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desiccated breed of pedagogues who insist on setting before innocent 
childhood “asinine feasts of sow-thistles and brambles,” grinds of 
minutiae, technicalities and hard names, ‘ ‘ abstractions of logic and 
metaphysics,” “ ragged notions and babblements, while they expected 
worthy and delightful knowledge.” My experience has been that 
children always take to knowledge really “ worthy and delightful,” 
which offers full scope to their passion for activity, like ducklings to 
water, like fledglings to the air. If they do not, let us look to the 
“native cruelty” of our school courses, rather than cover our own 
stupidity with assumptions of ‘ ‘ native cruelty ’ ’ of childhood. 
To put this matter again to the test, the subject of going actively 
to work rearing and protecting our native birds was presented to one 
of the Worcester schools. A brief statement was made as to the 
importance and need of the work and as to the pleasure of having 
birds about our homes. Practically, the questions then put to the 
children were : How many would like to have robins or orioles, or 
bluebirds, swallows or other native birds build their nests near their 
home? How many would be willing to do everything possible to pro¬ 
tect such nests and birds ? How many would like to band together, 
all work together for their neighborhood and have meetings to talk 
over best ways and means of helping the birds and attracting them 
about their homes? I must confess that even my own optimism was 
taken by surprise at the way the children tumbled into it. “ Every 
child in every room in the building ’ ’ was no uncommon report. 
Meetings were held at first after school hours once a week, but so 
many went into it and the work proved its value within a month to 
such an extent that by special notice of Superintendent Carroll, meet¬ 
ings of the Ten to One Clubs were made a regular part of the nature 
work and held in school hours. The name Ten to One Clubs was 
chosen, its significance being to work in every way possible to have 
ten of our valuable native birds where we have but one now. The 
first club was organized April 7, 1899, in the ninth grade of the 
Woodland Street School, Joseph Jackson, Principal. The second was 
formed the same day in the Upsala Street School. Officers were 
elected from among the boys and girls, and a simple constitution was 
framed and adopted. Since this gives the aims and organization, 
and may be of use to those wishing to form similar clubs, we append 
the constitution of the Woodland Street Club. 
