‘The Los Angeles Socialist Lyceum’ from The Progressive Woman. Vol. 3 No. 31. December, 1909.

The Los Angeles Socialist Lyceum for children was started in May, 1908 as a branch of work of the Woman’s Socialist Union. It meets Sunday mornings in a hall at the Headquarters in the center of the city, and has continued its meetings with unabated interest from the first.

There were obstacles in the way of course- the scattered city, press of work for many mothers, car fare, and lack of material in the proper form for consecutive lessons, but difficulties always lie in the way of big enterprises.

Mrs. Leah Levin was the first superintendent and her untiring zeal had much to do with its success. Miss Whitehead, Mrs. Kotsch, Comrades Lewis, Hunt and others helped with the instruction which consisted of lessons and songs, with physical exercises when possible. Occasional entertainments, little drills and plays were given. On the whole Los Angeles has made a beginning; and we look forward to the time when there will be Socialist Lyceums for our children in every ward.

The inertia of society today is conditioned largely on the fact that heretofore children have not been taught to do for the general good. As a result social responsibility rests lightly on the average person. To make children socially responsible, to fortify them with knowledge that will help them to carry their sense of duty into deeds, is a big task. This includes a correct knowledge of history and economics which we should see that our youth receives. We could not do more for our children and we should not do less.

Progressive Woman replaced The Socialist Woman. The Socialist Woman was a monthly magazine edited by Josephine Conger-Kaneko from 1907 with this aim: “The Socialist Woman exists for the sole purpose of bringing women into touch with the Socialist idea. We intend to make this paper a forum for the discussion of problems that lie closest to women’s lives, from the Socialist standpoint”. In 1908, Conger-Kaneko and her husband Japanese socialist Kiichi Kaneko moved to Girard, Kansas home of Appeal to Reason, which would print Socialist Woman. In 1909 it was renamed The Progressive Woman, and The Coming Nation in 1913. Its contributors included Socialist Party activist Kate Richards O’Hare, Alice Stone Blackwell, Eugene V. Debs, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and others. A treat of the journal was the For Kiddies in Socialist Homes column by Elizabeth Vincent.The Progressive Woman lasted until 1916.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/socialist-woman/091200-progressivewoman-v3w31-DEFECTIVE.pdf