The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-30

many amusements, and thercfor'
should be given by the church som,
! social life TO take the place OF tn,
things which he is denied.
Young people should be intercste,
In the social activities of the churcl
I'm order to bind them to the church
The moving picture shows, for in
stance, are often menace to the
moral life OF a community, but VIII,
should this be permitted"
Mr.. Hickman told OF the establish
ment and maintenance of a moving
picture show by the Methodist church
at Pine Island In order to do away
with that menace.
The Program in Byron.
In Byron we arc trying to 50
amuse our young people as to keep
them from going to outside towns
/ for amusements which are question.
able. We are there starting series
OF motion picture entertainments In
the body of the church. My expert
encc has proved to me that such a
course will benefit the church dffi'
rectly.
1--WE expect to build gymnasium,
social rooms, in tho spring. and ex'
pect to make II a rallying place for
the young people of the community.
People are ready to respond to the
leadership which gives them good,
clean amusement.
Sometimes we forget the ends for
which we are working-the spiritual
development of the man seven DAYS
I'm the week. II we forget this we
neglect our great mission.
AS pastor OF country church
I do not aim ITO be a leader
in social affairs for young people
alone, or president OF an agriculture
club. but servant OF Jesus Christ.
The final thing which will make
the appeal to young people is the
appeal to be soldiers of Jesus Christ"
Senator Benson, ST. Peter.
Mr.. Deets, in Introducing the next
speaker. Senator II. n. Benson Of
st. Peter. said that the greatest trou-
BILE OF the present day is tie class
spirit. What we need Is concerted
united effort" he. said, "and II was
that thought that caused me to plan
this acknowledgement. We want
winning team composed OF all the
men who will pull together. Individu-
al effort can't do very much"
Senator Benson opened his talk
by vouching for his sincere interest
I'm the progress Of southern Mime
sofa. "As lawyer I may not be
qualified to talk Of the rural prob
lens. but have been close to the
rural people all my life. The coun-
try school is one OF the big factors
in the rural problem. II appeared
to me that while the state had been
paying much attention to the up
building o. institutions OF higher
learning In the state. little attention
was being given the little country
school.
THE little country school remained
for years al q dead level. Finally
we established the agricultural col
lego, and later some agricultural
high schools. But comparatively few
rural students were benefited by
these. IL occurred to me that this
work should be brought nearer the
rural schools. ! then introduced what
Is called the Benson-Lee bill, which
gives aid to high and graded schools
for teaching agricultural and indus
trial work.
" AT the last session I introduced
bill providing aid for all rural
schools which would teach agricul.
ture. That bill was not passed. The
contention has been raised that
teachers are not qualified 10 give
instruction OF that kind I'm rural
schools. But believe that that con.
tention would be groundless II such
ain act passed. because the teachers
would prepare themselves for such
work. s#-.
The Training In Europe.
European countries recognize the
need of such training in elementary
schools. and we should recognize the
fact also. Too many rural teachers
are I'm those schools simply until
they are qualified to teach in city
school or follow other pursuits. The
teaching OF agriculture would tend
toward interesting the teachers In
the rural conditions and problems
Her interest would then assimilate
interest among the rural residents
themselves. and eventually pursuade
the young people on the farm that
farming is a dignified profession,
aud will keep them on the farm.
ut will also make better country
teachers, and TO make them more
interested I'm their work
"The text books all draw the in
terest OF the country children to the
cities. The readers all tell OF the
farmer boys who 60 to the cifv .nd
succeed. hut never tell of the farmer
boys who remain on the farm and