The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-07-14
TO IMPROVE RURAL LIFE
COUNTY CITY AND CoNsOLID-
ATED SCHOOL sUPERINTEND-
ENTS AND OTHER RURAL
LEADERS MEET AT HAYS
HEAR WINSHIP, KURTZ
AND McBRIEN
HoleOmb COnsOlidated School Film /,
Shown for First Time


The Rural Life Conference held at
the Fort Hays Kansas Normal School.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in
which County Superintendents, City
superintendent and Superintendents
OF Consolidated Schools participated,
was the first Of its kind in this section
OF the state and met with greater
success than hoped for by its spons-
ors, President Lewis, Prof. c. E.
Rarick, Dean Floyd B. Lee and others.
This conference had for its aim
and purpose the bettering of rural
life in its schools, churches and other
community activities. The principal
speakers were: DR.. A. E. Winship of
Boston, editor of the Education Mag
azine; DR.. ]. L. McBrien, Specialist
in Rural Education, of the Bureau of
Education at Washington; and DR..
Daniel w. Kurtz, President of Nc
Pherson College. There were other
speakers, specialists in rural life
work, and leaders in education
These included: Prof. Edgar Mend
enhall of the Pittsburg Manual Train
ing Normal School; Prof. H. L. Kent
of the Fort Hays Kansas Experiment
Station; Supt. w. A. Vickers of the
Weskan Consolidated School, Super
intendent E. ]. Dumond of the Hol-
comb Consolidated School; Supt. c.
r. Wallace of Kingsdown; State Supt.
of Public instruction Lorraine z.
Wooster; Principal Maude E. Gorham
of the Holcomb High School; Miss
Julia NJ. Stone of the Fort Hays Kan
sas Normal School; Supt. w. Clyde
Markley of Waldo; Supt. j. F. Jen-
nings of Haddam; Prof. G. E. Rarick
of the Fort Hays Kansas Normal
School, Miss Henderson of the Kan
sas University, and Prof v L. Strick-
land of the Kansas State Agricultural
College.
"The Story of Holcomb," the film
portraying the Holcomb Consolidated
School in its organization and work,
was shown Monday and Wednesday
evenings. This was the first time that
this film had over been shown.
The following superintendents were
present: County Superintendents-
Miss Romaine Wyatt of Decatur, L.
f. Dial of Jewell, Otis Doane of Sher-
man, Miss Stella Lewis of Sheridan,
Miss Emma Biggee of Rocks, John F.
s-N = L n
sen of Ellis, Miss Alma Jasper of
Lane, Mrs. Alta Mellick of Rush, Miss
Emma Wilson of Finney, Miss Ethel
Smith of Comanche, Miss Glenna Will
kins of Barber; Consolidated School
Superintendent of Colby, w.
A. Vickers of Weskan, E. j. Dumond
of Holcomb, Sieg of Zook, G. R. Wal
lace of Kingsdown, Ralph Stinson of
Alden; Rural High School Superin-
tendents-Lamont of Oberlin, Lester
A. Wilson of Quinter, w. Clyde Mark
lev of Waldo, j. F. Jennings of Had
dam; Grade Principals-Walter Max
well of Quinter. There were others
here of the city superintendent
whose names we did not secure.
For the betterment of rural schools
DIR. McBrien in his Monday morning
lecture gave the essentials: 16O days
of school, sufficient number of schools
prepared for work, consolidated
schools. well-trained teachers, teach
ers' home, community organization
free county libraries, universal edu-
cation for country boys and girls
Americanization, better public health
,ood roads, better farm homes and
tbe money with which to do all these
things.
prof. H. L. Kent, in speaking on
the subEct, ''What Vocational SUD
iacts NAV be Attempted in a Con-
sol;dated Schools" made a plea Tor
more practical training in the things
which must be actually done IN farm
horas Among the things he enum-
Grated in this respect were; the max
inc Of cement, the up-keep OF machin-
erv. work in millinery and the pre-
servation of food.
prof Mendenhall, Monday AFTER
noon. demonstrated the use OF eqp-
aot;onal tests in rural schools DE
usad the Courts Research Test II
otLan,atics. 80 Ayres Word-list and
Arres writing Test. he emphasized
49, need of more stapdard grading IN
our rural schools. Dr
In his lecture Tuesday mOrnl
McBrien gave the qualifications 0i