The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-10-11
HOME DEM
QNsTRATION WORK

What ana why IL As-QiR sally +
View of the Activities Contem
plated With the Girls of Robe
son This Year.
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
Doubtless many people are wonder
ing lust what the home demonstration
work is and why it is. Ihls article
is to answer these questions IN part,
at least, and to give the public a cur
sorv view of the activities which are
contemplated with the girls this year.
In a later issue the work with the
housekeepers will be considered.
Educate for Practical Problems.
A few years ago l was employed
by the State Department Of Educa-
ton Jointly with the county board Of |
education of Sampson county to be-
gin an experimental work in the sup
ervision of the rural schools Of the
above county. When [ inquired what |
my duties should be [ was hidden TO
90 out into the field and find out
the need, doing whatever my hands
found to do. The idea was to study
the rural school situation to find out
the real need, and, if possible, to see
wherein the course could be more
adequately adapted to the practical
needs of the community. 1t required
no great while to realize that one Of
| the many needs was to educate the
youth for the practical problems of
| life, for that educational ideal which
fails to go out into the homes and
fields to deal with the fortunes Of
the country people is a false ideal;
so the conviction grew upon me that
we must adapt our course Of training
to TIE everyday needs and conditions
of the community, and l came more
and more to feel, too, that it is a
false notion to suppose that practical
training cannot be given as high cul-
tural value as a study of the class
les, if properly directed and CORE
lated with other necessary subjects.
New Type of Rural Education.
It is this conviction that we need
to develop a new type Of rural educa-
tion-one that will make large use of
things and Of doing things along with
a proper mastery Of essential theories
which has induced me to turn my
ton of agricultural club work, be-
cation is making it's debut under the
auspices of this work.
Home Demonstration Work With
Girls. -
The home demonstration work as
it applies to the girls leads to many
lines of development for them. The
work of canning is only one feature
Of it, as may be seen from the tenta-
tive program of work with the girls
which is given at the end Of this ar
/ ticle. The entire course tends to
vitalize in a very practical and eff
1 fective way several of the branches
taught in the public school course.
The work in gardening introduces the
girl to practical agriculture and puts
into execution the agricultural prin-
ciples which she has learned in school,
Her knowledge Of arithmetic finds
specific exercise and practical appli-
cation in keeping her record book with
which she is provided for the purpose
Of estimating her profit and loss. She
is encouraged to write history of
her years work and by this means
she develops self-expression and the
work is closely correlated with her
, language work in the school room. A
girl who does a year of successful
club work usually evinces new inter-
est and life in every line Of her
, school-room work. She finds new
pleasure, too, in homemaking after a
season Of work in domestic science
and arts. It arouses her home max
ing instincts and quickens her pride
5 and pleasure in improving her sur
roundings. The successful growing
canning and marketing of her own
crop develops her initiative and self
reliance-two of the most essential
i factors in producing an efficient type
q of womanhood.
Finally, when she accumulates q
q little bank account of her own earn.
d ings at the end of the year, she be.
g gins to realize the actual value of &
Il dollar, for she can't find it in he1
e hard-earned dollars as she may hav,
done with the money previously Civ
en- to her. Many girls are now il
y. college as a result Of the money AM
u inspiration which they have gather
g ed from this work.
} What One Girl Did.
e And just here l am reminded t.
!, tell the story Of a girl who las
spring borrowed money from tn
10 bank with which to buy a thousan
n high-priced tin cans. She was call
a ed foolish by a few. She filled Their
- to the last can with standard pro
" ducts. A few days ago when sh
Ill finished marketing them she turne
Il to me and exclaimed as her heart al
HI most burst with pride, "Miss Cassi
- dey, | have saved enough money i
~. ~ these two years Of work to go to tn
Ill Normal college after Christmas.
e. This is but a brief survey of tn
many benefits which accrue from thj
work. The program below present
the first years work.
e, Tentative Outline of Work in HON
Economies With the Girls:
I Domestic arts
~ a. Basketry from native material
" b. Simple lessons in dress-makin,
m c. Simple lessons in home milli1l
in cry.
mt (Some chorus work will be dor
&C. alSo.)