Smyrna times., 1925-11-04

dren that improve enough to be re-
leased from the colony to locate in the
rural sections of the State, where life
IS not so complex or diverting as it
is in the thickly populated centers.
There is a constantly growing de-
mand, however, on the part of the
parents of some of the children here,
that some more attention be given to
academic teaching and a wider range
of vocational training. We expect at
least to partially satisfy that demand
within a few weeks by the employ
ment of a suitable person to take up
that work. 1t is certainly our desire
to give these children opportunity to
develop along the line in which they
display aptitude. We want to make
! the institution dynamic in the life of
the State, in that it shall be the means
of preventing the procreation of un-
| desirable types and that wherever pos
sible the healthy defective shall thru
training, become economically useful.
So far, the children, both boys and
girls, have been trained with the idea
of being useful here at the Colony and
their training has naturally been such
that would fit them for usefulness in
any rural community. l cannot speak
in terms too high of the excellent SER
vice some of the children have given
here. We could not get through with
the daily routine of work necessary
to the comfort of the low grades nor
could we produce the farm crops and
keep the buildings and grounds in pre-
sentable shape without the help of our
higher grade boys and girls.
Sometime ago l noticed what might
be termed a typical day at the Colony,
with the work varying somewhat at
various seasons of the year. Break
fast from siX-thirty to seven. At
seven our service truck leaves dupont
J Cottage with boys divided into three
groups. One group is taken to the
supervisor of concrete work where
they help to make the cement blocks,
another group go with the gravel
truck to the gravel pit l 1-2 miles
away, to load the sand and gravel into
the truck that hauls it to the cement
mixers, another group with bush axes,
in charge of high grade boy, begins
clearing bushes in the vicinity of the
new buildings. Another group has
started afoot to report to the farm
manager, where they begin their farm
duties for the day Another boy re-
ports to the mechanic maybe, to rem
der assistance in the shop. The re-
naming boys at the cottage, under the
direction of the caretaker of the build
ing, do the chores around the build
ing and then cut bushes or work in the
immediate vicinity Of the building. At
eleven-thirty all of the various groups
are returned to DUPONT Cottage for
their nOon-day meal at twelve. At one
o'clock they return to their respective
duties. At four o'clock a part Of the
farm boys leave the field to assist
with the feeding of the stock and the
milking. At fve-thirty all of the
boys are back home again for the ev-
ening meal at six o'clock. Saturday
afternoons are given over to eXcur-
sions to the lake to try fishing OF
into the woods. Sunday is day of
reSt, with religious services, singing
hymns, entertaining relatives or TAX
ing walks.
In the Deemer Cottage for girls the
same general plain for grouping is
followed for all of the household ac-
! tivities in (which the girls engage
Some of the higher grade girls are
developing into very god nurses for
the low grade children; in the same
way some of the boys look after the
more defective ones.
! Besides the routine duties there are
the special duties, where those that
are able to do special work are en-
cOuraged to do it, always, as has al
ready been stated, with the idea in
mind of contributing to their useful
ness at the Colony. These include
needlework, working with farm ma.
chinery and farm teams, painting, re-
placing broken window glass, anC
making various individual articles
such as boats, shipping crates and fun
caps.
More swings have this year beer
added to the Fairgrounds. These
swings were built here with our owr
help. You have been told at previou;
visits here of the great need for rec
reational facilities and the help thai
it is in all of our work. The children
mostly unconscious of any of the re