The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-19
Self-HeIp Cardinal Princi'
pal of the Association.
Would Teach Cook
ing in Schools

tude of tile people at large toward
schools there can be no definite meas
uring, but it is certain that there was
/ change and that people began to feel
more concerned in school matters
Plan of Organization
School improvement work in Alabama
| is conducted under three heads. state,
county and local. The school improve
ment committee is the organizing force.
This committee does no local work. A
county is organized by this committee,
county officers chosen and then the coun-
| ty organization encourages local organi-
cations. Each county president does all
in her power TO establish associations IN
the schools of her county and to help
these associations actively engaged in i'm
proving their schools in every way and
according to the needs of each The
STATE association is the center for the
| county associations, just as the county
| is the unit for local associations. The
state association outlines general plans
p, for the county associmions encourages
activity in each county, and acts as an
| advisory board
The county presidents are required to
send to the state organization monthly
reports showing the number of letters
| they have written for school improve
| ment during the month, the number of
teachers Institutes they have addressed,
the number of local associations they
| have visited, the number of newspaper
articles relating to school Improvement
they have published. The local associa-
| tons are interested directly in their
| school, This is distinctly a movement
| to improve each school by the efforts of
it's own patrons. All the work of the
local association results in direct benefit
to the school of that community.
The Future Plans
| While the association is striving for i'm
provement in all lines and in all ways
| that it may be obtained there are some
definite plans and definite aims. The pro-
posed achievements for the county asso-
| Citations are the improvement of build
ings, general educational advancement.
economic service correlating school and
home and rural activities. In general adj
| Vancement may come at length the coun-
try high schools that are so much need
ed. In correlation lies the possibilities
of having the more perfect articulation
between the country home and the coun-
try school, the opportunity of teaching
| In school what will be of to the
| children in their everyday life.
Several years ago the association Of
fered books to schools but this plan was
abandoned III favor of the school library
| Jaw. Another plan Of the association
| was to show stereopticon views relating
shown at teachers Institutes and at the
| county seats This is now In effect and
| is part of the work of Mr.. n. r. Baker,
| state supervisor of rural schools. 1t is
| Of appreciable advantage in arousng in
| -erest in school extension and in indus
| trial education
A desire of the association, as yet
unrealized. is that sometime we may
| nave a we'll trained teacher of do
| nestle science, southerner by birth,
| o establish industrial training in the
| ural schools. to have such teacher
n teachers spend a year in each coun-
| y, Carrying the necessary equipme nt
| nd remaining In each school visited
| or two weeks. Practical Lessons in
| cooking would be taught to patrons,
| upils and teachers Whether this can
brought about is problematic, but
| If this can be done. if the school inn
| )rovement association can be the means
| of inserting in the rural schools a
| curse In practical cooking, the result
| will be ample reward for all the labor
] md time that has been given to the
| association.
| A definite plan and one that is be-
| ing projected year by year is the work
# improving and beautifying the ex-
| erior and interior of school houses i'm
proving the grounds, adding equip
| nent and arousing and sustaining in
| crest in the school life and sym
| oathy herewith
The Present Condition
Mrs. e. ID. Thames, president of the
! state association. has been closely con-
| nected with the movement since its
| beginning. She with Mrs Craighead of
| Mobile and Mrs. j. ID. Matlock of Bir-
| bingham were members of the first
organizing committee Mrs. Thames
| work has been given without charge,
I ltnc ha Of al nt hap rn,.I-a -laa
has the work in good condition. Her
| lastreport shows that for the year end
ing March |, 1913 $50. 900 was spent in
Alabama school Improvement AS to the
various counties. Geneva organized
sewing clubs and school gardens Mon
roe had 25 tomato clubs and cleared
from them $3.50. st. Clair had 20 corn
clubs and eight tomato clubs. Jeffer-
son spent $3.50. Pike led in county
lyceums and Calhoun is preparing an
excellent course St Clair Is now ths
banner county having S7570.42. While
the spending of money is not the chief
aim of the association the extent of the
work accomplished can be measured
in figures more definitely than in more
general statements The Improvement
represented by this expenditure is the
principal concern of the association At
the present time 80 counties are ac-
lively at work in school Improvement
ana tne ltffllofN Is DelnS DFOaueneu
and the scope of the work increased.
Policy of Association
Calls are made for federal aid, for
state aid, for county aid, for philan
J thropic aid; but the school improve
ment association emphasizes self help.
Self-help is its cardinal principle. Tue
county officers stand on their own re-
1 sponsiiblity to improve their county
and the local associations must each
depend on itself to improve it's own
| school. The people of each community.
| he patrons of each school are expected
to make their association self-sustain-
gng. The people are to improve the
conditions of their own school, extend
| the usefulness of their own school and
give their help and sympathy and co
operation to their school.
| The state association is striving to
| have this movement reach every school
in the state through active county or
| ganization. 1t is the logical way to
improve and advance the schools and
this plan. this idea of self-help is one
which ought to appeal to every com
munity.