The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-07-02
TRAINING FOR CITIZENSHIP.

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TRAINING FOR CITIZENSHIP.
Qualities Must Be Cultivated by Prao-
tice and Becomes Fixed Habits.
Prepared by the United States bureau of
5 education.] " r..
Training for Citizenship has a
meaning comparable to that Of train
ing for athletics" It suggests being
"in training" with the activity largely
on the part of the learner, while the
teacher takes the part Of "coach."
Training for citizenship, like train
ing for athletics, includes learning "the
rules Of the game" a certain amount
Of necessary informatio A problem
of the teacher Is to determine how
much and what information is neces-
sary. There is no fixed rule for this,
but, broadly speaking, that information
is most valuable which can be embod-
led in the present life and experience
of the learner, and not that acquired
merely because 1T may be useful some
day." ...-
Mere information Is not enough to
qualify an athlete. There are other
qualifica tons, the cultivation Of which
is a part of his training. The same
holds true in citizenship, and the quail
tiles for which an athlete trains are in
measure those demanded by good
citizenship.
One of these is an interest In the
game, supplying an impelling motive.
The apathetic participant cannot be ef-
fective, either in sports or in citizen
ship The athlete differs from the citi-
zen, however, In that the athlete is one
from choice, while the citizen is one
from necessity. If boy has no in
terest in athletics he simply does not
become an athlete. If he has no inter-
est in his citizenship he is still citi-
zen, but an ineffective one. 1t is part
Of the citizens training to discover
why his citizenship is matter of vital
moment to him. The right kind of in
formation, the kind he can embody in
his present life and experience, will
help him to make this discovery.
Most of the qualities of good citizen
ship, as Of good athletics, cannot be
acquired merely through instruction.
They must be cultivated by practice
and become fixed as habits. Some of
the qualities best cultivated in this
way are a spirit and habit of team
work (cO-Operation), a sense of per-
sonal responsibility for the success of
the group, good judgment and loyalty
to the group. Even much Of the best
information comes through doing rath-
er than through formal instruction.
A group of boys was studying the
community in which they lived from
the standpoint Of cleanliness and beau
ty. They observed" the condition of
the streets and alleys and Of their own
front and back yards and "discussed''
the reasons why their community
should be clean, wholesome and beau
tiful, the arrangements for removing
rubbish, the effectiveness with which
it was done and the responsibility of
each citizen for the community's ap-
pearance.
So far it was a good lesson in CON-
munity civics. The boys were acquir-
ing valuable knowledge, much of which
could be put to immediate use. But
they needed to "dO'' something about
it, not so much to clean the city as
to cultivate habits of good citizenship
by practice. At this point their train
ing went wrong. A we'll meaning or
ganization desiring to cooperate Of
! fered a prize to the boy who should
bring in the largest number of old tin
cans. There was great competition,
and some of the boys actually carted
''into" the city loads Of cans from the
city's dump heaps.
The fundamental error in judgment
was in cultivating a wrong motive. 1t
resulted in substituting selfish compe-
tition for community cooperation, in
submerging the sense of personal re-
sponsibility and in developing disloy-
atty, to the community for personal
ends.
It shows the need Of standards by
which to test the value Of methods of
civic training and Of particular cases
of children's participation in civic life.