The Parents' Review

A Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture

PNEU Notes.

Edited by Miss F. Noel Armfield, Sec., 26, Victoria Street, S.W.

To whom all Hon. Local Secs. are requested to send reports of all matters of interest connected with their branches, also 6 copies of any prospectuses or other papers they may print.
N.B--Kindly write on one side of the paper only.

Miss Armfield would call attention to an error made in the last issue in the title of Miss Beth Finlay's lecture, which should have been "The Restlessness of Modern Youth," not Usefulness as stated.

NEW BRANCHES.
The Executive Committee has been approached with a view to starting Branches in the following places:--
BARRY (GLAMORGAN).
BRADFORD.
BRISBANE.
BRISTOL.
CARDIFF.
CHELTENHAM.
COPENHAGEN.
CROYDON.--Names may be sent pro tem. to P. Rands, Esq., Brighty, Bensham Manor Road.
DUBLIN.--Names may be sent pro tem. to Rev. J. D. Osborne, 4, Mountjoy Square, Dublin.
DUNFERMLINE.--Mrs. Beveridge, Pitreavie, Dunfermline, would be glad to hear from people interested.
ESHER.
GUILDFORD.--Names may be sent pro tem. to Mrs. Clarke Kennedy, Ewhurst Rectory, near Guildford.
HUDDERSFIELD.
MANCHESTER.--Mrs. Freston, 6, St. Paul's Road, Kersal, Manchester, will receive names of people interested in this Branch (pro tem.).
NORWICH.
NOTTINGHAM.
PRESTBURY.
REIGATE.
SURBITON.
SWANSEA.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND DISTRICT.--Hon. Sec. and Treasurer: Mrs. Trouton, Rotherfield, Sussex (pro tem.).
Reader of the Parents' Review living in these districts, or having friends there, are asked to communicate with Miss Armfield, 26, Victoria Street, S.W.

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BOURNEMOUTH AND BOSCOMBE.--The monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, April 15th. A paper was read by Miss C. Agnes Rooper on "How to interest children in the outside world." A very successful exhibition was held at Pen Selwood, on Wednesday, April 9th, of collections of shells, fossils, dried flowers, dried seaweeds, brush-painted flowers, and nature note books, the winter work of the P.N.E.U. Young Naturalist Club. Prizes were awarded to the most successful.

DARLINGTON.--The annual meeting was held at Woodside, by kind permission of Mrs. Gurney Pease, on Jan. 24th. The report for the preceding year was read and adopted, and a satisfactory balance sheet presented. Miss Alice Buckton then addressed the members on "Some Modern Ideals in the Education of Women." After tracing the development of woman from the time when she was considered man's chattel, barely credited with a soul, up to the present day with its "sweet girl graduates," Miss Buckton shewed that there was some danger of the intellectual side being developed at the expense of the practical and womanly. She then gave a picturesque and interesting account of life at Sesame House. This training college is planned on the lines of the Pestalozzi-Fröbel Haus, in Berlin, and is intended to develop in girls those more womanly qualities that are in danger of being crowded out by the ordinary school curriculum. The age of the students varies, but the greater number are between twenty and thirty years old.--On Feb. 19th a meeting was held at Elm Ridge, by kind permission of Mrs. Hodgkin, when Mrs. James Backhouse read a paper on "The Limitations of Theory." In justification of her title, the lecturer said it was because she admired the P.N.E.U. so much that she was anxious it should not be marred by any exaggeration. So many circumstances affected the children that could not be calculated or scheduled, that she believed theories must be very elastic. She had been reminded that one of the objects of the P.N.E.U. was to encourage parents to confer together and that the papers need not always be didactic treatises, but might sometimes be homely chats. Mrs. Backhouse then considered some sources of danger in the upbringing of children in the present day. She thought that in placing too great importance on habit, parents ran the risk of leaving God no room to work. Another danger was that of bringing children up too softly as regards body, mind and soul. Whatever tended to enervate the body had its effect on the mental habit and on the spiritual life. The prevalent love of delicate cookery was a questionable advantage, and the modern drawing-room reminded one of the words of Ezekiel, "Woe to the women that sew pillows to all arm-holes." Ease and pampering of the body did not lead to a braced condition of the mind, and this want of mental strenuousness further acted on the moral nature. The lecturer advocated prompt obedience in childhood. Apart from the impossibility of making a young child understand the merits of the case, it was morally right. She believed with Carlyle that obedience was our "universal duty." The lecturer closed her address by appealing to the mothers of the coming generation to try, in the education of their sons and daughters, to raise the moral standard of our land to one of purity; of equal treatment of men and women as regards morality; to one, in short, which befitted a Christian land.

GLASGOW.--The last meeting of the session took place on March 11th, at 46, Westbourne Gardens (by kind permission of Mrs. John Cargill). The lecturer, Mr. Oswald Fergus, took for his subject "The Care of the Teeth in Early Life." In his most interesting address, he sketched the development of the teeth in their order, (a) in the first or milk teeth; (b) in the second or permanent set. He insisted strongly on the need of close attention to the first teeth, which should be carefully and regularly cleaned, and stopped when traces of decay appear. At the present day there is a tendency to over prepare food so that too little work is left for the teeth to do. To the excessive use of tea, white bread and elaborately prepared dishes, we owe much of the deterioration of our teeth. Special care should be taken of children's teeth from the sixth to the tenth year. Much suffering in later life may be prevented at this time. Some questions asked at the close of the lecture was kindly answered by the lecturer, to whom a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded.

HASTINGS AND ST. LEONARD'S.--On Dec. 6th, a meeting of the branch was held at the Hastings and St. Leonard's College, when Mr. Ryland gave a very interesting address on "Shall we teach our Children Political Science, and if so, how?" to a small but appreciative audience.--On Jan. 21st, an admirable lecture was given by Dr. Willis, on "Some Points in the Physiology of Growing Children." Many questions were asked after Dr. Wills had dwelt on.--On Jan. 28th, the first of a course of four delightful Natural History lectures, with limelight illustrations, was given at the Hastings and St. Leonard's College, by Miss Kennedy. Several members have joined the Natural History Club, whose first excursion took place on April 7th. Three "Talks to Nurses" were given by Miss Barnard; we could have wished for a better attendance at these. Mr. Carus Wilson's four lectures on Physiography in February were well attended, though not with the crowded audiences of last year.--On April 9th, a lecture was given at the Hastings and St. Leonard's College, on "Music Lessons and Practising: some difficulties and some suggestions," by Miss E. R. Daymond, D. Mus. (cert.), Oxon.

IPSWICH.--On March 18th, by invitation of Mrs. E. P. Ridley, a meeting was held at Burwood, when Dr. C. G. Havell kindly read a paper, which was much appreciated, on the "Feeding of Growing Children." The lecturer particularized the foods suitable for the periods between infancy and adolescence, and gave many valuable and practical suggestions on this important subject. The next lecture will be given on May 12th, at the High School, by Miss Maynard, Principal of Westfield College, subject, "Our Daughters and their Training."

KIDDERMINSTER.--A meeting was held on Monday, March 24th, at Mrs. H. de Gibbins', Woodfield, for branch members and their friends, when Mrs. Sherbrooke Walker, of Birmingham, spoke on "The Individuality of the Child." The subject was most interesting and discussion afterwards was very brisk. Mrs. Walker pointed out the advisability of endeavouring to draw out what was in the child's mind, in preference to trying to instil our own ideas. She also spoke upon the desirability of addressing the child with courtesy, and pointed out that the best was to teach good manners, was surely to show them. She asked that children's requests or wishes should be listened to with respect, and replied to with consideration, even though it was not possible nor desirable to accede to them. Some interesting facts were given concerning young children's memories, and the ages at which their reasoning powers developed. At the close of the proceedings two new members were enrolled.

LEEDS.--On March 21st a lecture was given by the Rev. J. G. Simpson, on "Personality in Children."--The last meeting was on April 23rd, when Miss Hermione Unwin gave a lecture on the "Training of the Artistic Perception in Young Children."

LEWES.--The sixth and last meeting of this season took place on Tuesday, April 8th. There was only a moderate attendance, but those present thoroughly enjoyed Miss M. Robinson's account of the many interesting objects to be found on the Sussex Downs.

READING.--A meeting of this branch was held on March 20th, at the Abbey Hall (kindly lent by Messrs. Sutton & Sons), when W. Childs, Esq., M.A., vice-principal of the Reading College, gave a paper entitled, "Aspects of College Life." The paper dealt with college life in the abstract, saying what its aims and ends should be, that it should be as life itself, not only for mental instruction but for developing all sides of the character of the student. The lecturer in speaking of games and athletics, said that although most desirable in themselves, yet they did not give to the student that chance of developing resourcefulness, so desirable in the training of the young. Debating societies were of great importance as giving the student opportunities of cultivating the power of imparting to others the knowledge he himself had gained.

WINCHESTER.--On March 14th, there was a meeting of members and friends of the P.N.E.U. at Lesney. Unfortunately, owing to a wet afternoon, several were prevented from coming. The chair was taken by Mr. Rose. Miss MacCord, an American lady, from the Emerson College, gave a most interesting lecture on "Physical Culture," giving practical demonstration of her theories by many helpful exercises. Much sound advice was given on such points as breathing, dress, food, fresh air, exercise, and the right method of tone-production, which last, whether applied to the speaking or singing voice, is a safe-guard against throat irritation and voice failure. Miss MacCord's concluding remarks emphasized the fact that the exercises and treatment advocated in the study of Physical Culture were mainly with a view to restoring the body to its natural condition, and that the necessity for such a system was only brought about as a corrective to the deplorable results of an artificial and unnatural mode of living. Some interesting discussion followed, and Miss MacCord kindly gave a charming recitation "The Mother's Lullaby," by special request. By kind permission of the Rev. H. M. Burge (Headmaster of the College), the third P.N.E.U. Meeting was held at his house on April 4th, when Mrs Franklin (Hon. Org. Sec.,) gave a most delightful and instructive address on "A Parent's Place in Education." She particularly emphasized the fact that it is possible, at a very tender age, to implant in children a love of art and good literature (a due appreciation of which is so often lacking in the average Englishman). All present felt grateful for the many helpful suggestions as to the best means of developing and encouraging this love of art in our little ones, which can be done by reading aloud to them the best authors, by making them acquainted with the pictures and names of great artists, by hearing good music, &c.--not omitting at the same time to train eye and ear to note the ways and wonder of nature. The meeting closed after a little discussion, when Mrs. Burge proposed a vote of thanks to our kind and able lecturer, and invited visitors to tea. It is hoped to be possible to form a Brush Drawing class, with Miss Clapham as teacher, at "Lesney," Clifton Road; members or friends wishing to join are asked to send in their names to the Branch Hon. Sec., Mrs. Rose, "Lesney," Clifton Road.

WOODFORD AND WANSTEAD.--On March 20th (by kind invitation of Mrs. Marew, Woodland House), Mr. Olive gave his lecture on "Want of Sympathy between Parents and Children." Dr. Smyth Palmer, D.D., most kindly occupied the chair. The lecturer divided his remarks into six headings. He pointed out that want of sympathy between parents and children arose from (1) business (on parents' part); (2) worrying; (3) dissimilarity of taste; (4) disparity of age; (5) jealousy (a parent may feel friends take his place in his child's affections); (6) want of sympathy between parents. It is impossible to give in a small space any idea of this most interesting lecture. We advise all branches to try and hear it for themselves. An animated discussion followed.--The next meeting of the branch will probably be a garden meeting in June, to hear a report of the conference from the branch representative, Mr. Hayter, B.A.

Typed by happi, Apr 2020; Proofread by LNL, Apr 2020