The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-29
TO SCHOOL COMMtrTEEnEN.
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 a
pamphlet containing in brief the duties
and powers OF school committeeman IN
der the Public School Law of 1903. 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 dutles 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, favOr1t-
ism and nepotism can ave no place.
Perhaps the most important of your
duties IS the election of a teacher, Tor,
as Is the teacher, SO VIII be the school.
In the discharge of this and other duties,
therefore,, you can know nObody's son or
daughter, sister or brother, niece or
nephew, cousin or friend. You are the
sworn guardians of the chlldren's rights
and interests, and you should consider
these only III 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
~ l,,ol r,, 1-,+10,,t fOo1 ~ fr r., ho
simple but important duties devolving
| upon you as school committeeman. / wish
to appeal to you, therefore, TO ~2cqualnt
yourself fully with your legal duties and
to discharge them bravely as the law
directs.
4 do not need to remind you hat there
| are other duties not mentioned IN the
letter of the law, but included in the
spirit thereof, as binding IN their obhga-
ton as these. Among them are OD The
duty TO visit the school occasionally and
manifest In this way to teacher, children
and patrons an interest IN It's success, a
desire to encourage it, and a purpose to
| become acquainted with its work and
! its needs; CD to aid IN creating in the
| community a healthy public sentiment for
education and to lead IN all movements
for the betterment of the public school;
| t3J TO cooperate WIN the leacueI III
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 indlf-
ferent n%eighbor will frequently result in
bringing to school some bright boy or girl
and turning the whole current of the
child's life from arkness 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 VIII be built in the larger
districts.