Native Organizations 123 



purpose of entertainment, but it should have 

 vital relation to the real affairs of the com- 

 munity of which it is a part. The number of 

 rural organizations and associations is surpris- 

 ingly large, even not counting the technical 

 agricultural societies and groups (which are 

 really the most effective of all). It is not so 

 necessary to organize new groups as it is to 

 fertilize and redirect -the old ones. Rural 

 institutions ought to be effective because they 

 are, for the most part, natural expressions of 

 indigenous needs, the outcome of the com- 

 munity's work. Many of the city institutions 

 are creations of some person's philosophy 

 or the expression of some fad or fashion, 

 and they are likely to be imposed on the 

 community rather than to grow out of the 

 community. 



Let me enumerate some of the group-asso- 

 ciations that might easily aid in the regenera- 

 tion of country life if they were not so closely 

 tied to their customs and traditions: The 

 school; the church; fraternal societies of all 

 kinds; Christian associations for men and 



