CHAPTER XXI 

 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES 



BOTS' AND GIRLS' CLUBS 



Importance. — Boys' and girls' clubs are becoming an 

 important factor in the teaching of industrial subjects in 

 both rural and city schools. A club tends to capitalize or 

 at least make use of the combined interest and enthusiasm 

 that comes from team play. It also makes use of one of 

 the most important principles in education which is to find 

 some means of arousing in the student a feeling that he 

 needs or wants information that it is desired to impart to 

 him. The average student can learn a thing that he feels 

 that he needs at the time to know much more quickly than 

 he can learn the same thing when he does not need the 

 information at the time, and feels that it is more or less 

 useless. The club undertakes to do something, and each 

 member agrees to do his part. Each one is encouraged to 

 go on with the work, because he knows others are doing it, 

 and are expecting him to do it. Having before him a task 

 that he wants to accomplish, he is receptive for anything 

 that will help him to accomplish it. A bit of information 

 or help just at the right time is appreciated and used. 



Schools are the natural centers for boys' and girls' clubs 

 and their activities. The teacher is the natural leader, and 

 can be very helpful in organizing and directing the club. 

 The club can be of immense help to the teacher. It helps 

 to add to the school spirit and loyalty; it teaches citizen- 

 ship and aids in discipline; it furnishes the needed stimulus 

 to study; it helps to connect the school with the activities 

 of the home, and shows the boys and girls that things learned 

 in school are associated with and useful in everyday life. 



Teachers are not all qualified, or feel that they are not, 

 to teach some of the industrial subjects that are now quite 

 generally required in schools; but the average rural school 

 teacher is now quaUfied to teach elementary agriculture and 

 n^eed not hesitate to take up and study with boys and girls 



