Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1909 — Why a Woman Should Be a Member of the School Board. [ARTICLE]

Why a Woman Should Be a Member of the School Board.

The ladies of the committee received a letter from Mary E. Nichelson, a member of the school board of Indianapolis, Ind., wlyeh says in part, “It is a great pleasure to know that the women are interested in the welfare of the children outside the home in the school, because women are the natural guardians of the children and if, for no other reason, their influence should be felt on our school boards as well as in the school rooms. A man’s principal objection to this is that woman know little about public finances. If this be true it is a thing which can be learned and will best be learned through ‘experience. I sincerely hope that you will win.” Just a 1 few words from one who is interested in the call for a woman on the school board. In the first place we need more than three members on the school board and one, at least, should be a woman. Why, you ask. Before answering we ask you, why do we allow women to teach our children, to have them to control, to guide them spiritually as well as mentally, to mould their characters, to be responsible for them, six hours in the day, five days out of the week, nine months in the year, or about twothirds of their waking time. Why should you, then, not be willing to have a woman on the school board to use her influence to better the condition for the teacher and the pupil, as only a woman can. She can so indirectly use her influence for the betterment of the conditions so to strengthen the child both morally and physically that the parents will rise up and call her blessed.

A MERE WOMAN.