Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-03-15
Thought Provoking
Address, by Nolan
Continued from Page ~

the community went swimming or
played baseball this Victor" was left
out. He was the most unpopular boy
in town.
There are fads in many things, said
Mr.. Nolan, including fads in recrea-
ton and Intellectual IDEAS Experts
like DR.. Watson, DR.. Adler, and John
Dewey disagree and until the experts
can agree it is not we'll to overthrow
cardinal principles and all old fash
Toned ideas. Many are ready to con-
denim the old school methods but the
schools have kept up their end per-
haps better than the home.
The speaker said he was not trying
to ridicule the idea of experimental
ton but it can be carried too far.
There are two schools of thought
One is to let the child do what he
will and the other is to spank the
child and make him mind
Family Circle is Foundation.
Continuing, Mr.. Nolan said that the
family circle is the foundation of any
society, and he pictured the average
family of the rural village or out on
the farm, perhaps of some years ago.
where each and every one had some
thing to dO-something useful. The
daughter helping the mother becomes
hOmemaker. She helps to take care
of younger sisters and brothers. The
boy helps his father and is a part
of that home factory. Work made
the children realize that life is not
all frivilous, but is a battle. There
was work to do, it had to be DONE
and though not always realized, it is
character-building.
The modern home in the cities
flat or apartment house-is too con-
venient for the good of the children
by a man who looks after the entire
building. and there is no garden in
which to work. Parents may think
they have given their children every
thing when they provide food. shelter.
schooling. conveniences and luxuries.
but modern America has to some ex-
tent taken away the work which was
upbuilding to the boy and the girl.
The school has kept pace and has i'm
proved as time goes on, but the prob
lem of parenthood is complex, said
the speaker, and he called it the
panic of the parents.
Some Useful Work Needed.
In brief discussion following the
speech it was brought out that parks,
swimming beaches, Fairgrounds, and
the like have been established in the
larger cities to take up the spare
time of the children after school
hours and other times, and that these
wholesome sports are good and up
building to the child, but that they
do not altogether take the place of
work.
Some boys sell newspapers and it
is we'll for them to earn a little
money, though it may be only pen
MES, nickles, and dimes, they learn
the value of a dollar, and get an
early start in rendering service and
realizing that it requires work to
make progress. But all of the boys
can not sell newspapers, and the lack
of home work, more prevalent in by
gone days before people congregated
so much in large cities, is a problem.
1t is not the immediate problem of
rural communities like Pine county.
but if it affects from 80 to so per
cent of the homes in the land it is
problem of America.
Though the school has improved,
as was brought out by the speaker,
it cannot take over all the duties
the duties of the home and parent
hood. The home should be the best
training place.
Realizing that these have been all
time problems, since the beginning
of man-nOt even the experts can
agree on educational methods and the
bringing up of the child-Mr. Nolan
did not attempt to offer any solution
but gave food for thought, citing past
and present experiences.
Principal Vernon Anderson ex-
pressed appreciation of Mr.. Nolan's
discourse and following the program
of instrumental numbers by Miss Ger
trude Kilstofte, some committee re-
ports, and several songs by the audi
ence, folks enjoyed refreshments.
Discussing the program the next
day, H. P. Nielsen. superintendent of
the school, said that Mr.. Nolan gave
a thought provoking address. and in
that respect was like Henrik Ibsen,
the great Norwegian dramatist and