RURAL SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY 131 



4. A fourth method is by making the school- 

 house a meeting-place for the community, more 

 especially for the intellectual and aesthetic activ- 

 ities of the community. A good example of this 

 kind of work is the John Spry School of Chicago. 

 In connection with this school there is a lecture 

 course each winter; there is a musical society 

 that meets every Tuesday evening; there is a 

 men's club that meets every two weeks to dis- 

 cuss municipal problems and the improvement 

 of home conditions; there is a woman's club to 

 study for general improvement and social ser- 

 vice; there is a mothers' council meeting every 

 two weeks; there is a literary and dramatic so- 

 ciety, meeting every week, composed of mem- 

 bers of high-school age, and studying Shake- 

 speare particularly ; there is a dressmaking and 

 aid society meeting two evenings a week, to 

 study the cutting of patterns, garment-making, 

 etc. ; a food-study and cooking club, also meet- 

 ing two evenings a week; an inventive and me- 

 chanical club, meeting two evenings a week, and 

 tending to develop the inventive and mechanical 

 genius of a group of young men ; an art club ; and 

 a boy's club, with music, games, reading-lessons, 

 reading of books and magazines, intended for 

 boys of fourteen or fifteen years of age. These 



