The Audubon Societies 67 



7. How would you go about inaugurating a 'Bird-House Contest?' What are the 



advantages of publicity? 



8. What are the most important points to emphasize in such a competition? 



9. Where should the opening in a bird-house be made and how large should it be? 



10. What are the best materials to use in building bird-houses and how large should 



the houses be? 



11. Should any bird-house be built with more than one compartment? 



12. Is the placing of bird-houses important, and what is the best method of placing 



them? 



SCHOOL ITEMS 

 HOW WE BECAME JUNIOR NATURALISTS 



The idea that the power to create belongs only to a favored few of a com- 

 munity has swayed public opinion in the United States for a century or more. 

 My experience as a teacher of the masses has proved to me that every child is 

 •endowed with the gift when he enters this life. His failure to develop the power 

 for constructive work is the fault of those who have his education in charge. 



Anyone who doubts this statement should make a study of the growth of 

 the ancient peoples. He will find that all members of a tribe had the power to 

 materialize, in one form or another, beautiful, rhythmic, harmonious thoughts 

 which exist for us to enjoy today, and these antique works of art are more valued 

 than are the efforts of the artists of the present time. But one is not obliged 

 to delve into ancient history for substantiation of this truth, because near and 

 intimate to our own Hves is the work of the tribes of Indians of this continent. 



The success of the expressions of these arts can be traced to the cultivation 

 of the perceptive faculties that gained for the people a clear knowledge of the 

 life about them, especially of nature. Through the study of nature came knowl- 

 edge of the laws of growth from which they deduced the underlying principles 

 for their work in design. Yet these developments would have been of little 

 value if the spirit had not been trained to work irrespective of time and 

 labor. All beautiful work has depended for its existence upon this last 

 quality in the artist or artisan. Until the organizations for the education of 

 the public will recognize the necessity of training the spirit as well as the 

 intellect, the educational work of the pubUc schools will deprive the children of 

 the development of their full inheritance. 



Five years ago, when we began in this city the work of learning to write and 

 ■draw, there were no organizations for the systematic growth of the various arts 

 of expression in our public schools. Our schools were as good as the average 

 ■city schools, but I failed to find in any system with which I could come in 

 touch a provision for the healthy growth of the children of a class. The little 

 -ones of our country had become creatures of circumstances. For years, ideas 

 and details had been influencing the educators in charge instead of these directors 

 holding to established principles for teaching and religiously carrying them out. 



