The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-02-19
CENTER Plan
ADDS TO JOY
OF RESIDING
IN COUNTRY
Wayne County Takes Lead
on Effecting Organization
Of Township Mutual Bene-
fit Societies.
RESULTS Enumerated
BY BASIL WALTERS

The little red school house, the
farm home, the neat white
church and the big yellow ear of
corn-how to develop each and
how to correlate their interests
is the problem which caused
the launching Of the community
center movement in Wayne
county.
The community center can
best be described as the town.
ship commercial club. Efforts
are being made to organize a
community center in each town.
ship. All farmers and their
families are eligible to member
ship.
Three Townships Take Lead.
New Garden. Boston and Franklin
townships now have incipient com.
munity organizations. Other town
ships assisted by Miss Grave L. King,
county domestic science supervisor,
will follow.
The purpose of the movement Is to
check the alarming exodus from rural
to urban districts by giving people in
the country the best the world affords
through sensible cooperation.
Community centers furnish farmers
q, rization through which they
can make demands effectively The
township organizations encourage a
closer relationship between residents
of the country and build up senti-
ment for better living and better serv-
ing.
Make Better Churches Possible.
They encourage cooperation of
farmers in their work. They make
possible the building of better churches
and better schools.
During the last two decades q great
many farmers in Wayne county--par-
ents who had children to educate
left their farms and moved to s-nall
towns and into Richmond so that their
children could have advantage of bet
ter schools and churches.
Under the community center plan.
farmers through cooperation see that
good schools and good churches are
built within reach of their children
even though they continue living on
the farm.
prestige and strength, prizes are Of
fered for the most beautiful farm
homes, thus encouraging making farm
life more attractive.
Meetings are held in central places
at least once month. Scientific men
and women are invited to address the
sessions. These talks are followed by
general discussions and a social hour.
Business Methods Urged.
Farmers are urged to use business
like methods which will increase
profits and make farm life easier.
Use Of modern machinery to lessen
household tolls of women is brought
to the attention Of persons at the COM
munity center gatherings.
In fact, the township clubs fill the
long felt need among farmers-an or
ganization which makes possible the
consideration OF all rural problems col
lectively.
Mr.. Farmer, has your township a
community center organization? If
not, get in touch with Miss King or
County Superintendent Williams i'm
mediately. They will help you or
ganize one.
County school authorities recognize
the worth of the movement. Three
vocational township high schools will
be built soon in Wayne county to
encourage the development of rural
life.
Wayne People Rank az Leaders.
Wayne county farmers are noted for
their progressiveness in taking up
such propositions. Ivan T. Beck.
Wayne township agricultural supervis-
or, reports that farmers have turned
out by the dozens for agricultural
night schools which he has conducted
during the winter months.
Almost every township has a domes-
tic science association Two weeks
ago, at the close Of the County Home
Economics day celebration a perma-
nent county domestic science organiza-
tion was formed.
These facts indicate that Wayne
county will lead the state in the COM
munity center movement. Will this
be the first county in Indiana to have
a community center in ever township
and then perhaps central county
community center organization.
Why not?
1t depends on you.