THE HESPERIA MOVEMENT HQ 



the community have joined in making up the 

 conference. An attempt is also made to interest 

 the pupils. At one conference there was organ 

 ized an athletic league for the benefit of the boys 

 of the country school. The practical phases of 

 nature-study and manual training are treated 

 on the programme, and at least one session is 

 made a parents' meeting. There is no organi 

 zation whatever. 



Dr. A. E. Winship, of the Journal of Educa 

 tion, Boston, had the following editorial in the 

 issue of June 21, 1906: 



It is now fourteen years since D. E. McClure spoke 

 into being the Hesperia movement, which is a great 

 union of educational and farmer forces, in a midwinter 

 Chautauqua, as it were. Twelve miles from the rail 

 road, in the slight village of Hesperia, a one-street village, 

 one side of the street being in one county and the other 

 side in another, for three days and evenings in midwinter 

 each year, in a ramshackle building, eight hundred 

 people from all parts of the two counties sit in reserved 

 seats, for which they pay a good price, and listen to one 

 or two notable speakers and a number of local function 

 aries. One-half of the time is devoted to education and 

 the other to farm interests. 



It is a great idea, well worked out, and after fourteen 

 years it maintains its lustiness, but I confess to disappoint 

 ment that fthe idea has not spread more extensively. 

 It is so useful there, and the idea is so suggestive, that 



