Hutchins, Wm. J.

English

James Madison University

March, 1924] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 79 The next point in the work was to tie the books together. They punched the holes and put the cord through the holes. The ends were tied together by the teacher. Several children had now finished their books. These children drew pictures of cher- ry trees. They were so interested they didn t want to stop. By the end of the period, which was fifty minutes, every child had fin- ished and there were in all five books and three drawings. This work was followed up on Thurs- day. The little boy who was so interested on Wednesday brought a very good picture of Washington to school with him. He said that he wanted to make another book and put the picture on the front page. Four of the same children and two new ones sat down at the drawing table. The new ones, upon seeing some of the books, decided to make books too. The teacher told them the, same story and they set to work. The little boy made his own book and pasted his picture on the front page. The new children made their own books and then set to work making hatchets. Several of the old children drew cherry trees and flags on manilla paper, arranging two on a page in an artistic way. The little boy told when Washington's birthday came. He copied "Feb. 22' under his picture. The meaning of the month and days was explained to him. He drew a cher- ry tree on the next page and upon being ques- tioned about Washington's home at Mount Vernon, he answered that he had seen a pic- ture of it. He drew a large house with pil- lars which really resembled Mount Vernon. The story of Washington's bravery and of how he rode horses was now given, and the little boy drew a picture of Washington on his horse. He then tied his book together and wrote his name upon the back. At the end of the period there were three books and five drawings. The children had worked like Trojans. They didn't want to stop and were proud of their work. There were many benefits derived from, this project. The kindergarten children's interest in George Washington was aroused and his life was made concrete to them. They left with eyes and ears open for more information concerning him. They learned how to contribute to a dis- cussion and how to work together. They were interested in one another's work and tried to help one another. They learned toj feel a pride in their work. One little girl decided that her draw- ing of a cherry tree looked like a big fire. She set to work to draw a better one. It gave them experience in making a book and in printing. The printing of their names and "George Washington" sponsored the feeling of the significance of the symbol to them. They derived skill in the use of their crayons and scissors and learned how to com- bine colors. The children had to think. By careful questioning their ideas and opinions were brought to light. The biggest benefit of all was that the kindergarten children received training in good citizenship. They saw through the stories that Washington was truthful and good. This project helped them to form ideals and good habits in the children. Thelma Eberhart THE CHILDREN'S MORALITY CODE This morality code by Win. J. Hutchlns was awarded the Donor's prize of $5,000 in the National Morality Codes Competition, 1916, for the best Children's Code of Morals, the judges being Professor George Trumbull Ladd, of Yale University; Justice Mahlon Pit- iney of the Supreme Court of the United States; and President Mrs. Phillip North Moore, of the National Council for Women. All the slates participated, and the competition was under the auspices of the Character Education In- stitution, Chevy Chase, Washington, D. C. Arranged as a four page folder, the Children's Morality Code is available in quan- tities from the National Capital Press, Wash- ington, D. C. FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BOYS and girls who are good Ameri- cans try to become strong and useful, worthy of their nation, that our country may become ever greater and better. Therefore, they obey the laws of right living which the best Americans have always obeyed. 80 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol." V, No. 3 I THE LAW OF SELF-CONTROL The Good American Controls Himself, Her- self Those who best control themselves can best serve their country. 1. I will control my tongue, and will not allow it to speak mean, vulgar or profane words. I will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. 2. I will control my temper, and will not get angry when people or things displease me. 3. I will control my thoughts, and will not allow a foolish wish to spoil a wise pur- pose. 4. I will control my actions. I will be careful and thrifty, and insist on doing right. 5. I will not ridicule nor defile the char- acter of another; I will keep my self-respect, and help others to keep theirs. II THE LAW OF GOOD HEALTH The Good American Tries to Gain and Keep Good Health The welfare of our country depends on those who are physically fit for their daily work. Therefore; 1. I will try to take such food, sleep and exercise as will keep me always in good health. 2. I will keep my clothes, my body and my mind clean. 3. I will avoid those habits which would harm me, and will make and never break those habits which will help me. III THE LAW OF KINDNESS The Good American is Kind In America those who are different must live in the same communities. We are of many different sorts, but we are one , great people. Every un- kindness hurts the common life, every kindness helps. Therefore: 1. I will be kind in all my thoughts. I will bear no spites or grudges. I will never despise anybody. 2. I will be kind in all my speech. I will never gossip nor will I speak unkindly of anyone. Words may wound or heal. 3. I will be kind in my acts. I will not selfishly insist on having my own way. I will be polite: rude people are not good Americans. I will not make unnecessary trouble for those who work for me. I will do my best to prevent cruelty, and will give help to those who are in need. IV THE LAW OF SPORTSMANSHIP The Good American Plays Fair Strong play increases and trains one's strength, and sportsmanship helps one to be a gentleman, a lady. Therefore: 1. I will not cheat; I will keep the rules, but I will play the game hard, for the fun of the game, to win by strength and skill. If I should not play fair, the loser would lose the fun of the game, and the winner would lose his self-respect, and the game itself would become a mean and often cruel business. 2. I will treat my opponents with court- esy, and be friendly. 3. If I play in a group game, I will play, not for my own glory but for the suc- cess of the team. 4. 1 will be a good loser or a generous winner. 5. And in my work as well as in my play, I will be sportsmanlike—generous, fair, honorable. V THE LAW OF SELF-RELIANCE The Good American is Self-Reliant Self-conceit is silly, but self-reliance is necessary to boys and girls who would be strong and useful. 1. I will gladly listen to the advice of older and wiser people; I will reverence the wishes of those who love and care for me, and who know life and me better than I; but I will learn to think for myself, choose for myself, act for myself, according to what seems right and fair and wise. 2. I will not be afraid of being laughed at. I will not be afraid of doing right when the crowd does wrong. Fear never made a good American. March, 1924] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 81 VI THE LAW OF DUTY Good Americans Do Their Duty The shirker and the willing idler live upon others, and burden fellow-citi- zens with work unfairly. They do not do their share, for their country's good. I will try to find out what my duty is, what I ought to do as a good American, and my duty I will do, whether it is easy or hard. What it is my duty to do I can do. VII THE LAW OF RELIABILITY The Good American is Reliable Our country grows great and good as her citizens are able more fully to trust each other. Therefore: 1. I will be honest in every act, and very careful with money. I will not cheat, nor pretend, nor sneak. 2. I will not do wrong in the hope of not being found out. I cannot hide the truth from myself. 3. I will not take without permission what does not belong to me. A thief is a menace to me and others. 4. I will do promptly what I have prom- ised to do. If I have made a foolish prom- ise, I will at once confess my mistake, and I will try to make good any harm which my mistake may have caused. I will so speak and act that people will find it easier to trust each other. VIII THE LAW OF TRUTH A Good American is True I. I will avoid hasty opinions lest I do injustice and be mistaken as to facts. I. I will hunt for proof, and be accu- rate as to what I see and hear. I will learn to think, that I may discover new truth. 3. I will stand by the truth regardless of my likes and dislikes, and scorn the temptation to lie for myself or friends: nor will I keep the truth from those who have a right to it. IX THE LAW OF GOOD WORKMANSHIP The Good American Tries to do the Right Tking in the Right Way The wtelfare of our country depends upon those who have learned to do in the right way the things that ought to be done. Therefore; 1. I will get the best possible education, and learn all that I can as a preparation for the time when I am grown up and at my life work. 2. I will take real interest in work, and will not be satisfied to do slipshod and mere- ly passable work. I will form the habit of good work; mistakes and blunders cause hard- ship, sometimes disaster, and spoil success. 3. I will do the right thing in the right way if I can, even when no one else sees or praises me. But when I have done my best, I will not envy those who have done better, or have received larger reward. Envy spoils the work and the worker. X THE LAW OF TEAM-WORK The Good American works in Friendly Co- operation with Fellow-Workers One alone could not build a city or a great railroad. One alone would find it hard to build a bridge. That I may have bread, people have sowed and reaped, people have made plows and threshers, have built mills and mined coal, made stoves and kept stores. As we learn better how to work together, the welfare of our country is advan- ced. 1. In whatever work I do with others, I will do my part and encourage others to do their part. 2. I will help to keep in order the things which we use in our work. When things are out of place they are often in the way, and sometimes they are hard to find. 3. In all my work with others, I will be cheerful. Cheerlessness depresses all the workers and injures all the work. 4. When I have received money for my work, I will be neither a miser nor a spend- 82 THE VIRGINIA' TEACHER [Vor,; V, No. 3 thrift. I will save or spend as one of the friendly workers of America. XI THE LAW OF LOYALTY The Good American is Loyal If our America is to become even great- er and better, her citizens must be loyal, devotedly faithful, in every re- lation of life. 1. I will be loyal to my family. In loy- alty I will gladly obey my parents or those who are in their place. I will do my best to help each member of my family to strength and usefulness. 2. I will be loyal to my school. In loyal- ty I will obey and help other pupils to obey those rules which further the good of all. 3. I will be loyal to my town, my state, my country. In loyalty I will respect andl help others to respect their laws and their courts of justice. 4. I will be loyal to humanity. In loyal- ty I will do my best to help the friendly re- lations of our country with other countries and to give to everyone in every land the best possible chance. If I try simply to be^ loyal to my family, I may be disloyal to my school. If I try simply to be loyal to my school, I may be disloyal to my town, my state and my count- ry. If I try simply to be loyal to my town, state and country, I may be disloyal to hu- manity. I will try above all things else to be loyal to humanity; then I shall surely be loyal to my country, my state and my town, to my school and to my family. And those who obey the law of loyalty obey all the other ten laws of the Good Amer- ican. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN- TERESTED IN EDUCATION The League of Women Voters holding its annual National Conference at Buffalo April 24 to 26 will devote an entire afternoon to the subject of education. The State com- mittees on Education will consider a program devoted to the study of problems of rural education, with special attention to financing rural schools on an equalized basis. PEABODIANS CELEBRATE FOUND- ERS DAY Founders Day, always a great event at George Peabody College for Teachers, this year was observed wherever Peabody alum- nae were gathered together,. At the Har- risonburg Teachers College on this day, Feb- ruary 18, Miss Katherine M. Anthony talked at assembly hour on "George Peabody—Amer- ican, World-citizen, Educational Statesman." The same evening the Harrisonburg group had dinner together in the college din- ningroom. Red carnations and candles, with blue candles on the cake—a wonderful af- fair by the H. T. C. baker, topped with a college building made of icing—carried out the Peabody colors. Mrs. W. B. Varner, Dean of Women, was toastmaster, proposing an original acrostic toast to Peabody Col- lege. The speeches that followed surveyed the recent progress on the Peabody campus with frequent reference to President Payne's visions for the future, and a not infrequent one to some characteristic of "Dr. Tom- mie's." At the close Mrs. Varner read Pres- ident Payne's message for the day; then all joined in singing Alma Mater and in giving fifteen rahs for Peabody in true college style. The Harrisonburg Peabodians are Mr. W. B. Varner, Wrs. W, B. Varner, Mrs. P. P. Moody, Miss Carolyn Mc Mullan, Miss Portia Boddie, Miss Katherine M. An- thony, Mrs. C. M. Anthony, Mr. C. T. Lo- gan, Mrs. C. T. Logan, Miss Grace Post, Miss Marie Alexander. Special guests for the occasion were Miss Clara Turner, and President and Mrs. S. P. Duke. IMPORTANT RESULT OF SCIEN- TIFIC LECTURE SERIES To provide facilities for study by phys- icists of the United States and other countries at the research laboratory of the University of Copenhagen the Rockefeller International Education Board has given $40,000 for the enlargement and further equipment of the university's institutes for theoretical physics. The award followed a series of six lectures at Yale University by Dr. Niels Bohr, di- rector of the institute, in which he presented his discoveries on the nature of the structure of the atom and thd. convolutions of the electrons within the atoms. 

The Children\u27s Morality Code

https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2194&amp;context=va-teacher

The Children\u27s Morality Code

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

James Madison University