Welsh Journals

WALES AT WORK: A SOCIAL DIARY- Outside of the walls of the College Was a rich field, little cultivated. The subject of adult education Was one of the greatest problems of the Universities, and by their handling of it they might stand or fall In the not far distant future. Could they combine successfully the two great functions of adolescent education for which the students came to College, and adult education for which the College went to the people ?-Principal Sibly of the University College ot Swansea at a meeting of the Court of Governors on November 15, 1920. One seemsto discover in the new programme the idea of a freer participation of the teachers themselves in the government and the real beginning of a Parliament of Schools.-Mr. Ernest Rhys on the Secondary Education Report. The Cardiff Cymmrodorian should aspire to a roll of at least 1,000 with a membership fee of a guinea. They 'should take steps to found a Welsh national building commensurate with the importance of the rallying point of an entire nation. Whether under the same roof of such a building or separately, they should take steps to found a Welsh National Theatre and a Welsh National Musical Academy, and give a permanent home to a permanent Welsh National OrchestrQ.-Councillor John Daniel in his presidential address to the Cardiff Cymmrodorion, October 16, 1920. MOVEMENTS. Last Whit-Tuesday a Conference was held at Llan- drindod Wells to set up a Welsh National Council in connection with the League of Nations Union. But apparently the Council has not yet met. Meanwhile much is being done locally all over Wales. And readers of the Welsh Outlook will be grateful for news of plans adopted to keep alive interest in potentially the greatest movement of modern times. So far as my experience goes, no one has hit upon a happier method than the Rev. Richard Jones, M.A., of Llandinam. He meets fortnightly with twenty or thirty people in the village for a discussion on Foreign Affairs. Every member of the Class is responsible for tidings of a particular country. One member covenants to read the newspapers during the fort- night with an eye more particularly on India-in the Llandinam Class the member who does this has seen service in India.- another on Japan, another on Germany, and so the nations of the world are covered. Another member is responsible for a fortnightly review of the League of Nations itself. Each of the members of the Foreign Affairs Class keeps the newspaper cuttings referring to the particular country, and notes are com- piled. At the Class, therefore, it is easy to arrange for a dis- cussion of the trend of things the world over, and to estimate the progress of the League of Nations. This idea is a positive inspiration. It should be eagerly welcomed and enthusiastically adopted throughout the length and breadth of the Principality. The Welsh School of Social Service is now sectionalized, and its work is being carried on in well-defined departments. So far the following sections have been organized-each section being divided into groups — (1) Section A-Education This section has three groups, each group being definite and distinct. Group A Educational tendencies in Wales. Group B The Adolescent Problem in Wales. Group B is arranging for a conference of workers amongst adolescents to be held early in 1921. Group C will concern itself with the admirable work which is being done by the hundreds of guilds which existed throughout the Principality. Here is new ground which has not been tackled hitherto by any organization. (2) Section B— Christian Witness The School is to bring together a number of leading people in the religious life of Wales and of all the religious bodies, to think out and to state the Christian witness with regard to urgent social and moral problems. (3) Section C —Women's Section In addition to the tasks already in hand the Women's Section is giving special attention to the subject of Penal Reform in Wales. (4) Section D-Rural Life Here groups are being set up as follows Group A-Co-operation; Group B-Recreation (covering music, the drama, and sports); Group C-The Church and the Countryside; Group D-Rural Education; Group E-Rural Economics. Other sections are in process of formation, and the findings of all the sections with their groups will be made manifest at the Annual Session of the School which will be held in Llandrindod Wells in the fourth week of next August. The first active local group of the Welsh School of Social Service has been constituted in the home of progressive causes-Aberdare. Mr. T. Botting, B.A., BSc., Director of Education, acted as the convener of the Aberdare Group, and keen interest will be taken in its develop- ment. The Aberdare Group may exercise a great influence upon the future of social movements in other Welsh towns and districts The Adult School Movement in Wales is making up its mind to forge ahead. It has been decided to form a Committee for Wales to do propaganda work on behalf of this splendid attempt at cultivating in men and women a horror of the second best. The Welsh Committee is fortunate in having Mr. D. Lleufer Thomas as its chairman, and Mr. Lloyd Roberts as secretary. By the Re0. Gwilym DaOies, M.A. All communications should be sent to Mr. Lloyd Roberts, at 9. Alfreda Road, Whitchurch, Glam. Not only has the Free Church Council passed away, but the new Council of Evangelical Churches of Wales has been putting its house in order by a drastic revision of its constitution. The Council in future will be made up mainly of representatives directly appointed by the various organized bodies-Baptist, Calvinistic Methodist, Congregational, Wesleyan Methodist, Primitive Methodist, United Methodist, the Society of Friends, the Scotch Baptists, and the Churches of Christ. Is it likely that the new constitution will lead to a greater interest in the work of the Council by the Churches? The chances are that it will do so in spite of reactionary tendencies amongst some leaders of the Baptist persuasion who have always been luke- warm in their support of unity amongst the Churches. Amongst those who desire the prosperity of the 'new Council there is a feeling that it will become a real power to the extent that it confines itself to its proper function. And the function of an Evangelical Council is to give a firm and courageous lead in a much-needed effort to re-evangelise Wales." Mr. Herbert Lewis, M.P., spoke with pardonable pride at the annual meeting of the National Library of Wales of the possession by the Library of practically all the manuscripts of leuan Gwynedd. Mr. Ballinger, in his report, gave an outline of the activities of the Summer School of Library Service. Preparations are being made for the Welsh National Exhibition of 1922. It will represent the history of Wales, its art, music, industry, agriculture, and hygiene. Cardiff is to be the centre, as the exhibition must not only be national but it must pay its way. The cost is likely to be around a quarter of a million. EVENTS. EDUCATION. Principal J. H. Davies states in his annual report that the total number of students at Aberystwyth this session is 1,143. 172 students hail from North Wales, 778 from South Wales. There are nine from India and ten from Serbia. Mr. D. C. Roberts said that every student cost the College about £ 50 per annum, 'while his fees did not average more than £ 15. The year's working showed a deficit of £ 1,577. The total debt of the College now approached £ 50,000. At Bangor it was reported that the financial statement there showed a deficit of £ 25,000. Lord Kenyon was cheered when he said that up to the present the professors of their College had been most inadequately paid. The Montgomeryshire Education Committee has decided to invite the six North Wales Counties with Cardigan, Radnor, and Brecon, to a joint Conference in the matter of the new standard scale of salaries for teachers, which will take effect in April, 1921. Following the lead of Anglesey, the Denbighshire Education Committee wants to deal with the Church School question. A deputation to the Archbishop of Wales was decided upon. At the Federation of Education Committees at Llandrindod Wells on October 15th, the fact was made public that the Fisher proposals with regard to education had never been intended to apply to Wales. Mr. Fisher hopes that in Wales a settle- ment of the issue might be arrived at on an agreed basis. A candidate for the Cardiff City Council said that he was the first Welsh University student to contest that ward. There is far too much truth in the saying that as far as the civic life of Wales is concerned, the Welsh University might never have existed. A new feature in County School life in Wales is that of the Inter-Y.M. Club," of which we hope to give some particulars later.