658 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



boys' encampments are, strictly speaking, young people's institutes. The 

 members live and study together during the entire meeting; prizes are 

 awarded for winners in stock, grain, and similar judging contests, and for 

 proficiency in other agricultural subjects as determined by a final exami- 

 nation of the work pursued at the encampment. 



FORM OF ORGANIZATION. 



As but few institutes of the character proposed for young people have 

 heretofore been held, no single plan of organization has been put into 

 practice to serve for present or future guidance, nor is it likely that any 

 one plan ever will be followed by all the states. Each state has its own 

 special form of farmers' institute, differing from those of other states in 

 order to adapt it to its own particular needs. Institutes for young people 

 will no doubt, therefore, usually be adapted to those organized for adults, 

 with such modifications as are necessary to fit them for the new form of 

 work. 



For a while at least institutes for boys and girls should be union meet- 

 ings, with special sessions for each sex as occasion may require. The mem- 

 berhip should be restricted to persons over 14 years of age and should not 

 as a rule include those over 18 or 19 years. Whether there shall be a sin- 

 gle institute for a county or one for every township or school district can 

 be determined as the work develops and the needs of the young people 

 seem to demand. 



While attendance upon the institutes is of necessity voluntary, yet it 

 is important to effect, as early as practicable, an organization in each lo- 

 cality composed of a membership that can be depended upon to attend 

 the meetings and to assist in carrying on the work. To accomplish this 

 it will be necessary to secure pledges from as many as possible to a form 

 of constitution that embodies these obligations. In order to assist those 

 who have not yet undertaken the organization of such institutes a form 

 of constitution is given which is intended to be suggestive and to be modi- 

 fied to suit the varying conditions of the several states. 



Interest in institutes for young people should not be limited to farm- 

 ers. The support of business, professional, and public-spirited men gen- 

 erally is necessary to make the movement a success, and this support is 

 more likely to be given if the institutes are planned to include town as 

 well as country boys and girls. Merchants, lawyers, doctors, mechanics, 

 and tradesmen should be invited to assist. 



CONTROL OF THE INSTITUTE. 



Institutes for young people should be under the direction of the farm- 

 ers' institute authorities. Where "county" farmers' institute organiza- 

 tions exist the immediate control should be vested in them. Where there 

 are no such organizations the control should be directly under the "state" 

 . farmers' institute, which in some instances is a separate organization and 



