358 RURAL MICH Id AN 



were provided in very large quantities to very many 

 schools of the two peninsulas, and were greatly ap- 

 preciated by the beneficiaries. Likewise a few connty 

 athletic institutes were held for the improvement of 

 athletic instructions. Up to June, 1921, the De- 

 partment of Public Instruction, which has charge of 

 the distribution of this athletic material, reported 

 the purchase and distribution of 1,000 dozen four- 

 teen-inch outseam playground balls, 800 dozen regu- 

 lation indoor bats, 150 dozen regulation basketballs, 

 500 dozen soccer balls, 75 dozen regular baseballs, 

 40 to 50 dozen catcher's outfits, 25 dozen tennis 

 rackets, 1,500 sets of boxing gloves, 50 dozen strik- 

 ing bags, and, in addition, small amounts of volley- 

 balls, volley-ball nets, tennis nets, basketball goals, 

 playground slides, giant strides, regulation footballs 

 and the like, in quantities dependent on requests 

 made for these articles by various schools. The policy 

 of the department is stated to be, "not to send ma- 

 terial for competitive games, but to send materials 

 which might be used by the masses of the children 

 rather than any select group." 



. Menominee County has sought to establish the boy 

 scout organization on a county-wide basis, making 

 provision for the boys of the small towns and com- 

 munities as well as of the cities, and has employed a 

 paid executive to take charge. This work is still in 

 its incipiency, but much is hoped from it. 



In 1917 Congress enacted what is known as the 

 "Smith-Hughes Law," whereby the United States 

 cooperates with such states as accept and conform 



