Iowa.—Woman’s Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Miss Ella E. Marsh, Grinnell, Iowa.
Kansas.—Woman’s Home Miss. Society, Secretary, Mrs. Addison Blanchard, Topeka, Kan.
South Dakota.—Woman’s Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. W. H. Thrall, Amour, Dak.
REPORT OF SECRETARY.
In inviting the women of the North, and particularly those of the Congregational churches to help establish and sustain its missions, the American Missionary Association has felt that woman’s work in the churches at home is as important as woman’s work in the mission field, in order to secure the greatest efficiency, the best results of the labor expended.
Nor have we been disappointed. As the hearts of those at home have opened pityingly toward the needs of women suffering from the effects of oppression, abuse and paganism, right here in our own country, and the hearts of our missionaries have been burdened with the same woes, the helping hand has been mutually extended; and it has been the mission of the Bureau of Woman’s Work to join these hands in strong and loving ministry.
Our woman’s work in the field can be only briefly referred to here. It is embodied in the full report which the Association gives of all its missions. Of the sixteen Normal and graded schools reported by the Association, seven are in the charge of lady teachers alone. One of these is a boarding school especially for girls, and is similar in plan to the Mt. Holyoke and Auburndale schools. But in all our boarding schools like methods are introduced, indeed the best that can be culled from Northern experience is put into practice.
Some slight changes in our plan of work should be noted, as indicating the new demands upon us in woman’s work. We no longer select our special missionaries mainly for house-to-house visiting and Bible reading, but combine this with more effective organized work. To concentrate effort upon the training of the young for usefulness, is conceded by all our workers as most essential. This is well accomplished in our boarding schools, but where we have only day schools or churches we have felt the need of reaching the home life more effectually than could be done by a missionary visitor. We therefore bring the young people to our special missionary for practical instruction, connecting this with the Christian training.
Sewing-schools are established in which girls are taught not merely how to sew well, but how to cut and make garments for themselves and fathers and brothers. Kitchen-garden has been quite generally introduced for teaching all kinds of laundry, kitchen and dining-room work, care of bed-rooms and bedding, polite attention to guests, with all amenities of home life. Thus a transformation has been made in many homes through the new life opened up to the children.