The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-12
THE PARENT-TEACHE CLUB.
How to Organize One in a Rura
Community.
(By Nina B. Lamkin.)

The great need of the open coun-
try today is the development of COM
munity life and of social resources.
The rural communities need to come
together oftener for social inter-
course. They need more and varied
social interests which will link to-
gether the home, the school and the
whole community, in a way that all
will find interesting, effective and
enjoyable.
The rural school can very effec-
lively become social center for its
community. If such center devel-
ops through the active cooperation
of the teacher, pupils and parents,
then it will concern itself naturally
with the vital interests of the people
and with the direct needs of that
community. 1t is difficult at first to
understand just how much this
means, for, according to tradition,
the teachers work was to teach-and
that meant to direct the mental
growth in certain sterotyped sub
jects which for many decades have
constituted the curriculum of the
country school.
Today the country school teacher
finds herself at the head of an insti-
tuition which should express the best
cooperation of all social and eco
nomic forces which make for the
high standards and ideals of that
community. She finds herself in
position of attack. Will she study
the needs carefully, will she learn
to know the people, will she find out
their standards and their ideals, and,
with them, will she study out ways
and means Of progressive building
along the many lines of community
life, and, together, will they master
the situation? If the teacher is a
live factor, if she becomes one of
the real people in that center and if
she is a true leader. guiding and
directing affairs with wisdom and
not too much prominence, then she
can lead her community straight
ahead in this new social building for
better country life. There are num-
erous country organizations for edu-
cational purposes already existing in
many places We have clubs for the
study Of fruit growing, stock raising,
bee culture and the like We have
country household arts organizations
for the study of home conditions,
decorations, cooking Of foods, etc.
These are all SO essential, both from
a business and a social viewpoint,
that we hope the number may very
rapidly increase.
There is another organization
which is very vitality needed. I
speak of an organization for boy
and Girl Culture or for Boy and
Girl Raising"
Call this a Parent-Teacher' Club,
call it School and Home Improve
ment Association, call it commun-
ity club-call it what you will;
whatever will have the strongest
hold on your community.
The teacher can very effectively
take the initiative in this by inviting
all the patrons of the school and
people of this district to an informal
evening at the school house. In the
meantime she can talk with several
leading residents and get their
views, also give them her ideas and
ambitions about this community
movement. She can have an infor-
NAL program of some of the work,
then ask one of her strongest and
most popular patrons to suggest a
organization and let it
be open for discussion. She will be
asked to give her general idea of the
plans, etc. This is the psychological
moment. She must say well what
she says. She must convince them
that the plan is worth trying out
that means cooperation, progressive
growth and a higher standard for the
She must know when
she has said enough. Remember
she is leading, not driving her pat
rons. They are the ones to set the
pace in the beginning of the race.
They are the ones to decide the def
mite question. The teacher should |
be general adviser but not in a |
prominent Office. Her influence will |
be felt more in this way.
have known progressive rural
teacher who spoiled all her rich OPP
portunities by asserting herself SO