286 ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



Time is limited in rural schools, but a good live boys' 

 and girls' club tends to make better use of the time rather 

 than to take valuable time needed for other classes. The 

 club usually meets Friday afternoon once or twice a month. 

 The time is put to good use, and it encourages so much 

 work outside school hours that the time spent in study is 

 increased rather than lessened. A great deal of the club 

 work requires reading, composition writing and arithmetic, 

 which subjects are better taught in connection with the 

 club activities, because. the pupils actually use them. 



Figure 127. — A girls' sewing club. 



Prizes. — Most of the club work has been based on prizes. 

 There is a growing tendency to do away with prizes, 

 or at least with large prizes. Most pupils will compete as 

 strenuously for a club pin or a blue ribbon in a club project 

 as they will for a ''headmark" in spelling or a reward of 

 merit for good behavior. 



Object Acre. — Instead of large cash prizes, it has been 

 suggested that the boys and girls in a community decide 

 on something they would each like to do, such as to make 

 a trip to the State Fair, take a sight-seeing trip to Niagara 

 or Yellowstone, or take a term or course at some institution 

 of learning. When the thing to be desired is determined 

 upon by the club, then each member undertakes to produce 



