The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-09-16
Bennington County Vermont
Improvement Association
This Section is Given up Weekly to Community Better
ment The Material is Furnished by Inc Iounty
Association Headquarters, Savings BANK buiiaine'
Bennington VT. Secretary. Willard W. Bartlett

ft@aAA r. " ~ AthtaAt h@tt @AaA ~ sH8 y
know that work has been commence
on the east road running from Oh
Bennington 70 the New York Stat
line. The road from the corporation
limits Of Old Bennington to within
approximately mile Of the New Yorl
State line was put in some years age
with the aid Of J. c. Colgate, and /.
one of the best, If not the best piece
of road in the entire county But the
last mile connecting with New York
has been in rather bad shape
This is an important piece Of road
because it is the main entrance to this
section Of the State from Albany,
Troy and vicinity. The New York
State Department of Highways is
soon to complete first class road up
to the line. When completed this will
make an entrance to the state Of
which Vermont may we'll be proud.
The survey has already been made
and it is expected that most Of the
drainage work will be put in this fall
and the road itself built early in the
spring.
Dorset Campaign Next
The next campaign conducted by
the County Association is to be con-
Quoted in the village of Dorset the
week Of Oct. 10th to 18th. A commit
tee of local citizens is busy at work
making preliminary plans in cooper
alton with the County Association.
Details Of the plan are not as yet
worked out but the campaign will be-
gin Oct. 10th with two meetings in the
village church. During the week
will be held every night in
the village hall. They will have to do /
with such subjects as better roads,
better schools, better agriculture, vii
age Identification, public health, etc.
1t is also part of the plan to have one
Dig field day and celebration. The
will end on Sunday, the 18th
With two more meetings in the church. 1
What Campaign Is 4
Many inquiries are being made Of i
he County Association as to what
hese campaigns are. To express the {
'bject in one sentence: 1t is to unity
ba life IF tho oo,,, rn,,n;t,y r., y,oet of /,
he communities of the country ap- {
one-half of the people i
axe an interest in public affairs, sup 8
ort organizations and associations Of s
ublic benefit, while approximately .
ne other half take little or no inter- i
st in things of public nature, are c
therefore, uniformed and disinterest- f
d in public movements and thus are S
pit many times to even work against /
lovements for the betterment of the v
eople as a whole. Then, the very
est of us get into ruts. We form Il
abits of giving our attention to il
lings sometimes of minor import G
nee, of neglecting things which are Ii
! major Importance and need our at o
ntion. From time to time we all l.
ED to come in contact with some n
ling vital and energetic outside of G.
lrselves which arouses us to our
responsibility. IN
These campaigns are an effort to la
duce every individual and every or g
lnization in township or village nj
come out and meet with the other CT
dividuals to consider problems of co
neral interest. The work is carried W
jointly by the County Association re
id by a local committee of citizens. st
thorough canvass and survey Of the in
wn is first made. Every person in co
e community is seen and asked to 1t
Ike some part in the campaign. M
meetings are held every su
Y for an entire week. The most mi
portant features Of community life
e considered from every angle. ha
But if such campaign resulted in is
IRE interest alone it would not be tn
ccessful. II must amount to more I'M
an that. 1t must lead to definite UP
ms for action. Therefore before the REL
se of each campaign it is planned tel
1t each organization in the town and fei
ferent committees Of citizens shall
Ike definite plans for community ha
along their respective am
cs, that the whole community shall Ru
informed as to their respective in
poses and shall not only be inter val
ed but shall be pledged as far as hon
isible to stand back Of these endeav- five
The County Association then ga
ms to keep in intimate touch with far
different movements Of the town ext
to be at all times ready to assist |
erever possible. ricl
How the Towns are Selected live
obviously the Association cannot he'll
list in such campaigns in all the yea
ms Of the county at once and some den
ms requesting campaigns have had 70
,e refused for the present. In gen pet