Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-12-11
DUTIES on DIRECTORS
Paper Read at the Recent
School Directors Assn
BY J. H1XsON VAN ETTEN
Published by Request and Resolution
Duly Adopted by the Dircetors'
Association for the Perusal
Of Thoae Not Prasent

- @--~ N~NNAN
Association for the Perusal
Of Those Not Present
Mr. PRESIDENT AND DIREoroRs OF
PIKE COUNTY:
There is probably no local Office
the duties Of which. if properly
appreciated, are more delicate and
the responsibilities more far reach
ing and important in their effect on
the present and future than that of
school director Other officials by
malfeasance may bring financial loss
and temporary distress to the COM
munity. They may entail sorrow
and suffering on their fellow men
and deprive them and their families
of the necessities to say nothing of
the luxuries of life But financial
losses may be recovered. A forest
cut down will in time grow up. A
building destroyed can be replaced,
crops injured or ruined do not create
an irreperable disaster, all such mis-
fortunes may by energy and perse-
verance be overcome, but time
wasted, opportunities disregarded,
years OF months frittered away in
idleness or spent in pursuit Of that
which is of little Importance in
fitting for the work of q life are
irrevocably gone. We cannot turn
back the dial, we cannot gather up
the sands which have run through
the hour glass of childhood and
youth. The moments are gone for
ever, like the waves of the sea
which break on the shore and
mingle again with the waters of the
deep so time misspent passes into
the eternity Of moments and is
forever gone.
The youth grown up and mingling
with the busy crowds pushing their
way to the desires of their lives
must either struggle for his place or
be distanced in the race. Like the
trained athlete If he is not prepared
for the contest he must lag behind
and lose the victory and the prize.
He must see others who enjoyed no
greater opportunities or privileges
pass him on the way because of
their better equipment for the work
and duties of life. He looks back
with longing TO the time when he
might have made preparation, he
fruitlessly regrets the wasted hours
and bemoans his unfitedness for the
position to which he aspires. He
sees himself supplanted by those
with no more natural ability or skill
than he possesses, but whose train
ing have fitted them for the work.
He perhaps becomes dispondent over
his lack Of success, relinquishes his
efforts and takes a permanent place
on lower level in society. 1t is
natural for men to attribute their
lack of success to some other than
their own neglect or want of appli-
cation and the youth who finds
himself outclassed seeks to shift the
responsibility on other shoulders
than his own. Looking back to his
school days ne perhaps notes, with
his newly and dearly bought expert
ence, the fact that those days were
lily spent and that his hours were
passed in idle frivolity.
/ have no statistics to prove the
assumption, but 1 venture the state
ment that perhaps 95 out of every
100 youth in this county finish their
school days in our common schools
Whatever Of education they acquire
, is obtained under the teachers yot
= directors employ. The child wher
8 it enters the school room at a tonde
age has no conception of the i'm
portance Of study, and perhaps M
taste for books or learning, It ha
no ambition TO excel, it perhaps ha
little idea Of system, order or disci
pline. Il is a young, human anima
full Of life and spirits, bent only OF
fun and enjoyment. It is a twig t,
be trained either into a crooket
stick or a straight and shapely tree
Its mind is tender and pliable, ready
to receive impressions which ono
made are difficult to eradicate. an'
I which may, BY their lasting imprin
: give an impetus which will abide 70
: (Continued on Fourth Pagel