American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-03-21
COMMUNICATIONs.
Our Common schools.
Our wants--No. q.

We want men as school Directors, who
possess a spirit of selfdenial, and who
are willing to make sacrifices for the good
of the cause. 1t is. one which demands
these characteristics, and he who does not
possess them, is not the man to whom so
important trust should be committed. -
Every earnest school Director has learn
ed from his own experience that the work
requires large development of these
qualifications. Why?
lst. 1t is a gratuitous work.
Every other Office, however unimport.
ant in its character, affords some remun-
Grafton for the time and labor required
in the discharge of its duties but, this
one, though involving large amount of
labor and responsibility, is wholly gratu-
itous. So great have been their respon-
sibilities during the last three or four
years, owing to the extra duties imposed
by the Legislature in the provisions of
the Bounty laws, without any remunera-
tion, that the position in many cases be-
came an excessive burden. Whilst all
other Offices of public trust were remun.
Grated, no provision was made to reward
School Directors for their labor. This
extra labor is now happily over, and it is
to be hoped may never again be needed
and especially, that the school cause may
never again be so much crippled by the
imposition of duties upon Directors which
have no bearing upon the interests ofthe
schools. Still, though relieved of these
labors, the duties of School Directors are.
by no means light Much time, labor
and no little care and anxiety, especially
in rural districts, are required. All this
demands self-denial and more or less sac
ri6ce. If those who occupy this position
have not these characteristics, the cause
of the Common Schools will suffer under
their supervision. Whilst it is reasona-
Bile that men who perform these onerous
duties should be remunerated. Still the
mere motive uf pecuniary compensation
is not sufficient Men who were not in.
terested in the school cause when the
work was gratuitous, are not likely to be
the right kind of men to have charge of
its interests when paid for their labor
We want men in this work willing to
exercise whatever of self-denial may be
required, not for the pecamiary REGARD,
but for the loUe. Of the cause itself This
is the only motive that can call out the
right men. and hence in the selection Of
men for School Directors, these are the
ones who should be chosen.
I'd. 1t is a thankless work. No one it
is presumed will dispute this deciaratio n.
Doubtless there is no ,oork for which men
receive so little thanks, and so many com
plants. There are but few who faith
fully perform their duties in this Office,
who do not incur the displeasure of some
Of their neighbos.
1t has been my very unpleasant priv
ilege to hear complaints uttered often
against men who were oonsoientiously
striving to discharge their duties, There
are SO many unreasonable people--of all
men preserve US from such-that dissat
isfaction- complaints and injrst criticism.
upon the acts of directors are insepera
bly, connected with the Office.
If some unrnly urchin happens to b.
punished smartly, then forth with th,
teacher mustb dismissed, ,and if the Direc
tors do not at once CON ply with this de-
mand the child is kept at home and dir
,anathemas are hurled at them for refusal
That sometimes there are justifable case
of this kind is doubtless true, but the
are exceptions.
If the Directors, wishing to promot
the best interests of the schools, as the
are ip duty bound to do in every possib
way, purchase some maps or school q,
paratus for the purpose of aiding the p
Pils IN understanding the branches tang