The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-09-06
To the Patrons Of the.

To the Patrons Of the (.
Scotland Public Schools
Come and let US reason together,
about matters pertaining to the educ
cation Of your children.
Next Monday morning at $3.50
o'clock the public schools of Scotland
will begin the years work. We ear
nestly urge you to send your children
the very first day, and then do all
you can to keep them in attendance
unless sickness interferes. Last
year many failures and much poor
work resulted because Sof tardiness
and absences. Then, too. cigarettes
helped in destroying the efficiency of
the school in quite number Of in
stances. We have pleaded with
many Of the boys Of our school to give
up the health and mind destroy ing
tobacco habit: and while we partial
ly succeeded in getting the m to do 50.
yet we feel that more ought to he
done. Therefore we wish to secure
the cooperation Of every parent TO-
help destroy this evil among our
young boys. Ny observation has re-
vealed the terrible effects Of cigarette
smoking among school boys. a Gig
arctic smoker rarely does as vel as
those who do, not use tobacco. Near
ly all cigarette smokers fail in one or
more branches. have never known
| a cigarette fiend to stand at the head
Of his class. believe we can make
this one Of the best schools in the
state if we can secure good attend
ance and get rid of the cigarette.
The. young men about town, even
those who use tobacco, can do an in
estimable service by pointing out to
our school boys the harmfulness of
the cigarette on mind and body.
School work, as you we'll know, to be
most effective demands of pupils plen-
/ ty Of sleep and clean living.
Since writing the above letter |
received some very interesting sta
tistics relative to the cigarette habit
| in our public schools, which are given
below.
To show that my uncompromising
opposition to the cigarette is not due
| to personal prejudice present a
summary Of report which was pre-
pared since January, 1917. by the
Kingsbury Association Of High School
Teachers. This report was contribut-
| ed by Supt. Bruce McVay Of the De
Smet schools. The following list Of
Questions was answered by twenty-six
ranking high school men of the state.
"A brief summary Of their answers is
given after each d uestion.
i. Have you ever graduated ci-
garette smoker who entered high
school with the habit established?
Sixteen replied that they had not.
Several Of the others had graduated
only one A few had graduated sew
eral.
q. Have you ever observed any boy
whose work maintained his former
standard after acquiring the cigarette
habit?
Twenty three replied that they new
81 had.
8. Does the cigarette boy require
more than the average of general dis
cipline, apart from lesson work?
Twenty-Five answered afiirmatively.
Is the cigarette boy more like
| " to leave school before graduation!
Every superintendent t-answered af-
| firmatiyely.
5. u the cigarette habit identified
4 with the boy gang
Twenty zone replied that they
thought it was. Three made no re-
tply Only two negatively.
6. Is this habit increasing, sta
tioAary, Or declining
Eleven thought that the habit wa
Increasing. Two thought that it va
Il