University of Southern Mississippi - Southerner Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

Page 13 text:

Chnnh illuahu RENIE DAUGHTRY COVINGTON COUNTY R O B A B L Y there is no one thing.that contributes more to the prosperity and happiness of a community than good roads do. From a commercial stand- point good roads give a means by which all farm products can be marketed more quickly and in greater amounts. The problem of hauling is also made less. In saving the farm wagons, buggies and horses from Wear, financially much would be saved which placed in good roads would be of lasting value, Whereas otherwise it would be lost Without any return. Here might be mentioned the saving of the man himself in contrast with the hardship and Worryings on a journey over rough roads. Good roads also contribute to social life. Surely no man can live the broad- est, best life who does not have an interest in his neighbors and the community at large. By meeting together in the capacity of Sunday School, School meetings and Church services the people learn each other better. They begin to see the good in their neighbors and have a more mutual love. But before. these conditions can in- fluentially exist the people must have good roads. How many people, especially in Winter, had rather stay at home than to attempt to drive over the bad, muddy roads? Educationally, the rural school children can not be given the advantages of the more fortunate children Who are nearer high schools until better rural schools are established. Consolidation is fast solving this question. But in many places until there are better roads over which to transport the children consolidation will not be successful. These are only some of the many general advantages of having good roads. No doubt, each community can think of more specific advantages good roads would bring to them individually. Naturally the question arises, How are We to get these good roads? The first and most essential thing is co-operation on the part of the individuals of the community. In fact, Without co-operation no community can ever reach its highest and best development. When the individuals of the community have decided to co- operate in this Work and have set good roads as one of their ideals, much of the battle is fought. Government bulletins will give many practical ideas in this Work. Then, too, those who have had experience along these lines will no doubt be glad to offer suggestions. It Will indeed be a step in the history of the country when all the com- munities realize their needs and determine to make their roads second to none. RENIE DAUGHTRY.

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'ft V - Rerrwtinn in 1112 illural Glnmmunitg ROLAND COWART MONRO E COUNTY 0 ECREATION has to do with that part of exercise which we generally call amuse- ment, entertainment, pastime, etc. We are prone to pass the idea of recre- ation by without very much consideration. There are two reasons why a person in the average rural community is prone to do this. One is the time element the other the attitude. He is very busy at his toil providing for his family never thinking that he is not exercising all of his being, and thinking he has not the time to spend in a few moments recreation. He notices that in many cases the people who enjoy hours of recreation neglect their duties. To guard against this he will not participate much in such deeds, and objects to his family's taking too big a hand. These reasons seem superficially sound but will not bear analysis. In the first place one wants to be broad-minded and not forget all the world While hewing to his own line. In the second place one must not put aside a good thing because some people misuse it and get evil results therefrom. Man is not measured altogether by his work at an occupation. Since the country is getting more densely populated, a man's occasional occupations are as much a matter of social concern as his special trade. It is almost, if not quite, as high an art to use one's leisure time well in his avocations as to use his time well in his vo- cation. To prove the truth of this statement, one has but to witness the large number of people to whom freedom from toil means liberty for the indulgence of low tastes and bestial impulses in some drunken revelry. Such a use of leisure as this is a menace to society, for it breeds corruption and crime: it is a menace to the individual, for instead of recuperating his strength and renewing his courage, it saps his energy, lowers his tastes, and sends him back to his work depleted physically and depressed mentally. We must learn to see ourselves as other people see us if we would ever be traveling the road to WELLVILLE. Rightly directed recreation will not lead one astray but will tend to make his career one of success and full of pleasure. Recreation is a necessity for the youth in order to develop his brain, promote his bodily growth and vigor, and secure muscu- lar control and co-ordination. His only way of gaining energy is through spending it. The adult needs the change and rest that is brought about by recreation, hardly less than the child. It is not a good idea for a person to play too steadily on one string. It is not work but continued work that kills. What a relaxation it would be for both old and young to spend the Saturday afternoon or evening, as the case would demand, in social intercourse at a good ball game, literary society, or exhibition of some kind. Besides fostering the enterprises and promoting the undertakings of individuals, it would create a co-operative spirit and make the community one great unit moving for the good of the whole as well as any part. ROLAND COWART.

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Uhr Glrarhrr. Uhr main Tlhing OLA DYE COPIAH COUNTY . i , A fx , jf OT the school building, not the equipment, not the curriculum or the method but the teacher, the man himself is the main thing in a-school. The teacher who meets with greatest success is born and trained but not made. And the teacher who is educated in mind and not in heart meets with little success. No matter how Well a school is provided with material things such as building equipment, and cur- riculum it will not be a good school unless the teacher of that school puts his heart and soul into the work. A teacher can help his pupils but little unless he puts his soul in touch with their souls. This is expressed by Browning as the What Is of man, that spiritual inner consciousness of the mind which is the highest and most important feature of man. By knowing and doing noble and beautiful things the teacher must appeal to the What Isi' in his pupils, and the appeal is made and answered more easily because of the development of the spiritual inner consciousness of the teacher. Christ the greatest of all teachers made his appeal to men in this way. A study of human nature teaches us that children learn largely by imitation. It then behooves the teacher to be all he teaches for by so doing he reaches the deeper consciousness of his pupils and they follow in his footsteps. Especially is this true of young children who are just forming habits and of high school pupils who are at the age of forming ideals. The teacher who does not practice what he preaches, as the old proverb says, makes no lasting impression of the thing he preaches The right teacher has such moral fitness that he sees teaching as a spiritual process, and feels it both a joy and a duty to win children's hearts and control their minds, building them up and establishing in them sound characters. He must be able to arouse the strongest enthusiasm and engage the noblest power. With these two things secured on the part of the pupils the surroundings and material things of a school will soon be converted into the best possible. But the teacher who lacks the qualities which call forth strong enthusiasm and noble power does little to improve either the minds of the pupils of the material surroundings. The teacher then is the main thing in a school because it is through him that the greatest changes take place, and the right teacher will not teach long in surroundings unfit for children to live in daily. The school is a success that has a teacher who sees teaching to be the build- ing of human minds up into, their divine possibilities with the consequent reach of beauty and blessing to the world: who sees teaching as the highest and noblest and most delicate and beautiful and grand of arts. OLA DYE