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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1906)
THE SUNDAY" OliEGONTAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 11, 1906. 41 FOR BETTERMENT OF SOCIAL .CONDITIONS What The People's Institute Club Is Accomplishing In the North- End District 1 ORTIT END to the average mind the word conjures up hazy pictures of myriad red lights, boisterous rev- ti'Ts. skulking thieves and human vul tures such as know no restraint other than an evasive fear of a chafing law. But -with the advent of the Institute Club of the People's Institute In that questionable section of the city the word is coming to take on a new significance. New , social problems have been shown us by the work of this organization, prob lems that are to Portland what the crowded tenements are to New York and Chicago. For Jn this populous quarter the proportion that require constant po lice attention is a mere fraction. There are hundreds of reputable people in vari ous stages of poverty, and this means hundreds of children. Now, these chil dren get plenty to eat and arc generally clothed warmly. Out here in- the West people don't, scim to get mixed up in -hand to hand .combats, with the wolf. 'he hitch comes in their environment. About the worst place on earth for a child is a district like the North End. But- the pe'tty tradespeople, -while suffer ing no privations, cannot 'provide better fuirroundinge. Here ,1s where the Insti tute Club comes In. It takes up where the parent leaves off. Down at Fourth and TturnaMa rlr..l. is Ihe big brick structure utilized jointly ', -I ., - HI nr.'.. T-4 .1 T T .!..-. '. The Institute Club, a mission of the First j'resbytenan Church, but supported by ( people of all creeds, has attractive, spa- clous, -airy and cheerful rooms In which the children of North Portland gather wlien otherwise they would -be romping streets that are not fit to'be romped. I It Is Not All Play. It. is not all play, however. That Is not the' purpose of the work, .which Is very much iri 'the nature t)f social settlement work; The children are taught valuable things, from cleanliness to gymnastics. Ilttl misses are instructed in sewing, cooking and keeping house. and the ubl qultoife small boy is taught to cook, lo exercise- and keep himself clean, and to be mafily truthful and polite, Thesethings are taught by volunteer In struciorp. recruited from the ranks of pronilnent young women of' Portland. "With commendable spirit of .generosity they give up whole afternoons of thejY leisure time and patiently labor to teach useful things to the children of the North End. t ' ' Of course, the Instruction Is to a large extent mu trial. The pupils, while receiv ing ideas on domestic science, offer a rare opportunity for the study of human na ture. Go up to the Portland and every one enters tiff dining-room the same way. sits doni the same way, takes tup his knife the sanie way. uses his napkin the Fame way andeats the same way. Down BuTOB.Ide' way humanity has not been cast in converitlonaiynolds. There Is t'hq place to study' human nature as least affected by soqial evolution. ' 3Iahy Nations HcprcscntcdA .Many nations 'are represented among the children of thi Institute Ckib. .There are German, Russian, Swedish, Assyrian, TTPgro, Chinese, Japanese, Irish, Jewish, Norwegian and a few American young sters. Many of the children apjcar ,Lo have comfortable homes, the location being the one objection. Others are known to be in pitiable circumstances, being allowed by their , immediate projenitors to grow very much on the weed plan. Not a few show a striking lack of familiarity with water in bath form. An Instance is re corded -of a miss jof a dozen years", who was asked, when Initiated Into the show room, how often she bathed. Her reply was to the effect that her mother- did cnot believe 1n bathing. The only other time 1. Friday kindergarten luncheon. treat for the youngster. 2. An Oriental miss Iramlac to err. 3. Iea ruler to make bed. The In structors are Mis Emraa Vailing, asuisted by Mr. Frnl Stronr. 311s Valentine Prichard. director social settlement work la Portland. MI Lucy Jxrnbarui talklnr to th children. Her assistant W MI? Anna Stuart. 6. The rirls cooking class, under In struction of MLi Strirklcr. assisted by 31 Ins Thompson aad Miss Robertson. she hod a bath she caught a bad cojd. she said. ' Another tad. of about the same age. said she had bathed before when she had the smallpox, (nqulry revealed that she had been visited by that malady .four years ago. The Institute .Club has been at work for a month or two more than aycar, having been organized November 11, HKM. by the ladles of. the First Presbyterian Church. It was organized for the express purpose of conducting' social settlement work In the North End, with the object in view of extending educational, social, religious and friendly aid to the women and-children within Its reach. The work is non-sectarian, and the membership In cludes all women who contribute regular ly to the work, cither financially or by active service. At first interest was confined to rather a small circle. The first class was made up of fewer than a dozen children. But tho good news spread. Children who had .discovered the boon told their playmates and brought them along. It was not lone before the enrollment went into the hun dreds. Orcr StO children have come- un ,dcr the Club's Influence up to tills time, and the amount of good that has. resulted therefrom could hardly be estimated. Tcaclicrs and Assistants. A corps of 40 volunteer teachers and as sistants are now engaged la this work. and this list Includes, many- prominent -jn-j social circle. The financial backing has extended greatly, although there Is still plenty of room for expansion In this di rection. It Is said by those who know. The executive board Is made up of Mrs. Helen Ladd Corbett, Mrs. T. B. Wilcox. Mrs. J. G. Gauld. Mrs. "William Mackenzie. Mrs. C. E. Ladd. Mrs. Fletcher Unn. Mrsv A. II. Tanner. Mrs. C E. Curry and MUs Valehine Prltchard. The active work of the club is under the able direction of Miss Prltchard. The work of the various committees Is carried on under three, departments finance, women's and children's depart ments. The finance committee, under th leadership of Mrs. A. B. Klosterman. Mrs. Dell Stuart and Mrs. Fletcher Linn, has rendered excellent service, according to the first annual report. In the work of securing funds. Every member of each one of the various committees has shown decided interest In the work, and has add ed much "to life success that has been met with. '- "Work, or the Kindergarten. Tho dally kindergarten has an enroll ment of 42 and'an average dally attend ance of 23. Groups of children living too far to come alone axe attended to and from kindergarten by young women as sistants, and here for. two hours and a half each day the little ones spend un doubtedly the happiest hours their little lives have known. In an atmosphere of love and Joy that makes goodness seem the natural way of living. The children have been encouraged to bring their pen nies to be devoted to some special pur pose. This they arc quite delighted to do. and already have a well-filled bank. Miss Prltchard conducts Ihli class, assisted by Mlss Virginia Borup. Miss Rachacl Smith, Miss Katherine Gilbert. Mis3 Gertrude GUI and Miss Elsie Backus. A children's chorus class meets every Monday afternoon. It has 45 members and, an average attendance of 30 children over 10 years of age. The chorus work also serves as a rehearsal for the vested choir, of boys and girls, who sing at tho Sunday evening service. This class Is conducted by Miss Anna Rankin, assist ed by Miss Nannie Wood. Miss Marie Jamison and Miss Marlon. Plummcr. A basket .class is conducted by Mrs. J6hn Vogan, assisted by Miss Margaret Wilson and Miss Sterling. This class has girls ranging In ages from 6 to 14. They bring their own pennies to pay for material and some of them have made bags or baskets which they have sold for 0 cents apiece. Boys Taaglit toCook. Fourteen boys are learning camp cook ing wltli military drill. This class Is con ducted by Miss Grcata. Strlcklcr, assisted by Miss Susie Stott. Miss Delta Watson and Miss Marlon Noble. Fifteen little girls are enthusiastic mem ber? of the girls" gymnasium class.- whlclr meets Wednesdays. Mrr. C. C. Childress conducts this work, assisted by Miss Win nlfred Rankin and Miss Bella Robinson. The Kitchen Garden Class. The fine art oC keeping house is taught by Miss Emma Falling, assisted by Miss Caroline Burns, Miss Etta Honeyman, Miss Alice Slbson. Mrs. Fred Strong and Miss Eflle Houghton. The class Is comprised of 21 little girls under 12 years, with a waiting list of 24 more. This Includes all lines of house work, such as washing. Ironing, sweep ing, dusting, making beds, setting tables. etc. A sewing scnooi is conducted with a present enrollment. of 60.. A complete sys tem of sewing Is taught, and. when the pupils have completed the course diplo mas are Issued -which enables the holders thereof tu secure paid positions in dress making shops. This class Is conducted by Miss Lulu Hall, assisted by Miss Veda Nichols. Miss Margaret? Catlln. Miss Fan nie Brown. Miss Elizabeth Savage and Mrs. Hugh Laldlaw. Each Friday afternoon the kindergarten classes are given a luncheon of cookies and milk, cocoa or lemonade. The prep aration of these luncheons is directed by Mrs. Will Wright, assisted by the Misses Sterling. Miss Mary Haradon, Miss Edna UBurchard, Miss Laura Clark. Miss Edna Reed, Miss Elizabeth Savage and Miss Mabel Lawrence. Girl's Cooking: School. The girls' cooking school Is divided into two classes this term, a class of 20 Juniors and eight seniors. These girls are taking a simple course In cooking and a waitress' course, and will receive a diploma when tho course Is completed. In this course the girls pay 10 cents a month. The In structors arc Miss Greata Strlckler. Miss Claire Thompson and Miss Robinson Each Thursday afternoon a story hou Is held when the children are entertained with pleasing and Interesting stories. The stories are supplied by Miss Lucy Lom bardl and Miss Anna Stuart. In a class for deficient children there are two pupils, both of whom are unable to attend public school. One Is a little girl who Is partially deaf, and the other a little boy who has suffered the loss of both feet. The two unfortunate ones arts taught by Miss Anna Stuart and Miss Jamison. Sunday services aro largely attended A stereoptlcon story Is told each Sunday by Mrs. A. D.' Soper. Other charitable work Is likewise con ducted by the Institute Club, such as distribution of clothing, providing free baths and affording such other relief as Is possible In cases coming under atten tion. The clothing Is provided by a clothing committee made up of 100 little girls who save their discarded clothes for this purpose. Mrs. Thomas Kerr Is gen eral chairman of this committee, and Miss M. L. Flanders Is secretary. The little misses who serve as heads of subcom mittees in the work arc: Claire Wilcox. Mildred Graham. Katherine MacMa3ter. Elsie Kohler. Margaret Mackenzie. Jessie MacLane. Genevieve Buttcrfleld. Delberta. Stuart. Katherine Hart and Genie Kerr. Result of First Year's Work. Summing up the first year's work. Miss Prltchard says, in her annual report: "The year's work- has been one of un lookcd for and astonishing growth, and also one of great joy and gratification not satisfaction for we have not realized our Ideals. Plans whtch we outlined at first have been laid aside in some In stances, and others unthought of carried out. "We have simply studied the needs and tried to meet the demand. We have aimed to lay the foundation for a work which would not need be unddne. and one broad enough to meet the future needs. Two of the vital underlying thoughts In this work are: Protection for the children and brotherly helpfulness - for all. Protection from the sin and evil that surrounds these little ones on every side, and which they cannot help absorb ing unless protected from It. If the fam ily, is Incompetent to provide this protec tion, then society must stand ready to " offer it,"