Rural School Leaflet 1409 



I am positive that the period of financial trials is passed. Even now 

 neariy enough aid has been secured to finance the contest another season. 



Is all of this trouble and work worth while? Let me answer this ques- 

 tions by asking some others. Is it worth while for a boy to be responsible 

 for some one thing for an entire season.? Is it worth while for a girl to 

 learn to make better bread than her mother, and to gain from the expe- 

 rience an intelligent interest in domestic work.f" Is it worth while for 

 young people to see a pleasant side of rural life? Is it worth while for an 

 entire community to assemble with children and teachers in honor of the 

 schools because of interest in the efforts of the boys and girls ? Evidently 

 the people of Delaware County think it worth while when nearly five 

 hundred of them care to journey from one to twenty miles in the rain and 

 mud to take part in a contest exhibit. 



CHEMUNG COUNTY CONTEST WORK 

 Martha M. Cox McWhorter 

 (Superintendent of Second District, Chemung County) 



The contest work in Chemung County has done a great deal to unite 

 the home and the school. The aims of the work have been: first, to make 

 Chemung County a poultry center; second, to raise more vegetables in 

 the home gardens; and third, to make more baked stuffs in the home. 



Some of the results of the contest work are: first, home labors have 

 been greatly dignified, putting them on an equal basis with school work; 

 second, boys and girls who were aiming solely for a " Working Certificate " 

 take vital interest in the contest activities; third, parents visit the schools 

 in connection with the school fairs; fourth, boys and girls have been given 

 an opportunity to express themselves; lastly, the contest work has given 

 inspiration for better school life. 



The funds to carry on this work have come from the Business Men's 

 Association of Elmira and from the granges of the county. The granges 

 have given funds to send the contest winners to Cornell for a day during 

 Farmers' Week. 



The work of 1913-1914 was, in part, as follows: During April, 1914, 

 illustrated lectures on poultry raising were given at various school centers 

 throughout the county by Mr. Knmi from Cornell. At this time definite 

 instruction was also given on potato raising and bread making. To 

 these lectures the public were invited, and in many centers the schools 

 were filled. 



Every boy and girl from ten to sixteen years of age, was given an op- 

 portunity to enroll in the contest work. Examinations were then given 

 in the three contests, and the papers were marked by the district super- 

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