| Show Citizenship Dramatized For Youth I Wisconsin Educators Educator's Plan Demonstrates Democracy For New Voters By fly PRESCOTT WALDEN Its uIt's something like when you hear a band playing and marching down the street You almost tingle with excitement excitement excitement ex ex- when you actually realize that the future of your country is as much your business business business busi busi- ness as anybody's A eyed bright-eyed year old girl at Manitowoc Wis speaking Up her way thanks to an idealistic university professor named Dr R. R J. J Colbert democracy is being dramatized for odd boys and girls who become actual flesh flesh- blood and-blood United States citizens on May 21 Citizens already Yes they were born that way most of them But for several years Dr Colbert has told his University of Wisconsin extensIon extension ex- ex tension class that this country needs something to enliven citizenship participation Theres There's too much I taken for granted too little interest I manifested In the government our forefathers sweated and died for Idea Catches Fire ire Last fall faU at Manitowoc Dr Colbert's Col Cot berts bert's Idea caught fire A newspaper newspaper per man left the class went back to his hi desk and wrote an editorial Manitowoc's Judge A. A II n. Schmidt proposed that Dr Colbert's class sponsor the project A. A I. I L. L director of ot the Manitowoc vocational vocation vocation- al school was drafted as general chairman Heres Here's how the idea works Every new citizen In Manitowoc Manito I woe wac county received a personal In Invitation Invitation In In- to Join a citizenship class I rp t ab PLANS PLAN'S FA FATHER FATHER TIlER Dr R. R J. J Colbert at his hi desk dek in the extension extension extension ex ex- ex- ex tension division of the University city sity of Wisconsin Madison read read- reading ing in stacks of mail received each day Jay asking information on the citizenship plan 38 classes in all being formed For Forthe Forthe Forthe the past five dve months these groups have been meeting under local and university Instructors hearing county county coun coun- ty and municipal officials businessmen business business- men and school teachers On May 21 all will gather at Manitowoc where where for for probably the first time In Inthe Inthe Inthe the United States States every every young man and woman in the county turning 21 will be inducted Into citizenship and will swear to the chief justice of Wisconsin an oath of allegiance to the national constitution and the state of Wisconsin Bands will play flags will fly In Inthe Inthe inthe the lake breezes President Clarence A. A Dykstra will speak 10 minutes and Gov Coy Julius P. P Neil Hell will present pre pre- sent lent to the chairman of each of ot the 38 citizenship classes the certifiCates certificates cates of for their groups With that simple ceremony the boys and girls of Manitowoc county will become citizens of the United Sta States tes Made lade Wide State Plan Theres There's something about it must It must be Wisconsin's chief justice told the Milwaukee Journal that there are t today day literally millions of people people peo peo- pie who would give everything they possess be it great or small for the privilege of calling themselves American citizens We who are born under the flag should be at least equally appreciative of the privileges and opportunities we freely treely enjoy Within a few weeks after the plan was wal Initiated Wisconsin's state leg unanimously passed a bill making It mandatory for country school superintendents to St that similar programs are set up in each county every year ear And when he finds find time to return to his office Dr Colbert U la greeted by of mall mail from all aU parts of the country asking information about the It Its It's apparently clicked and one very good reason Is that m most st Americans Amer consider democracy on trial today an institution which can cm exist ex X 1st only if It citizens learn lurn to fight for forIt forIt forIt It to dramatize it like the dictators w. w t i j I I I EYES ON THE TIlE BALLOT BOX BOX Anxious Anxious to exercise their voting privilege yet privilege yet not so anxious as a. to forget its it significance significance- are these thee new voters voter at Two Rivers River W Wis WI I. I who are shown hown reaching toward a sample ample bo box during durin one of oJ the M Manitowoc count county classes claue Born in the Great War era they are among amon the Manitowoc count county groups being bein schooled in what the American form of oJ government means meaRl both in theor theory and practice have dramatized totalitarianism Whipping up of an ian scream eagle ing lag sort of Americanism false Americanism false patriotism pa pa- Is is not the aim says Dr Colbert Emphasize Local Government What we hope bope to do is acquaint the new citizens with their thell govern ment Because most of the tax dollar dollar dol dot lar is spent at home our emphasis is placed on the local unit of govern govern- ment meat We try to show them how bow they can get the most out of their government If we can encourage and stimulate discussion and inspire and create a more dynamic enthusiasm in governmental affairs I belleve believe be be- lieve we shall have made a big step toward our our goal The Manitowoc plan has bas been directed di dl toward the young voter But Dut the seeds of the campaign have already already al al- ready blown far afield We have finally succeeded says lays Dr Colbert in dramatizing citizenship citizenship citizen citizen- ship in such a way that practically everybody Is becoming citizenship conscious People who have voted for years as a matter of habit are awakening to realize what tremendous tremendous tremendous dous force an electorate can wield Requires Demonstration Projects Dr Colbert takes this success in stride Wisconsin is an adopted home to him him has has been for 20 years He Is one of the few persons with witha a joint doctorate degree in the three branches of social sciences economics econom econom- ics Ice political science and sociology This is important only because it shows hes he's a mixture of the academician academician and practical applicator a aman aman aman man to whom public administration is something of a fetish For several several several sev sev- eral years as head of the University University sity of Wisconsin's Wisconsin extension sociology ogy ogle division hes he's been conducting roundtables in cities throughout the state making each group adopt a major project as a demonstration of how they can participate In public public pub pub- lic lie affairs affair Citizenship day at Manitowoc is the outgrowth of one of those Dr Colbert chuckles as he recalls how the idea was suggested to other groups before he be went to Manitowoc Not from him but from other sources you can learn that these other cities are quite peeved with themselves for missing g ga a golden opportunity that Manitowoc snapped up Between tearing open his letters Dr Colbert will recall for the visItor visitor vis vis- at his quiet office in Madison how bow he came of age ge quite quite B a number of years yearl ago There w was s no fuss about it lie He simply reached ached 21 and b became ame a voter automatically which is about the experience of every every ev ev- ery cry other native born citizen Learning Most Moat Important Strange then isn't it that we weh h have ve many classes rituals and ceremonies ceremonies cere cere- monies for naturalized citizens who become voters Why not something for native born citizens as well However being an educator Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Colbert saw the problem from froman an educational standpoint He Be realIzed realized real real- that the learning was more important than the graduation although although al al- though there was a definite place for both So he worked out his program program program pro pro- gram in such a manner as to stress its educational end and yet have bave a dignified and appropriate ceremony to climax It Thus Citizenship day was conceived He lie stresses again and again that this is an objective program Strictly Strict Strict- ly positive There are no negative- negative isms this Is a program of Americanism Americanism Ameri Amen not other anti Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Colbert's idea is to make Americanism so interesting and desirable desirable de de- that young Americans and others too will wW not have any time for foreign isms Which if U you ask the man on the street is what America needs a adam darn dam sight more than a good five five- cent cigar IR Released ed by Western m Newspaper Union |
