152 Farmer and his Wife as Leaders of the Young 



takes care of his half mile or quarter mile of public 

 road. 



Then, there may be instituted on a small scale stock 

 shows and poultry shows in the hands of the boys of 

 the neighborhood. To this the girls too may come 

 with any such thing as display specimens of their 

 home sewing and fancy work, house plants, and the 

 like. In fact, these exhibitions may gradually 

 develop into a sort of neighborhood or township fair 

 for the special benefit of the young. To this display 

 may be brought, not only the items named imme- 

 diately above, but the larger variety of things men- 

 tioned in the chapter on the Rural Y.M.C.A. 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SCHOOL SITUATION 



Rural leaders will nearly always find many oppor- 

 tunities for improving the local school situation. 

 But let the organizer keep unfailingly in view the high 

 aims of all this rural work; namely, the awakening 

 of a deeper interest in the affairs that normally be- 

 long to the neighborhood life, and the fuller measure 

 of joy and contentment to result from every such 

 achievement. So, there may be undertaken the 

 redirection of the work of the country school. For 

 example, bring forces to bear upon it that will result 

 in the introduction of the study of elementary agri- 

 culture and the simple elements of home keeping 

 and home sanitation therein. Work for a better 

 class of teachers and a higher salary payment. En- 



