Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-29

berS together socially. The only rea-
son that there are not more such or
CARNATIONS is the lack of some one to
take the lead. The cities have so long
been drawing the best blood from some
rural communities that in many places
there is precious little left to build
upon. With the changing conditions
that are restoring the farm to lead
ing place in our national life there
will be no lack of leaders. and the
time will come when every community
| will have its club or grange.
In the Mississippi valley states,
where industrial cooperation has OBJ
| tanned q strong foothold. cooperative
picnics are one Of the principal diver
sions These are big affairs, including
all the people for miles around There
are speeches and amusements and plen-
| ty to eat, and every one goes home
! happy.
A number of country towns and ru-
raj communities have field day"
! once or twice a year. which is I'm the
nature OF big picnic, at which ath
! letic contests predominant.
Local Fourth Of July celebrations
| give the country boys a chance to
work of their patriotism for a week in
| advance in helping to get things ready,
and they enjoy the day a great deal
more than they would a ready made
celebration in a big town, where all
they could do would be to stand on
the side lines and shout. The best part
of these affairs is that they develop
| originality and initiative CD the part Of
the young people 1t teaches them to
| develop any latent ability for leader
ship which they may possess. The boy
who can get together nine farmer boys
on Saturday afternoons and organize
/ them into a ball team that can win
from the nefghboring township is the
one who is going to be able to do
things when he gets older. 1t is no
small task to make an effective team
| out of nine boys when eight of them
want to pitch and the other couldn't
catch a ball to save his life.
1t is the farm boys of today who
will be foremost in the agricultural
communities of tomorrow. One of the
most important of the social factors
affecting farm life is a boys club.
Nebraska has a well developed sys-
tenn of boys and girls corn clubs.
There are a few in Iowa and Illinois.
and more are being organized. The
members Of these clubs each have
their plot of corn. They meet around
from place to place. get better ac-
Quainted with one another and study
corn growing. Often an experienced
corn grower meets with them and
gives them some practical lessons. In
some cases these clubs are under the
Df RI -i.1t1I%
which sends out letters of instruction
to the boys every two weeks or so. In
the winter a corn contest is held at
the agricultural college. Some of the
counties have local contests. There
are prizes for the best corn and for the
best corn Judging. Often the boys who
do the best work at the local contests
have their expenses paid TO the state
contest at the agricultural college.
Similar contests in cooking and sew
ing are held for the girls. Work Of
this kind is an inspiration to the boys
and girls. They begin to see some of
the real enjoyment of farm life.
This work is being extended to the
boys of the cities by means of summer
camps, where the boys are taken for a
vacation. al the same time getting in
strUction and object lessons in agri-
culture. Many a boy who otherwise
would have spent his life in town
working for somebody else is thus
started on the way to become an indie
pendent farmer.
Another big factor in rural social life
is the country literary society. This
reaches more people than a grange or
club can reach. Its disadvantage is
that the membership is so large that
only a few can appear on the pro-
grams. But a great many can listen,
and they eagerly avail themselves Of
the opportunity. The country literary
society when rightly managed COM
bines both the social and the educa-
tional features and is q great uplift to
the community.
Along with these other social factors
come the local lecture courses. The
talent is not always the best, but usu-
ally it is surprisingly good. Then there
are ice cream suppers picnics and
fishing excursions in the summer and
oyster suppers in the winter. The wo-
men often have a ladies' aid society,
where they can meet and sew and visit
to their hearts content The men have
a fraternal order or two, where they
can get together on Saturday evening.
During the last few years the Y. NJ. G.
A. has been extending to the country
and doing great deal of good work
Often clubrooms and a gymnasium
are established, where the neighbor-
hood boys can meet and try their ath-
letic skill. Where such rooms have
taken the place of the grocery store as
an evening meeting place for the boys
and young men there is a noticeable
improvement In the community.
During vacations. when the young
people are home from school, there is |
no lack of social diversions that ap- |
peal especially to them. There is just |
as much culture among these modern
young people Of the country as there