesome lesson to me against trying to materialise spiritual truths.