The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-11
For Good of
 the Community

A by any firm or individual in Birming- ham was the $2, 1000 spent by the chamber of commerce in procuring twenty-four pure-bred Jersey calves for the boys of the county. Two dozen happy youngsters are laying the foundation of good citizen ship in the care of their pets
 How much better off is each of these boys with his mild-eyed calf than if he had shot gun or pistol. How much more genuine pleasure will he not get out of seeing and making the growth of useful animal than in aimless waste of nervous energy following the trail of worthless dog in quest of destruction.
 Give the child something to do. He must have it. He is going to be busy. The question is how? The job should be direct ed away from telling the child not what to do and toward giving him that which he is willing and likes to do.
 The agricultural map of Alabama has been made over through the child' This malleable material it is that first yielded itself to the molding of the demon stration agent. The Alabama boy plant ed the first prize corn acres and raised the first prize pigs. The Alabama boy led in the adoption of a scientific method of planting and cultivating.
 The Alabama girl taught her farm worn mother how to tighten her labors and how to put up fruit and vegetables; how to utilize the by-products of the gar den for pin money. The farm girls taught the use of screened doors and windows.
 What the world learns it learns in the formative period when the mind is recep- tive No forward movement is possible with the inelastic muscles of age and ex- perience. They are closed books. Finis has been written on the good and the bad alike.
 Men and women of Birmingham feel the better for seeing the children at play under the new work -play-study system. They know as matter of fact that these children are making more progress in their studies because their muscles are allowed greater play. The sin of the old school system has been in chaining the restless child to desk.
 The calf that the Jefferson County boy of the calf club has under his care is the concrete. 1t is not page out of dull book like Sanford and Merton telling him what comes to the good boy and the bad boy, but the daily inspiration to be of serv- ice, to do some one thing every day that is worth while.
 Every boy loves pet. He will love the right kind as much as the useless and the dangerous Each of the two dozen boys with the pure-bred calf entrusted to him feels that trust Each boy is learning the difference between gross and net earnings. Each is learning the cattle business without conscious effort at learn ing anything.
 When the calf club boy sells his calf this fall he will get the difference be- tween it's cost and the selling price There must be deduction for tie cost of upkeep. The boy will have been taught what overhead" is. When he handles the sum remaining over from the original price and the cost of rearing, he will have vis- ualized the operations of business. He will run back over his line, of expendi- lures for feed and comparison of his with the other calves will demonstrate to him whose method has been the best.
 The boys out at the Industrial School become useful citizens because they are kept busy. What wonderful band they have. How easily trained must be the musical soul of these youngsters!~ What a world it would be if potentialities of childhood were realized!
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