and in no sense transitory or rudimental. The very evident influence of imitation in most of these activities, in fact, such as the plays of firemen, robbers, Indians, soldiers, cannot be denied. But when we have admitted the great influence of suggestion and imitation, we have still failed to answer one very important question: Why does a child so often follow, especially under conditions of the group, suggestions or copies that are most foreign to, or least forcible in, his environment? What is the principle of selection in imitation? Why this persistence of primitive traits in the face of the most favorable modern environment? It seems to me that right here we are again forced back to the thought with which we started. The vestiges of racial experience in the child, his instincts, furnish the mainsprings of both his emotional life and his action, in spite of the fact that imitation may lead him to the sphere of ideas in which emotion and action operate, while the association in the group offers the most favorable conditions for the outbreak of primitive impulses. Yet imitation seems to exert a modifying influence upon all instincts. As is well known, the force of imitation is apparent very early and lasts till the age of usefulness in life is past. Thus it parallels all the instincts of the important periods of childhood and adolescence, and influences their (the instincts') development: Thus the instinct of vocalization initiates experience in the organs of speech; imitation seizes upon its products and fits them to the demands of the social environment. The instincts of play, graphic representation, dramatization, and the like are rooted. deeply in instinctive muscular and emotional reactions; but they display the constant modification of imitation in the light of environment. A like phenomenon may accompany any one of these instincts, as of collection, roaming, hunting, acquisition. As they appear, imitation determines very largely what content of experiences, and ultimately of ideas and thought, they shall yield. And yet the instincts are the mainsprings, the sources, of emotional life, deep-seated, vital, and strong. They will have to be reckoned with in an efficient system of education.

In part, this relation which subsists between imitation and suggestion, on the one hand, and the primitive and social instincts, on the other, seems to me to offer the key to the educational problem. While heredity prescribes conditions of education, in general too radical to be defied, it does yield very readily to those influences of environment which work in harmony with it. Speech, perhaps, illustrates the truth most forcibly. A fundamental, hereditary function underlies the faculty of speech; yet it is very easily molded by force of environment into the forms of language which surround the child at the time of speech acquisition, no matter what the place of his birth. In no phase of child activity is this more apparent than in that we have called group activity. Let us illustrate by the story of one group of boys.

"Five charter members organized a secret society, called the B. B.'s, which meant Buckeye Boys. They were natives of Ohio, and the seal of 'Ohio was their emblem. The organization continued five years, from the time they were twelve until sixteen. Everything was very secret, not even their name being known. There were two corps of officers, one for meetings, which were held weekly, and the other for field work or tours. A president, secretary, treasurer, and critic were home officers. Amusements, business, essays, papers, and readings took up most of the time. A corporal, cook, fireman, picket, and sergeant-at-arms were for field work. The purpose of the organization was fun, fraternity, and the intellectual advancement of its members.

"They frequently took long excursions into the country, sometimes taking along several chickens, bread and butter; then they would make a raid on a friendly farmer's potato patch or cornfield and secure enough to fill their kettle, which the cook by this time had steaming over a fire near a cool spring of water. One boy's father was a blacksmith; they became deft in welding iron into shapes for their use, such as cranes for their kettles, badges on which the initials B. B. and the seal of Ohio were molded. A good cannon was made on wheels by using a large elm stick, boring a hole thru it, and driving a three-inch gas-pipe into that. On the outside of the wood iron bands were fastened, the whole covered with sheet iron, and more bands put about this. Powder was used as the explosive. The cannon was used in times of peace for celebration of great events and in times of war as a means of defense. It was nicknamed Baby Betsey, as it bore the letters B. B. One boy's father had been a captain in the war, so they became well drilled. military officers, and made some of their own weapons. time in making a boat out of gasoline barrels, beer kegs, and boards bent over them. Great fun was had the day they hitched their fathers' horses to a large wagon and hauled it. several miles to a stream where they launched it. They were always Indians on such excursions. They dug a large cave in a hillside, where they hid their treasure. A wooden door closed the entrance, and they covered it with earth. Other trips were made to woods where they had permission to cut wood and sell it. They sold some and gave some to a poor lady they knew.

They had all the They were a long

"The greatest fun was the initiation of a new member. He was first blindfolded, turned about for a minute, led over fences, thru fields, and into an orchard where many trees would impede his advance. He was told that if he caught a member he would be exempt from the other trials, but if he failed he was led farther to encounter the goat. A real goat's head was fastened to a padded rail. He was then asked how many fingers he had; when replying five, he was told no, that he had six, and no sixfingered boy could belong to their lodge. They would count his fingers so as to convince him of a sixth, which was then cut off. After being fed

upon chocolate-coated cayenne pepper he was considered a worthy member."

I realize that this case, which I have ventured to give at length, is exceptional perhaps. Yet it well typifies many of the cases of children's group activity. It is only the typical to which I shall refer. Here we have the interplay of the suggestions of instinct and those of the environment. Among the former we detect traces of the social and sympathetic sense, of sorcery, pugnacity, hunting, migration, construction, torture, etc. Among the latter a variety of actions, products, laws, purposes, and the like, belonging strictly to the boys' environment. The former unquestionably furnished the mainsprings of interest and action. The latter dominated, in this case on the whole fortunately, the circle of ideas and experiences.

Is there not a lesson for education in this? Is it possible wisely to circumvent even the rougher, cruder instincts in human nature? And is not the method of treatment rather one in which education supplies an environment favorable to adaptations, leaving to the child, within reasonable bounds, the full force of his heredity? that this cannot be done in every instance. Some instincts do not seem always to be amenable to the better suggestions of environment. But the majority of them, I believe, which are not directly in harmony with the present social environment, yield to a process of transformation. The thought of transformation, therefore, should be kept uppermost in the effort of parent or educator to control or modify the instinctive side of development. The power of suggestion and of favorable environment, therefore, should be applied chiefly in the control of the group for edu cative purposes.

Again, this recognition of the force of the group in education will not necessarily stand in the way of individual development. Especially is this true when the group can be given greater or less freedom of movement. As the study of children in groups has shown, the natural selection of individual forces proceeds here as elsewhere. Leaders arise thru force of character; the better moral ideals may dominate; there are trials of individual merit, endurance, and strength; contest and fellowship are constantly disciplining, not only socially, but individually.

Finally, the force with which ideas and actions develop within the group suggests that its interests may be made points of departure in instruction. Whatever feelings and instincts appear here are marked by intensity and strength. It is just for this reason, in part, that the experiences they develop become lasting impressions. Why not, then, following the suggestion of Colin Scott with respect to fears, draw the theme in art, literary, or practical instruction at times from the activities of childhood which are so strong and prominent in the group? The case cited

above suggests this. Sheldon has reported many cases suggestive in the same way. In many of the cases that have come to my notice I have found the group strengthening the interest in the story and exercising the faculty of language, furthering the scientific interest; training to the appreciation and exercise of law and order and fellowship; stimulating native wit, invention, self-help, and construction. All this is possible, I believe, largely because group activity deals with those primeval interests upon which, after all, human nature is built, and because thru them it awakens in the individual a deeper sense of strength.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

SECRETARY'S MINUTES

FIRST SESSION.-WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1899

The meeting was called to order in Turner Hall at 2:30 P. M. by Dr. W. O. Krohn, Hospital, Ill., the vice-president.

After invocation by Rev. William Cleaver, an exhibition of class exercises in German gymnastics was directed by Mr. C. J. Rohde, Los Angeles, Cal.

Following this came the address of the president of the department, G. W. Fitz Harvard University, on the "Conditions and Needs of Physical Education of Today."

The next paper was read by Dr. Frederic L. Burk, superintendent of schools Santa Barbara, Cal., the subject being "Some Influences which Affect Growth."

After a vocal solo by Mrs. Matthewson, Professor W. W. Hastings, of the University of Nebraska, gave a paper on "Anthropometric Studies in Nebraska."

T. A. Story, of Leland Stanford University, led in the discussion of Mr. Burk's paper, followed by W. E. Watts, Chicago, Ill.

The president appointed as nominating committee:

Dr. Augusta Requa, New York city.

Robert Krohn, Portland, Ore.

Mrs. Kate D. Pollans, Waterloo, Ia.

SECOND SESSION.-FRIDAY, JULY 14

The meeting was called to order at 2: 30 P. M. by the vice-president, Dr. Krohn. After a violin solo by Mr. C. J. Fox, a class in wand exercises was led by Mr. Rohde. The first paper was on the subject of "Play Interests of Children," by Will S. Monroe, of the State Normal School, Westfield, Mass.

After music by the Imperial Quartette, a paper on the subject, "How may Fatigue in the Schoolroom be Reduced to the Minimum?" was presented by Superintendent H. E. Kratz, Sioux City, Ia. The same was discussed by Dr. W. O. Krohn, Hospital, Ill., followed by Superintendent Powell, Washington, D. C., and Mrs. Rolfe.

The Committee on Nominations reported the following:

For President George W. Fitz, Cambridge, Mass.

For First Vice-President W. O. Krohn, Hospital, Ill.

For Second Vice-President - Miss Ellen Le Garde, Providence, R. I.

For Secretary-Miss Mable Pray, Toledo, O.

The report was unanimously adopted, and the department adjourned.

REBECCA STONEROAD,

Secretary.