Sixth Institute.

Chapters eleven and twelve should be studied in connection with chapter ten, which is outlined for the sixth institute. In chapter twelve is presented the thought that through "industrial developments the social life may be dwarfed until the social instincts are displaced by materialistic interests." This moral defect of community life should be overcome by carrying out the constructive program for play and recreation that is set forth in chapter eleven. A complete discussion on "the general social life of the community" must include the special topics: "Moral and Social Deficiencies" and "The Play Life of the Community," which are presented in chapters eleven and twelve.

One would be justified in grouping

the subjects of all the chapters of the book as sub-topics of the subject of chapter ten, because "this subject is fairly inclusive of all that is proposed in this whole book." While the subject may be treated as broadly as indicated by the last statement, yet in chapter ten it is considered in a narrow sense. In this chapter "social life" means "the meeting of people for purposes other than business (though not utterly separate from business)."

People are endowed with social instincts. Courtship, marriage, fatherhood and motherhood are the natural results of the inborn desire for companionship and the craving for social intercourse. Shall these social instincts be preserved on a plane of high idealism or shall they be permitted to degenerate to gross vulgarity? Are

the old time parties with their "kissing games" conducive to the best interests of the young people of the community? These questions must be kept uppermost in the minds of young and old in village and rural communities. These communities are facing their "greatest constructive problem on this social side." In many country communities there is no longer that close relation between industry and the actual motives of life that once existed. The young people are more independent of the father's pocket-book than were the youth of a generation back. The have money of their own which they earn by working for some one outside their own family. There is not the same close social relation between families of rural communities that formerly obtained. Instead of the exchange of evening visits between neighbors there is communication by telephone, and there is the automobile ride to town to attend the theatre or the moving picture show. It is to be regretted that as country people have become sophisticated they have tended to imitate city folks and to break down customs founded on oldtime sincereties.

The problem that confronts the social leader of the village and rural communities is that of adjusting the forces that develope the social instincts of boys and girls and of controlling the agencies that shape their ideals in such manner as to keep the community free from the dominating influence of the city and town. His is the problem of providing for the social instincts "in healthy generous, pure and satisfying form," and of doing so in such a way as to conserve the real social resources of the community.

Who are the social leaders of a community? The fact is no adult can escape the responsibility of having a part in this leadership. We are wont to place the burden of the duty upon the minister and the teacher. Are we as teachers willing to assume the responsibility? Surely we should be willing and we should begin work at once in the community in which we are situated. As we read chapters ten, eleven and twelve we should not assume the attitude of mind that we are interested in the subject matter from a purely academic standpoint. We should realize that we are dealing with a problem involving the real issues of life, and that we are charged with the responsibility of actively participating in the work of directing the social activities of the children.

What are some of the things that teachers can do? In the first place they can give special attention to the matter of proper games and other means of entertainment for the social gatherings of the young people. And the older people may well receive attention. too. The important question for both. old and young to consider is "how shall the hours of a social gathering be spent? Health must be enlarged, vitality increased, emotions deepened. tensions of life relaxed, pleasures renewed, friends brought closer, hopes made more genuine and faith in life. and humanity strengthened. Here is religion; here is education; here are the gates of life itself. The community consciousness may be increased or destroyed by these hours. How shall they be spent?" Teachers should give serious thought to this all-important question and lead the people of the community in carrying out a construc

tive program for social improvement. One teacher in a rural school in Indiana caught the vision of a great opportunity for social service which his position afforded. His school was organized into a sort of community betterment club, although nothing about community uplift was said to either parents or children. A program with educational and entertainment features was prepared by a committee composed of teacher and pupils. This was printed in booklet form and distributed by the pupils. Meetings were held monthly in different homes of the community. There was no lack of entertainment and these social gatherings did not degenerate "into insipid and frittering forms of games."

But the activities of the club were not limited to these monthly meetings. A debate on an important question of current interest was held between this and a neighboring school. Books dealing with the subject for debate were purchased with the funds of the club. These books became an important addition to the permanent library of the school. The club furnished equipment for the athletic department. It became the nucleus of a county oratorical and athletic association. Public entertainments were given under

the auspices of the club. Parents, teachers, pupils and the general public participated in and enjoyed these social gatherings. The school thus became the common center where community interest and control centralized "all the essential social activities of the whole community."

If an average teacher can thus direct the social activities of a community, why can not all teachers of average ability do likewise? Let us as teachers avoid the mistake of assuming that we are employed to teach books, and that we have no time for the interests that have to do with life issues. After all our success with the academic phases of our work depends largely upon the degree to which we enter into the pulsing life of the community. If the study of "Educational Resources of Village and Rural Communities" is to be of value to the state in proportion to the cost involved in paying teachers for their time in township institutes, the teachers of the state must react to the practical teaching of the authors of the book. Are we blind to the real issues presented in the book or are we apathetic to the extent of refusing to follow the light which we see and understand?

In the study of the last division of our text "The Improvement of the Rural Schools" by Prof. Cubberley, this month, we have a sane discussion of the most backward phase of our vocational educational problem. He lays down a workable plan and indicates

how to get it into operation. 1915 is the year. Our opportunity will be here. The legislature meets. His presentation of the subject is unusually interesting, comprehensive and full of practical suggestions to both citizens and teachers.

If it was worth our while to read Miss Weeks twice last month, it surely will profit us to read Prof. Cubberley thrice this month. Then in February reread the whole volume.

While all would agree that education is a preparation for life we would not agree as to the meaning of the words or where the emphasis should be placed.

The teachers of this state have laid the emphasis upon the word "preparation." Education is a preparation for life. You will remember that when the school official was visiting the school and was asked to speak, he said to you, "All this work which you are doing in the school is a preparation for the great life that is to come and some day you will see what it all meant." And at graduation the valedictorian told his class that they had now left the school and were on the threshold of life; and the superintendent said to the graduates, "You have left the shore and have set sail upon the sea of life." All that you have done has been but a preparation for this venture; you are now on a trackless ocean where you have to steer for yourselves. In the kindergarden we were told that it was but a preparation for the primary school; and in the grammar school we were told that it was preparation for the high school; and in the high schools of this country the teachers prepared us for college; and in the college we were told all education is a preparation for life; and when we at last got into our life we were told that life itself was but a preparation for the life to come! There wasn't a moment from the cradle to the grave when we could feel free to "act in

the living present, heart within and God o'er head." "All our education has been a vestibule to a vestibule."

The emphasis must be on the word "preparation," but a greater emphasis must be on the word "life;" it is a preparation for life. But it is a preparation for life by beginning to do in the school the work that will be required of boys and girls when school days are gone.

The one-room school has performed a large part of the education of the people in the past, but with the changed conditions in the country and the improvements in all forms of industry, and especially in agriculture, such a school has become less and less able to meet the needs of the present generation in preparing it for life's duties. In these schools we find a very small amount of apparatus, small school yards and only one instructor, which makes it very difficult for the rural school to enter upon the field of vocational instruction. This will not fully meet the needs of the rural population. In the rural schools vocational instruction could be arranged for, either by consolidation of schools or by the co-operative plan. Under the present conditions the latter plan seems the more feasible.

Under this plan there would be a well-trained supervisor whose duty it would be to care for the work in a maximum of twenty-five schools. The supervisor would plan the work, prepare typewritten instructions, provide materials, have general care of the equipment, direct and criticise the work of the boys, visit each school at least once a week. The regular teacher would be responsible for the hand

work of the first six grades, which should follow as closely as circumstances permit the vocational work recommended for good grade schools. She would also co-operate with the supervisor, and under his direction, assist in carrying on the work of the other grades, which should be made of a thoroughly practical character and correlated more or less directly with the instruction in Domestic Science, Home Making and Agriculture. Manual Training except as it is involved in the forgoing should be reduced to the minimum, in order that these other more valuable lines of work in the rural school may be stressed.

Agriculture cannot be taught with flowerpots in winter. The teacher ought to be employed throughout the year. A country school is a "place" in the country. The school ought to have besides it a "teacherage" just as the church has a parsonage. The teacher should live there. He should be a farmer, he should marry a teacher, and she should be able to sew and cook. The teacher should cultivate his farm better than any other farmer in the community and his wife should keep her house better than any other housekeeper; and if they do not do this they should lose their job. With such schools, organized as our text suggests, and such teachers, children would receive a sound practical education in the country schools.

At bottom the rural school problem is an economic one. We can have just as good schools in the country as in the city if we will pay for them. We do not, mainly, because the money is distributed according to population. There is a great need of having demonstrated just what is possible in a rural

school, and in such demonstration work, is a most appropriate place not only to incorporate the splendid suggestions of Prof. Cubberley; but for federal aid to rural education.

Dr. Philander P. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Education, is called the educational Moses who will lead us up from rural school indifference to rural school efficiency. He believes in practical education. He says, "I can not conceive of any education except for service. A man should be counted great in proportion as he can render service." The rural school should raise, socialize, and vitalize rural life.

In city schools. we need three educational developments in order that city children may have growth opportunities equal to the children in the country. We need more vocational training, more opportunities for free. play, and more gardening.

It ought not to be a vain hope that the rural schools reach the efficiency of the city schools, a goal which has been set up in the minds of the country. people through our vocational law. The leaders in education in this commonwealth and the legislative committee of the State Teachers' Association could do no more valuable piece of work than instruct and guide the incoming legislature in enacting into law some of the advanced, well grounded ideas set forth under the caption of our text: this month, "The Improvement of Rural Schools." "Our country schools! Oh! let their light

Shine through our country's story; Here rests her strength, her wealth, her might;

Here rests her future glory."