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managoment of the work it soon became apparent to the general committee that a com- 

 pact, uniform, county system of organization would secure more effective local cooper- 

 ation in carrying forward the work thruout the State. A form of constitution for the 

 government of the local associations was therefore submitted to the annual conference of 

 institute workers, which met in October, 1903. With some slight changes the proposed 

 constitution was unanimously approved by the conference. It was then sent out to the 

 several counties for adoption. During the season just closing, 1903-4, one-half of the 

 counties have adopted the constitution substantially as presented. It is believed 

 that within a year or two more when the purpose of the proposed constitution is better 

 understood and its necessity becomes more apparent to the local societies it will be 

 generally adopted as the working plan for conducting farmers' institutes thruout the 

 State. 



The aim of the institute in Indiana is, largely — 



(1) To give instruction that will be practically helpful to all classes of farmers and 

 their wives in the performance of the everyday work of the farm and the farm home; 



(2) To awaken a greater interest in the promotion of agriculture, betterment of the 

 farm home, improvement of the highways, and advancement of the rural schools; and 



(3) To heighten the attractions of farm life and interest the young people of the 

 country to seek adequate preparation for the successful pursuit of agriculture. 



The general plan is to hold one or more institutes in each county of the State during 

 the institute season, November 1 to April 1. The county institute chairmen in the 

 spring of each year advise the superintendent of institutes as to the dates and places 

 desirable for meetings the subsequent year and the general theme which they deem 

 proper to be discust. The superintendent then arranges the schedule of meetings 

 and assigns speakers to each. The meetings are thrown into groups, usually three 

 in each group, with two days of five sessions allotted to each meeting. Two State 

 speakers attend each institute. The list of speakers and the schedule of the institutes 

 are printed and sent out to officers and speakers before the opening of the institute 

 season. 



Three classes of meetings are held: (1) Local institutes in the several counties, 

 usually two-day meetings; (2) two-day district institutes for a group of counties; and 

 (3) a two or three day annual conference of institute officers and workers for the entire 

 State. 



The details of arrangements for the local institutes are left largely to the county 

 chairmen and their associates. The district institutes are arranged for by the State 

 superintendent in connection with the local committee of farmers and business men 

 at the places where the meetings are to be held. The annual conference of institute 

 officers and speakers is arranged for l)y the joint committee of institutes. 



Indiana has no institute conductors. The county institute chairman is, as a gen- 

 eral rule, the presiding officer and is in charge of the details of opening and closing 

 the meetings, conducting the discussions, preserving order, etc. 



Two official reports of each meeting are required— (1) from the secretary and (2) 

 from the assigned speakers. These reports contain such matter as will inform the 

 superintendent as to the character of the work done and aid him in planning for 

 future work in the locality. 



The securing of effective institute speakers is one of the difficulties that Indiana 

 has endeavored to solve. In doing this it has l)een the aim to discover and develop 

 practical workers from the ranks of the everyday farmers. The best possil)le workers 

 in the State have been developed by means of the opportunities that have l)een given 

 by the State director to acquire experience in the presentation of the particular sub- 

 ject with which they have had most experience. Specialists, agricultural experiment 

 station workers, and the faculty of the school of agriculture are drawn upon to sup- 

 plement the force of practical workers. 



