1924 - Annual Convention Report

              54 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
the r u r a l teacher and better and longer t r a i n i n g for the teacher i n the N o r m al
School— summer courses for the teachers to i m p r o v e t h e i r s t a n d i n g and gather
new idea for t h e i r w o r k — G o v e r n m e n t loans t o N o r m a l s t u d e n t s and the e s t a b l i s h ­i
n g of r u r a l l i b r a r i e s t h r o u g h o u t the r u r a l p a r t s.
I n five years' time one- half m i l l i o n books have been placed i n the school
l i b r a r i e s of A l b e r t a b y the D e p a r t m e n t of E d u c a t i o n at a cost of n e a r l y $ 200,000.00.
T h e b o y who has l e a r n e d to r e a d i n t h e p u b l i c s c h o o l a n d has s e t t l e d d o w n to
w o r k on the f a rm at fifteen may b y means of one h u n d r e d selected books extend
the walls of his f a rm cottage to t h e d i m e n s i o n s of t h e w o r l d.
( 3) L E T U S L O O K N O W A T T H E C O M M U N I T Y ' S R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y .— E v e r y c h i ld
is not o n l y the offspring of i t s o w n p a r e n t but of t h e c o m m u n i t y as w e l l , a n d every
i n d i v i d u a l is r e s p o n s i b l e for the c l e a n b i r t h r i g h t a n d h e a l t h y s u r r o u n d i n g s of e v e ry
c h i l d b o r n i n t o the c o m m u n i t y.
N o t only so but i n the d e v e l o p i n g years of the c h i l d ' s l i f e , the c o m m u n i ty
s h o u l d r e a l i z e its o p p o r t u n i t y for s e r v i c e ' b y p r o v i d i n g wholesome r e c r e a t i o n a nd
amusement for its boys a n d g i r l s . " N o c o m m u n i t y has a r i g h t to p e r m i t a c h i ld
t o be r o b b e d of i t s c h i l d h o o d . " A boy w i t h o u t a p l a y g r o u n d w i l l be father to the
man w i t h o u t a j o b.
T h e f o r m a t i o n of c o m m u n i t y c l u b s , c o m m u n i t y fairs, p a r e n t t e a c h e r s o r g a n i z a ­tions,
a n d r u r a l e d u c a t i o n a l associations, w h i c h w o u l d b r i n g a i r t h e elements of the
c o m m u n i t y , i n line w i t h the f o r w a r d movement i n r u r a l e d u c a t i o n , the school
i t s e l f b e i n g the centre, and the school trustees a n d teachers, the heart a n d core of
the work.
One reason w h y the c o u n t r y b o y often moves to the c i t y , is because there is
not sufficient o p p o r t u n i t y for o u t of d o o r sports, t o meet h i s h u n g e r for c o m p e t i t i on
a n d c o m p a n i o n s h i p a m o n g b o y s of h i s o w n age. A b o y c a n o n l y be h e a l t h y , i n b o dy
a n d m i n d a n d e m o t i o n , who has his p h y s i c a l p u n c h a n d speed measured by l a d s of
his own size a n d age.
N o adolescent g i r l knows her m o r a l s t a m i n a t i l l she l i v e s freely and t a l ks
f r a n k l y w i t h adolescent girls a n d boys. A m a n l y b o y of fifteen a n d a w o m a n ly
g i r l of fourteen are w o r t h more t o a g r o u p of g i r l s a n d boys f r om t w e l v e t o eighteen,
t h a n a U n i v e r s i t y Professor's q u e s t i o n n a i r e to fathers a n d mothers and teachers,
about boys a n d girls.
( 4) In c l o s i n g I w a n t to s a y a w o r d a b o u t the r u r a l c h u r c h . It too has a c o n ­t
r i b u t i o n to make toward the s o l u t i o n of the p r o b l em under c o n s i d e r a t i o n . The
r u r a l c h u r c h is under a s i m i l a r h a n d i c a p of t h a t of t h e r u r a l s c h o o l . In m a n y c o m ­m
u n i t i e s there is no c h u r c h or S u n d a y school. In other places t h e c h u r c h has not
a d a p t e d itself b y methods or p o l i c y t o meet t h e r u r a l needs.
T h e r e is g r o w i n g u p a g e n e r a t i o n of b o y s a n d g i r l s , i n c o u n t r y a n d c i t y , who are
n o n - r e l i g i o u s . They are not lawless o r a n t i - s o c i a l b u t t h e y appear t o b e u n c o n c e r n ed
as t o w h e t h e r G o d e x i s t s or not. In so f a r as t h i s is t r u e i t is t h e m a s t e r t r a g e dy
of our g e n e r a t i o n and the fault lies e q u a l l y w i t h the home a n d the c h u r c h.
I t is s a i d t h a t n i n e out of t e n people, w h o are m a t e r i a l i s t i c , are so, because in
the c r i t i c a l p e r i o d of adolescence, one d o o r w a y of t h e s p i r i t a f t e r another, was a l l o w ed
to close t h r o u g h neglect.
H o w can the t r a n s i t i o n , f r om t h e r e l i g i o n of t h e c h i l d , t o t h e r e l i g i o n of t h e a d u lt
be made, w i t h o u t loss of t h e most precious v i s i o n of life?
T a c t is needed, p a t i e n c e i s needed, s y m p a t h y i s needed, s k i l l i s needed, i n s i g ht
is needed. Religion is not taught, but caught. Its secret is p e r s o n a l c o n t a c t—
t h e D i v i n e c o n t a g i o n of c h a r a c t e r . Herein i s o u r o p p o r t u n i t y i n s u c h o r g a n i z a t i o ns
as the T u x i s B o y s T r a i l Rangers, and the B o y Scout movement.
W h i l e we have s p o k e n of the c o n t r i b u t i n g factors s u r r o u n d i n g the boy, and
i n f l u e n c i n g h i m — u n d e r the heads of the H o m e , S c h o o l , C h u r c h a n d C o m m u n i t y —
yet we most e m p h a t i c a l l y s a y t h a t t h e p i v o t a l p o i n t is t h e H o m e , a n d the f a t h e r ' s
a t t i t u d e to his boy.
W H Y DID Y O U L E A V E T H E F A R M , M Y L A D?
W h y did y o u leave t h e f a rm m y lad?
W h y did y o u b o l t a n d leave y o u r dad?
W h y did y o u beat i t off t o t o wn
A n d t u r n y o u r poor o l d father down?
T h i n k e r s of p l a t f o r m , p u l p i t a n d press
A r e w a l l o w i n g i n deep distress.
T h e y seek to k n o w the h i d d e n cause
W h y the farmer boys desert t h e i r pa's.