PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CONTACTS 125 



bureau meeting here last winter. Then we did not know each 

 other and appeared too afraid to do anything together. Now 

 the women have home bureau meetings each month and are do- 

 ing all sorts of new things. We have had socials and now this 

 picnic. It is fine.' A few months ago a Sunday school was 

 started and it is held in the school-house every Sunday after- 



Community or county-wide gatherings of this nature 

 have long been held under other auspices than those of 

 county agents, but they have more or less broken down in 

 the last decade or two. They seem to have been less fre- 

 quently held in many parts of the country and to have been 

 less successful. Under the county agent's leadership they 

 are experiencing a real revival. They should be more 

 used than they are, as they may be of great value not only 

 in stimulating the play spirit and recreation generally, but 

 also in breaking down some of the barriers that often exist 

 in communities and in opening the way to more complete 

 cooperation. County agents will do well to make larger use 

 of them both on the county-wide basis and on the commu- 

 nity basis. 



PICNICS AND FIELD DATS 



Since the important purpose of a picnic or a field day is 

 play and rest, too many and too long speeches should be 

 avoided. It is usually well to have at least one good ad- 

 dress, preferably after the picnic dinner, when people are 

 ready to relax and listen for thirty or forty minutes to an 

 inspirational -talk. Speakers on such occasions should 

 either discuss some public problem of outstanding impor- 

 tance or the means of community growth and development. 

 In other words, they should use the occasion to encourage 

 and to stimulate community spirit. 



A well-made program carefully thought out and planned 



