PAPERS OX HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE 401 



derstands clearly his subject and that he knows which 

 points are most important. In this way, the students 

 gain confidence and can appear before the club with poise 

 and dignity. 



Another activity which deals directly with bird study 

 is that of the bird identification lists. Three records are 

 kept, the individual, the class, and the club. The individ- 

 ual record is kept by the student, on which he records all 

 the birds he identifies on his bird hikes, or that he sees 

 on his way to school. Spaces on these lists must be filled 

 out as to the date, the bird's name,- whether single or in 

 flocks, place where seen, and what the bird is doing. The 

 faculty adviser checks these lists from time to time, and 

 corrects any mistakes. The class list is posted on a 

 bulletin board, and if a student has identified ten birds, a 

 red star is placed after his name; if 25, a silver star: if 

 50, a gold; if 100, a blue bird. This arouses enthusiasm 

 in each class. On the third record which is furnished by 

 the Illinois Audubon Society, the bird names are already 

 printed with blank spaces in which the name and date of 

 the first observer may be written. This arouses the keen- 

 est competition. These lists are of the most practical 

 value in making the students familiar with our more com- 

 mon birds. For this work, the Reed bird guides are in- 

 dispensable. 



After careful analysis and consultation with some of 

 our student members, I have come to the conclusion that 

 the keystone of success of such a club does not rest so 

 much in the organization or activities but in the wisdom 

 of the relation of the faculty adviser and the faculty mem- 

 bers to the students. In the first contact that students 

 have with our club adviser the policy is clearly shown. 

 "When the incoming members begin their election cam- 

 paign, no hints or suggestions are thrown out about who 

 would make good officers, so that the students feel almost 

 forced to elect the adviser's choice. Such a choice is left 

 entirely to the students. Moreover, the faculty adviser 

 promises to work cheerfully with their choice no matter 

 if she does not approve entirely of the student put into 

 the position. No requirement in the way of scholarship 

 is demanded; just good, all-around fellows the students 



