The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-14
DR.. Mitchell Presents in Con-
vincing Way the Task Of
the Neighborlood.'
.FoCl OF The RURAL LIFE.
School May BE Larger Unit in
y Each Community Than Either
Church Or Courthouse.
TO Or. S. G. Mitchell bro fcs,sor :,

Aohor Oh presiding over the confer
erG.- tor education in the south In
scss:oS last week at Pinchurst N,
( G. Mr.. Robert G. Ogden was absent on
account of sickness, and DIR. Nlitchclrs
selection was unanimous and well
1llcrited. 8s 2f5
Or. Mitchell has always been given
q prominent place on the speakers
program. and at the recent conference
his principal address MS on "The
Task Of the Neighborhood,' a SUB
3ect this gifted and Inspiring educa-
tor handled with uncommon ability
and attractiveness. He said III part:
We are accustomed to speak Of
the Southern problem; but would it
not be Well to resolve this large and
general term back into it's constituent
elements, with view to making our
purpose in education more defnita .
and our efforts more concrete? Tne
southern problem Is not n strategic
point, not bloody ANGLE not
single fortress, which can be carried
by one brilliant assault, as we some
times seem TO fancy; but it is rather
"a series of innumerable ganglia each
one the centre of salutary potency,
economic, social and intellectual These
tsanglia are the myrlads Of neighbor-8
Il hoods which dot the wide expanse of
1.-THE South.
This educational movement has dis
played rare generalship in marshal
ing masses of people, in cnlisting the
leaders of thought In the several
States, and in rendering more eTec-
tive al educational agencies. 1t has
brought ito light the facts as to
Southern schools; it has lifted educa-
ton here into national prominence;
1t has brought encouragement to
every isolated man or woman. who
an his or her sphere was sincerely
making for progress; it has re-.
Enforced Southern opinion and pro-
moted cancellation among all sections
of our common country. These are
great gains and they will abide. But
has not the time come for another
turn to be taken in our advance? ~
Foci Of Rural Life.
To-day the rural community in the
South has two focl--the courthouse
and the church. Is it not possible
that these two centres of influence,
which are to some extent decisive, can
be embraced to advantage in a larger
unit-the school? Society is bigger
than both the church and the court
and the school stands for that social
e organism which includes State ana
church. court and commerce, home
and factory
In seeking to make the school the
centre Of community life. the point
Of radiation of progressive ideas and
Influences, we are only reverting to
the oft-repeated wishes of Thomas
Jefferson. He wished to divide tho
country into wards. after the order of
The New England township. AS Cato
then concluded every speech with the
words, Carthage delenda est SO do
J., , every opinion with the Injunction:
Divide tho counties into wards Does
not the school offer the readiest means
of organizing. community life? The
q local league may thus become to the
South what tho township Is to New
vi England and what the peoples assem-
G n llfa m ,fp,, Of y
Switzerland. an organ of democracy
In its most vital form.
Many arc the advantages OF com
,1nunity effort:
,casues lo wl bo ssnoel Rroyem an
d tons They will discover men and
women of Initiative and directive
power thsst might otherwise escape
notice they will set free the energy
in the mass OF our people, as Well as
II united in a noble purpose, can ac-
complish far more than the mos.
sI transccndent genius, even Napoleon
himself, IL he attempts it single.
handed The spirit OF this whole edu.
cational movement condenses Itself
into the one word cooperation.
"(2) The people on the spot know
better the needs of the ncighborhoo(
than leaders ,at distance. Under
standing the temper of their people
Is y cltiIeIs locally can pest supply them
There are many .Souths. Conditions t,
Virginia are far different from thos
in Mississippi. If States differ, com
munities vary. Any workable program
of education in tho South must be s.
elastic and inclusive as to adapt 1t
self readily to the differing needs O
each individual neighborhood. whethe
advanced or backward, whether rtlra
or urban, whether dominantly whit
or black.
"ta) Through the local schoc
leagues you enlist the cunstructiv
interest of all the citizens The dis
Z tinctive thing about the present edu
cational revival, is the part playc
by the citizens, as distinguished froi
the teachers and officials. This ar
pears upon every hand, especially
y such n gathering rs this. 1t was til
keynote in Vlrgnia's May can
paign of 1905, which did so much
stir the depths or society in beha
of the school What we aim at pr
marty is not to construct "a new GU
ri riculum for the college. not to devils
comDlcter course of studies IN II
school, but to arouse all the poop
of the South to realize that the scho
4 is the prime factor In progress; tn,
popular government without univers
training of the children; that Il
education Is farce; that econom
and social efficiency depend upon Il
Souths prestige in national council
can be reSained, not by partisan pol
tics, not by sectional prejudices b
# only by an enlightened and aggre
sive public opinion which embrace
within it's view all the interests
our common country Our first ali
"A therefore. Is the citizen rather tht
the pupil. II ~ necessary to roach Il
community, and that is best dol
III through the school In seeking
rnergize democracy in the south, II
school is merely means To an or
TO stir the interest Of citizens TO e
list their resources, To give eHclan
to the commun,y's viii, 10 vital
every neighborhood, IL the object
tile local school league.
ssi "(4) The local school league xiv
vitality to the commGnityfs win VIII
the brain is to the body. that organ
ration is TO dffuse social energy Su
Eestiye is the title of a recent boz
WHY the Mind Has Body Too 10