The Mena weekly star., 1921-09-01
POLK COUNTY
 SCHOOL NEWS
fBv W. H. Morden, County
 Superintendent)

0UDtIihtCiNNAeF
 The meetings of directors and pa irons were held according to an nouncements last week, two meetings each week in different places. All except three were well attended for the first meetings of this kind. There were IF directors at the l2 meetings representing 60 of the 77 districts in the county Ten districts were omit ted from these meetings leaving only that did not respond. Meetings will be had for the 10 omitted at 8 later date.
 If there is a person in the county who thinks there might not be school interest in general he should attend one of these meetings. An account 1 of one meeting will show something of the interest taken. East of Van deervoort there are four districts, | Shiloh, Happy Hill, Hartley, and Mt. 1 View, all are in row along the road, the last being 20 miles from Wander voort. The meeting was called for Happy Hill, the most convenient place for the four districts. Mir. Davis and Mir. Gibbons of Mount View rode their mules 8 miles to the meeting. Mir. Lacey of Brushy, or Shiloh, rode s miles from the opposite direction, while Mir. Horton, the secretary of the board at Shiloh, walked 2 miles to the meeting. At this meeting ev- cry director from the four districts were present except one. There were more patrons there than directors. After going over the program the di rectors and patrons decided to meet regularly once month to talk over matters of interest to the schools and communities. The first meeting will be at Happy Hill on the second Satur- day in September.
 As a result of the interest shown in the meetings, and at the special re- quest of directors and patrons we ex- pect to hold a similar meeting in ev- cry district just as rapidly as the county superintendent can get around. Instead of the usual visit to the school he will notify all patrons to meet at the school for a half day of study all together on matters of importance to the community, and especially the oNAtoOl# tlC nlCI iANthlHSo are, District 25, Thursday, September 2, in the morning; District 24 Thurs day, September 2, in the afternoon; Friday, September 3, District 43, in the morning; Friday afternoon at Dis trict 2. Beginning Monday, Sept. 5, the weeks program is as follows: Highland, Monday morning; Spring dale, Monday afternoon; Bend, Dis trict 2S, Tuesday morning; Ouachita, Tuesday afternoon; Big Fork, Wednesday morning; Mill Creek, Wednesday afternoon; Midway, Thursday morning; Board Camp, Thursday afternoon; Alder Springs, Friday morning; Mitchum, Friday af- ternoon. All morning meetings will be at 9 o'clock, afternoon meetings at 2 o'clock
 There is a general intention on the part of school boards to enforce the compulsory attendance law. Nobody has yet been fined for violation of this law in this county so far as we know but it looks as tho some may be right soon. The time is here and the people agree that person who can, but refuses to send to school should be made to do so. Reports for this summer show the best attendance we have ever known, only very few are refusing to send.
 Judging from the meetings last week the people generally are ready to work out plans for better schools. That is the purpose of the Forward Education Movement all over the state. People should study the ques- ton seriusly, and if we have not just what we want in the way of schools we will get it. Everybody should carefully study the weakness of the system. After these are definitely in mind then we should plan carefully the steps to be taken to better them. If all people will do that, and that is the purpose of the forward education al movement, we will certainly bring about results If we need new laws we will get them when a great major ity of the people demand them. Here in lies the main reason that some laws are unpopular, the people have not demanded them. Our leaders in education are beginning at the fight source when they ask us all to study what we have, and then if we are not satisfied we will demand some change.