Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-08-05


Mr.. James H. Fawler,
Lancaster, Wisconsin.
1t is with great dissatisfaction and
disappointment that I note in recent
copy of the Grant County Herald, the
motion of the people of Lancaster to
discontinue the Manual Training de-
partment of the public schools, and
the action of the Board of Education
in creating new kindergarten de-
partment to take the place of same.
Being somewhat of specialist along
the lines of Manual Training, particu-
larly woodwork and drawing. | WON
der if there is not some of the POSSIBLE
tiles of such a course that have not
been considered in the new movement.
I doubt very much if there is any
course in the High school curriculum
that gives the liberal chance of ex-
pansion that woodwork and drawing
give. There is no person who can
truthfully say, 81 will never make any
use of the things / learn in woodwork
or drawing" No person can say, 81
will never use saw, why know any
thing about it?" Regardless of where
you are, what you are, or what and
where you have been, there is always
a time when little knowledge of
woodwork fundamentals will come in
very handy. There is always a board
to put on here, a chair rocker to fix,
a hinge to replace spring to replace
in a broken door lock or some minor
job which, to call in specialist to do,
would make prohibitive cost.
1t is quite an accomplishment to be
able to study given lesson and then
re-tell the main parts of same to
person called an instructor; yet more
of an accomplishment to remember
and put same into use. 1t is an easy
proposition to take a picture of
house, a garage, a gate, and say to the
carpenter II want you to make gate
Just like this one" 1t becomes very
different thing entirely to plan a new
gate, change a porch to suit and make
it agree with the rest of the house in
design, or do some other job almost
like some other one. Manual Training,
especially woodwork, is the reproduc-
ton of a thought as you see it, and
that thought in order to be reproduced
must be built up or constructed by
the hands. We may say then that
woodwork is teaching the pupil to use
his hands in a manner that the eye
and brain prescribe, or the co-ordin-
ating of thought, sight, and reality.
Another thought that must enter in
to the question of the value of such
a course is what about college? True,
woodwork will probably do very little
for the student who does not go on
with that particular kind of work, ex-
cept to coordinate eye and hand as |
stated in the last paragraph, but how
about the boy who does not go to col
lege? Many boys take course in
Ancient History, quit the school fol-
lowing year, and go to work on farm,
yet, we don't think of casting out An
cient History. The same thing is true
of a score of other courses, but what
of it. The purpose of a high school
must be to provide for entrance into
college, and these many other courses
are required for this if for no other
purpose.
Why not a practical course in me-
chanical drawing and woodwork them
too? If the boy quits school at the
end of the eighth grade, he is better
citizen for what little manual training
he has already had He can at least
saw board straight. If he goes to
work in some woodworking trade such
as carpentry, he is far ahead of the
boy who has never handled any tools.
If he goes on through high school,
his manual training work advances
with him. There is no other course
which offers a place where boy can
relax and feel at ease. After the
strain of several hours of sitting
around in class rooms fooling with
KS and Y's, and Aristotle's and Prin-
ciples of Archimedes, or Plato's works,
or julius Caesar. show me the boy
who does not relish place to use his
hands and act rather than think
We are living in a day of intelligent
living Every young man has cher
ished hope of some day making home
for himself Undoubtedly many of
these young men will have to build
a house in which to make their home
first. Why, then, should we not in
struct them in the art of house-build-
ing? Wouldn't it be dollar and cent
benefit to a lad if he could build wis