Manual Training—A Personal Experiment
By Mina Mann
THE Lord has given us so much and such definite instruction concerning the importance and necessity of manual training that little more need be said to our teachers on this point, but a little personal experience may help some one who is beginning this work. When first studying the subject of Christian education, I plainly saw the necessity of this feature, but for two years I knew not how to introduce it into my school, nor what to introduce. I had a large school and many grades, and was already crowded with work; and I finally said manual training could not be carried on where one had a large school and all grades. However, the third year I determined to attempt it. The next difficulty that confronted me was, what to teach! Looking over my list of accomplishments, I found I really knew nothing in the line of manual training well enough to teach it or make it a source of training. I could sew a little, but had never had a regular course, and could not make out one. However, I started in on quilts as a safe proposition, requiring the pupils to cut their own blocks. I found that many of the larger ones could not take a square pattern and cut a block from it, laying it straight on the cloth. Many excellent spiritual lessons were taught on following our Pattern exactly. The first quilt sold for two dollars and a half. We pieced others for missionary boxes. But I had large boys who could not be kept on sewing. Chair caning suggested itself; but I knew nothing about it myself. A visit to Chinatown and diligent inquiry, together with fifty cents, procured a bunch of cane. An interested brother made me a frame with holes bored along the sides and ends; and with a chair for a model, I began. Before late bedtime, my frame was filled with a fair specimen of caning. Next day I taught two of my larger boys, and they in turn taught others. There are always chairs to repair. Such work teaches the child neatness, carefulness, and how to keep in repair the chairs in his own home at least. Any one can learn as I did. As a source of revenue, it is not bad. We bought all our material for the industrial department with the money earned in this way, and the excellence of the work procured us the repairing from both the furniture stores in town. To those of our teachers who are unable to secure the cane, or who desire cheaper work, let me suggest trying binding twine, such as is used on harvesters. Brush the twine over with boiled flour paste, dry, and varnish. It seems to me that the ability to make and keep in repair the common articles of necessity about the home, to learn to be dependent upon one's own resources, no matter where placed, is one great object of this manual training. We are preparing our pupils to give this message in many parts of the field. Give them the manual training that will enable them to provide for their necessities wherever placed, and to utilize the material that is everywhere present, waiting a trained hand and mind to make it useful or a thing of beauty. I will next speak of basket making.