THE COUNTRY SCHOOL 361 



thronged to the schools, striving to make up for the time they 

 had lost, and they pleaded for a longer term when the session 

 closed. 



The Governor of .Kentucky, seeing the determined warfare 

 which was being waged against illiteracy, urged in his message 

 to the legislature that an Illiteracy Commission be created to 

 drive illiteracy from the state. The measure creating this com- 

 mission passed the legislature of 1914 without a dissenting vote, 

 and the seat of the war against illiteracy in Kentucky was trans- 

 ferred from the Court House in the county seat of Rowan to 

 the state capitol at Frankfort. The commission is directing the 

 state-wide campaign to remove illiteracy from Kentucky by the 

 time the census of 1920 is taken. 



One of the first activities of the Illiteracy Commission was to 

 enlist the various organizations in the state to aid the teachers 

 in their warfare on illiteracy. The Kentucky Educational As- 

 sociation was induced to pass a resolution expressing commenda- 

 tion and pledging its support. The Kentucky Press Association 

 was approached for assistance, which was cheerfully given. The 

 Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs, the Society of Colonial 

 Dames, and other organizations, were among those to early lend 

 their aid. 



Governor James B. MoCreery of Kentucky issued, in Septem- 

 ber, 1914, the first proclamation against illiteracy in the history 

 of the world, urging all classes to join in the fight. Again, in 

 1915, he issued a similar proclamation. Kentucky has celebrated 

 "no illiteracy" Sunday in October, for the past two successive 

 years. A galaxy of one hundred and twenty speakers covered 

 the state during the summer of 1915, condemning the evils of 

 illiteracy and advocating moonlight schools as a remedy. These 

 speakers consisted of the governor, state officials, United States 

 senators, congressmen, judges of the court of appeals, circuit 

 judges, prominent educators and club women. 



Moonlight school graduates have boon asked to volunteer to 

 teach at least one to read and write. Individuals and organiza- 

 tions have offered prizes to stimulate teachers in their moonlight 

 schoolwork. A teacher who has taught sixty-two illiterates dur- 

 ing a session this year believes that h<- is vci-y dose to the $100 

 state prize. Yet he, like thousands of other volunteer teachers, 



