Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-08
COUNTY WORK or THE
Y. N. C. A. DOES GOOD
Regenerating Decayed Country
Towns and Developing
Rural Recreation.
BY HENRY ISRAEL.
Secretary, County Work Department OF
international Committee Of

Y. M. c. A.
1t was an old New England COM
munity of about 100 people. From 1t
had come great men. Like SO many
other towns. 1t became q victim Of
the old agriculture and fell into decay.
The soil of the surrounding section is
thin and apparently unproductive. Only
the trunks of apple trees are left as
monuments to a once great apple pro-
ducing district.
To this village with its churches.
postOffice. isolated store, all presenting
a monotonous, gray, weather-beaten
appearance for want of paint. came a
county secretary. the employed officer
OF a county committee, whose bust
ness Is to survey the needs Of the
community and to call attention to
the fact that there is a social life in
the place and to cooperate with all
of it's existing institutions.
An analysis of the soil proved that
1T had lost none of it's old virtue 80
The agricultural college was asked to
to cooperate, p~hilanthropic citizens
were enlisted n land secured which
was planted with several thousand
young apple trees. A dozen or so Of
the older boys to whom the secre-
tary had given some idea Of country
life az 1t might be. were fired by the
"a tAlO IOS01S dIlO HICOkGU
their life and service to 4 new COM
munlty.
With the economic awakening Of
h town has come a like advancement
along all lines. The rural church has
felt h stimulus Of this new blood
and the entire community was brought
together on a constructive program.
The 7. M. c. A.. In its approach
to rural life. is cooperative. It fur
nishes a platform for all the towns
In a county to come together through
q county COMMITTEES. Under its direc-
ton and that Of u county secretary
and other experts In educational work,
the schools. churches. oranges. medi-
cal societies, boards Of trade. civic inn
and various boys organizations, learn
to work together. The association in
its rural work recognizes the need for
the conservation of the natural re-
sources. and in order that the boys
and young men may be content t o stay
on the land. demonstrations are con-
Quoted showing the possibilities Of soil
production. For this work 1t Is neces-
sary to secure the help Of experts at
experiment stations and agricultural
colleges. One-day courses are set up
Ia various communities. The county
secretary accompanies the experts
from town to town. In some Of the
regularly organized counties as many
% II To 16 rural centers are organised.
Corn growing. poultry raising and fruit
growing contests are arranged and
classes and demonstrations organised
In potato raising, dairying. reforestra-
ton and horticulture.
The boy In the country needs to have
In addition to his school education a
more intimate knowledge OF the natural
sciences. Practical rather than AGA.
demfc information Is impaired through
simple talks on astronomy, biology.
botany. zoology, geology and mathe-
NAUTICAL subjects related to the farm
and to the home. This training covers
cost accounting, measurement of gar
den plots. the height Of trees and other
necessary practice in mathematics.
1t Is agreed hat the country needs
q social life. The inherent organiza-
ton germ Of the Y. M. G. A. is social.
1t takes isolated communities and
brings them together under the county
work plan. 1t brings individuals to-
gether in groups and villages Join in
play, I'm intercOmmunity debates. In.
intercOinmunity church movements
and many programs Of social activi-
ties are carried out. involving neigh
borhoods, homes and families. bows and
girls.
The great need of agrarfan represen-
tation in governmental affairs is ap-
\ parent. We are dominated by urban
aggression. The better acquaintance
Of $4,000 young men and boys IN or
ganized rural societies. with the mem
bers Of their state legislatures and the
congressional representatives, who arr
invited TO address them upon matters