AND YE SjpALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALT, MAKE YOU'REB.*J~Jaliii viii:32. CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1988 THE VALUE OF THE TEACHER TRAINING DEPARTMENT AT MARY HOLMES SEMINARY By Miss Mary E. Foresman, Dean, Mary Holmes Seminary (A paper read at the 24th Annual Workers’ Conference, held Johnson C. Smith University, March 7th to 11th.) Mary Holmes Seminary and Junior College, in West Point, Mississippi, is one of the five schools which were originally boarding schools for Negro girls under the Presbyterian Board of National Missions. Like three of the others, it has enlarged its field of usefulness by becoming co-educational and rvruarntirr if a fn Hair afn_ dents. From less than one hundred students in 1933 the enrollment has grown to three hundred and thirty-seven in 1938, with three departments— teacher training, high school, and practice school of eight grades. It is of the teacher training department that I am to speak. Assuming that the value of any unit of educational work lies in its organization to meet the needs of the constituency which it serves; and that the proof of its worth is found in the lives and service of the stu dents which it trains, then I can best prove the worth of our teacher training depart ment at Mary Holmes by giv ing you a word picture of the educational neecfc of the Negro people of Mississippi, and by telling both how we prepare our students to meet those needs, and what our graduates .and former students are doing in their fields of service. Mississippi is largely a rural State. Eighty-three and one tenth per cent of its popula tion live in the country. Sixty seven per cent of the people are engaged in agriculture. The educational problem is princi pally a rufgr*fltfSBiem. ~ Also it' is not a wealthy State. Ac cording to statistics in 1929 the per capita wealth was the low est in the list of States—$1,242. It is said to be much lower now. The social income of the people was the lowest in the country at that time, and there is no reason to suppose that it has changed. Mississippi has the largest percentage of Negro population of any State in the Union. Ac cording to the 1930 census the population is made up of one million, nine thousand, seven hundred, eighteen Negroes, and nine hundred ninety-six thousand, eight hundred fifty six whites. In 1930 there were 471,704 families of which 46.7 per cent were white, and 53.1 per cent were Negro. Only 31.8 per cent of the total were property owners. Sixty-six and one-tenth per cent were ten ants. The proportion would be about the same now. Of 22,125 rural homes in all parts of the State which were surveyed recently in a CWA project, 90 per cent were lack ing in all the conveniences and , comforts of life. One of the poorest homes that could be imagined was described as hav ing beds made by sewing to gether grain sacks and throw ing them over old rusty springs. There was filth everywhere, and the only food in the house was a bag of corn meal. Such an unsanitary and barren con dition cannot be charged alto gether to poverty. Ignorance plays a large part. For this home is on a plantation in the \ Delta, the richest farming land N'*jn the world. Mattresses could hfefe been made from straw. have been canned. When asked j how they would get food for the winter the woman of the house replied that they would get it at the store, and pay for it out of the next crop. It is quite probable that a vast num ber of rural homes, both white and colored, are without com fortable furnishings, pictures, books, magazines, or musical instruments. Where poverty abounds health conditions are also poor. In 1933 infant mortality per one thousand live births was I and vegetables could 63.4 per cent, and the mater nal death rate -was 6.8. In 18§2 a little less than 50 per cent of births were attended by a phy sician. It costs a Negro baby 11.56 years of life to be born in Mississippi. During one year 20 per cent of all deaths each month were without medical at tention. Many counties in Miss issippi have but one dentist. Three have no dentists. Only twenty-four out of eighty-inm counties have health depart ments. In 1930 Mississippi ranked fourth from the bottom in illit eracy, ' the proportion being 2.9 among the white people, and 23.2 among the Negroes. The reason ifor the Negro people being so far behind is that prior to 1915 very little had been done in the way of public school education for Negroes. A few private schools like Mary Holmes, Tougaloo, Jackson Col lege and others provided high school courses. A State Bulletin says, “No cause for this condition can be assigned other than that the sentiment of the people had not been cultivated to the extent that Negro education even in a very elementary form was con sidered worth while.” The gen eral idea seems to have been that of the planter who said to the new teacher, a college grad uate, “You can teach them readin’, writin,’ and some fig uring but not much of that, and don’t use any new-fangled ways of teachin.’ ” Throughout the existence of the Division of Negro Education in the State Department, o£. Education, es tablished twenty-three years ago, the chief task has been to create sentiment among white leaders in favor of public sup port of Negro education not only of secondary but even of elementary level. The first step in raising the standard of Negro education was taken in 1929 when a com mittee, with Dr. Newbold of North Carolina as chairman, made a partial survey of the State primarily to investigate the preparation of Negro teach ers for their work and what teacher training facilities ex isted for the training of teach ers. They found that fifty per cent of the teachers in the ele mentary schools had less than four years of high school train ing, and twenty-five per cent had never attended high school. As to the number of high schools in the State at that time, there were sixteen pub lic and sixteen private four year high schools. One out of every 120 high school educables was in school. For training of teachers there was one State college, and that was not pri marily a teachers’ college. Counting fifty pupils to a teach er, 9769 teachers were needed, and only 5972 were employed. This condition remains the same. i nave pictured to you condi tions as they were in 11929-1930; as they are also in many, many places in 1938. Last Summer several educators from Africa visited Mississippi to study Ne gro conditions in this country. 1 After they had traveled over the State and visited schools and homes of all types and con ditions, they said, “The Ne groes of Uganda are/in clover compared with Negroes in Mississippi.” Does the picture seem overdrawn? I have quot ed to you from the “Mississippi Educational Journal,” from our State Agent of Negro Schools, and from interviews with Jeanes teachers, with our stu dents, and other Negro people. There is an encouraging and inspiring side to this problem. Progress has been made during the eight years since the sur vey. The Negro teachers are organized into county, district, and Statie teachers’ associa tions. A few days ago one of the district associations met on I our campus for their annual ! meeting—a splendid group of teachers from eleven counties. All school principals, meet- : ing once a year, little by little have been trained to take posi tions of leadership in their; communities. Last Fall I at tended a most inspiring meet- . ing where fifty earnest, enthu-i siastic young Jeanes teachers were commissioned to go out into fifty-four counties of Miss issippi to lift their people out!; of the bondage of degradation and ignorance. In their work ; they were instructed to stress - improvement of homes as i much as improvement of schools. In this group of fifty i were who had received all or part of their training in two < of our Presbyterian schools— 1 Mary Holmes and Margaret ; Barber. One of these, now our local Jeanes teacher, said, “They < are sending us out as mission aries.” And that is the spirit < of most of our teacher-training 1 girls who go out to teach. I; New school buildings have , taken the place of some of the old tumble down shacks. In others steps have beeij built and windows put in. Money has been secured for equipment, teachers have' gone to summer schools and summer schools , have been reorganized to give teachers a chance to get con- , tinuous high school training, 3 This Spring we along with oth er colleges have been asked to permit rural teachers as their ; schools close to come in for the Spring quarter. Four four-year colleges and three two-year colleges of which Mary Holmes is 6ne, have been accredited as teach er training institutions. Steps are being taken to have one college specialize in training rural teachers. Jiignt tour-year nign scnoois* ' of which Maty Holmes is one, have heCQ ^edredraedr and ten are on probation. Three high schools and one college are in the Southern Association. Home demonstration agents in twen ty-three counties work with the Jeanes teachers to improve homes, and where there are no demonstration agents the Jeanes teacher works to the same end. Their plan is to con vert one home in each commu nity into a model home. Health conditions have im proved. This last month (Feb ruary) nurses were sent out by the State ^Department of Health to vaccinate all the school children of the State against small pox. One nurse who stayed with us told amus ing stories of children in some schools running to the woods to hide, or going for their mothers to protect them. Most of the mothers were convinced that the nurse knew best. One mother who refused to have her children touched the first day came back the next with her husband and six children, saying, “I don’t want them down on me to be nursed.” In another district where the teacher had paved the way for the nurse by health instruction, all the people of the community, from babes in arms to people in their seventies, were waiting for the nurse when she ar rived. Miawives are now oeing trained by the State and coun ty nurses. On one plantation a cabin has been built as a model room for expectant mothers. Fathers, mothers, and young girls come to see what prepa ration should be made for the comfort of the mother, and the assurance of a healthy baby. One planter built a road two miles long, so that nurses could come to inoculate his tenants against typhoid fever. On a 3000 acre plantation the owner built a cabin as a clinic for a doctor, sent by the gov ernment from Howard Univer sity, and a nurse from the State Department of Health to test the 2500 Negro tenants for syphilis. Eighty-five per cent were affected by this ter rible scourge. The owner pro vided the medicine, and the nurse stayed to administer it. A five-year study for the im provement of instruction in all the schools of the State is just being completed. Prom it a definite program for Negro schools has evolved. It calls for comfortable school houses, properly equipped with tables, leaks, blackboards, stoves, and teaching materials. “In each school we want a good teacher yf character, training, and per sonality, to teach the children bow to read and to write, how to use numbers, how to use their hands in doing their work, tnd in earning a living; how to be clean and healthy, how to be truthful, Jionest, and courte ous, and-how to respect prop irty.” “In each county we pant a good high school. Two bounties could go together if sparsely settled. Agricultural >r vocational high schools will oest meet the need. These schools should emphasize above iverything else , health and jconomic efficiency.” With all these facts in mind >f what value is teacher train ing at Marry Holmes? No school has ever had any great sr opportunity to help in a worthy ihovement. We have this privilege not only of our selves preparing boys and girls to become worthy cozens, but ilso of training tfpchers who prill go into the towns, villages, sind rural communities to teach children and parents how to live decently, comfortably, and more abundantly. At Mary Holmes we use the curriculum planned by the State. We give the students content courses to broaden their knowledge of subjects they are to teach: psychology, that they may understand the child and the process of learning; meth ods in guiding the work of the children; industrial art that they may teach the hands to work to provide comforts and beautiful environment; nature that they may teach the iklren to appreciateT GrodTai _ ggiMBMia ter like? the Bible that they may an team iruiix tue iviasLer i eacner. They learn the principles of health that they may help their pupils to develop healthy bod ies, and to fight disease in their communities. Where there are no nurses in the counties they must instruct the mothers how to have sanitary homes and healthy babies. They make teaching materi als to supplement and oftew;to take the place of textrbooke. Reading charts of wrapping paper, maps on muslin, * and numbers on milk bottle tops are inexpensive but effective means of presenting ideas. Student teachers are told that their work includes helping the church in their community?* Ed ucation Week in our State starts; with a Sunday school rally. In the first year of lour department Mr. Campbell* gested that we take charge of the Mission Sunday school as our religious project. Each yea* since our students have superintended the school, taught the classes, played; the piano, and visited the chil dren’s homes. This year they organized a Christian Endeav or Society for the high school pupils who board or live in the neighborhood, and a Junior C. E. for the younger children. This department was started in 1932. In six : years we: have sixteen graduates, including four who finish, this year; twen ty-three one year students, and twenty-five teachers whorTiave come in for later afternoon, or Saturday classes^ or for the Spring quarter. Sixty-four to represent us in this great mis sion field—the number seems small! But We have to remem ber the scarcity of four-year high schools from which to draw students. Twelve of the counties which are still without four-year high schools are in our northeastern quarter of Mississippi. Three of them border our county, and five more border these three. About one-fourth of our high school graduates return; the others who teach begin without spe cial training. We also have to remember (Continued on Pace 3) WHITE RIVER PRESBYTERY By Rev: Geo. E. Caesar. S. C. White River Presbytery met, in Allison chapel, Ninth and! Gaines Sts., Little Rock, Ark., on Wednesday, April 13, 1938, and was opened by a sermon by the Moderator, Rev. T. B. Har grave, on the words from Isai ah: “And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his grav en image; he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, ]De liver me; for thou art my god.” Rev. G. E. Caesar, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery; Rev. L. A. Ellis, and Rev. William Sample, assisted in the service. The Presbytery was consti tuted with prayer. The roll was called. A quorum being found present, the Presbytery was ready for business, and went into the election of officers. Rev. L. W. Davis waa unani mously elected Modexmor, and Rev. C. N. Shropshire was unanimously elected Tempora ry Clerk. The docket was pre sented to the ’Presbytery andj was adopted. Rev. Chilton Christian, pas tor of the First Congregational church, and Rev. G. G. Walker, pastor of St. Philip’s Episcopal church, were introduced by Rct. G. E. Caesar, and were ac corded seats as corresponding members. Those ministers made appropriate remarks, Rev. Christian bringing greet ings from the Interdenomina tional Ministerial Alliance of Little Rock. Rev. R. J. Christ mas responded to their remarks. The Moderator announced the Standing Committees. The local committee made its re port to the Presbytery through its chairman, Mr. E. D. Alex ander. An offering was taken. After which, the Presbytery ad journed with prayer, by the Jgpderator until S o’elock Thurs day morning, April 14. Thursday Morning, April 14 The • Presbytery reconvened mi the above date, at 9 o'clock, the first half hour being given to devotional service, led by Rev. S. J. Grier. Prayer was offered by Rev. R. J. Christmas, rhe roll was called. The min utes of the previous session wore read and were aproved. The Stated Clerk presented the usual documents to the Presbytery, which were direct ed to be given to the Standing Committee on Bills and Over tures. Reports on the Boards were called for. The reports were made through the chairmen of the committees on the Boards. After discussion, they were ap proved. The reports on churches and Sunday schools were made through their representatives, rhe reports were discussed at length, y^nd showed numerical and financial gains in the ma jority of the churches and Sunday schools. The report on the American Bible Society was presented through the committee chair man, Rev. N. B. Bynum, and was approved. The Presbytery took recess until 1:45 and was closed with prayer by the Mod erator. Thursday Afternoon. The Presbytery was favored with an address on Evangelism by Rev. T. B. Hargrave. The address was inspiring. The Committee on Vacancy and Supply presented a report through its chairman, Rev. L. W. Davis. The report showed that all the churches in the Presbytery were supplied with the exception of two. The commissioners to the last General Assembly were called on to present their reports. Rev. C. N. Shropshire, commis sioner, gave a glowing report to the Presbytery, which showed that he had an eye sin gle to the business of the Gen eral Assembly. Elder Ernest Polk, lay commissioner, was ab sent from the Presbytery; hence, did not report. The Committee^ on Necrology conducted memorial services in memory of Rev. H. M. Stinson, D. D., who labored long and faithfully in the Presbytery, and wap called on December 10, 1937, from the church mil itant to the church triumphant. Committee was composed of Rev. R. J. Christmas, Rev. William Sample, and Elder L. H. Means. Rev. L. W. Davis and Elder Moses A. Railey were unani mously elected principal min isterial and principal lay com missioners to the next General Assembly, and Rev. G. E. Cae sar and Elder Israel karrison were unanimously elected al ternates. The Committee on Resolu tions of Thanks presented a re port through its chairman, Rev. William Sample. The re port was approved. The minutes of the previous session were read and approved. The Presbytery took recess until 7:30 Thursday night, and was closed with prayer by the Moderator. Popular Meeting The usual Popular meeting was conducted Thursday night at 7:30 o'clock, Rev. William Sample and Rev. L. A. Ellis, participating. The Woman’s Presbyterial Society conducted its usual program, Mrs. C. N. Shropshire* President, presid ing. The program was very interesting. The occasion was highly favored with music by Shorter College. The Rev. A. G: Gregg, President of the College; was present. There was an ap preciative audience. The members and friends of Allison chapel spared no pains in entertaining the Presbytery. And the Presbytery expressed to them, in glowing terms, its appreciation of their hospitali ty. The Presbytery adjourned with prayer to meet in Gibson chapel, Springfield, Mo., the second Wednesday in April; 1939, D. V. McClelland -; PRESBYTERY . .. By Rev. L. E. Ginn, Stated Clerk McClelland Presbytery held its ISpring meeting with Salem Presbyterian church at Ander son, S. C., opening Thursday, April 7th, at 7:30 P. M. The opening sermon was preadhed by the Moderator, who used as his text Hebrews 12:1-2. The sermon, backed up • by the Salem church choir, with its spiritual songs, made this a very impressive service indeed. After this . the Presbytery ■, was constituted with prayer and went into the election of Moderator and Temporary Clerk. The Rev. B. H. McFad den was elected Moderator and Rev. H. Y. Kennedy was chosen as Temporary Clerk. The Mod erator made a few remarks on receiving the gavel of author ity concerning the ministers and churches cooperating with him in the great work that lay before him. The docket of business was then presented and read by the Stated Clerk. Addresses of welcome were delivered on behalf of the churches of Anderson, by Rev. G. S. Sawyer, of the M. E. church; on behalf of the busi ness people by Mr. W. I. Peek; and on behalf of the schools by Prof. S. C. Perry. The Mode rator made choice of Rev. P. A. Flack to respond to these very cordial words of * welcome, which he did in a pleasing and ditmified manner. Rev. J. H. Toatley, of Fair field Presbytery; Rev. A. A. Thompson of Hodge Presbyte ry and Rev. G. S. Sawyer, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, were accorded seats as corre sponding members of Presby tery. The offering was taken, the doxology was sung and Presby tery closed with prayer to meet Friday morning at 9 o’clock. Friday morning, April &th, Presbytery met at 9 o’clock and was opened with prayer. The roll was called by the clerk. The minutes of our last stated meeting were read by the Stat ed Clerk as information. Appointment of Temporary Committees by the Moderator was as follows': (1) Bills and Overtures, Rev. A. H. Reason (Continued on Page 4)

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