Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-06-09
ChiFdren's Patriotic Literature.


in April circular letter to many
teachers in the state asking them TO
give their pupils an opportunity to eX-
press their thoughts upon one or more
of the following topics, and then send
the compositions to me as information
in. the way Of patriotic instruction IN
schools:
/. The meaning of our flag.
2. Why have a flag in school?
3. Write a description of our flag.
4. Should the school flag float every
day or only on special occa-
sions? Why?
5. Write a list of flag days, giving a
reason for each.
6. Try writing some verses about
flag.
Z. Tell about Memorial day and why
it is observed.
8. How may schools best observe
Memorial day?
g. Write a good Memorial day pro-
gram Tor schools.
10. Can we be good patriots in time
of peace? If SO, how?
il. What do we mean by good citi-
zenship? Who is the good
citizen?
II. Is it every mans duty to vote?
Why?
-. Should women have the right to
vote? Why?
IA. Write a. sketchoof' the life of Lin
coin
-. Write a sketch of the life Of Wash
inaton
] could not, OF course, expect every
teacher to whom | sent the letter to
respond, yet many of them did and
] have received nearly a thousand
school papers from boys and girls all
the way from the little folks in the
lowest classes in country schools up
to city high school seniors. am
having these papers bound into sub
stantia: books Tor the library of Mem
mortal hall. There are now enough
OF them to make six good-sied books
containing in all more than two thous-
and pages, and still they come.
am highly pleased with the plan and
its results
No one who is Interested in NAL
ters OF patriotism and good citizen
ship, also IN the possibilities of on
Toys ami girls n school, could help
being deeply interested in these school
papers. They are written upon
every one of the suggested topics and
lew others. More of the children
nave chosen to write about Lincoln
ana Washington and the flag than W.
OF other topics, though many have
told what they think about Memorial
day. Several Of them have given
their thoughts upon good citizenship
and patriotism in times of peace A
dozen or more have argued women
Suffrage, nearly all stoutly defending
IL on the ground that taxation with
out representation is tyranny" One
ooy argues against a woman's voting.
Oh account of the ime it would take
Nheh she ought to be attending to her
nome duueS. He calls attention RI
INC TACT that, not once in four wears
"ouid she leave her housekeeping to
90 10 the polls, but once every wear"
The most of these papers are very
neatly written,-some of them re-
Markably so; and many of them SIR
prise me with their excellent thought
and the easy expression of if 7
would like to thank every teacher who
lea MS or her pupils into this work.
am sad there are many men and
women In the schools of Wisconsin
VINO oeIleVe work of this kind now
ana then is worth fully as much as
lesson in algebra or Latin. have
heard that in some remote narts of
Wisconsin there are teachers who
think there is no time in school for
instruction in love and appreciation.
OF country; but | am glad to believe
there are not many of them. T. thinl,
more ana more attention is heinz ,
gwen every year to this kind of teach. |
ing. Every good citizen NAV we'll re
9oloe In the fact. l do not, believe
that IN our schools there was ever
more attention paid to Memorial aax |
IMAM this year. One city superintand. |
eht writes to me that practican1, |
every child in his schools had Soma |
part In exercises on the Friday before
the Soth of May. The best of it is the
iact that he is himself alive and en-
tnuslastic over patriotic instruction
ms schools get their enthusiasm from
him.
one of the books of which / have
spoken Is made up entirely of papers
from the ward schools of Madison
In> most of these schools sent me
papers that speak well for both teach
ers and pupils. l shall from time to
time publish selections from this ma
triotic literature.
] suppose that at least fifty bows
and girls have tried their hands and
heads and hearts at making some