Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-01
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
Exhaustive Discussion Of Important
Subject.
COOPERATION IS The One KEYNOTE.

Or. Dulin Tells Bethel People that
They Have Splendid Opportunities il
They Will Take Advantage Of Them
and They Will be Beholden to No.
body If They Will Only Do Their
Own Thinking. ~ liz
The leading address at the meeting
held at Bethel yesterday in the inter-
est Of Community Improvement was
delivered by DR.. Thomas N. Dulin, and
1t is go full Of good common sense that
It is well worth reproduction in full.
DR.. Dulin spoke as follows:
Religious and political subjects are
not to be discussed for various rea-
sons. One reason for not considering
these subjects is that when you get
into religion or politics each and every
person should have his or her own free
opinion.
The subject Of education Is the first
that 1 wish to call your attention to,
and am sure every one in this audi
ence will agree with me when I say
that 1t is one of the most important
subjects that could be considered.
What are we to do in order that we
may improve our country schools? This
Is a question that is very hard to an
swer and do not expect to answer it
fully and to the entire satisfaction OF
everyone, but am going to give my
ideas. A good education Is the great
est asset that any Individual can pos
sess and an education does not consist
entirely in knowledge Of books nor
can 1t be had even In our higher insti-
tutions Of learning in its entirety.
Some few individuals have gotten an
education without ever having gone to
school at all, but no one ever got an
education without books, and am
surprised that anyone will remain to-
tally ignorant in this country where
bopks can be obtained almost for the
asking. There are other people who
have no education that are very intelli-
gent and have succeeded in life better
than some who have good education.
but these are in class to which few
belong, and the exception proves the
rule that the educated are much bet
ter fitted for all the duties Of life.
You hear the great hue and cry all
over our country for higher education,
higher education, and we would not
raise the least objection to 1t, but how
are we going to get higher education
unless we have better preparatory
schools2 We are putting our colleges
and high schools before our common
schools financially. In many instances
our colleges have money and to spare
while our preparatory schools haven't
sufficient funds to prepare our chill
irsn for college. Our common schools
are the most important, our high
schools next in importance and our
colleges least important. In the first
place because a majority Of our chill
dren will probably not be able to get a
college education, and not all will be
able to get high school education, but
all can get common school education
II you will permit them, by placing a
good school in every country district.
Give children a common school educa-
ton and they can get = high school
education; give them a high school
education and they will get a college
education. Then give us more money
for our common and high schools,
How are we to get better prepara- :
tory schools for our country districts?
First I will say that each individual
who Is interested should try to interest
some one who is not interested, and In
this way we can soon have nearly all
interested. I say nearly every one. be-
cause all of us know that 1t Is impos-
sible to interest every one In a COM
munity in anything, even politics. Now
as you all know, individually we can do
little, whereas collectively we can do a
great deal, hence the necessity of get
ting together in some way in order
that we may accomplish great things
which we most assuredly can do II we
will but stand together, for In unity
there is strength and IL we all work to
one end and for one purpose our work
will not be so hard after ALL
In the first place, what do we most
need that we may have better country
schools? answer, better buildings,
more properly located so that we may
have q wider field to draw from. We
have too many schools in our country
districts with from to 25 pupils.
where as q matter Of course we should
have fewer schools and have from 26
to 100 pupils Now, I am sure some
one Is saying that we do not propose
to give our school up, for it Is too far
for the children to go to such and such
a place Did you ever consider why
we have so many children that do not
come up to the physical standard? 1t
Is not for the lack Of food or clothing,
but because they do not get sufficient
exercise, and am sure no child would
be injured physically by walking two
to four miles to school, for walking Is
one of the best ways of increasing our
physical strength, and an active body
will brighten our minds and aid us in
our school work. Let me say that II
our boys will do the necessary farm
work and our girls the necessary house
work we will not need so many ser
wants and will have children that are
physically strong II we are not ply
sically strong we cannot remain mem
tally strong for any great length OF
time but will become a nervous
wreck.
Our school houses must be better
equipped as to furniture, sanitation,
water supply. libraries, etc. Second.
we must have better teachers and how
are we to get them? Pay them more,
yes, that is one way but believe there
are other ways just as important
How are we to remedy this? BY hav-
ing more stringent rules and thereby
eliminating the inefficient. Now we
realize that 1t Is impossible to elimi-
nate all the inefficient teachers just as
1t Is impossible to eliminate the inef-