Show abandoned school serves community club for 25 years MANKATO MINN formed a quarter century ago because a schoolhouse was abandoned the spring lake community club re bently celebrated its annever iver sary when tour four adjacent school d s tracts were consol dated and a new schoolhouse was built at rapidan in 1922 the little old schoolhouse which had served the spring lake comma anity was to be discarded yoking men of the community deciding that the building would make an ideal community gathering place led a movement for formation of the spring lake community club the bu id ng has been retained as the meeting place since then the old school bell still hangs in the belfry of the clubhouse instead of summoning children to school it now is rung only on occasions of celebration or alarm As membership of the club is comprised almost wholly of farm ers work of the club is tucked in between plant ng and threshing and taking care of the livestock club meetings feature speeches and discussions on pert nent world and agricultural problems potluck suppers and contests are frequent attractions when club repairing or cleaning must be done the project is not con work but a club gathering with everyone who can hold a ham mer saw mop or scrub brush turn ing out gov luther W of minnesota was honor guest at the anniversary dinner providing a note of levity on the program was the reading of the minutes of club meetings for the en tire 25 years one entry in early club minutes read it was decided that the club buy a cord of wood and the men come and split it in the 1938 minutes this item a appeared p painting of the clubhouse will soon beg n just as soon as threshing and other exchange work is done |