hadley] RELATION OF NATURE-STUDY TO CLUB WORK 61 



workers who are tractable, with no ideas of their own. A life with 

 vision, with the potentiallity of being a full life will object to the 

 efficiency of the machine and will rebel against the restrictions of 

 being a mere cog in the machinery. Their aim is to train a boy to 

 be able to pick out the best pig in a car load and to make the most 

 money from his potato patch. They are more interested in the 

 pig and the potato than they are in the boy because they know 

 more about pigs and potatoes than they do about boys. 



Americans are already too practical. We have neither the 

 poise nor the background to enjoy solitude or repose. We have 

 made efficiency our God. We are interested only in action, 

 accomplishing the thing that works now. Let tomorrow take care 

 of itself. 



The above point of view is partially responsible for our present 

 unrest. Modern thought is placing less emphasis on material con- 

 sideration. It is recognizing that the basis of national progress, 

 whether industrial or social, is the health, efficiency and spiritual 

 development of the people. 



We have seen that the ideals of nature-study foster the health, 

 efficiency and spiritual development of the people. We have also 

 seen that the most efficacious side of club work is intimately allied 

 with those same ideals. 



Again the pedagogical point comes up. Nature-study teachers 

 and club leaders should have the scientific subject matter necessary 

 for such instruction. It is equally important that these teachers 

 are given the nature-study point of view. In each normal school 

 there should be a required course in nature-study giving the pros- 

 pective teacher the material and the method. 



There should also be a required course in club work that will give 

 the material of club projects and the broad point of view that will 

 give the children all the benefits of club work. Then we should go 

 one step further. We should insist that no one may teach nature- 

 study or be a club leader until he has had the above training. 



It will be better for the child and for the subjects under discus- 

 sion if fewer schools have the work and only those schools which 

 have the adequate teaching force give the work. 



