Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-07-18
CONFERENCE CLOSES.
Rural Life Workers Finish Work
in MiddIebury.

morning, Prof. R. j. Sprague of the
Massachusetts Agricultural college,
leader of the conference, laid emphasis
on the manner in which the sessions of
the conference, as outlined in the pro-
gram have been carried out. He said:
'Never have l attended conference of
this kind before which has lasted for
five continuous days with something
like 20 speakers involved, which has
moved along with less friction and
has been present with one exception and
he provided a most acceptable substi-
tute."
The conference passed resolutions
thanking Middlebury college for its
hospitality, the leader of the confer
ence for his efficiency, and Mrs. Mills,
matron of Battell cottage, for the ad-
mirable service which she gave at the
dining hall and especially at the ban
quet served to the members of the con-
ference Friday evening. A pleasing
feature of the last session was the
issuance of certificates of membership
by the director of the summer session
to the members who have been in at
sendance at the conference.
"Play and Athletics for Rural Yer
mont" was the subject of the address
given by LYMAN A. Morhous, secretary
of the Addison county Y. M. C. A. Mr..
Morhous has been active for the last
few months in introducing the element
of play in the rural schools and commun-
tiles in the county. The substance of
his remarks was that greater oppor-
tunities for play and athletics on the
part of boys and girls was a principal
means for solving the problem as stated
by President Thomas of Middlebury
college in his baccalaureate sermon that
the reconstruction of rural Vermont
would be by Vermonters or, as stated
by Commissioner Brigham, that CO.
operation cannot be imposed upon the
coz unity but must be built from the
ground up. Mr.. Morhous believes that
the idea of cooperation must be ground
into the very marrow of boys and girls
in the church and school and an eff
fective means is through increased ac-
tivities of play and athletics. AS the
boy is bent so grows the man. If you
teach boys to cooperate in play they
will cooperate later in life as men in
business.
Willis N. Cady, master of the state
Grange, set forth the work Of the
Grange as an organization in very
interesting talk. At the close of his
address Mr.. Cady was asked many
questions by the conference members
in orderthat they might get clearer
idea of what the mission of the Grange
is, how it co-operates with church
work in rural communities and what
its attitude is toward the amusements
of young people. Mr.. Cady gave a brief
sketch of the history of the Grange |
which was followed by statement of |
its declaration of purpose and or the
hopes it has for future service. He
especially laid emphasis on the mis-
sion of the Grange as an organization |
for educating the youth of our towns,
as well as unified organization which
has been influential in securing MANY |
material advantages to people living on |
farms. Mention was made of the ex-
tension of telephone lines, rural free
Toll H.
adjustment of freight rates as being
examples of reforms which have mater
tally helped in their coming through
the agency of the Grange.
The conference closed with a dis
cussion of rural surveys by Prof. R.
j. Sprague. He described the work of
this nature that he is undertaking at
Hardwick, Mass. in cooperation with
other members of the faculty of the
Massachusetts agricultural college. The
rural survey is the introduction of bus
mess methods into the pastors work
by means of which he secures the data
of religious, social and economic life
of his parish and uses maps and card |
catalogues for keeping exact knowl-
edge OF his parishioners. Every survey
needs to be worked up on the field,
for definite objects and as far as pos
sible by the people best acquainted
with local conditions. The outside ex-
pert may be called in to train leaders |
and reveal methods, but local inter
est and cooperation are essential to
success. Extensive and costly surveys
are not necessary for securing prac-
tical, working knowledge of the rural
parish, but some such systematic
method of keeping in touch with many
lines of work should be adopted by |
every pastor, rural and urban, who ex-
poets to cover his field thoroughly and
constantly.
The banquet in the evening was at
tended by about. so persons, mostly
delegates of the conference. Prof Nc
Farland acted as POSTMASTER. Lieut.
Gov. Frank E. Howe of Bennington, who
was to deliver the principal address of
the evening, was Unexpectedly called to
Worcester, Mass, on account of the
I'D Nf 6.