Recently, four names, the names of women, were presented to classes of girls in the last year of the grammar grades and the four years of the high school.  The girls were asked, “Did you ever hear of Frances Willard?  What do you know about her?” Then followed the names of Mary Lyon, Clara Barton, Alice Freeman Palmer.  The show of hands and the written replies were pitiful.  Some had a vague idea that they had heard the name somewhere, a few gave one or two facts.  Clara Barton seemed the one most familiar but knowledge concerning her was very limited.

Then Jane Addams’ name was tried, the same meager replies resulting.  Finally the name of the wife of a noted and notorious insane criminal was given and scarcely a hand was down in answer to the first question, and pencils flew over the paper in answer to the second.  What does it mean?  It does not condemn the school, nor does it hold the school responsible but it does suggest that there might be some substitute characters for the mythical ones of ancient history, or that possibly the lives of great and noble women might be studied with greater profit by the girls of today than certain abstract problems in physics.  In many of the classes where the questions were asked that fresh, clear, vitalizing atmosphere charged with reality, seemed lacking.

When we can calmly look at our schools, recognize the tremendous difficulties under which they work, realize their limitations, and with profound belief in what they have done, gratitude for what they are doing and confidence in what they are going to do, get at our task of setting teachers free and vitalizing courses of study, we shall be able to generate in them all the atmosphere in which the girl will find inspiration for noble living.

Where can the girl turn for the life giving atmosphere?  To the church?  Yes, if the church were awake to the facts and equipped to meet her needs.  But what a small part of our country’s girlhood comes into direct contact with the church, and how few churches have adequate leadership provided for those whom it does touch.  The whole problem of adolescence is a problem of leadership.  A wise leader has almost unlimited power in charging the atmosphere with the spirit of uplift.  The church must furnish leadership.  It must guide or lose its youth.  It must advise with practical, possible advice.

Perhaps the day will come when groups of churches will unite in forming social centers and the business men of those churches shall seriously consider the problem of where girls shall meet their young men friends and how they shall spend their evenings together.  Perhaps some day the men of the church will select in their community a good, clean moving picture house, and there are some, where they can advise their young people to go, helping them thus to escape the snare of those who cater to evil.

Those most deeply interested in a girl’s religion, have come to see its relation to every other phase of her life, and to know that one may not snatch amusements from the lives of young people, giving nothing in return.