The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-08-10
NEWS OF THE SCHOOLS.
Field Agent Tells of Wonderful School
Improvement.

is shown in the bulletin recently is-
sued by Miss Elsie C. Rudd. the field
agent of the School Improvement As
sociation. In the bulletin are to be
found some pictures that make a.
striking contrast between the past and
present construction of school build
ings. The report covers the work of
Miss Rudd since the first of the year,
and many interesting facts as to
school conditions are presented. The
report shows that most effective work
is being done by the School Improve
ment Association. There are a num-
ber of photographs in the bulletin.
illustrating the Improvements that
have been made in several sections Of
the State.
AS pointed out by Miss Rudd, the
object Of the School Improvement
Association is to improve the rural
schools Of South Carolina by build
ing, painting, consolidating, levying
special taxes and lengthening school
terms; by establishing and enlarging
libraries; by putting better teachers
in the schools, and by securing proper
equipment for carrying on first class
teaching; by beautifying the school
room and school grounds, and by in
creasing the average daily attend
ance.
There are three branches of the AS
ISOLATION: The State Association,
County Association and the local As
sociation.
The State Association has a mem
beship Of 10000 men, women and
children. Among it's members are
college presidents, professors and
teachers; State and county superin-
tendents Of education, city superin-
tendents and teachers. lawyers, doc
tors, preachers and men Of every 9TH
er profession in the State.
There are thirty-two county asso-
Citations and several hundred local
associations throughout the State.
photographs presented in the bulletin.
Among the pictures is that of Double
Springs. in Greenville. The first pic
ture shows the school building sew
eral years ago, when it was a small
cabin, valued at $50. There is later
picture Of a two-story frame building.
very unattractive. This building was
valued at $3.50. The last pcture Is
that of modern school building.
valued at s1,500. This school won
prize of $50 for improvements shown
Another picture of contrast is that
of the Lanes graded school, in Will
liamsburg County. The first is a pic
ture of a cabin worth $50. The last
picture is a handsome little building
worth $500, for which a prize of $50
was given by the Improvement Asso-
citation. In place of a one-room cabin
for school building at West Union,
In Oconee, is one to be found of a mod
ern concrete building worth over So
500. A prize of 500 was given by
the School Improvement Association
to this school.
The School Improvement Associa-
ton offers so prizes to the schools of
the State for the most decided ma
terial improvement made during a
given length Of time. Ten Of the
prizes are worth 500 each, and 40
are worth $50 each. The regulations
governing the prizes are as follows:
1. Improvement must be made be-
tween November 1, 1909, and Dec
ember 10. 1910.
2. Prizes will be awarded to
schools where the most decided ma
terial Improvements have been made
during the time mentioned.
3. Under material improvements
are included local taxation, consoli-
dation, new buildings, repairing and
painting old ones, libraries, reading
rooms or tables, interior decorations.
beautifying yards, and better general
equipment.
4. No school can compete for any
of these prizes unless it is a rural
school. No town with more than 400
population shall be eligible to the
contest.
5. All who wish to enter this con-
test must send names and descriptions
of schools before improvements are
made to the president prior to Oct
ober 1.
6. All descriptions. photographs
ana other evidence showing improve
ments must be sent to the president
before December Is, 1910. The chair
man of the board of trustees of any
school that is competing for a prize
mnSf oil