e association informed them of the error of this learned
gentleman, and they came out and voted, the campaign being conducted
by the Village Improvement Association, a club composed of women. The
majority in favor of the new schoolhouse was only seven. The
opposition called a second meeting and reversed this decision. The
women circulated petitions and compelled the school board to call a
third meeting where they won the day. It was voted to erect one new
building to cost $24,700 and another on the south side to cost nearly
$11,000.

This same year, in South Orange, two unsuccessful attempts were made
to get an appropriation to build a much-needed High School. The men
finally decided to call upon the women for help. Nearly 500 attended
the meeting, and the $25,000 appropriation was carried by an
overwhelming majority. The school at Westfield and two new High School
buildings at Asbury Park and Atlantic Highlands were built because of
the women's vote. Manual training was introduced into the Vineland
schools through the zeal of women. A report from Moorestown says: "The
year that women first began to vote at school meetings marks a decided
revival of intelligent interest in our public schools." In Scotch
Plains, where the meetings were held in the public school building, a
holiday afterwards had always been necessary in order to clean it.
With the advent of the feminine voters, expectoration and peanut
shells ceased to decorate the floors, and the children were able to
attend school the next day as usual. The Women's Educational
Association introduced manual training into the public schools of East
Orange.[369]

A number of meetings of the State association were held during 1897,
and among the speakers were Mrs. Mary C. C. Bradford and Mrs. Ellis
Meredith of Colorado, Mrs. Celia B. Whitehead and Miss Laura E.
Holmes. The annual convention took place at Wissner Hall, Newark,
November 30.

Three State meetings were held in 1898, the conference of the National
Board co-operating with the State association, taking the place of the
convention. This was held May 6, 7, at Orange, and was the strong
feature of the year. Through the efforts of the local committee, Mrs.
Minola Graham Sexton, chairman, a large attendance was secured. Among
the speakers were the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, vice-president-at-large
of the National Association, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Mrs. Mariana W.
Chapman, president of the New York State Associatio