RURAL LEADERSHIP 



his aspirations, he has become an infinitely better man and 

 has made his contribution, however modest it may be, to the 

 sum of human progress. Leadership exerts its influence 

 sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. Two illus- 

 trations will be given. In a certain town there was once a 

 talented girl who studied voice culture in a great conserva- 

 tory and later became a very noted singer. This same town 

 produced, during the next generation, one singer of inter- 

 national reputation, two other singers quite well known in 

 their own country, and several artists of lesser fame. Some 

 years ago, in a town of two thousand, there rose into prom- 

 inence a baseball player who became famous in one of the 

 big leagues, both as player and manager. During the decade 

 following this celebrity's triumphs, one young man developed 

 into possibly an equally skilled player and achieved the dis- 

 tinction of piloting a big league club to the championship one 

 year. Several other players of league calibre were pro- 

 duced, and the town has today the reputation of being one 

 of the greatest baseball towns of its size in the country. 



Another good thing resulting from inspired leadership is the 

 influence it exerts on philanthropy. If the truth were known, 

 there are, for example, very few uplift institutions or bene- 

 factions anywhere in the country that cannot trace their origin 

 to a stimulus that emanated from inspired leadership. Some 

 years ago there was a town that had for a long time felt the 

 need of a Y. M. C. A. There was much agitation, and on 

 several occasions abortive efforts were made to finance the 

 institution. Finally, a campaign of education was launched 

 with the purpose of thoroughly familiarizing the people with 

 all phases of Y. M. C. A. work, in the hope that success would 

 crown the next effort to secure an institution. In the midst 

 of the campaign a certain elderly resident made his will and 

 arranged for the disposal of a larger fortune than anyone 

 thought he possessed. Not very long afterward the modest 

 but philanthropically inclined man died, and it was found that 

 he had made provision for an institution such as even the 

 most optimistic had never dreamed the town would possess. 



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