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Show A HOME AND SCHtHJL LEAGUE) EXPERIMENT j By Delbort W. Diaper Last year at Milford. the local high school undertook a little ex- ' perimcnt with a home and school league. If this experiment was any different from similar experiments conducted before and contemporary with it. the difference arose out of the unique situation which exists in Milford. Milford is a genuine frontier town, composed almost exclusively ex-clusively 'of people of Anglo-Saxon descent. The town nearest Milford of any importance. is thirty-five miles away without railroad. The chief industries of Milford are agriculture ag-riculture and mining. In addition to mining and farming, Milford is a distributing point of some importance, import-ance, a business center for sheep and cattle herdsmen and a railroad division point on a "trunk" line from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Business following in the wake of these activities is greater and more varied than that found in other Utah towns. The hotels of Milford are not equalled by those of any other town in the state of like population. It is estimated that 17,000 guests are entertained in Milford annually. This accounts for Milford's five saloons sa-loons and other unusual features. .The people of Milford may be classified, first, as permanent residents; resi-dents; temporary residents and pure transients; " second, as "wets" and "drys;" third, as Mormons, Protestants, Protest-ants, Christian Scientists, Catholic and "Unchurched;" fourth, as Republicans, Re-publicans, Democrats and Socialists; fifth, as natives, western emigrants and eastern emigrants; sixth, as middle aged and young, with are-markable are-markable small sprinkling of old people, and finally as trade, professional profes-sional and business. It is rather difficult to say which element predominates pre-dominates in each case, but upon first glance, one become conscious of a "mixup." This, then, was the situation that confronted the new high school in the fall of 1915, and which led it to seek the co-operation of the people peo-ple in attacking the problem springing spring-ing therefrom. The most obvious problems calling for solution were, the building up of a general interest in education, the banishing of gross vice which flurishes in such centers, and the establishment tj an educational educa-tional policy suited to the peculiar needs of the community. The factors favoring the solution of these problems were: first, the unusual vision and enthusiasm of the people who secured the magnificent magnifi-cent high school building; second, the absence of any local grievance against officials or teachers; third, the youth optimism and intelligence of all the people, and fourth, a fair degree of prosperity. Factors unfavorable were: first, the presence of a large irresponsible, transient element that made vice possible on a commercial scale; second, sec-ond, the temporary resident element which could demand much because unrestrained by the fear of having ultimately to pay; third, prejudice and jealousy arising from diversity of religions and ethical beliefs and business practices, and finally, isolation, iso-lation, preventing easy contact with big men and movements. In attacking these problems the first concern was the allaying of suspicion. sus-picion. There seemed to be a vague fear that the high school would fall under the control of the "wets" or "drys" or this faction or that. To counteract this, the high school quietly adopted the policy of standing stand-ing aloof from all debatable questions ques-tions until confidence could be established. es-tablished. The next step was the effecting of a working organization of town and school people for active service. Manning this organization was a most difficult task in itself. A president presi-dent was needed who was owned by no faction, who had time and inclination incli-nation to labor and fight withouh hope or financial return, who had sense enough to maintain his poise without comprimising or straddling, and who had some vision and imagination. imag-ination. A man was found who opened the work with great zest. To assist him a corps of officers with like qualifications, and representing practically every faction, was secured. se-cured. With a full sense of the seriousness of the undertaking this organization began its work. How well it succeeded or will succeed remains re-mains yet to be seen. A summary of its first season's work may furnish fur-nish a basis for hope at least. It brought the people of the community com-munity together in a genuine social bond. It put tone and respectability into social dancing. It co-operated with the moving picture house to secure hotter films. It made a wider gap between immoral transients and denizens on the one hand and respectable re-spectable citizens on the other. It aroused an interest in education that was felt throughout the county. It ! began a high school and community ! library. It converted the high school 'gymnasium and swimming pool into la rommunitv pleasure and health i resort. It cleared a ten acre field of brush land for a 'school and community com-munity park. It gave the eommii!.-ity eommii!.-ity its first high school lycev.m course. It successfully met some of the difficulties to consolidation. It kept the high school building in use during the summer. It engineered the Fourth of July celebration. It aided in every possible way in making mak-ing a school and community survey under the auspices of the University of I'tah. and finally it set for its aim the working out of an educational educa-tional policy of community self expression ex-pression and program irrespective of any other systems whatever except ex-cept as they could be adapted to.lo-can to.lo-can conditions. In conclusion it might be said that no town in Utah has a better chance to work ont its own destiny than Milford. (Mr. Draper will be remembered as the principal of the local high school, last year, and the above article, ar-ticle, written for the Educational Review, will be of interest to Milford Mil-ford residents. Ed.) |
