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The Parents' ReviewA Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." ______________________________________ P.N.E.U. NOTES
Edited by Miss F. Noël Armfield, Sec., 26, Victoria Street, S.W. To whom all Hon. Local Secs. are requested to sent reports of all matters of interest connected with their branches, also 6 copies of any prospectuses of other papers they may print. N.B.--Kindly write on one side of the paper only. ADDITIONAL LECTURERS.
NEW BRANCHES. On October 21st, Mrs. Franklin, Hon. Organising Secretary, opened a branch at Southend. Any members having friends in that neighbourhood are asked to communicate with the Secretary, 26, Victoria Street, S.W. The Executive Committee has been approached with a view to starting Branches in the following places:-- BELGRAVIA.--The discussion meetings in connection with the Belgravian centre, will recommence on Thursday, Nov. 6th, at 4.30, and will be held at 46, Eaton Square. The books to be discussed are Parents and Children, by Miss Mason, and Self-Culture, by John Stuart Blackie. Members are invited to attend. BRONDESBURY AND KILBURN.--The annual general meeting has held on Oct. 8th, at 44, Cavendish Road, Brondesbury (by kind permission of Miss Daniell). After the conclusion of the business of the meeting, the President, Miss Alice Woods, gave a most interesting and instructive lecture on "Emotions and their Development in Child-life." The meeting was very well attended and the lecture was highly appreciated. EDINBURGH.--The annual exhibition of collections made by members of the Natural History Club and others, took place on Saturday, Oct. 25th, at Charlotte Square. HARROW.--On September 30th, at 5.15 p.m., at Dr. Chattaway's house, Kenton Road, a lecture (for woman only), on "Health Exercises," was given by Miss Rouse (pupil of Mrs. Josef Conn, South Kensington), in costume. The lecture and illustrations were keenly appreciated by a fairly large audience. Miss Rouse said that these exercises were very beneficial to delicate people and to children. They never made them feel tired, and as regarded results, she instanced herself as having been exceedingly out of health before she tried Mrs. Conn's system of hygienic exercises, and she having now completely recovered her strength; this she considers entirely due to her course of training.--On October 8th, at St. Hilda's, Northwood (by the kindness of Miss Rowland Brown), the first of a course of lectures on "The Tyranny of Terms," by the Rev. Conrad Noel, took place, Mrs. Platt in the chair. There were about 40 people present, and after the address much discussion ensued. Mr. Noel took for his subject, "The Realist." He said that all realism is only an idea, It is the painting of real life as you find it; but as the word is used to-day it does cramp a man's work, because we use terms so very loosely. The realist is like a person who takes snap-shots, and all the little details are exaggerated. Ibsen and Walt Whitman are the true realists to-day, and perhaps one should include Browning--they take the world for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, as they find it; and if they take the world like that--they find it as God made it--very good. Shakespeare was a realist, he faced all the ugly side of life.--The next lecture in the course was given on October 15th, and was on "Hedonism. Mr. Noel considered that this term as it is now used is unsatisfactory; for the common use of the term "Hedonist too often means a pleasure seeker, and one who seeks to find it devoid of pain. He went on to say that there were two kinds of Hedonists--the egotistic Hedonist and the altruistic Hedonist. He instanced a character in Ibsen's "Dolls' House" as belonging to one of the above definitions, and mentioned that Lucian, in old days, was a revivalist of something that was practically dead. His feeling was, that there must be a return to the pursuit of pleasure after asceticism had governed men for so long. Asceticism in its worst forms aimed at getting a 100 per cent. of pleasure in a rather comfortable heaven somewhere else. As with Realism, so with Hedonism, they do not embrace enough of life, and one's sole quarrel with the latter is that it fails entirely to fulfill its promise. Something is needed which shall not shirk, but shall include defeat and failure, as well as the moral discipline of laughter and pleasure. The real thing is to get in touch with life and reality, and more and more in sympathy with them; to arise out of our dead selves, out of the casing of self, which prevents us from understanding all that lies outside us. Mrs. Gilbert Chesterton, who was in the chair, urged on the audience after the lecture that each should say what they personally liked instead of waiting silent and getting someone else to say it for them.--The closing lecture of the course took place on October 22nd, and had for its subject, "The Individualist." HYDE PARK AND BAYSWATER.--Hon Sec., Mrs. E. L. Franklin, 50, Porchester Terrace, Hyde Park. "At Home" Thursday mornings, or by appointment.--A meeting was held on Oct. 7th at 5 p.m., at 23, Holland Villa Road (by kind permission of Mrs. Perrin.) The chair was occupied by Mrs. Holroyd Chaplin, who expressed Dr. Schofield's regret that he was unable to give his lecture on "Such stuff as dreams are made of," owing to the fact that Miss Fortescue Brickdale's pictures, illustrative of the lecture, had not been returned from the Cork Exhibition. Mr. H. Nesbitt than gave an interesting address on "What is poetry?" followed by a very good discussion.--The next lecture will be on Nov. 18th, at 5 p.m., at 13, Mansfield Street, Cavendish Square (by kind permission of Mrs. W. Bridgeman, who will occupy the chair), when Mrs. Clement Parsons will lecture on "The training of the will," with illustrative passages, which will be read by various members present. Any members who would be willing to help by reading some of the selected passages, are asked to communicate with Mrs. Franklin. LEEDS.--This branch held its annual meeting on Monday, Oct. 6th. The report of the year's work was read by the Secretary, in which it was stated that the number of members was steadily increasing, and that 12 more had already joined for the coming winter. A report was also read of the Natural History Club, conducted by Miss M. Simpson. The Club has again done a most satisfactory year's work, and some of the brush drawings done by the children, with photographs of the results of their seed-growing, had been sent to the Nature Study Exhibition in London, and awarded a Certificate of Merit. After the business was concluded, Miss Wordsworth, of Lady Margaret Hall, gave a bright and interesting address on "Minor morals," in which she dealt with the importance of good manners to both boys and girls, and the responsibility of mothers in teaching the self-control and unselfishness of which good manners are often the outward sign. READING.--On Thursday, Oct. 2nd, at the High School, by the kind invitation of Miss Musson (the Head Mistress), Miss Maynard, Principal of Somerville College, Oxford, gave a most interesting paper on "The preparation of girls, either at home or at school, for University studies." The paper was full of suggestions and helpful to every mother, even though her daughter might not be intended for University life, teaching that the best should be given the child at the very outset, the great aim always being to "uplift the life." A good discussion followed, in which several members and friends took part. RICHMOND.--In connection with this branch, a course of lectures by Carus Wilson, for young people, was arranged. Oct. 9th, "The Wonders of Rain." Oct. 16th, "The Mighty Ocean." Oct. 23rd, "Limestones and Coral Reefs." Oct. 30th, "Volcanos and Geysers." On Nov. 21st we are hoping to hear Miss Helen Webb on "Thought Turning." Mrs. Scott, of the Old Palace, Richmond, is to be our hostess on the occasion, and a joint meeting has also been arranged of this branch and the local branch of the Teachers' Guild to consider the new "Registration Order." This will be held early in December, at the County Schools, Kew Road, Richmond. Miss Hurlbatt, Principal of Bedford College, has promised to open the discussion, and we hope that Mrs. Woodhouse, a member of the Registration Council, will also speak. SCARBOROUGH.--The annual meeting of this branch took place on Oct. 30th, when the speaker was the Rev. R. C. Owen, of St. Peter's School, York. Unfortunately, the account of this meeting, owing to its taking place so late in the month, cannot appear in this month's Review. WAKEFIELD AND DISTRICT.--This branch held its first meeting for the session on Oct. 9th, when Mrs. Wager, of Derby, gave an address on "The Value of Home Life in Education." Mrs. Wager laid stress on the importance of parents and teachers giving encouragement to children by taking an interest in their hobbies and early attempts at drawing, &c. She also deprecated too long hours of definite teaching for young children, saying how much they taught themselves in their leisure time, and that is was a mistake for the child's whole day to be supervised by a grown-up person. The next meeting will be on Nov. 10th, when Mr. Cecil Reddie will give an address on "English Educational Apathy, contrasted with Foreign Educational Enthusiasm." WINCHESTER.--On the evening of Sept. 25th, at 60, Kingsgate Street, by kind permission of Mrs. Fort, Miss Guiness, Vice-Principal of Holloway College, read an interesting paper on "College Life for Girls." She gave an account of how such work had been started and developed, but lamented the fact that as compared with the standard number of American women, fewer in England enter college life, and then by far the greater number do so only with a view to becoming teachers. Surely the woman whose intellectual capacity has been so strengthened, and her mental horizon broadened, is for her husband a more intelligent and companionable helpmeet, and for her children a more capable, wise, and sympathetic mother. Discussion followed, and Miss Guiness was warmly thanked for her suggestive and interesting lecture. |