166 REPORT OF THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



tion to the local needs which the school is striving to meet should be the govern- 

 ing principle as to entrance requirements. The school should recruit from the 

 best type of men available for the work which has to be done. 



Experience in ranger school instruction in the United States clearly shows 

 that, although in the past the applicants for instruction have been largely mature 

 men, with considerable woods experience and low scholastic attainments, this 

 condition is changing. Present conditions indicate that in the future the appli- 

 cants will be chiefly men under twenty years of age with but a small amount of 

 woods experience. We believe that with these men the admittance to ranger 

 schools should be placed upon a high school training or its equivalent. Any- 

 thing short of this will seriously handicap the pupil in carrying the subjects 

 essential in ranger school instruction, unless a portion of the instruction be 

 given to mathematics, English and elementary natural science, which we believe 

 can better be handled in the public schools than in ranger schools. 



Although high school training, or its equivalent, should be made the basis 

 for entrance, each school should, under present conditions, accept the more 

 mature applicants even if they cannot meet this requirement, provided they have 

 had sufficient practical experience in woods work to compensate for this lack and 

 are otherwise acceptable. As soon as conditions justify it, a high school training, 

 or its equivalent, should be demanded of all applicants. It is recommended that 

 more attention be given to the physical condition of the applicant and his moral 

 character. A ranger's work takes him into the wildest parts of the country and 

 subjects him to physical hardships and lax moral standards. As -the ranger 

 school in this country "does not determine the sphere of activity which the 

 graduate may aspire to," particular attention should be given to the "kind of men" 

 that are taken into it. 



The applicant should pass a rigid physical examination and should be vouched 

 for by at least two responsible American citizens. We believe that the average 

 student under eighteen years of age is not sufficiently developed physically to 

 carry the field work that is required with advantage to himself or to the school. 

 Students should not be admitted under this age. It is also i-ecommended that 

 the applicant have at least one year of woods experience before being admitted 

 to the ranger school. 



The Location of Ranger Schooi,s and Their Connection With 

 C0E1.EGES AND Universities. 



Theoretically a ranger school should be located in each forest region of the 

 United States that differs radically, either in character or method of manage- 

 ment, from other forest regions, in order to train men for subordinate positions 

 in the particular region. The place for such instruction is in the woods. As 

 the apprentice learns to build brick walls by laying bricks, the forest ranger 

 should be taught 'the things which he must do, as far as practicable, by actually 

 doing them. Much that is currently accepted in academic standards and methods 

 is not applicable to such instruction. At least such standards and methods must 

 be frankly worked over and adapted to the fundamental aim of equipping men 

 for the immediate practice of a trade. 



