West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-11-11
THE RURAL SCHOOLS
Good Work For Women's Clubs
and Civic Leagues.
INTELLIGENT EFFORT NEEDED
ohaPidsted and Ancient Structures
May BE Transformed Into Attractive
Buildings, Giving the Children Both
Mental and Moral Uplift.

way be transformed Into Attractive
Buildings, Giving the Children Both
Mental and Moral Uplift.
Whilc IL is recognized generally that
consolidation or the combination OF
several school districts into one ~ the
real solution OF the rural school prob.
lem, yet, according to willet Hayes OF
the United States department OF agri.
culture. there are 100000 isolated
schools too remote from other schools
To be consolidated. II is the improve
mcnt or these, then, that must be con.
sidered flrst. To do efficient work
these must bc given new setting and
new aid from the parents and board.
Many OF the federated womcn's clubs
and intelligent citizens throughout the
country arc aiding In tho upbuildlng
OF those schools where their needs are
made known.
The federated clubs OF Tennessee
send out yearly travelling libraries for
these remote schools. and the clubwo-
men or Georgia have begun to interest
themselves In the farmers Institutes
In order To come into closer touch with
tho farmers wives. In Eatonton, On.
n western capitalist has employed mt
his own expense nm experienced tench.
er In cooking and household economies
to instruct the children OF the city and
the surrounding country schools I'm
those subjects. The upbuildlng OF a
school is work peculiarly fitted for
women, and no organization can do
nobler or more lasting work than TO
undertake TO repair and equip one OF
these rural schools. The outlay will
be small-hardly S00-but the results
In good citizenship Will be great.
If we would make artists of our chill.
drcn we surround them with beautiful
pictures, if we would make musicians
we fill them with harmonious sounds,
and yet when we would make useful,
thrifty citizens and orderly housckeep-
ors we send our children for two-thIrds
OF the day to "A house so dllapidntcd
and unkempt that we would hesitate TO
use it for barn. Yet we realize that
n mans whole nature is determined
largely by his surroundings I'm child.
hood. 1t is not prccept. but example,
that teaches.
A small. modern, two room school
house with four windows TO a room
can be built for II small sum. But
where even that amount Is not avail
able the old building, dilapidated as H.
is, can be vastly improved with little
expense and more labor. In the first
place, there should be thorough
cleaning and repairing. Broken planks,
worn steps, docayed shutters and bro
ken down seats should be replaced
with new ones and everything about
the building put I'm good order. A dou-
bic coat OF paint should be given both
exterior and interior OF the building
| gray for the outside and pale yellow,
nearly cream, for the inside, as yellow
reflects the light and makes dark
room lighter.
If this repairing and painting are done
by the older schoolboys under the di-
rectlon OF an intelligent citizen the ex-
Dense viii be trlhe-in fact. nothing
more than the cost OF lumber and
paint. At the same time the enthusi-
asm OF the children In helping do the
work Will act as safeguard in pro-
| tectlng the building from future mutt
lat!oBs. Sandpaper and ynrnlsh the
desks and seats and by all means put
n blackboard all around the room, for
70 expect n teacher TO instruct chill
dren with 8 by foot blackboard is
equivalent to sending out carpenter
10 do work without tools.
When the building Is clean and I'm
good repair a beginning can be made
In equipping and bcautlfying IL. A
map OF the United States, one OF
North and South America, one Of Eu-
rope and Asia, are Indispensable. These
can be purchased from any school sup
ply company. In addition, put n little
money into a few pictures that will
help TO transform the bare walls into
| places OF interest.
Plnn next for window gardens, espe-
cialiy n any OF the school windows
have southern or southeastern ex-
posure. Nothing helps children more
than to watch and care for these dur.
ing the winter.