SECOND YEAR S WORK, LAKE CITY WOMAN S IMPR. CLUB. 217 



SECOND YEAR'S WORK, LAKE CITY WOMAN'S IM- 

 PROVEMENT CLUB. 



MRS. ANNA B. UNDERWOOD, LAKE CITY. 



The object in giving in detail the methods of our flower work 

 with the children is wholly with the hope that other towns and 

 small cities may be induced to inaugurate a similar movement. An 

 enterprise of this kind unites all nationalities and creeds, and all con- 

 ditions of life. Whatever interests children is sure to delight the 

 parents and draw them together. Even the small villages and 

 school districts will find that all differences will be buried in the com- 

 mon endeavor to make the surroundings attractive. 



Our improvement club has been subjected to more or less 

 criticism, which noticeably came from those chary of assistance. 

 We have been urged to aggressive work, to force people to do 

 what they ought to, but we have adhered closely to our original 

 plan, namely, devoting the greater part of our energv to the work 

 with the children. Nearly 300 school children took from one to six 

 packets of seed, at one cent per packet. We purchased a quantity 

 of buttons, which indicated that the wearer was a worker for the 

 flower carnival, and one was given to each child taking the six 

 varieties of seed for its grade. Those wearing the buttons competed 

 for the prizes which were to be given to all those who proved suc- 

 cessful in making all six of the varieties grow — also a prize to the 

 three best collections of the six, and also one to the best kept 

 flower garden. A prize was offered for the best bunch of any kind 

 of the twelve varieties of flowers. 



Instructions for planting the flowers and caring for them were 

 printed in the papers. In May a committee of ladies was ap- 

 pointed to visit the home of each child, to note the progress it was 

 making, and also to advise it as to care, watering, cultivating, etc. 

 About a week before the carnival this same committee again 

 visited the children to determine who were giving the best care and 

 who were doing all the work possible in their flower beds, and also 

 to tell each child that it was to receive a badge entitling it to free 

 entrance to the hall during the two days. 



The morning of the first day of the carnival surprised us with 

 the quantity and quality of the flowers. It was a wonderful im- 

 provement over the previous year. The afternoons were well pat- 

 ronized, as the 300 children were present, many of them with their 

 parents. The programs for these were furnished by the children 

 and were enthusiasticallv received. 



