The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-07-08
{. l. AULL REVIEWS
SCHOOLS FOR PAST YEAR
MAKES BRIEF STATEMENT OF
WORK UNDERTAKEN.
Efforts Were TO Establish Rural Grad
ed SchoOls.-Creating Rural Com
munity Centres.

My term Of once as county super
intendent of education closed on July
l. 1913. i assumed the duties of the
Office on January 6, 1912, by appoint
4 ment of the State board of education.
1t was in the middle of the school
4 term. took the balance OF that
school year in studying the problems
of the schools and familiarizing my
self with the duties of the Office. L
soon became very uuch interested IN
the work, because there were posi-
bilities for doing things and you
could see results. 1 endeaVored 10
perform the duties of the office faith
fully and conscientiously and tried to
pursue a constructive policy. l have
no regrets, but feel rather that 1 am
to be congratulated upon having turn
ed over the Office to my successor. The
business has increased so during the
past year that it really took all my
time, and out of the meagre salary l
had to pay the services of a stenogra-
pher. which left not decent living
for man who can live on much less
than I can. And I am too poor to give
nv time to the public service without
reasonable compensation. l feel,
therefore, that the people of Newberry
county have really conferred favor
upon me, without intending to do so.
will be frank t0 say, however,
that the work was fascinating to me-
and for the works sake. leave 1t with
a degree of regret. I took great in
terest in the work and did what I
could to improve the schools and
arouse an interest on the part of the
people. With what success the record
must speak. With no criticism of any
one. I have reached the conclusion
that those who have held the office
and the people have not regarded it
with that Importance with which 1t
deserves to rank. Put in this state
ment I only purpose briefly to review
the work which l had undertaken and
planned to carry out. If you want TO
accomplish results in any undertaking
you must not only be on the job your
self all the time, but you must let the
people know that you are on the job.
In the beginning 7 desire to give
due credit to the very eficient SER
vices rendered during the five months
of this year by Miss Elizabeth Haw-
kins, who was employed by me as field
agent, or rural school supervisor, If
you so desire to designate her. With
out her cid some of the work done
could not have been accomplished.
She was tactful, diplomatic and exer-
cised a good share of common sense
and had the ability to adapt herself
to conditions and surroundings and
was general favority with the peo-
ple wherever she went.
II the enthusiasm and interest and
school spirit are not encouraged and
kspt going much of the work under
taken will come to paught. 1t takes
constant effort and a lot of patience
to make the people see what is for
their best interest. 1t is strange, but
it is true. Human nature is so sell
fish that when a man suggests some
thing for the general good, there are
people who will not be convinced that
the man who suggests it does not have
a selfish motive somewhere for doing
so. And there are people who would
work against a proposition for the
betterment of the school in their own
community, and suffer the delusioR
that in some mysterious, indefinite,
inscrutible way they were doing in
iury to the man who made the sugges-
ton. Therefore, 1 say it requires
patience, energy and constant effort
to accomplish results. The people
will do the right if you can once make
them see it, but sometimes it is an aw-
full effort to remove the scales from
their eyes, and you have got to bear
with them in patience.
AS see the rural school problem
you have first got to help the people
to discover the school house. Make
the school a real human perfor-
nance that touches life, that rests on
the earth, that has to do with present