The Bismarck tribune., 1925-04-18

North Dakota has again made
good! Chosen last year at the Ma
tiOnal Congress of Parents anu
Teachers held at Washington, d.
c., as the demonstration state for
Parent Teacher Association work,
it has scared way over the top OF
its quota of organizations pledged.
Next week the State Department
OF Public Instruction will send to
the National Convention of Parent
Teacher Associations. meeting at
Austin. Texas, from April ~ to
May 3, at which state president
Mrs. J. G. Moore, OF Fargo, will be
North Dakota's official representa-
tive. large demonstration map
showing the growth of organiza
tons in the state.
On this map are twenty-four gold
stars, indicating with statistics the
counties that have met or exceeded
their pledge to organize associa'
tions in at least ten per cent of
their schools. On the honor roll
are the following counties: Adams,
Barnes, Billings, Burleigh. Cass,
Dunn, EmmOns, Foster Golden
Valley, Griggs, Hettinger. La
'Moure. Logan, Mercer, Oliver,
Ramsey, Ransom, Rolette, Sargent
Slope, Steele, Stutsman, Trail,
Wells.
Sea- on the map this indicates
the greatest results in the organ
ICED efforts to unite the two forces
most vitality interested in child
welfare--the schools and the home
Ito be concentrated largely in the
central and southern sections OF
the state. For this there is, OF
course, a reason. During the past
winter season, when the organiza-
tion campaign was most active. the
bad condition OF the roads in the
northern. cart Of the state made it
practically impossible to. reach
those counties. 1t is planned, how
ever, to spread the organization
work there during the coming fall
term.
These Parent-Teacher Associa-
tfons, which are organizations OF
parents, teachers and others in
terested, for the purpose of study
ing problems OF the child, the
home, and the school, have been
operating in North Dakota for the
past six years, but during the pres
ent school year, more organiza-
tions have been formed than dur
ing all the previous five years. Last
September there were but 5000 P.
T. A. members. Now the member
ship has grown to between 1900
and $4,000, with almost 800 organ
izations representing about 500
schools.
Golden Valley at present holds
the high score for North Dakota.
Thia county is a hundred per cent
organized. which means that every
school is represented in an organ
ization, one organization frequent
ly comprising. several schools.
Many other counties are forty.
fifty and sixty per cent organized!
The accomplishments of these
Parent-Teacher Associations In i'm
proving the educational and social
standards of the community have
been considerable. Holding meet
ings regularly, with parents usual
ly at the heads, programs are given
in which parents, children, and
outside speakers participate, and
which are witnessed frequently by
audiences of several hundred per-
| sons.
From proceeds raised through
social activities, these organiza-
tions in various places have bought
playground equipment, have paid
for pictures for the school, for
seats In a high school auditorium,
bought milk for underpourished
children, and, provided the school
piano or victrola.,
i AS an educational factor, they
have improved school attendance,
have heightened the school term,
have improved sanitary conditions
through their study of health and
sanitation. Not the beast of the
P. T.-A.'s importance is its work
in the Americanization field.
Through it's assistance in the pro-
motion Of night schools. it has help
ed considerably in raising the lit
eracy standard in foreign commun-
tiles.
During the past winter, Mrs. EN-
ma Golden. field worker in the
states Americanization program
(, who has been especially active in
organizing p. T. Associations In
foreign communities, reports, any
| number Of Association members
have attended night school 'and
learned to read and write, as well
as study history and civics. In
Emmons county, which is almost
entirely foreign in it's population
sixty-0ne schools are organized.
In 0A