The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-06-24
MODEL COMMUNITY CENTER
On the Lines Suggested by the Roosevelt
Country Life Commission-May Is
tablish One Near Spokane

Spokane, Wash, June 21.-When
the country Life Commission of the
State Of Washington, appointed recent
ly by Governor Marion E. Hay, meets
in Spokane the week of November IA,
plans will be presented for a model
community center and consolidated
country school, to be established in one
OF the rural districts adjoining Spokane
early in 1911.
David Brown OF Spokane, chairman
OF the commission, announces that
Governor Hay and possibly Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt will attend the
conference and assist in formulating a
practical plan for the betterment of life
on the farm along the lines suggested
in the report OF the Roosevelt Commits
sion on Country Life, which, headed
by Professor Liberty Hyde Bailey of
Ithaca, N. Y, made tour of the
larger farming districts Of the United
States the latter part Of 1908 and early
in 1909.
This is to be the preliminary step of
a nationwide movement, cooperative
with the various states and territories,
in an endeavor to teach the youth OF
the land the fundamental principles of
agricultural and domestic economy and
manual and industrial training, also
giving the farmers in the communi-
ties the benefit of the most approved
methods of agriculture and allied sub
jects. The community center is de-
signed to furnish a place where men
and women can meet for the inter-
change Of ideas.
Primarily, the school is for the av-
erage boy and girl, whose institutional
education ends even before they finish
the secondary school, the purpose
being to train them to become useful
men and women and capable of sup
porting themselves, and thus adding
to the wealth production of the country
at large and the districts in which they
live and to better their condition of
life.
The Washington commission has
prepared tentative plans for a commu-
nifty center, including a consolidated
rural school. 1t is designed to cover
ten acres and will serve a school area
of thirty-six square miles, the most
distant point being three miles. In
addition to the school building the
plans show a large community hall.
residence for the principal and super
visor, athletic and Fairgrounds, tennis
court, pressure water tanks for domes-
tic, lawn, irrigation, stock and fire uses
and plots for the practice Of agriculture,
horticulture, Horticulture and forestry.
Surrounding and bisecting the tracts
will be models OF good road building.
The school and other buildings will be
under the direction of principal train
ed in the various branches of agricul-
ture and familiar with conditions in the
Northwest. This official will be assist
ed by supervisor and corps OF teach
ers. In connection with the commu-
nity hall will be a bureau OF informa-
ton, containing all the available data
of federal and state departments OF
agriculture and experimental stations IN
the country, also books and journals
dealing with all the branches OF the in
dustry.
The community center is to be made
beautiful with trees, shrubs, flowers and
lawns without being ornate, and no
saloon, store or other commercial insti-
tuition can be located within half mile
of its boundaries. The teachers will be
men and women with red blood in then
veins and able to adapt themselves to
the ideals of the center and school oi
the type outlined. Among other quail
fications they must be broadminded and
optimistic and able to see the human
side Of life, also be helpful to those
under their charge.
The keynote is that the best defense
against misfortune is to give every child
in the country such education that will
enable it to make its own living on
piece of land, if necessary, when il
becomes of age. 1t is also purposed
to launch campaign, urging the peo-