Newark post., 1917-11-07
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
IN THE COUNTRY
State Leader, Howard T. Ruhl,
Explains Work

State Leader of Junior Extension
Work, Howard T. Ruhl, in an interest
ing statement explains the work of
the Boys and Girls Club work in Del
aware, as follows:
Boys and Girls Club Work is an at
tempt to place better methods of agri-
culture within the grasp of the young
people of the country; it desires to
make the country attractive to the
young people in 1.-THE place they
are needed the most. 1t is an endea-
vor to help the boys and girls become
better producers, to give them a bet
ter knowledge of agriculture; to
arouse in them an interest for and a
love of the country, their home; to
afford them opportunities to get to-
gether in wholesome companionship
and recreation; it is an attempt to
take the drudgery out of work by
arousing in them an intelligent inter-
est in the work itself, to make them
see the principles underlying it and
the reasons for the things they do. In
short, it is vocational education for
the boy and girl in the country-a
thing the boy and girl in the city have
enjoyed for some time.
Club work is no longer an expert
ment-it is an organized educational
work now being carried on in every
State in the Union. 1t is educational,
| inspirational and instructive. 1t is an
extension of the U. S. Department of
Agriculture and Delaware College to
the farm life of the boy or girl.
Since this work is educational it
can best be carried on through and in
the schools; it is an effort on the part
of the two departments cooperating
to bring the school and home close
together. For its best success, then,
it must have the cooperation of the
teachers and parents and the support
of the community.
Club work acquaints the boy and
girl with the best agricultural prac-
tises of the U. S. Department of Ag-
riculture and Delaware Agricultural
College. 1t is carried on by means of
the local leaders, county agents,
county leaders, home economics work
ers and specialists of the department
Projects.
Projects have for their aim the sue
cessful raising of and care for crop,
an animal, etc, to enable the boy or
girl to get an appreciation of the
proper principles governing their
production.
Procedure: The boy or girl must
choose a project which is satisfactory
to his parents and local leader. It is
not intended that these projects shall
be a burden on the boy or girl or on
the home; it is intended that the pro-
iect be definite and concrete and as
close to conditions as found in the
best practices in actual life as it can
~ ihi"uS' Aii elii ILLS "oi n IL 10 lleC6S-
sary for its best success that as much
of the work as possible be done by the
pupil personally. This request is made
that the interest of the boys and girls
may not lag, but be kept at it's high
est pitch; it is not intended to re-
strict any interest the parents may
show but is to develop responsibility
for the ultimate outcome of the pro-
ject on the part of the pupil.
There is one thing important to
note in the project work Practises
or methods used on the individual
farms are not to be employed in car
rying on projected work Only those
practises and methods advocated by
the local leader are to be followed.
Should there be a desire to deviate
from this course it would be we'll to
separate the project from the home
practices of farming and conduct a
comparative project.