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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1931)
CHEMAWA AMERICAN Printed at Chemaua, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1931 Vol. XXXII HOME LIFE FOU^ BE^J'FOR ORPHANS ♦ Note: Early in his i^ministrat^jS^ecretary Wi 'bur announced that Indian Schools weify^kn^t^to be conducted as orphan asy lums and reform schools.—are a considerable number of homeless children in our Indian boarding: schools. Many of these children are practically white and the only reason they are in our schools is because of poor home conditions, or because they have no homes. The following: article should be of interest to those of us in the Indian service who have long- believed that a large board ing school is at best a poor home for a child—Indian as well as white. Here is food for thought for all of us.—O. H. L. The orphan has a far better chance for future hap piness and success if raised in a home, preferably' an owned home, than if he is raised in the most model institution, says Carroll H. Sudler of Chicago, presi dent of the Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society. This organization that is given $100,000 a year for its work by the county and several times that amount by private supporters, has not established the custo mary orphan asylum for the unfortunate children for whom it cares, but boards them in carefully selected individual homes. And when children are given into the custody of this agency because their home life is such that the courts have had to step in or because of other misfor tune, the society makes strenuous efforts to rehabilitate these homes. The society workers try to reconcile parents who have separated, to reform drunken fathers and mothers, bring aid to homes in which the bread winner lies ill, secure work for the unemployed—all this effort because the society believes that home en vironment is essential to child welfare. Society’s Work f amous Wards of the juvenile courts in all sections of the state are cared for by this organization that supports a daily average of 1800 children, and the success of its methods is well known to those interested in social service work. Here is what Mr. Sudler, who is a business man working without pay, says about the society’s policy on orphan asylums: “I believe that social agencies engaged in caring for orphans and unfortunate children are getting away from the asylum or institution idea. In the days when Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, orphan asylums were pitiful places. As time went on, and influential people interested themselves in the plight of children relegated to such institutions, conditions were improved until today we have model institutions where the inmates are given the best possible care. “But no institution, however well organized, can give a child the blessings found in an individual home, however modest. No group of trustees or paid care takers can give a child the cheer and warmth and in spiration it can get in a home, even if that home is not its own. No board of directors can give a child a mother’s good-night kiss. Even if that mother is not the child’s own mother, it is the next best thing. No. 17 All Placed in Homes “Most of our children are placed in very modest homes in which the family may or may not already have children. These families are carefully investi gated and our system provides for periodical checking up through the years to be sure that the child is faring well. Most of the homes receive no cash consideration for the care of the children they take from us. “In addition to a large number of children legally adopted, nearly 1100 are in free foster homes without adoption, and we have always between 400 and 500 children in carefully selected homes at board. The last group includes many children who, because of physical or mental handicaps, need special care, and also includes children who need temporary care while efforts are being made to re-establish their homes. “We do everything possible to build up broken homes, so deeply do we believe in the home idea for the child. “The system works. During the time the society has followed this plan we have seen children grow up in these homes and go out into the world. In almost every instance, I would say that the child is better equipped to face the world than if it had been raised in the best type of institution. In addition, that child has a heritage of a home background—memories and associations that will influence it to give the same thing to its children and thus make the home seem good and desirable through the years.”—T he O re gonian . OUR CHRISTMAS EVENTS The Yuletide season is now but a memory—a pleas ant memory for all at Chemawa we are certain. There were many events of a nature to bring joy to all of us. Space in this issue will not be sufficient to allow us the privilege of more than “mere mention” in many cases but we are pleased to be able to do that much. The start of our Christmas observances was made with a pageant on the Sunday evening previous to the day itself. Mention was made of this in our last issue, so wre will pass on to later affairs. On Wednesday afternoon the various classes had Christmas trees in their school rooms. In the evening there were trees in the dormitories and everywhere there was joy su preme. On Christmas Eve Mrs. Turney and Miss Judd es corted a number of our choir members about the cam pus and sang Christmas carols. They sang well and gave joy to all. Both the Protestant and Catholic organizations held various functions in commemoration of Christmas and (Continued on page 3;
