Educational film magazine; (January-December 1920)

ciation. To this conference will be invited in an advisory capacity all commercial interests who can help educators and others to solve the problems in this field, and it is hoped that out of this general conference will arise a strong na- tional organization in which non-theatrical motion picture exhibitors and commercial manufacturers and distributors of equipment and films can cooperate and bring about a great national market in the non-theatrical field. The dominant note at these informal conference> was that no flavor of commercialism must taint the work of the organization committee or of the organization itself after being formally established. The same tendency towards influencing or controlling the action of the N. E. A. which cropped out at the afternoon meeting was observed during the evening, namely, the commercializing of an eff"ort which can only succeed if maintained on a high educational and ethical level. The committee to be selected will no doubt avoid this pitfall and will see to it that the confergnce leading to the formation of the association will adopt pro- cedure which will make it impossible for commercial in- terests to have anything more than an advisory hand in the proposed organization. In other words, the feeling on the part of the educators, the editors, and other non-commercial interests present at these gatherings was that the initiative and the demand must come from the schools, churches, and other uncommercial institutions and that they must dictate the policies and the methods of the organization. The suggestion put forth that the active members of the associa- tion, the school men and women, should not pay dues and that the commercial people should "foot the bills" was properly frowned upon and cast aside. The feeling was that there should be no sense of obligation whatsoever to the manufacturers and distributors, who will be welcome to offer advice and to cooperate with the exhibitors. Report of .Action of an Informal Conference on Educational Use of Visiai. Aids Held at the Hotel Hollenden. Cleveland, Ohio, Wednesday, February 25, 1920. Dr. W. H. Dudley, University of Wisconsin, in the chair. Moved by Mr. Wilson of Detroit, and passed: That a committee of nine educators, in no way concerned in or connected with commercial visual instruction organizations. be appointed to invite all persons interested in the educational use of visual aids, including representatives of commercial and industrial organiations, to a conference to be held within two months if possible, for the purpose of perfecting a permanent organization. Discussion at the conference indicated that the desire was ihat the organization committee of nine .should draft tentative plans for the organization and conduct of the permanent association, such plans to be used as the basis of discussion at the conference. This was embodied in no motion. The opinion of the conference seemed to he that control of the permanent organization should be vested in the educators but that support should be accepted from and close cooperative relations established with commercial and industrial interests. Ninety five dollars was subscribed by those present for meeting the expenses of the organization committee of nine. \. J. Klein, Secretary of Informal Conference. 34,000,000 Feet of Government Film Arthur J. Klein, secretary of the National University Extension Association, at the Monday afternoon confer- ence gave some interesting figures on the distribution of the government's war films from Washington. He said that there were now 42 distributing centers in state uni- versities and other institutions and that this number would probably increase. About 9,000,000 feet of positive film have been distributed through these centers, of which more than 600,000 feet were sent out since September 1, 1919. Mr. Klein estimated that about 25,000,000 feet additional of government film remain to be distributed for public ( hibition throughout the country. The work of distributi is handled by the extension association in cooperation w the Bureau of Education in Washington. Although most of this film deals with the late war, si Mr. Klein, a considerable proportion of it can be used conjunction with history studies. In the series entiti "Training of a Soldier," there are 36 reels which ; valuable for instructional purposes. These are among i most thoroughgoing pedagogical motion pictures so i produced, such pictures as "Military Map Reading," "T Three Inch Shrapnel" and similar ones being models simplicity and clearness. Mr. Dudley, who was associated last year with the 1 vision of Educational Extension, Bureau of Eiducation, stat that the bureau estimated that about 3,000 American scho( were equipped with motion picture projection machines all types. The questionnaire mailed by the bureau 1; year to 38,000 schools and colleges revealed that 1,1 were then equipped and 384 others were planning to eqtj for the use of films. More than 2,100 schools had lot arrangements with theaters, churches, halls, clubs, and oth institutions for showing special educational film progran The figure mentioned, 3,000, appears to be conservatii inasmuch as the questionnaire did not reach all education institutions by any means and only about 30 per cent those' questioned replied. Major L. G. Mitchell, of the United States Armv. Medic Corps, told the Wednesday evening gathering of his thr reel film on oral and dental hygiene, "Come Clean," whi has been shown to the members of the Senate and Hou military committees in Washington. The picture was ma largely at the Army Medical Museum in that city, and said to be a valuable contribution to the visual side medical education. Films Screened at Convention Considering the vital importance of motion pictures any scheme of visual education, and the voluminous di cussion of the subject,, there was comparatively little acti ity at the convention in the way of actually screening su jects of an educational nature. A few films were shov in the main assembly room of the Hotel Cleveland, such "Feet and Shoes," with a lecture bv Miss Eleanor Bertin of the Y. W. C. A. War Work Council; "Come Clean." tl Major Mitchell picture; and one or two others of th character at the meetings of the American School Hygiei Association. Several reels on school gardening were shoM at the meetings of the School Garden Association in tl rooms of the Cleveland Advertising Club, Hotel Statler, < Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. .\l the Thursday afternoon conference of the Communi: Centers Association, February 26,'Frank L. Crone, former director of education in the Philippine Islands and no director of the school service section, Community Motio Picture Bureau, spoke on the topic "Obtaining Motion Pi tures for a Community Center." On Friday Mr. Klein, of the University Extensic Association, was one of three speakers on the subject "Wh; the University Extension Association Offers School Centers emphasizing the community value of motion pictures an telling of the mass of government film available in the 4 distributing centers of the association. Conunissioner Cla: ton was heard with great interest on "Wliat the United Stati Bureau Offers Local Community Center Movements." Du ing the three days of papers and discussions on the acti' ilies of school community centers it was brought out thi 8