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Show What My Community Should Do in Postwar Planning Editor's Note: This article won the first prize in a contest sponsored by Miss Gibson Western Newspaper News-paper Union in connection with the recent Midwestern Mid-western Writers' conference at Northwestern university. Miss Gibson, the author, au-thor, lives in Sheldon, 111., a town of 1,000 population in Iroquois county, which is one of the leading agricultural counties coun-ties of the Prairie state. After graduation from the school of journalism at the University of Illinois, she became a teacher of journalism at the Champaign, 111., senior high school. At present pres-ent she is a free lance journalist and chairman of public information informa-tion for the Iroquois county chapter chap-ter of the American Red Cross. i By Genevra Bush Gibson j "OING my way?" in-I in-I vJT quired the soft-voiced : smiling marine sergeant as we boarded the same train at I our mutual home town station. sta-tion. During the two-hour ride into in-to the city we talked of many things including the fact that he wanted a small business of his own after the war perhaps on the Al-Can highway. How I wish I might have ! said, "Before you make an Al-Can deal, get in touch with our home town Re-Employment Committeemen." I couldn't, however, for my community has not yet undertaken un-dertaken collective postwar planning. Newton county,, an agricultural county of 10,775 population in northwestern north-western Indiana, has announced its Co-operative Planning, the result of a year's study by a committee of 25 comprising men and women representative repre-sentative of all phases of community commu-nity life. Full-page advertisements paid for by various service clubs of the different towns were run In all of the weekly papers in the county. Re-Employment of Veterans. The ad began, "More servicemen will return home with the progress of the war. The Re-Employment Committeemen of Newton County, Indiana, in conjunction with its advisory ad-visory committee and the Agricultural Agricul-tural advisory committee, are on the alert. All citizens, both in service and not in service, should realize that the return of the servicemen will mean certain adjustments. This will be so whether he returns to his former civilian job or seeks a new civilian job. "The servicemen of our country are asked to co-operate with the Re-Employment Re-Employment Committeemen . and the citizens by marking the information infor-mation questionnaires below. Please do not sign. Return to (name of paper)." Under the general section were listed the following questions: "Do you plan to live in Newton county when discharged from service? Do you plan to seek employment in this area? Do you plan to go to school or take up a special training course under G.I. Bill of Rights? Do you plan to go into business as an employee, em-ployee, as an employer, as an individual, in-dividual, or as a partner? What business? "Do you contemplate establishing a new business or taking over an established business? Do you have previous experience in the business? Will you need any additional capital? capi-tal? What source do you contemplate contem-plate using, private or G.I. Bill of Rights arrangements? Will you need a house? Household equipment?" equip-ment?" Under the agricultural section were these questions: "Are you interested in-terested in taking up farming as a landowner, renter, one-third share operator, or hired man? Have you nrevious experience? What size and make recommendations to the boards of education. Perry L. Schneider, head of the evening elementary school division of the New York City board of education, edu-cation, says that there is a growing demand by adults for short non-credit non-credit courses in cultural subjects such as history, global geography, economics, current events, literature, litera-ture, music, art, crafts, and hobbies. hob-bies. He believes that it will be necessary to educate parents for reduction re-duction of juvenile delinquency. Some of the courses Mr. Schneider Schnei-der suggests may be applicable to small schools. Perhaps the folks In my community will want not only the agricultural night classes which have proved popular but classes in manual training, personal typing, foods, sewing, interior decorating or child psychology. For those adults who still enjoy taking part in plays, a community players' club might well be organized organ-ized to meet once a week and to present one or two plays for the entire community. Those who like to sing might form a community chorus which could present concerts while those who like to play a musical mu-sical instrument might form a community com-munity dance band to sponsor six dances. Since our public library has a small stage, these three group3 could easily use that as their meeting meet-ing place so as not to monopolize the high school gym, which is a combined gym and auditorium. These clubs as well as adult evening eve-ning classes should be considered a part of the high school teacher's work and enough teachers should be hired to take care of the demands. de-mands. Of even greater educational concern con-cern is the quality of the grade school and high school instruction, for servicemen will want good schools for their children. It will be well to consider restoring restor-ing to the elementary school the subjects that were dropped because no teachers were available: art, cooking, sewing, and manual training. train-ing. Likewise attention should be given to possible new subjects. 'Every Day Living for Boys.' Perhaps eighth grade boys should be taught simple cookery, selection and care of their clothes, bedmak-ing, bedmak-ing, and room care in a course called, "Every Day Living for Boys." Both boys and girls might be taught simple gardening practices prac-tices and encouraged to have their own garden plots during the summer. sum-mer. As a part of the high school survey sur-vey it would be right to consider if the history courses are providing the citizenship training we want and if the English classes in addition to teaching our young people to speak and write correctly are giving them the proper evaluating standards stand-ards so that they will know how to judge a newspaper, magazine, book, movie, and radio program, thus discarding dis-carding the trash and fastening their minds on the things worth remembering. remem-bering. Since cooking and sewing were required re-quired of eighth grade girls, it would seem sensible to require of the hand, can head a subcommittee of the building interests whose task it will be to supply the additional homes and business structures. As the grain man deals with farming interests, yet resides in town, he should be able to see both sides of the picture. The Red Cross home service chairman and a minister are recommended because of their contacts with servicemen. When this committee has worked out an information questionnaire, it can be published in the local paper, pa-per, for our weekly paper goes to all the boys and girls in the service. With the questionnaires returned, the committee can begin to compile com-pile information. Then they can canvass the community to see what jobs will be available so that when Sam, who wants to be a partner in a grocery store, comes home, he can be sent to see old Mr. Fuller who wants to retire from active work and become a silent partner. On the second committee, the Memorial, I would have five members, mem-bers, all men interested in sports: the high school board athletic chairman, chair-man, the grade school board athletic athlet-ic chairman, a business man, a farmer, and a veteran, the latter to be chairman. Trees As Memorials. Windstorms have played havoc with the beautiful trees for which our town is noted. What better memorial to our war dead than stately trees? I should like to see the village, which is now free from debt, plant American elms and hard maple trees in the parking: the American elm because it is a quick growing tree and the hard maple because it has the most beautiful autumnal foliage of any tree I know. As a memorial to our gallant fighters who return, I should like to have a well-run sports program. A number of things may be considered, consid-ered, among them an outdoor swimming swim-ming pool at the high school, with the school showers and dressing rooms available to the swimmers. The initial cost might well be met by popular subscription with the school operating the pool afterwards. farm do you have in mind? What type of farm do you desire: livestock, live-stock, grain, or general? Is there a house available? Do you have a farm in mind to rent or buy? Will you take over from father or relative? rela-tive? Will the farmer you replace retire, seek another farm, or share his operations with you?" The advertisement concluded, "With the information thus assembled, assem-bled, we shall endeavor to anticipate your return home." An Excellent Pattern. Surely, that Is an excellent pattern pat-tern that my community could afford af-ford to follow in starting postwar planning immediately. Instead of a county-wide basis, however, I would suggest that we use our high school district and our consolidated grade school district as the basis for our community boundaries. Since our men's service organization organiza-tion is the Lion's club, the officers of that organization could ask the officers of-ficers of' the Women's Club, American Amer-ican Legion, and the Legion Auxiliary Auxil-iary to meet with them to discuss appointing committees for postwar planning, such persons to be selected from the entire personnel of the community. com-munity. These committees might well be three: Re-Employment, Memorial, and Education. Seven members could constitute a Re-Employment committee: a business busi-ness man, a farmer, the banker, the . lumber man, a grain man, the Red Cross home service chairman, and a minister. I should prefer for the business man and farmer to be Le-I Le-I gionnalros and to act as co-chairmen. To lend advice on the possible success of new business adventures Is the reason for suggesting the banker. The lumber man, on the other During the summer vacation, the pool could be open suitable nights from 7 to 11 with swimming classes scheduled certain afternoons from 4 to 6. The athletic coach should be the director. In the winter the pool could be flooded and used for ice skating. Softball might well be revived, for the grounds are still available and it would not take long to hook up tlie lights. Four organizations such as business firms could each sponsor spon-sor a team with one or two nights a week set aside for double header games. There should be no admission admis-sion charge, but a collection should be taken to pay for the lights. Moreover, More-over, consideration should be given giv-en to reinstalling croquet courts in the park for the youngsters and marking off space for horseshoes for the oldsters. My town faithfully follows high school basketball, which provides excellent winter recreation. A survey sur-vey should be made, however, to see how the high school gymnasium may be used winter evenings for adults for calisthenics, volley ball, handball, basketball and folk dancing. danc-ing. In all of this sports program the goal must be to use available community rcsoi Vccs to provide a varied program to reach the greatest great-est number of people. Educational Needs, Last but not least is the Education Educa-tion committee which should consist of five members: the high school principal, the grade school principal, princi-pal, a town father who has children in school, a farm mother who has children in school, and a high school ulumnus, the kilter to be chairman. The business of this Education committee should be to make a survey sur-vey of the postwar educational needs freshman girls a home management course which could incorporate some principles of home nursing. Then during the three summer vacations va-cations of their high school days they might undertake such projects as canning vegetables, house cleaning clean-ing and cooking, with credit to be given for such projects after due inspection by the teacher in charge. A first aid course comparable to the one taught by the American Red Cross should be required of every boy and girl after he is 16 years of age and before he is graduated. In a recent forum on divorce conducted con-ducted by the Town Club of Chicago, Samuel A. Rinella, divorce attorney, declared, "Our schools train students in everything from carpentering to radio announcing but not enough, if anything, is done about instructing men and women in marriage." Mr. Rinclla's statement is so true that I think the Education committee commit-tee should consider recommending a required semester's course in the senior year for both boys and girls in general sociology, marriage and the family. In 18G5 the folks of Pleasant Valley, Val-ley, a little village in the foothills of the Allcghcnies, piled the relics of the Civil war that had just ended, the old brass cannon, the battered muskets, the broken swords, and the rusted bayonets into one heap. They melted them down and from them cast the gentle bells of Pleasant Valley Val-ley to ring out over green fields and fertile farms as a memorial to their loved ones lost in that war. Likewise, it Is my hope that the Postwar Planning of the Re-Employment, Memorial, and Education committees will result in making my community a Pleasant Place in which to live. |