Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-11-15

aged 90 that none arc admitted, then all have an equal opportunity and tho result is necessarily democratic. Sup peso the mayors daughter does dance with the washwoman s sonf It is good thing for both of them, provided she is nice girl and he is a nice boy. Force of circumstances will separate them soon enough into different social strata. Let the public school use its leveling influence between the rich and poor as long as possible. I want every member of our high school to feel that ho or she has place which is just as good as any other place in the high school social world, and that if distinc- tions are made they are based on merit and ability. believe this spirit of social democracy is very, very impor- tant thing to foster in our country, in this day and age when everything is tending toward class distinction, and see no other institutions which can fos- ter such spirit than the church and the school.
 In mentioning the aids to the school life from the introduction of the social side, let me not forget the totally dig ferent attitude ot occasions between teachers and pupils. The teacher and pupil who have only classroom ac- quaintance know each other very SUD- officially, for neither one is or can be quite natural under thoso conditions. They are. unavoidably on different planes, and if q pupil see you only un- der such circumstances he Is apt to gain totally wrong impression of you and your attitude toward him. But if yor meet the boy in a game of tennis. O. play with the girl on the basket bal court; if you dance with them in the evening and have good visit abor something which has nothing to do with history or mathematics or Latin. the boy or girl learns to know you, to ur. | derstard that you are human and that you think and feel as they do about many things Under such circumstanc- es it is easy to build up good eomrade- | ship which makes them listen moro at tentively to what you say in school and brings about an affection which has far more influence than the seedlings or dignifed dissertations one may deliver from his little pedestal as teacher.
 In the practical working ont of the social idea in Prescott, We have resortcd to all the familiar methods and few perhaps which are not. The atheletics are n tremendous help-the football and the track work keep the boys to- gether in interested groups, while the tennis clubs supply the same things for the smaller and younger boys and girls. | The basketball teams are about as strong feature as we have for the girls alone, although the girls glec club of last year was another good plan to get the girls together.
 Little incidental things help. One of my girls this year has come into school from a ranch some distance away. and she has no pliano where she is staying in town. She spoke one day of how much she missed her music, and asked her to use the high school piano when she wanted to. Often now she stays after school and plays, and I have no. ticed some of the girls staying with her and gathering round the piano to listen or sing. It gave me the idea that we might work up very informal little mus icals after school occasionally.
 | nnf ,,1n n
 and I believe it is a wonderful help to have tho high school all together so. cially. Friday afternoon We have al. lowed the pupils who cared to, and that meant the large majority, to stay for an hour or so to dance and visit. Gener. ally all the teachers stayed and always some of them. This was the best meth. cd believe of all to get the pupils ac quainted and bring out the more retic ent ones. Once in about six weeks we plan for an evening dancing party given in the school auditorium, to which We invited all the members of the high school and their friends, and we urge particularly the attendance of the par ents. The children certainly enjoy these gatherings and I have found then to be innocent, happy good times fol all of us. By means of the dance man,
 little social customs may incidentall,
 be taught which all young people should
 know, and these evenings are apt tc
 bring out ease of manner and self. as
 suranee just at the most gawky an,
 awkward age. Only the person who ha.
 grown up with self-poise knows how
 much it means to attain it carly in life Unfortunately, We have been handi
 capped somewhat in our plans by tn
 Judgment of those who can only SCI
 frivolousness and nonsense in what VI
 are attempting to do.
 The young folks of high school az
 are going to demand social life, and i
 it is possible they are going to get i
 somewhere. Why not have as much o it as possible under the guardianshi
 and oversight of the school1 Sue
 work is within the province of tn
 church, why not of the schooli An Qynu maro aHacfuo11x, haao,.on AL