The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

The schoolhouse is set in a cleared space
with playground of one acre. This is
fenced at the rear and on the Sides
Much of the work of equipping the
school has been done through the local
School improvement association. This as
sociation of which Mrs Jasper Varnon
is president, is proving itself loyal to
the school and is responding to whatever.
calls are made for improving the school.
The new schoolhouse was of course, an
inspiration for school Improvement work
ers. and as various needs have been sup
piled, others have presented themselves
and greater opportunities for the school
house become apparent The special ef-
fort which this has demanded has had the
twofold advantage of improving the
school and of drawing the community
even more closely together. number of
affairs have been given to raise money for
the school A few weeks ago a supper
was given for this purpose, and other sup
pers and entertainments will follow. .
The ladies of the association, together
with the teachers, are planning to buy
shades for the classrooms, to aid in Sc
cring a library by augmenting the amount
the school will receive from the state and
county library funds, and to seat the
auditorium, which is not yet finished.
This auditorium is one of the schools
most desirable features, and bespeaks in-
terest in a broader sense than that in
cluded only by daily recitations.
The school house auditoriums that are
now being added to country school houses
are actual necessities and are most val
liable additions. Most country places have
no available hall or other assembly room.
The recitation rooms of the schoolhouses
are too small to be used for public enter
tainments and there are obvious reasons
for not using the churches on every oc-
caslon.
So it is that, for lack of space, these
more or less isolated communities are de-
prived of many delightful assemblies and
are compelled to forego the pleasure and
the profit that might be theirs. Those
who are in the city where entertainment
of every kind is found all the time can
hardly realize how few are the opportuni-
ties for out-of-town people to have these
advantages at home. While there are
many other advantages lectures, plays
and musicals are rare; and one of the
principal reasons for this is the lack of
suitable places of meeting. While the
rural schools are developing and broaden
ing, they can do not greater good than
that to be secured through emphasizing
the social side of the school by Offering
diversion and instructive entertainment to
the older people as well as to the children
The need of auditoriums is apparent
Just as Birmingham needs a large audi
torium to accommodate immense crowds
the villages and small country places need
small auditoriums which will be an impor-
tant step toward the Introduction of the
work embraced by school extension
1t is a source Of satisfaction to those
who appreciate the position of country
schools and who are in sympathy with
their efforts to be of more practical value
to note that these assembly halls are be-
ing added to many rural schoohouses
That they will be made use of is certain
and they will assuredly increase the infiii-
ence and the opportunities of these
schools
The auditorium of the Crumfeys Chapel
schoolhouse fills this important place Sit
uated in a farming section where there is
both the need of and appreciation of ed
ucational extension, lyceum courses, and
agricultural clubs 1t offers an assembly
room for these meetings.
Improvement of the playground and the
making of school garden are two other
plans in view for this school,
Mr.. j. w. Hanchey is principal of Crun,-
ley's Chapel school. His attractive home
is one of the pretty places of the neigh
borhood. 1t stands some distance from
the road white against a background OF
trees Mr.. Hanchey is a successful teach
er He is a scholar and a student man
OF good business judgment and he Under
stands human nature.
Miss Thera Lawrence and Miss Annie
Williams are assistants They each
have first grade certificates In addi-
tion to their grade teaching. thew di
rect the domestic science department.
Miss Lawrence teaching cooking and
Miss Williams sewing.
The school is proud of its older
boys. A spirit of fun and good will
and straightforwardness rather than
that of 1awlessness is evident One of
the boys who completed the course of
study in the school, after tutoring in
physics With Mr.. Hanchey, passed the
state teachers examination for first
grade certificate. He is now teaching
in Bullock county.
Last year the Crumleys Chanel
school had four teachers. Upon the
opening of Docena mines nearby If
was decided to divide the school, SO
this year three teachers were retained
at Crumley's Chapel and three were
placed at the new school at DOcena
The Docena school was one of the
first five schools to be awarded di-
plomas grading them standard" when
the new system of standardizing the
rural schools of the state was inau-
gurated last spring. The schoolhouse
is two-room brick building, so con-
structed that additions may be made
as they are needed. 1t is modern In
every respect and is well planned and
well built Two cloakrooms are pro
vided. The school is well supplied
with maps charts, globes, and with
desks. blackboard and other necessary
furnishings. domestic science de-
partment and an equipped playground
are features of the school.
The seven grammar grades are
taught at Docena, the advanced pu-
pills attending the high school depart
meht of the Crumleys Chapel school.
Mr.. Hanchey is principal of both
schools. The greater part of his time
is spent at Crumley's Chapel as his
vision over the Docena school also.
sic Rogers, presiding teacher: Miss
Blanche Taylor and Miss Emma Te-
Bow The teachers are keeping house
together in cottage provided espe-
cially for them.
These two schools have decided
advantage In their adequate equip |
ment, their clean new buildings, and
their very capable principal. Their
work is well organized. They are un-
dertaking school extension and their
course of study is broadening to en-
brace the Industrial education as well
as the study of literary branches |
This Is the work so much needed at
present. and the school that is doing
this that Is extending its usefulness
in these several directions, rather than
along the one line of textbook study
only, is the school that is proving to
be of the greatest benefit and is the
one whose influence reaches farthest