The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-10-30
RURAL SURVEY IS MADE
Movement is Very Important


rural survey party. Mr.. C. E. Rarick
of our own school was the leader of
the party of sixteen who constituted
the Kansas delegation to the survey.
These were, as follows: Philip Lou
than, county superintendent of Mitch
ell county; Miss Bertha Yoxall, county
superintendent of Osborne county;
Miss Emma Bigge, county superin-
tendent of Rocks county; Mrs. NJ M
Mckinney, county superintendent of
Sheridan county; Miss Emma Wilson,
county superintendent of Finney
county; H. Coover, county superin-
tendent of Ellsworth county; Mrs.
Alta Mellick, county superintendent
of Rush county; Superintendent A. D.
Haas of Plainville; Superintendent
E. J. Dumond of Garden City; Miss
Mable Parker, principal of the high
school at Alton; E. NJ. Dimmitt, Hol-
comb; A. R. Towles, county commits
sioner of Finney county; S. J. Hibbs,
Alton; F. G. revert of Holyrood; and
Professor M. L. Smith, Emporia Nor
NAL School. The members of the
Colorado delegation brought the total
number up to forty. Among the Colo
RADIO members were an ex-governor;
Mrs. Mary G. Bradford, state superin-
tendent of schools; several county
superintendent; Mr.. Under, assoc
late editor of western Farm Life;
and C. W. Williams, federal govern
ment representative OF agricultural
interests in the district.
The entire survey was in charge of
Professor C. G. Sargent, head of the
department of rural education at Fort
Collins Normal School, Colorado, and
state director of vocational education.
The idea of survey of rural prob
lens as met by the people of the San
Luis Valley, Colorado, was an out
growth of Professor Sargent's en-
gagement at Fort Hays Normal last
summer. His lectures on the con-
solidated school systems and the COM
munity plans in the San Luis Valley
aroused so much enthusiasm among
the Normal faculty and students that
he suggested joint survey to be con-
Quoted by representatives from both
states. Mr.. Rarick was asked to head
the Kansas delegation, and to invite
educators Of Western Kansas to the
number of fifteen only. This survey
is Americas first interstate exchange
survey of rural life and education,
and marks a new development in solv-
ing the problems of rural life and edu-
cation.
There are six rural communities,
one of which is considered the most
completely organized community pro-
ject in the United States. This is the
Sargent Consolidated School and
Community church of Rio Grande
county. The district organization
was perfected in January 1913, to
comprise eighty-three square miles of
territory, 226 farm homes, and a COM
plete census of $50. The school CEN
sus in November 1918, was 354.
Twelve teachers are employed, and
eight Studebaker auto BUSES, driven
by the teachers, transport $50 chill
dren to and from school every day.
Practical courses are offered in agri-
culture, farm mechanics, manual
training and home economics. The
plant and equipment are valued at
$71,70O, but could not be duplicated
for that amount at the present time.
This valuation covers a site of ten
ID 1T11n folxy
ped school building, the superintend-
ent's home, an eleven-room teacher
age, gymnasium and garage, the eight
school buses, an eight-room parson-
age and one-acre site. Water, cleo
tricity and heating-plants are among
the modern conveniences. The school
building is also used for church ser
vices. The other six communities are
similar to the Sargent district in
buildings and equipment.
1t was to the Sargent district that
the Kansas-Colorado survey party
went first On Sunday, October the
nineteenth, they arrived at Monte
vista, and were met at the station by
the Sargent school buses which car
ried them over the eight miles be
tween the town and the district. The
party arrived in time for Sunday
School, stayed to church, had chicken
dinner in the basement after church
attended the afternoon service a
three O'Clock, and both evening ser
vices, which closed at ten o'clock
Children and grown people alike joi1
in all the services of the church, eithel
staying at the building for dinner anC
supper, or going back and forth il
their automobiles. People from sever
different denominations take part IL
these community services. The schoo
auditorium is filed at all services. Be
fore the district organization and con
solidation there were two weak Sun
day Schools and no church organiza
tin at all in the district.
On Monday, the visitors again wen
to the Sargent school to study it from
an educational standpoint, as the.
had from religious and social poin