426 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



that we also seek to fit them, as far as possible, for life in 

 the world and that we will not attempt to force all into an 

 antiquated unsuitable uniform. 



Here is the chance for the science masters — they are more 

 concerned than any other branch of the scholastic profession 

 in effecting the necessary changes ; indeed, I am satisfied that 

 effective changes will not be made unless they intervene and 

 insist on complete reconstruction of the curriculum. What is 

 your Association for but to form and formulate opinion ? You 

 cannot act individually ; if you act collectively you must 

 command attention. I counsel nothing less than that you act 

 as revolutionaries. 



To quote from an important book by a recent American 

 writer 1 : 



" What we need in many hide-bound institutions is revolu- 

 tion, panic and thorough reorganisation along common-sense 

 lines, after a comprehensive study of the everyday problems 

 of the day, from the students' standpoint and not from those of 

 a hundred years ago." 



What is to be the keynote of this revolution? Let me 

 answer the question by reference to the same writer. 



"The present condition of business, professional and other 

 activities may be summed up in one word — ' problems.' Life 

 in itself has always presented these, but to-day ... it seems 

 to be nothing else. Our problems are immense, intense and 

 inherent in the very texture of our modern civilisation. . . . 



" Who then is the greatest among us ? The problem solver. 

 How then shall we give our college students the highest train- 

 ing? By training them to solve life's problems. We are not 

 to turn out a well-stuffed graduate but one cultured, forceful, 

 upright, with every good quality developed in him most 

 successfully to solve his life's problems. This is the straight 

 edge against which we may measure a man's whole college 

 career — How far has it developed to the utmost his latent 

 abilities and made him a cultured gentleman and worker, fitted 

 to solve the problems that will arise in his life ? " 



I recommend the whole of the chapter (XXIX.) from which 

 these passages are taken to your earnest attention. The argu- 



1 Clarence F. Birdseye, Individual Training in our Colleges (The Macmillan 

 Co., 1907). 



