170 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



problems. Each one will make a study of the question, 

 keep abreast the times, confer with specialists, read 

 and study and lead discussion clubs on his particular 

 subject and in all possible ways endeavor to lead the 

 community to maximum improvement. 



The Community Council a Planning, not an Achiev- 

 ing, Body. There is always a temptation when we get 

 a new type of organization to judge the results wholly 

 by the activities and achievements of the organization. 

 So the community council will be tempted " to do some- 

 thing " in order to justify its existence. But to do 

 something is not the job of the council. Its task is to 

 get others to do the right thing in the best way for the 

 interests of the whole community. It plans but it does 

 not execute. It secures team work. In some cases, it 

 may be necessary for the council or one of its commit- 

 tee to supervise a definite piece of work, but it ought 

 never to do this as long as there is some other agency 

 that can do it. We may be sure that a community 

 council will have plenty to do in keeping the community 

 idea alive and growing and in seeing that the com- 

 munity program forges ahead. 



The Community Council Independent. A commun- 

 ity council would be an absolute failure if it were the 

 property of any local organization or of any farm 

 bureau or of any school system or of any agricultural 

 college or of any other overhead agency. It is the 

 property of the community, appointed by the entire 

 community, responsible only to the community. Of 

 course the council should cooperate with all agencies 

 outside of the community that can really help, but it 

 cannot be managed by a county council, a state council 

 or any other body. It is the free agent of a free com- 

 munity. 



