The Mena weekly star., 1922-02-09
E,4FSM MIOPICS
ny c. II. ALsrAUaH, County Agent
Demonstrators Hold Conference.

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 Demonstrators Hold Conference.
 County agents and home demonstra- tion agents of Southwest Arkansas spent Tuesday and Wednesday of last week in conference at Hope. District agents, specialists and Director M. I. Payne were also present. Plans and methods for the coming years work were discussed and outlined. Real progress was made in the plans for work this year. Among other things ] it was decided that county agents should decide on a definite course Of action and then cooperate with each other just as they are now asking farmers to cooperate.
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 New Plans for Club Work.
 Club work altho it has somewhat the same organization will take on a new atmosphere this year. The ag- ricultural clubs are destined to become the Junior Farm Bureau" No long, CT are they to be considered the kin dergarten of demonstration work and ask aims of business men and farmers.
 The new agricultural club is to be self-organizing, self-governing and self-fnancing. This may look like large undertaking to parents but the extension forces have faith enough in our red blooded boys and girls of the farms to believe that they can conduct their own affairs. These young peo- pie want the opportunity to manage something their very own just to prove that they have the ability. They want the opportunity to make or ruin their club without the restraining in- fIuence of parents or teachers. And why not? It is "their" club.
 There is also another phase to this self-management plan of club work. Too often in the past it has been sons pig and dads hog and the county agents club meeting. Is it any won der that the boys are inclined to lose interest. To be successful as club members our boys and girls must have complete control of their club project. Suppose they do make mistakes that is "their business" and if left to man. age it unhampered they will profit by their mistakes just as our grown peo- pie should. What an opportunity is here for our young folks to develop character and responsibility and to get an insight into business affairs. Parents should consider these matters carefully and conduct themselves ac- cordingly The father who insists on telling his boy next summer how to blow his sweet potatoes is robbing that boy of his opportunity to develop self confidence and judgment. Better let the boy grow weeds and develop character than to earn few dimes as the 'hired hand"
 Club work this year will be based on real economic production. We have passed the stage where we expect our boys to borrow money at the bank and purchase a purebred gilt and then bloom out in the course of year into a standard breeder of purebred stock with high standing. Today we are off, fering our boys the same opportuni ties which we hold out to men. A number of boys may each grow lit- ter of pigs and then club together and get up a carload for cooperative shipment. A group of boys may also form unit in sweet potato curing house and profit by it's benefit just as the men do. Our boys may each choose to grow an acre of berries and join the cooperative mar keting association as the men do.
 With these aims in view there is no reason why Polk county should not have a large number of successful clubs. These clubs need the good will and influence of the parents. Too often the entire interest of parents has been directed to persuading the club mem Der that the club will be failure. If we can't pull forward let's not pull at all. Remember these young people are your responsibility. Are you liv