Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-02-19
SCHOOL SURVEY
REVEALS LURES
OF OTHER CITIES
Students Say They VIII
Leave For Lack of
, Opportunity

" lcb dO t4lG NOlllIlS SlJlACiio VI
Americus and Sumter county think
of their community? Some of them
are going to spend their lives here.
Perhaps they have some idea of
what they would like to have done to
make their city and county more pro-
gressive and desirable as a home.
Americus is spending money on
schools in order to fit them for the
responsibilities of the future. Will
the city and the neighborhod get a
full return on the investment or will
some other community, perhaps a
rival, reap part of the benefit?
A few days ago the students of
the Americas high school were asked
in connection with the expansion and
organization campaign of the
Chamber of Commerce to express
their views as to remaining in the
county after leaving school, and re-
G2rding the needs of Americus and
Sumter county, in which they might
be expected to have an interest be-
cause of their future participation in
the activities of the community. The
s7rvey was based on three questions.
They were answered in writing by IA
1szs ssz. and l2S girls making total #
Similar surveys have been made
in high schools in other cities by
those who made the survey here. 1t
is stated that the replies made by the
Emericus students were above the
average in detiniteness regarding fu-
ture occupations, excellence in pen
manship, and clearness of statement.
. It was also notable that the proper
Ntion of the number of young men
stating it as their intention to go to
college was above that b ordinarily
found in a high school. There were
17syoung men and 81 young women
who expect to enter college.
The questions on which the survey
was based were as follows:
What business, profession or
trade do you hope to pursue as life
work."
''Do you intend to remain in
Americus or Sumter county after
leaving high school?"
What do you think the Chamber
of Commerce should undertake first
for the improvement of Americas,
and neighborhood?"
AS to vocations only nine of the
boys were undecided. Of the girls,
however, 60 were uncertain or. at
least, had decided not to express
themselves definitely. 1t was to be
noticed that large proportion of
the occupations named by the boys
were those of professions, with cleo
trical engineering ranking all others.
. There were IA who stated that they
would like to be electrical engineers
The profession next favored was that
of medicine with eight choosing it.
Seven named farming as their life
work while five looked toward the
law The other occupations named
were civil engineering, that of a me-
chanic, merchandising, the army,
bookkeeping, airplane mechanics, au-
tomobiles, salesmanship, pharmacy,
electrician, mechanical engineering,
eye, ear and nose specialist, cartoon
ist, the navy, architect, land over
seer, chemist, contracting, lumber
dealing, construction engineering,
physical director and newspaper busi-
ness.
The young women who definitely
expressed themselves chiefly expect to
be music teachers. There were 19
who were planning to develop the
musical culture of Americus and
Sumter county. Three thought they
would like to be either a doctor or a
. lawyer. Three planned to be trained
nurses; three, architects and interior
decorators; three, artists; seven, ste
. nographers; six, domestic science
teachers; seven, school teachers; one,
a grand opera singer; one, home
. missionary; one, county demonstra-
. tor; one, an art teachers; two, musi-
clans; one, movie actress; six, of
flce workers; one, business lady"
one, fiction writer.
The answers to the second question
Il were Illuminating. Only "a out of
#the IA boys who replied to this ques-
I tlon expected to remain in Americas.
Almost exactly one-half of them stat
ed that they would not stay, while
\ IA more were undecided, showing
that they too could be easily drawn
away Among the reasons given for
leaving were there:
"No. Because there are not
enough prospects"
"There are better opportunities
elsewhere"
Because can get better job in
large CITY,"
~ do not like Americus.'
On the other hand, two-thirds of
the girls do expect to remain in
Americus and Sumter county.
These answers provide food for
thought. 1t has been observed in a
Similar survey in other cities that the
cities that the proportion of those
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