The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-05-24
he Value of the Hot Lunch in Rural
Schools.

he Value of the Hot Lunch in Rural
Schools.
So many questions have been asked
-<egarding the hot lunches served in
-ehools that it is well to ask: "What
is the hot lunch idea?" In the first
place it is not serving lunches between
meals during the forenoon and after
noon sessions of school, as some have
imagined. Neither is it giving a
course in Domestic Science.
The chief purpose of serving some
thing hot at noon to those who carry
lunches is simply one of efficiency and
has been found profitable from the
standpoint of educational efficiency
and physical betterment. The boy or
girl who eats only cold lunch DAT af-
ter day is not physically or mentally
capable of doing the work that may
be expected of him. 1t is often neces-
sary for the country child to eat an
early breakfast and walk from one
to three miles to school. He misses
the best meal at home which is usually
the noon meal, and if a hot supper is
the custom in his home it so often
eaten late that the child goes to bed
almost Immediately afterward which
is not conducive to good digestion. To
this child one hot dish even if it be
only hot milk, cocoa, soup or potatoes
served with lunch he brings from his
home is a great benefit and it has
been proven beyond a doubt in the
schools where it has been tried that
the hot lunche enables the children to
~do better schoolwork.
Other advantages of the hot lunch
plan are that the older students have
an opportunity to do some practical
plain cooking occasionally without in
terfering with their school work.
The assuming of responsibility for
preparing the hot dish to be served,
the practice of serving, table etiquette,
the brief study If school principles,
are all very valuable training. 1t
should not be thought for moment
that the whole meal is prepared at
school. The children bring their
lunches from home and only one hot
dish is served to all during the cold
weather. The kinds Of food which one
can carry in a basket are limited. The
hot dish gives variety and increases
the nutritive value of the lunch.
The equipment for serving hot
lunches need not be expensive. A cup
board with doors, made by the older
boys of the school, provides a place
for the dishes and cooking utensils
which are brought from home and re-
main at school during the term. Some
times the cooking can be done on the
school heater but it is usually best to
have a two-burner kerosene stove.
The question of supplies is often
raised. There are different ways of
providing them. Sometimes it has
been found best to levy twenty-five
cents each for the purchase of grocer
les and then let the children bring
some things such as potatoes and
other vegetables, milk, butter, and
aggs from home. One family furnish
ing what is needed for day and it
will not bring anything more until it's
turn comes again.
Very frequently by entertainments
given in the school, money can be rails
ed to buy supplies and sometimes
school boards, realizing the value Of
the idea, will vote money from the
school treasury for this purpose.
There will usually be no difficulty if
the teacher is tactful and has the CO.
operation of her patrons.
Housekeepers or monitors should be
selected from the older boys and girls
to serve for a week. Two are enough
at once. The necessary preparations
are made in the morning before school
and at recess. One of the housekeep-
.ers can get up quietly and start cook
ing at whatever time necessary to
have it done by noon. The rest of the
students will soon pay no more atten-
ton to this tina to any other school
room activity.
Serving the lunch is the most inter-
esting part of the preparation. The
children are always happy over it. The
children take their seats and monitors
pass the paper napkins, spoons or
forks and each child spreads out his
own lunch and then the hot dish made
at school is served to each. The teach
~er should eat with the pupils and en-
courage pleasant conversation.
Jennie Hedin,, Clas sof 1917.
Crisis
In view of the present food crisis,
there is a great demand for skilled
agriculturists. The study of horticul-
ture is a strong incentive toward
causing interest along this line, and
through it's influence student is
brought to the realization of the ne
cessity for competency in this field.
This particular branch of soil cul-
tivation for food, includes vegetable