Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1913-01-03
THE GRANGE
Consaeted BY
J. ". BARROW. Chatham. N. T..
Iedstor Of the Ne,r York State Grange
Recsetp
THE RURAL SCHOOL.
Grange Should Have a Vital Interest
In its Development.

In its Development.
A-great responsibility is resting upon
those who have the direction OF our
rural schools. And yet the RESPONSE
bility is not wholly theirs. The kind
Of rural schools which any school dis.
trict may have will depend very large
iy on the kind of school the people in
that district want. The community
spirit or the community ideal will de-
termine this matter In the last analy-
sis. There are some, even many, who
favor the consolidated school. but with
out discussing the practicability and
value of consolidation as a remedy 1t
may be said that there are and prob
ably always will be very many coun-
| try districts from which 1t will be i'm
| possible to transport the children, and
the maintenance of a school for the
benefit OF the children living in the dis
trict therefore remains a necessity.
That the standard OF such schools
should be as high as the combined wis
dom of patrons and teachers can make
1t will not be denied, but an increasing
interest must center about the affairs
Of the school and the future welfare
OF both the pupils and community il
this desirable end is to be attained.
The grange OF all agricultural organ
izations should have vital interest In
our rural schools. 1t is the champion
Of rural progress and better education.
Its influence in not actively urging the
adoption OF modern educational meth
DDS and reforms, but in creating the
progressive rural spirit, is the greatest
influence that can be brought to bear
In the interest of improved schools
and better school surroundings In very
many rural communities. 1t is there
fore under a certain obligation to the
community to use that influence in
every way 1t can. AS a recent writer
has we'll said Every grange should
demand that there be teacher EN-
ployed who Is in sympathy with farm
! interests, who has some knowledge of
the work which the children are sup
posed to do later In life and who will
cooperate with the grange in the in
terests Of the community. The school
= cannot do this work alone. Neither
can the grange. Cooperation is essen
tial."
= A course Of study which does not in
= clude the knowledge of agriculture anc
! the work of the farm home Is not the
course of study that is now demanded
i Many teachers have not had the train
ing which will enable them to teacl
q the essentials Of agriculture. Tit
grange can assist in this by securing
" practical talks for the school and liter
II AZURE and equipment for the teaching
e OF agriculture. Otherwise 1t must b.
expected that the boys and girls train
- ed In the rural schools will not hav'
the interests OF the farm at heart
The grange should have STANDARD
for hygienic conditions and artistic
, surroundings, which will help to max
the schoolhouse a place that one cal
point to with pride. The grange cal
=. arouse public opinion In favor OF trul!
attractive school surroundings. In
W score OF ways It can determine tn
a character of the instruction given ant
~ the character OF the pupils who atten'
o upon that instruction and In so doin
will determine the character of tn
ir community in which the school exists
, ]. w. BARROW.