Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/336

 3l8 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

equipment necessary. The motive of the school seems to be industrial rather than purely educative, as will be seen from the course of study, which includes carpentry, chair caning, basket weaving, cobbling, sewing, drawing, modeling, water colors, and kindergarten. So far as I can gather from the reports, the chil- dren were allowed to choose that which they desired to do, and to spend the greater part of the time in that work, and little attempt was made to interest them in things of which they knew nothing, and which make for a broader view of life. Nature study seems not to have been included, and the " useful " seems to have been the ideal throughout. Toys and games exercising muscles of the body were a part of the course. The police in the neighborhood testify that the school has done much good.

Cambridge, Mass. — Although the first to see and express the need, it was not until 1897 that Cambridge really had a vacation school, and this it owed to a committee of women. For several years three summer kindergartens had been maintained by Grace Episcopal Church and the Cantabrigia Club. Out of these, per- haps, grew the vacation school held in the manual-training school in 1896, having sixty boys, and growing in 1897 to include 120 boys and sixty girls, the latter in a separate building — the Holmes School — where the board of education furnished the sloyd equipment, but popular subscription supplied the funds for maintenance. Mr. A. L. Ware was in charge of both schools, while Mr. A. L. Morse, head of the manual-training school, gave most valuable aid and advice. The attendance for boys averaged 96.3 per cent., for girls 90.7 per cent. The cost of maintenance was about $1,300.

The pupils were chosen by the committee obtaining lists of names from the Associated Charities and the superintendent of schools, visiting the parents when the object of the school was explained, and inviting mother or father to enroll the child.

An admission card must be presented each day. In 1897, of the 120 boys sixty-one had attended in 1896, and the same pro- portion of the girls. There is a waiting list, and it seems to be the policy of the committee to impress upon all that it is a privi- lege to be allowed to come to the classes. The school is con-