The Parents' Review

A Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture

P.N.E.U. 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.

Mr. L. Von Glehn, Modern Language Master at Merchant Taylors' School, will lecture on "Modern Language Teaching," at any Branch--fee, one guinea and travelling expenses. Much recommended by Mrs. Franklin, Hyde Park and Bayswater Branch.

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.)

Readers 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 Juvenile Natural History Club had a very successful excursion in the New Forest, on April 7th. The party was conducted by the Rev. Kelsall, who directed attention to the birds and insects, whilst Miss Agnes Rooper did the same with the flowers. The route followed was through the pretty lanes and open meadows which fringe the New Forest, and there were found in them many and varied objects of interest. The pleasant afternoon was concluded by a visit to Mr. Kelsall's vicarage, where his garden is the happy home of many birds and flowers, and where a tea was most hospitably provided and thoroughly appreciated.

BRIGHTON.--This branch concluded its interesting series of winter lectures by an address on "The Wild Flowers of the South Downs." Specimens of the miniature beauties on a small foot of Down turf--of gorse, violet, cowslip, and oxslip--each bespeaking in brilliant colouring its healthy, breezy habitat, together with coloured drawings (the work of the lecturer) of the varieties of orchids and local rarities, were handed round and contributed much to the glow of the lecturer's words. The floral decoration of the room in which we met--the work of Miss Visick's clever gardener--lent a further charm, and members came away with a truer love for the beautiful, and with keener desires for a closer acquaintance with the commonest weeds of the wayside--with flowers--those "Children of the Poets"--Poets who sing of daffodil and of daisy--

"To whom the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears"--
Who call the dandelion. "The little children's dower,"
"Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way,
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold,
First pledge of blithesome May.
How like a prodigal doth nature seem,
When thou, for all thy gold, so common art!
Thou teachest me to deem
More sacredly of every human heart,
Since each reflects in joy its scanty gleam
Of heaven, and could some wondrous secret show,
Did we put pay the love we owe,
And with a child's undoubting wisdom look
On all these living pages of God's book."

DERBY.--On March 17th, Mrs. Spencer Curwen came from London and kindly gave a lecture upon her special method of teaching the pianoforte. After enumerating the common faults in children's playing she pointed out how her method was designed to avoid these faults from the commencement, and also in various novel ways was calculated to give a child a really intelligent knowledge of music. She illustrated her remarks on the blackboard and also by some very tasteful duets which she played with another lady. No child, she thought, should be gin to learn music before the age of seven, as neither brain nor muscle was equal for the task before then. Many teachers of music were present and were much interested in the lecture. On May 22nd, a lecture on "Birds" was given to the children of members by Dr. Druitt, of Alvaston. Owing possibly to a showery day, the number of children who drove out from Derby was very small, but, augmented by members living in Alvaston, there was in the end a fair audience. Most thoroughly did the children enjoy the doctor's talk about our feathered friends, illustrated as it was by the beautiful stuffed specimens from his own collection. We wish our parents would awake to the great value of the various lectures to children which are arranged from time to time by our branch. It is astonishing how few take the trouble to send their children to such a lecture as the above, for instance, and yet often in this simple way may a taste for some useful and ennobling pursuit be created for life in a child's mind. We who live in towns should be specially careful to give our children all such opportunities, for "Nature, the dear old Nurse," has but a poor chance to teach them out of her storybook in an ordinary way.

EDINBURGH.--On Tuesday, February 25th, at 13, Royal Circus, a lecture was delivered by Dr. Macdougal, author of The Child, etc., etc. The lecturer showed how necessary it is from the very beginning of a child's life to prepare it for the trying years which lie between boyhood and manhood, or girlhood and womanhood, by healthy and natural training, and how habits which seemed harmless in themselves may lead to what is really harmful. There was much that was helpful and encouraging in this lecture.--At 40, Moray Place, on Monday, March 24th, the Rev. Canon Skrine, Warden of Glenalmond, read an interesting paper entitled, "Parents and Masters." Mr. George Smith, Headmaster of Merchiston Castle School, led the discussion. Mr. Skrine took first the ideal relationship between the parent and the pro-parent or schoolmaster, and after drawing a charming picture of what that alliance might be, he turned to the other side and showed what it only too often is, and how harmful to the child boy, or girl, this state of matters must be.--It is hoped that in May Professor James may deliver a lecture to this Branch while he is in Edinburgh.

HAMPSTEAD.--The last meeting of the season will be held on Tuesday, June 10th, at 3.30 p.m., at Holly Hill, by kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Simmons. Miss E. C. Allen (Ex-student) will give a short account of the House of Education, and Mrs. Franklin (Hon. Organising Sec.) will speak on "Some Impressions of the Conference."

HARROW.--Two exceedingly helpful lectures have been given to the Harrow Branch during the past weeks--one by Miss Thomas on "Physical Education," Miss Rowland Brown in the chair, and the other by Professor Hill, of Northwood, on "The Teaching of Arithmetic to Children," Mr. Battishall Young in the chair. Mr. Young said (at the last-mentioned meeting) that first lessons in arithmetic were calculated, in his opinion, to repeal rather than to attract. Professor Hill accentuated the note struck by the Chairman, and stated forcibly his conviction that there was too much "machine" work in teaching; that between enunciating a rule and carrying it out there is a great gulf fixed; that one should teach principles and not rules, for it is to be expected that the child will forget the rules. The great point is to instil principles. Professor Hill said he believes the great book on teaching of arithmetic has yet to be written. The lecture was listened to throughout with marked attention.--There will be a lantern lecture, at Northwood College, by the Rev. Septimus Herbert, on May 17th, at 8.30 p.m., and one on June 7th, at 3.30 p.m., at Dr. Chattaway's Kenton Road, Harrow, by the Rev. Canon Scott Holland.--The Harrow Branch of the Natural History Club began its excursions on May 13th, under the guidance of Professor Rowbotham. Another meeting of this Club was held at Northwood on the last Friday in the month.

HYDE PARK AND BAYSWATER.--Hon. Sec., Mrs. E. L. Franklin, 50, Porchester Terrace, Hyde Park. In March an excellent lecture was given by Mr. L. Von Glehn, Modern Language Master at Merchant Taylors' School, at 64, Kensington Gardens Square, by kind permission of Miss Genn. The lecturer gave a most interesting digest of the various methods of language teaching, and then pointed out the advantages of a living method of dealing with a modern language.--In May, Mr. Paton, Headmaster of University College School, gave an inspiring lecture at 86, Westbourne Terrace, by kind permission of Mrs. Hall, on "Our English Boarding School System." The lecture was fruitful of much discussion, and was greatly appreciated.

IPSWICH.--On April 24th, the Bishop of Thetford delivered an earnest and eloquent address to a large audience on the subject of "Children's Sundays." The Bishop pointed out the impossibility of teaching children to keep Sunday aright, unless parents themselves had a distinct idea how the day should be kept. The keeping of one-seventh of our time holy to the Lord is an obligation laid upon us from the beginning of all things. While Christians all acknowledge the obligation as concerns the other commandments, it is strange that so many forget that the Fourth Commandment belongs equally to the moral law of God. Let the day be--(1st) a day for the worship of God; (2nd) a day for the expression of our love for our neighbour (to be shown first to those in our own home); (3rd) a day in which we should get all the good we can, and do all the good we can.--On May 12th, Miss Maynard, Principal of Westfield College, Hampstead, spoke to the members on "Our Daughters and their Training," with special reference to girls between the ages of 18 and 23. Miss Maynard dealt with her subject both from the practical and theoretical side. She enlarged on the many openings for a useful life, and, for the motive in life, the high ideal she presented of a self-controlled life of selfless love will long be an inspiration to us in the training of our daughters.

LEEDS.--On April 23rd, Miss Hermione Unwin gave a bright, pleasant lecture on this branch on "The Training of the Artistic Perception in Young Children." She laid stress on the importance of beginning early to surround children with beautiful objects. The nursery should not be a lumber room, to which pictures and knickknacks too ugly for the drawing room are relegated, nor should children be encouraged to think that their little kindergarten mats and other works of art are really beautiful. Miss Unwin made some useful suggestions, and her paper was followed by an interesting discussion.

SCARBOROUGH.--The last meeting of the session was held, by the kind invitation of Miss Bruce, at Ravensworth Lodge, on May 10th. Dr, Thos. Ely, F.R.C.O., read a paper on "The Cultivation of a Child's Musical Taste." The paper was divided into two parts, and in the interval, four of Dr. Ely's pupils gave exquisite renderings of songs, and pieces from Beethoven and Schumann. About 60 members and friends were present. The Rev. Lewis Hunt presided.

WAKEFIELD AND DISTRICT.--On April 7th, Miss Pesel, of Holloway College, gave an address on that college, Somerville Hall, &c.--This winter's session was brought to a close on May 12th, when a lecture was given by Mr. W. Senior, barrister-at-law, called "Navy Notes," in which Mr. Senior spoke very strongly on the importance of our country maintaining an efficient navy. He pointed out that should we fail to do so, our country would soon be overtaken by famine. The lecture was illustrated by excellent lantern slides.

WOKING.--A very interesting lecture was given on Tuesday, April 15th, at Riverside, by Miss Helen Webb, M.B., on "Habit." Owing to the bad weather and other causes, the attendance was not as good as might have been wished, but great interest was shown, and there was a fair amount of discussion after the lecture.

Typed by happi, Oct. 2020