The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-17
BOYS AND GIRLS
CLUBS ARE GROWING
Members In This County Showing
Much interest In a Number of
Different Projects

Much interest In Number OF
Different Projects
Boys and Girls clubs are growing
in Bennington county Last year "a
clubs won their charters. When Miss
Hardy. the new county club agent, be
gan work on March /, there were %
clubs which had in the fall expressed
desire to keep together Three
more groups had considered the sub
iect and were only waiting for lead
er to help them organize. No effort
was made to start clubs in new com
munities for the agents time was full
getting acQua nted with the clubs,
which were already organized and in
need of help And yet. such is the
appeal of club work, that at once
other communities began to call for
it, Today, there are 80 organized
clubs, each hoping 10 make its char
ter this year Tht total enrolment is
over 500 and every town in the coun-
ty, except Glastonbury, has at least
one club,
The charters are awarded by the
L. S. department Of agriculture and
the Uniyers.t .ty Of Vermont, on evil
dence Of a good years work by the
club. One important requirement is
that 60 per cent of the members OF
the club complete their individual
projects, keep sat ,sfactory cost ac-
counts and hand in a short written
story OF their years experiences in
club work
The work of the club is varied, hut
suited as far as possible to the inter
ests of the community The Dorset
boys are raising potatoes as their
main project although some have pigs
and poultry and one lamb. Rond-
vile has a potato and cooking
group. In Manchester, sewing and
cook ng interest the girls while
handcrafts and gardening have
been undertaken by the boys
The largest club IN the codnty Is in
South Salisbury. 1t has So mem
hers and might almost be divided into
three clubs. for it has three main pro
iects, sewing, poultry and gardening
The sewing club has been working
faithfully through the spring, and has
been fortunate in having tho help OF
two Of the members mothers as we'll
as of their leader Meanwhile some
fine chicks have been hatched and
gardens started.
Enthusiasm rather than members
counts. however Though not so
large as the South SALISBURY club,
quite as good progress with work has
been made by the Battenkill Juniors
of North Arlington and by the Worth
While club of Chapel district, Ben
nington. The West SALISBURY Live
Stock club is small, having a member
ship of nine, but there isn't a grown
person in the county, but would enjoy
one of their meetings. Any member
can get up in front OF the meeting
and tell his or her experiences in in
teresting style and they seem to en-
Joy doing it. They are studying the
points of cattle now and it won't be
their fault if by fall they can't judge
the individuals of a herd as well as
older farmers.
The Harwood Hill Poultry club,
Bennington, has been winning honors
for three years and is growing into
a big business. Several members are
raising 70 to 80 chicks, one has raised
l20. And what is better than num-
bers, they have birds of good breeds.
One boy kept 40 Plymouth Rock hens
last winter, and they paid their
board with a good bit to spare.
The club agent strives constantly
to emphasize good breeds of stock
and good. new methods. Having
farmed herself, she knows the value
of these things. The boys and girls
are eager to experiment with new
ideas and sometimes by so doing
they beat their fathers and mothers
and convert them to the new method.
Once a month, the agent tries to
visit every club and as often as pos
sibe to stop at each club members
home, see his work and help him. il
he needs help. Last year, Miss Pratt
was fortunate in having her own cal
in which to make her rounds. This
year, so far. the club agent has had
to depend on assorted means of trans
portation, having the use of the farm
DuItdu Val Qlly ~ Vbl tlAu VI bHt AlulV
and that to the great detriment of the
county agents work. So it has seen
ed necessary for the club agent tC
have a car Of her own. Through the
generosity OF the citizens of Benning
ton county, this Is about to come tc
pass During the past week, individU
al subscriptions to the amount Of
sos were raised On Monday evening
June 10, the county club agent ad
dressed the Manchester Board Of
Trade and the gentlemen present re
sponded with generous personal sub
scriptions amounting to $50. The
matter will shortly be brought before
other organizations and individuals
who will undoubtedly respond prompt
w. for the welfare of the children OF
the county is a matter of Importance
to everyone
Anyone who wishes to contribute tc
this car fund, should send their gifts
to the Bennington County Farm Bur
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