The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-03-21
CARD FROM PROF. HOLT
Dear Mr.. Gelders:

Some time ago l announced to a
few OF my friends certain plan which
wished to see carried out in this
county and SO many people are ask
ing me about the proposition that |
should like to explain it thoroughly in
your paper SO that all my friends may
see and read for themselves.
First, let me say that l believe in
educating our rural people upon an
agricultural basis. / do not mean by
this to make of our boys slave to
follow the pillow, but on tine other hand
| believe that every boy on the farm
should learn to direct agricultural
work by first learning to do the work
himself. In the very carry future we
shall need men who are trained es-
pecially for the farm, and that man
should be trained in an agricultural
school where his culture may also be
refined by the literary studies which
he masters.
1t is fact that every year there are
boys and girls leaving tie common
rural schools never to attend another
OF higher learning and every one
knows that the education received in
this small school is inadequate to
meet the requirements in the prepara-
ton for life admit that the studies
persued in these lower grades are of
great value to one, for they should be
made the foundation upon which one
might build more substantial
amount Of knowledge, but still there
arc other lessons which one should
know before being turned out into the
real world of commercialism. This
thought brought up tie question of
junior agricultural college for this
county, and the good 1t would do our
rural people in a few years.
| believe it best to have but one
rural high school in a county, but
make of that school real high school
and something more. It should be
operated for the purpose Of taking all
the boys and girls of the county who
have completed the seventh grade and
giving them further course of study
in things which will tend only to de-
velop them along the cnes of moral,
economical and industrial citizenship.
A four year course should be sufficient
for the effect, and believe there is.
nothing that would build up a county
in its agricultural standing more than
an institution of this kind, for the les
sons should all go toward training the
youth to lead and not to be a mere
copyist following iu the paths of
others.
OF course the regular literary course
should be given, but instead ofssome
dry texts agriculture and industrial
training should shine out in its single
greatness, and cause them to love the
study of the greatest profession in the
world The course of study should be
literary societies and bible classes or
gained where the boys and girls
might learn to be leaders in their COM
munity. All pupils should be requir-
ed to study vocal music to rebuild the
broken temples of this great art.
All students from this county should
be given instruction free of any tut
ton, and but small amount should
be charged for board. and under the
industrial method, a pupil could at
tend that school for less than it would
cost him to stay at home. From pu-
pills of other counties a small tuition
fee should be collected in connection
with the dormitory charges. A great
amount of enthusiasm has been made
manifest since first mentioning this
proposition, and if this enthusiasm
continues to grow | shalt be glad to
present more definite plans for an in
stitution of this kind, and | should
like to hear from any one interested
IN this form of instruction.
Yours very truly,
]. Gordon Holt, Prin.,
Ashton High School.