In turning- now to a definite statement of what the Charles- 

 ton Museum is at present able to do for the schools, if it seems 

 as if we had offered you bread and were giving you a stone, 

 please remember the difficulties under which we labor. Two 

 years is a very short time in which to awake to activity a sleep- 

 ing institution, buried so long in dust and oblivion that de- 

 terioration of valuable material had already set in. The diffi- 

 cult task of convincing the public, upon whose support we 

 must rely(, that a museum is not a luxury but an important 

 educational institution and a valuable asset of any progressive 

 community is only begun. The appeal for funds, the struggle 

 for a suitable building and the preparation of collections long 

 neglected for a condition of usefulness are matters which of 

 necessity have absorbed and will continue to absorb the great- 

 er part of the time and resources at the command of the staff. 

 Yet there are a number of opportunities for co-operation, even 

 under the difficult conditions of the present, and these will 

 be greatly enlarged next year, when it is hoped the transfer 

 of the collections to the new building may be made. 



Classes accompanied by the teacher are welcome at the 

 Museum at any time and upon request, a lecture-room will be 

 provided, specimens arranged for observation and study, and 

 a demonstrator, if desired, can be present. In the absence 

 of descriptive labels, the Museum will be glad to furnish 

 a guide for any teacher or party of school children who may 

 visit the collection seeking especial information, if the request 

 be preferred in season for necessary arrangements to be made. 



As a means of directing the attention of the children them- 

 selves to the helpfulness of a real study of the collections in 

 connection with their school work, the Museum is prepared to 

 ofTer a series of prizes for the best essays upon such exhibits 

 at the Museum as have a direct bearing upon any given point 

 in the regular course of study. 



A request from the schools for lectures upon any given topic 



28 



