The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-24
TO SCHOOL COMMlTTREMEN.
supt. Joyner Explains Their Duties---Good
Work in Orange Co.

State Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton j. Y. Joyner is sending out to each
school committeeman in the State
pamphlet containing in brief the duties
and powers of school committeeman un-
der the Public School Law of 1908. APP
pended thereto is the following letter to
each one:
Upon you, public school committee
men, perhaps more than upon any other
school officers, depends the success of the
public schools without your hearty CO.
operation and active interest in your in
dlvidual schools, this great work of pub
lie education cannot succeed.
For your convenience, | have given
above a brief summary of your dutiep and
powers as prescribed by law. You are
bound by the solemn obligation of your
official oath to discharge these duties
You cannot afford to neglect them. In
the discharge of them, as conscientious
men, you can consider nothing but the
success of the school and the good of
the children With such men, favorit-
ism and nepotism can have no place.
Perhaps the most important of your
duties is the election of a teacher, for,
as is the teacher, so will be the school.
In the discharge OF this and other duties,
therefore, you can know nobodys son or
daughter, sister or brother, niece or
nephew, cousin or friend. You are the
sworn guardians of the children's rights
and interests, and you should consider
these only in the selection of a teacher
and In all other matters relating to the
management of the school. AS patriotic
men and good citizens, you can render
no more valuable and permanent SER
vice to your State and community than
by dischargng, without fear or favor, the
simple but important duties devoiying
upon you as school committeeman. l wish
to appeal to you, therefore, to acquaint
yourself fully with your legal duties and
to discharge them bravely as the law
directs.
II do not need to remind you that there
are other duties not mentioned in the
letter of the law, but included in the
spirit thereof, as binding in their obliga-
ton as these. Among them are 81 The
duty TO visit the school occasionally and
manifest in this way to teacher, children
and patrons an interest IN its success, a
desire to encourage it, and purpose to
become acquainted with its work and
its needs; CD to aid in creating in the
community healthy public sentiment for
education and to lead in all movements
for the betterment of the public school;
CD to cooperate with the teacher in
finding and bringing into the school al.
children that ought to attend.
"a word of encouragement from the
committee to the teacher, if deserved,
will frequently nghten her load and in
spire her to renewed effort and greater
success. A word of advice, when needed,
will frequently save the teacher from
many a blunder and the school from fail
ure. A word of suggestion or earnest APP
peal from a committeeman to an indif-
ferent neighbor will frequently result in
bringing to school some bright boy or girl
and turning the whole current of the
child's life from darkness toward the
light.
"These are simple duties, costing little
IN time and trouble, but they are worth
doing. They will bring joy to those who
do them and blessing to those for whom
they are done"
County superintendent Charles F.. Mad
dry, of Orange. writes to Superintendent
Joyner that four school districts have been
consolidated into two, and that new
school houses will be built in the larger
districts.