Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-02-07
EDUCATORS BEGIN AT RIGHT END.
Are Looking After Rural Schools as Well
as Higher Institutions.

nope Tor the boys and girls. Tha
Is what we thought last Wednesday
as we looked over the intelligen srowt
In the court room, seating $50, q wer
informed that 2l0 of the men we mem
bers OF school boards. Now oui eIuca
tors are beginning at the right . d Of
the line. We have been lookin S,ftel
the higher institutions and the 6uraI
schools have not Kept pace /.
superintendent Gardner calle 0the
meeting 10 ORDER and stated the Sect
OF the gathering as provided by S.w,
and talked On Free Text Books util
noon.
Professor Colburn spoke on ''T, sh.
ing OF Agriculture in Country Scho =
de oegcn by showing the tendene, Of
the young people 70 get into the cities
and towns, and the need of putting into
the country school course studies which
Will interest the boy and girl In the
things about which they already have
some knowledge, and in their surround
ings AS matter of fact the atmos-
phere Of the school room is almost for
eign to the boys home. In school he
learns from books about cities and towns
and he work done there. Only in a few
pages of the arithmetic and geography
use as farmer. Some one has said
The children go to school to learn about
rutfians who lived 1000 years ago" in
stead of matters il practical life. In the
cities something is done in the line of
manual training to keep the boys In
school. In the lower grades there are
aearly the same number of boys as girls;
As the pupils progress In the work the
boys grow fewer in number. In Viroqus
nigh school there are today 10J girls and
40 bows. Had not Viroqua, with its fine
squipment, better be doing something
to hold the boys, as 90 of the 10 are tui-
ton pupils? Competition In the world
Is strenuous today and some features
must be mt into the country school that
will unite the home and school forces.
The tendency now is to divorce them
and this is one reason for teaching agri.
culture Hold the boy in school at any
cost. You may say added expense. "
What are we living for anyway. IL it Is
nof for the welfare of our children
Books are prepared for this work.
Teach the boys and girls how the plants
grow by actual experiment, If possible.
Have school garden and let them learn
the common plants. The equipment can
be very simple. Uncle Sam will fur
nish the seeds and many books that will
be helpful. Teach care of machinery,
need enough of it,, care of stock, poul-
try, intelligence of the horse. kindness
to the COW, facts about oat smut, etc.
One obstacle may be lack of knowledge
on part OF the teacher. The teacher will
give what she school board demands.
How many of you know whether sgri-
culture is taught in your schools or not I
Get the boys heart in his work Sub.
scribe for an agricultural paper for the
school, for .sS SuefeSs efeSs 6s bss Youth s'errrs
men men; and women. more ~, pcSo'he result. (. with I
simple life and ways, fewer broken down |
mers and fewer farms under mortgage.
Start the boy on the right track and aid |
The teacher in every way. Enclose the |
school grounds with good fence and |
help to plant trees nd shrubs. There |
are plenty Of hardy things in our beau-
tiful woods.
Judge Mahoney talked upon Select |
ion of Teachers. He reminded the |
members that they should consider it an |
honor to serve their district and feel IL q |
duty TO give time and thought to the |
work. First, the condition in the coun. |
try must be changed before the best and |
experienced teachers can be held there. |
He described the conditions in winter as |
oftentimes found-a heavy snow storm |
and drifts; the teacher boarding two |
miles from the school house at the only !
place they would keep her, plowing her |
way 10 the school house. then shoveling |
snow and building a fire from green |
wood. Think of the condition she is in |
to do her days work We think, If such |
are the conditions, q Chinook squRw OF |
the KIondike, as described by Jack Lon |
don, is more fit for the place than a re.
fined gentlewoman, such as the laws of |
Wisconsin expect our teachers to be. A |
ianitor should be employed and the time !
and strength of teacher and children
saved. He said he believed he knew Of
Young girls who had gone down to early
graves because Of these exposures.
If you get good teacher, retain her
if possible. Don't let good teacher
getting $40 90 because she wants a raise
in salary. You may get another teacher
at $40 that will not be worth 80 What
does this mean-the loss of year to the
boys and girls, loss that cannot be re-
placed Hire experienced teachers II
possible. Ask the advice of the county
superintendent. We would suggest Wis.
tts TO the gatherings of teachers and
xeep your eyes and ears open to see and
ear OF teachers who are doing good
sork. After the teacher is hired, give
er ever aid and support Avoid dis
rict row bury discord and strife, and
II unit 10 make the conditions and sur
onndings as good as possible. We
you'd suggest the word Of appreciation
nd helpful interest to the teacher.
Your interests are identical with her
1ccess and she has large problem for
fttimes slender frame and unframed
ands. L. R. G.
CONTINUED next week.