The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-07-26
A GREAT CAMPAIGN

| No greater nor more important
campaign has ever been waged in
Tennessee than that soon to be waged
by our educational forces, assisted by
the Departments of Agriculture and
Health. This campaign is for COM
munity organization to secure better
educational, agricultural and health
conditions.
No effective work can be done along
these lines without organization. The
reason people living in towns and
cities have advantages that people
living in rural districts do not have is
because of organization. If the people
of the rural districts will organize, as
is planned in this campaign, they can
bring to themselves unthoughtof i'm
provements.
! First, we believe there should be
definitely fixed community boundaries
and every citizen should know to what
community he belongs and owes al
legiance. We believe there are no
better boundaries for our communities
than those fixed for our schools and
should constitute community.
AS the county has a common center,
the courthouse, so the community
must have a center and we believe
this center should be the schoolhouse.
Every community should have COM
munity house, place where the peo-
pie can meet for any purpose and
where school is conducted.
The people of community need to
meet and determine those things that
will be for their best interests as a
community. We believe every patri-
otto citizen desires to see better edu-
cational, agricultural and health con-
ditions in his community and we urge
every community to organize and APP
point committees whose duty it will
be to look after these interests. These
committees will receive most hearty
cooperation from the state depart
menus representing these interests.
The educational committee should
see that the community or school
house is comfortable, attractive and
sanitary; that the grounds are beauti-
full and made homelike. 1t should see
that The sociei advantages are as
they should be. 1t should create a
demand for long school terms, eff
cient teachers and a more strict en-
forcement of the attendance law.
The agricultural committe should
consider the community problems
along the lines Of production, distri-
button and conservation all the prob
lens relating to the agricultural ac-
Invites of the farm and of the home.
The health committee, by making
sanitation the care of the community,
can protect the health of the individ-
ual. The major causes of death in our
state are found in diseases that are
to large extent preventable. Through
an active committee aided by local
physicians and the State Department
of Health, many of our most dreaded
diseases can be largely controlled.
! am greatly interested in the inn
provement of rural life in our state.
I believe the rural problem to be one
of our most serious problems. For
this reason I have given it my most
serious thought. After careful con-
sideration | am persuaded the only
way W 1IupLONG dIlu GuLlCu IuIdl lllG
is through community organization.
For this reason l hope to see every
county in our state organized into
community units with the schoolhouse
as the center where the people can
meet to consider all their common
interests.
The proposed campaign will be put
on in every county where it is desired.
The request must come through the
county superintendent of public in
struction.
/ feel sure every teacher in the
state will be greatly interested in
this great work, for the teacher is the
logical community organizer. / hope
all interested in better rural life will
give our teachers hearty support in
organizing their communities. If the
campaign be put on in your county,
some time in August or September
your communities will be called to
meet at your schoolhouse to organize.
A program will be arranged by the
teacher and county superintendent. Be
sure to attend. If interested, write
your county superintendent or me for
booklet of information.
Very sincerely,