Show WORK OF COMMUNITY CLUBS betsey ann association 0 brighton illinois does much to boost little village by P G former dean ot iowa state college community clubs play an important part in the development of they present the greatest of opportunities tuni ties for the operation cooperation co of town and country to the lasting benefit of each they enable the residents of the town and those of the rural districts to get together and do things for the welfare of all that otherwise mould not be done this arousing of common interest in common interests brings the members of the community closer together socially industrially and economically in movements of this character every small town should feel vitally interested for it can extend its trade territory many miles by uniting with the farmers in community work this work may take one form or it may take another but the life of any community organization depends upon having something to do that is worth while by the assistance of banners fan ners the town of brighton illinois a village of only COO people has worked wonders in the way of community road build ing for ten years the people of brighton have been joining hands with their rural neighbors in cooperative work that not only has bettered the whole community but has given the town a commercial and educational standing equal to that of many cities ten times its size the community organization which has thus united town and country bears the unique title of the betsey ann association it has given the community 27 miles of excellent roads a accredited high school n community building and n neighborhood spirit which knows no township line or corporate boundary the betsey ann association Is incorporated po rated but not for profit it has members divided about equally be tween town and country and its membership fee Is only 25 cents the executive committee consists of nine members of which not more than five can be residents of the town the first improvement inaugurated was purchase of a fire bell this bell was christened by a telephone operator miss nell flanagan FI anagan she gave it the name of betsey ann which title has since passed to tho ns during the second week of angust each year the association holds a two day picnic in a large tent concerts dramas and other forms of entertain i meat are given by local people from twenty seven milea of road hn prove ment around brighton illinois work of the betsey ann community association both town and country these picnics arc always attended by 2 or 3 people all concessions are run by the association and all the profit goes into the treasury about la realized each year the money Is spent in road improvement one year the association built a mile of rock road extending eastward from the ton limits kadi year a contract for dragging at frequent in tervilus ter vils nine different roads for a distance of three miles from town Is aw added each members of alie executive committee has charge of a three mile strip an appropriation of Is annually made for this purpose these 27 miles of good roads are the visible results of the betsey ann association they nealie it possible for brighton to visit and to entertain her neighbors they connect the town with the farm and make the interests of one the interests of the other they have made possible the community sullying Sull ding they have made a reality a school for both town and country children from which graduates are admitted to any college wheel used in argentina because some roads in argentina have deeper dust in summer and deeper mud in winter than anny others in the world the wagons used on them have wheels from six to fifteen feet in diameter work on roads in 1915 during the total road and bridge expenditures in the united states amounted to about of which probably not over 15 represented the value of the statute and convict labor |