A Free Kindergarten's First Year—and the Children It Had to Turn Away

Yesterday afternoon the first annual meeting of the Free Kindergarten Association was held at the Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The members listened to an interesting review of the year's work in the form of a report from the corresponding secretary, Mrs. C. L. Dewhurst, and then elected a full set of officers for the ensuing year. The meeting was largely attended, and a number of members who spoke on the kindergarten work declared themselves satisfied that the free kindergarten had far exceeded the expectations of the association.

Mrs. Dewhurst's annual report dwelt at length on the work since the first meeting, held a year ago at her residence. Only a few ladies were present, and the matter of organizing a kindergarten was discussed. All present favored it. A public meeting was held, and as an outcome the Seattle Free Kindergarten was launched upon the world. Many individuals anxious to see the association succeed contributed quite liberally, as did several fraternal organizations. The old South school building, on Main street, was secured and fitted up for headquarters. In the meantime the membership continued to increase, and at one of the public meetings it was decided to employ a teacher to take charge of the educational work. One was secured in the person of Miss Ellen Creelman, who, Mrs. Dewhurst says, has been found thoroughly competent to teach Froebel's system in all its purity and simplicity.

Mrs. Dewhurst speaks in the highest terms of Miss Creelman's ability. Though the tuition fee for instruction in teaching was made as small as possible, it was hard at first to get pupils. At present there are nine persons in the training class, one of the most important departments of the work, and sufficient in itself to justify the association's existence.

'It is a great mistake,' says Mrs. Dewhurst in her report, 'to consider that the work of conducting a kindergarten is wholly a charitable one. Every conscientious parent coming to even a slight knowledge of this system of education recognizes in it at once a means of saving their own children, as well as the children of all classes. We are sorry to think of the number of little ones we have been obliged to turn away from our kindergarten. Our hearts went out in sympathy to the dear little fellow who presented himself before Miss Creelman [saying], "We're poor now, Miss Creelman. My papa lost his job last night, and I'm coming to kindergarten," with which he merrily fell in with the rest of the children.

'It should be the aim of this association to place the kindergarten within the reach of all, both rich and poor—to establish truly free kindergartens. It is not food and clothing that we are distributing; if it were, our work would be exclusively among those who were in need of such things. It is an educational reform that we represent, and it is a three years' course of training that we have to offer, intended to bring about the proper development of the child—to aid him in coming to true conclusions concerning himself and his surroundings, to open up the world to him, and to teach him through his life in the kindergarten the true relations to God, to man and to nature; to start him aright, that he may be better fitted to use the opportunities of his future life.

'The kindergarten as a system of education is a comparatively new idea, and as such has met with the usual opposition in other cities. So far in Seattle it has not met with active unfriendliness. Although there have been few large gifts or monthly subscriptions, the movement has been cordially received and help has been given with cheerfulness and good will. Many have expressed their interest and faith in the work who have not been able to do more; their encouraging words have not been withheld. Many also have given of their time and strength when money was not at their command. The long list of gifts just given by our treasurer and the large number of names registered at the kindergarten are practical proof of the interest that exists among our citizens, and justify us in expecting greater things for the future of our work.'

The officers elected for the ensuing year were: President, Mrs. C. Dewhurst; first vice president, Rev. D. C. Garrett; second vice president, Mrs. Maurice McMicken; secretary, Dr. Hermon F. Titus; assistant secretary, Miss Fay Butler; treasurer, Mrs. J. B. C. Lockwood; and other members of the board of managers, Mrs. R. H. Holmes, Mrs. S. Anderson, Miss Elinor A. Conlon, Prof. Charles Eagan, and others.