Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-01-07
Wausau, Wis, Jan. 1, 1919
Office of the
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT


Wausau, Wis.,, Jan. 1, 1919.
To the School Boards of Marathon County.
Gentlemen
1 address these lines to you by way of a
New Years greeting. What the year of 1918
has been we know. What the year of 1918 will
be remains to be seen.
The year of 1918 has been one in which
school boards have been called upon for many
tasks. The federal government well the
various war work agencies have selected the
schools of the country suitable centers
through which to carry on much of the pub
licity work. They have also been found con-
Venient instruments through which to gather
information. AS a result of this. teachers and
school boards have had to assume work
nected with the drives and have had to gather
NO end of statistics There has been a census
for this and census for that, drive for this
and a drive for that, all of which called for
time and energy on the part of teachers and
board members. 1t, however, was time and en-
ergy spent in the cause of our country and was
therefore well worth while.
Now that the schools have been discovered
by the fe1sral government and its various
agencies l doubt very much whether they will
ever be allowed to settle down to that peace
and quiet that they enjoyed before this dis
covery. l rather fear that there will be an
ever increasing tendency TO use them as bu-
reaus OF information. AS long as the infor-
nation called for is practical and necessary
there can be no complaint on our part The
difficulty will lie in differentiating between
that which is practical and that which is not
practical 1t is perfectly permissible for the
schools to make surveys that get people some
where. These surveys should, however not
become So frequent that the clerical work con-
nected with them absorbs a large part of the
teachers time and energy, and thus detract
from her ability to render the best possible
service in connection with the regular duties
of the school. This question is receiving at
hxyr ut fhah nnd cofna
1t is therefore, to be hoped that steps will be
taken to prevent any serious spread of what
might be called census or survey epidemic
1t may not be amiss to point out at this
time that the fact that the schools have been
put on the map is not to be charged entirely to
the side of loss. Being on the map has its ad-
vantages. In the first place it lends import
ance to the schools to have it's teachers and
officers part and parcel of the machinery that
runs the government This is perhaps most
strongly noticeable in connection with the war
savings societies and the Junior Red Cross
activities. In the war savings society our boys
and girls do not only have fine opportunity
to form the habit of thrift but they have also
an activity that serves as a nucleus around
which their study of civil government becomes
live and interesting problem, whereas, in
other days they studied the constitution of the
United States government in disinterested
way because that government seemed so re-
mote to them that they failed to see where it
affected them. In the Junior Red Cross work
the children are given opportunity to de-
velop the most noble traits in human nature
In this work they interest themselves in lend
ing assistance to those who are in need, and
whether their effort be in the form of cash or
service it is twice blessed. It is a blessing to
those who receive and it is still more of a
blessing to those who give.
There is another advantage that l think
will come to the schools through the interest
that the federal government has developed in
them through their share in its activities.
This advantage 1 think will come in the form
OF federal legislation that will do more for the
rural schools than has ever before been at
tanned. If this prophecy comes true we may
soon see the day when will congratulate
ourselves for having been discovered.
Owing to above named extra duties OF
school boards and owing to the shortage Of
labor and high cost of materials it has been
extremely difficult for boards to give the ply
steal condition of the school property adequate
attention. Boards in general, however, have
done the best they could under the circum-
stances and some boards have allowed moth
ing to stand in the way of making necessary
Improvements.
With the returning of our boys from camps
and foreign fields l am confident that it will
be easier during the coming summer to devote
considerable attention to the physical condi-
ton of our school buildings. Some districts
should put up new buildings. Quite number
OF them should put up out buildings
built after the plans and specifications furnish
ed by the state board of health and mailed to
the school clerks last summer. large num-
Der of districts should repair their out build
ings.
Many districts should retint the interior of
their school buildings. In each case the colors
used should be cream for the ceiling and
either cream or light tan for the walls
number of districts need shades These
shades should in each case be adjustable tan
in color, either of the rolling or folding type.
These shades are manufactured by the Draper
hnfh Of Chic
and are made to order. They can be bought
direct from the manufacturers and also
through the various school supply houses On
no occasion order new shades of the type in
which the roller fastens to the jam.
In many schools much should be done in
the way of added equipment. The list of if
teen points under apparatus as given in the
requirements for special state aid might we'll
serve the basis for determining the need of
each particular school,
Let me urge school boards to make the
year 1919 stand out in bold faced type as the
year in which the tax payers of Marathon
County made special effort to give the boys
and girls of the county the best possible,
school facilities. The war has taught us our.
powers in the way of special efforts It has
certainly proven to us that we are capable Of
raising untold amounts of money We have.
raised money enough the past year and half
for war activities to build a $1,000 90 school
house in every district in the county This then
is what have reference to when 1 say we have.
discovered our powers. During the past year we.
have had to raise this money for the needs of
our country. We shall have to raise some
money for that purpose this year but we will
soon be through with this. We will then be
ready to transfer our energy to the raising of
funds in the interests of our boys and girls
Let us write the name of Marathon County
high in the list of counties who stand ready to
say that there is nothing too good for the bows
and girls. Wishing you well in these efforts.
/ am