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circle meeting, study the books, outlining the various topics or making copious notes on the same The note books containing these outlines or notes are handed to the county superintendent, and are inspected by him. From these note books, from personal interviews with teachers concerning the reading circle work, and from the reports of local managers, the credits due to teachers for reading circle work are made up.

     School Libraries--Not all the districts of this county have yet complied with the late school' library law. However, many of the rural districts had already established small libraries before the said law was passed. At least 60 per cent of our rural schools have libraries at the present time. The largest of these libraries is in District No. 59. This library contains about 300 books, and the selections are of the best books. There are many good small libraries and all the later established ones contain only the best books.

     We are now planning to have a library in each school by January 1, 1911.

     Most of our town and village schools have excellent libraries.

     State Aid--Since the law providing state aid for weak districts was passed not more than four districts in Dawson county have applied for such aid, and these for very small amounts. Last school year no application was made for such aid, and no district in the county was eligible for such aid under the rules governing ifs distribution.

     High School Normal Training--Dawson county has but two normal training high schools, one at Lexington, and one at Gothenburg. These schools have been very helpful in supplying teachers for our rural schools. In most cases, the young people trained in these schools have made good as teachers. Many of them after teaching a year have entered the state normal school, completed the course there, and have come back to the schools thoroughly prepared as teachers.

     Course of Study--The new Nebraska course of study was placed in all schools of the county in the fall of 1908, and the teachers for the most part have tried to follow it. In our teachers' institute in the summer of 1909 and again in 1910, the importance and manner of using the course of study was brought forcibly before the county teachers. Many of the teachers were measurably successful in its use last year, and all are faithfully trying to use it as a guide in their school room work during the present year.

     Dawson county schools have made much progress during the last few years. A higher grade of teachers is being employed and higher wages are being paid for leaching. We have but few teachers that have not more or less normal training. The professional spirit of our teachers is greatly improved.

     We are laying special stress on thoroughness in the common school branches. We are striving to intensify instruction and study rather than to greatly extend the number of branches studied. The
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eighth grade examination is conducted in the same way as the teachers examination, and only those that are well prepared are granted diplomas and free high school certificates. The percentage of attendance in our rural schools has increased as a result of emphasizing the importance of the compulsory attendance law.

     Agriculture and Domestic Science--Dawson county has no regularly organized boys' and girls' club. However, something is being done along the line of training in agriculture and domestic science. There is a full set of officers for a boys' organization, and a full set for the girls' organization.

     For some seven or eight years, agriculture has been taught to some extent in the rural schools of the county. More and better work along this line has been done as the teachers have become better qualified to teach this subject. The subject has been presented each year at our annual teachers' institute. At present agriculture is taught in nearly every school, whether town, village or rural.

     A domestic science and corn-growing contest was begun early in the year 1908. The boys and girls in the county manifested considerable interest in the matter, and in November, 1908, the exhibit was held in Lexington. There were about 100 exhibits of corn and nearly as many of sewing. A large number of boys and girls were present.

     Besides the corn exhibit and the sewing exhibit, there was a fine display of cookery. Many valuable premiums were awarded and much interest was manifested by the people. Several of the corn exhibits and several of the specimens of sewing were deemed worthy to enter the national corn exposition held at Omaha in December of that year. Two of the said corn exhibits won first and second premium respectively, in the contest for the west zone of Nebraska, at the national exposition. A number of other premiums were awarded to Dawson county boys and girls for both corn and sewing specimens.

      No contest of this kind was held in 1909 as conditions were unfavorable for this work. At present we are planning for a corn exhibit to be held in November or December, 1910. The boys have, raised corn for this contest during the season. In connection with this corn exhibit, there is to be a sewing and cooking contest, besides a general school fair.

L. A. OLINGER,          
County Superintendent.     

     Owing to the fact that Deuel county has been divided during the past year the number of officers and teachers is somewhate (sic) diminished though not their zeal for school work. There are now twenty-eight districts and about thirty teachers.

     But one teachers' meeting was held during last year but the interest taken was very encouraging to the Superintendent.

     Though the condition of teachers' scholarship is improving the for special certificates is greater than it should be. In western

counties the demand for teachers is usually greater than those qualified thus making it necessary to accept teachers with special certificates. We hope in the near future to enthuse the teaching force with an ambition to better their own condition in this way and better the schools.

     Much complaint has come to the office because of the inefficiency of the eighth grade county examinations to determine the pupil's scholarship. The teachers say that pupils by this means are promoted to the high school who are not really capable of doing the work and on the other hand those who could do the advance work are held back when the examination has frightened the pupil so that he doesn't do himself justice.

     The ambition of the superintendent is to benefit the schools in all phases of the work. By means of spelling contests, and prizes solicited from business men for special exhibitions of skill in school work, she hopes to accomplish much. We wish to emphasize teachers' meetings and for the good of all concerned we will work with every effort.

VERA L. YOCKEY,            
County Superintendent,     

     Dixon county has a strong county teachers' association and its work has produced a fine professional spirit among the teachers of the county. No school officers' association has been organized, but much of the work usually done by such an association has been accomplished by gatherings which are held in each of the principal towns immediately after the annual meeting, when the county superintendent meets the directors to receive their annual reports. Our county has always been well represented at all teachers' associations.

     The reading circle work is conducted through a system of written reviews and is made an absolute requirement for the renewal of certificates. All but fifteen of our teachers completed the work this year and all but two of those were quitting the profession.

     Every district in the county has a good library. Most of these libraries are in good sectional cases. A few country districts have around three hundred books while the average is about seventy-five. Practically all of these libraries were established before the library law was passed, but every district in the county met the provisions of that law this year.

     No district in this county needs state aid. So far, we have had but little benefit from the normal training in high schools, having had no school with such a course in the county until the past year.

     Eighth grade examinations are given in every town in the county and the papers are graded by a committee in this office. Ninety pupils passed the examination this year. We have a large number of applications for free high school privileges each year, but a discouraging

feature is the small number who complete the high school course I think that a normal training course in the high school where most of these pupils attend would hold more of them for the complete course.

     During the past few years, we have had considerable trouble in getting enough qualified teachers, but better wages and better school plants are attracting better qualified young men and women and we hope for better teachers and, more of them in the near future. The question of good wages would soon be solved in this county, if we had enough trained teachers of experience to fill the schools that are willing to pay for such teachers. Our school boards are willing to pay good wages but they want some assurance that they will get value received.

     Our country schools are making wonderful progress in the improvement of their school plants. Better grounds, better buildings, and better equipment is the order of the day. Every district in the county has done something along these lines. Our best building is the Randol building in District No. 2, which is described in this report. We have six buildings of this type. All are thoroughly modern in heating, lighting, ventilation and arrangement. We have twenty schools that are modern in every way except in the lighting. Practically all schools are well equipped.

A. V. TEED,               
County Superintendent.     

     Dodge county has 84 full and 3 joint school districts. Last year school was maintained as follows: One district 91/2 months, 74 districts 9 months, 11 districts 8 months, and 1 district 7 months. One hundred seventy-two teachers were employed. The school population was 6418 with an enrollment for the year of 4802.

     In carrying on the Reading Circle work, the county has been divided into seven sections, the Superintendents and Principals of the various town schools acting as local managers. Each year four meetings are held in each section. Teachers are required to make notes and outlines in note books furnished on the books recommended by the State Reading Circle Board. These note books are 0. K'd. by the local managers at each meeting and at the close of the year are forwarded to the County Superintendent's office for grading. A record of attendance, tardiness, discussion and interest is also kept by the local managers of each meeting, a copy of which is sent to this office. Each teacher's Reading Circle grade is thus based on her attendance at meetings and notebook work. Teachers are likewise graded on their attendance and note book work at Institute. The average of the Reading Circle grade and Institute grade determines the grade in Professional Interest awarded each teacher on her certificate. I have

found this method to be very effective as it furnishes teachers with tangible evidence in addition to the benefit derived that it pays to attend teachers' meetings and institutes and the County Superintendent something definite upon which to base a teacher's Professional Interest grade.

     There are now three Normal Training High Schools in the county, Fremont, North Bend and Hooper. These schools graduated twenty students from this course last spring, fifteen of these are teaching in the county this year. Generally speaking these people have made very efficient, successful teachers. We have also been especially favored in having located in the county the Fremont College in which a great many of our teachers have taken work or from which they are graduates.

     The State Course of Study is quite closely followed in all the schools throughout the county. We think this is a good course, assisting in systematizing the work and tending toward better organization and more uniformity. Questions based on this course on all subjects for all grades below the ninth are mailed to all schools quarterly. Teachers have been advised to adhere to the course instead of the text when they do not correspond, and that it should be made elastic enough to fit the needs of individual pupils. Each school is supplied every year with large Daily Program blanks upon which teachers make out their Daily Program indicating recitation periods in red ink and study periods in black ink. These are posted on the wall in a conspicuous place. A copy of the Daily Program together with the classification report is sent in by each teacher and is of great assistance to the county superintendent in his work of supervision.

     It occurs to us that the teachers of Dodge county are especially well qualified for their work as far as preparation is concerned. At the close of our schools last year, the 172 teachers employed were certificated as follows: Professional Life 40, First Grade State 15, Second Grade State 13, Elementary State 7, Second Grade County 75, Third Grade County 5. The five teachers teaching on the Third Grade certificates had had the required amount of Normal Training for a Second Grade certificate. For the ensuing year all our schools are supplied with teachers and not a Third Grade, Emergency or Special certificate has been issued, neither do we intend to issue any. Teachers without Normal Training, experience or Second Grade scholarship are not equipped for efficient work and are not wanted.

     During the past four years county and district contests have been conducted. Boys have been encouraged to raise and select ten-ear exhibits of corn and girls to prepare sewing and cooking articles. We believe these contests have been of great value because they have afforded a means by which we can teach young people to become actively interested in the farm and home and lead them to see that the efficient performance of the duties of the farm and home is a worthy accomplishment. Last December at the National Corn Exposition, Dodge county was awarded nearly $900.00 on boys' and girls' industrial work. Many premiums were also received at the Stake contests in which exhibits were entered.

     Eighth grade examinations were given last spring in accordance with the plan suggested by the State Department, the state questions being used. Out of one hundred rural school pupils who took the examinations 70 passed. Rural school graduating exercises were held in different parts of the county and every pupil was required to take part in these exercises before receiving their diplomas.

     In the past two years about $45,000 has been expended in the erection of new, modern school buildings at Hooper, Snyder, Dodge, Winslow and in three rural districts. A great deal has also been done in the way of repairing roofs, floors, walls, painting, papering, in building additions and new outbuildings. This year North Bend will build a new school house costing $30,000. In a number of rural schools an up-to-date system of heating and ventilating has been installed. All but four districts furnish pupils with text-books. There is a piano in every town school in the county and thirty-eight organs in the rural schools. Practically every school is well furnished with desks, maps, charts, window shades, etc. This office has supplied each rural school with the following: Nebraska Course of Study, Daily Attendance and Term Register, Librarian's Record and Labels, Specimen Book, Report Cards, Daily Program Blanks, Attendance Certificates, Recommended Lists of Text and Library Books, Special Day Programs, and Monthly and Term Report blanks. The introduction of system has enabled us to supervise more closely the work of our schools and be of greater assistance to teachers.

     Our county teachers' Institute held this year was somewhat of a departure from the usual method of conducting institutes. The forenoons were devoted exclusively to professional and the afternoons given over to work in the Industrial Arts. Courses of instruction for

a year's work in Cooking, Sewing, Manual Training and Agriculture were presented in such a way that they might be carried on in rural and town schools with a very limited equipment. The work was presented having in view the conditions existing in our rural and town schools where a very simple equipment will have to be used and much of the work done by the pupils in their homes at the direction of the teacher. Considerable work along these lines has been carried on in a general way in many of our schools and we feel that we are now prepared to take it up a little more extensively following a more definite, systematic method in its presentation. If we wait for our schools to be provided with an entire equipment before attempting anything along these lines, it is not likely that this important work would ever be introduced regularly in our public school course. We have felt that if we can arouse an interest and create a favorble (sic) public sentiment by demonstrating with a simple equipment the importance of this work and that it can be carried on in a practical way in our rural and town schools, the necessary apparatus and equipmnt (sic) will be sure to follow later.

     While we are highly gratified in the progress our schools have made, we do not feel that we have reached the acme of perfection and are not resting on our oars. There is still much room for improvement. It shall always be our earnest endeavor through constant and persistent effort to make Dodge county schools rank educationally among the very best of the state. Much credit is due our loyal corps of teachers who have been eager at all times to avail themselves of every opportunity for professional self-improvement and for the kindly co-operative spirit they have shown in the important work that has been and is before us.

J. M. MATZEN,             
County Superintendent.     

     Almost without exception the teachers of Douglas county possess the genuine educational spirit. This is shown each year by the interest manifested at county, district, and state associations, in the reading circle work, and in the annual teachers' institute.

     The surplus of teachers at the opening of school in September is not as large as formerly, but only a few inexperienced teachers are employed each year. It is true, however, that, since a limited amount of normal training is required in our state and since normal training courses have been put into certain high schools, school boards have come to realize that the election of a "beginner" is not necessarily an unwise step. After the opening of school work in September, the extra supply of legally qualified teachers is very small, since those who do riot secure school positions here go to other counties or engage in other employment.

     From 1903 until a year ago the Douglas county course of study was used in the schools, but the state course is now in use.

     Almost no third grade certificates are issued; last year only one was issued, and it was given late in the year and under much the same conditions as emergency certificates have occasionally been granted. I am beginning to think that some of our plain second grade or elementary certificates, on a few of which the lowest grades are found to be in the most essential branches, suggest a doubt as to the ability of holders of said certificates to teach the truth at all times. Is it not time that we look with fear on a grade of 65 per cent in arithmetic or English composition, especially when this is the highest grade resulting from several trials?

     For several years the boys and girls of the county have taken considerable interest in industrial work. In this work we have been assisted by the senior Agricultural Society of Douglas county. Last year considerable work was exhibited and prizes were awarded at the County Fair in connection with the Ak-sar-ben. Additional prizes were awarded just before the Omaha National Corn Exposition in December. At this Exposition our county won second place, the first prize going to Iowa. More important than the prizes, however, is the fact that a keener interest has been aroused in the things with which we have most to do. This interest is shown by pupils, teachers, and patrons.

     Most districts of the county were formed a number of years ago. The majority of them are not large but, relatively, they are thickly settled. Under these conditions the advantages of consolidation are not as apparent to a majority of the tax payers as, might otherwise be the case. Although consolidation and transportation have not yet taken a very firm hold here, a number of the districts have erected barns for the accommodation of those whose children drive to school, and some of these rural districts employ two or more teachers.

      The free high school law has increased the interest in eighth grade work, and the number completing the elementary course is steadily increasing. High school attendance has also increased by virtue of larger numbers from both city and county. Because of the free high school law, of more thorough inspection, and of increased requirements of high school teachers and of schools doing high school work, the quality of work done has greatly improved.

     School libraries have increased in number and improved in quality since the library law became operative. Teachers and directors have been supplied from time to time with the best book lists obtainable, among which are those furnished by the Nebraska Library Commission. For three consecutive years special library work was given at the County Institute under the direction of Miss Edith Tobitt of the Omaha Public Library.

     Our schools have much to do by way of training for citizenship. In connection with civics and history, the teaching of patriotic songs,

significance of certain flag days and the observance of a few of the same are not overlooked.

     Considerable interest has been aroused throughout the county in better buildings, and this is specially true in the rural districts. Several properly constructed buildings have recently been erected. Three or four others are now being planned and, in, the case of each, the questions of heating, lighting, and ventilation are being carefully considered. A few such heating plants as Smith's and Waterbury's have been in use a year or more and at present more are being installed. At the annual meeting of the Douglas County School Board's Association, February, 1910, the subject of School Sanitation was presented by Supt. N. M. Graham of South Omaha. A few weeks later Dean C. A. Fulmer presented the same subject at our Teachers' Association. All schools have been supplied with the pamphlets on "Regulations for the Quarantine, Care and Disinfection of Contagious Diseases," which are furnished by the Nebraska State Board of Health. Already much good has resulted along this line.

W. A. YODER,          
County Superintendent.     

     Dundy county lying in the extreme southwestern part of the state is by no means a dead unit. Although she lacks many advantages that her sister counties enjoys she has the happy faculty of making the best of the means at hand and of keeping abreast in the race for knowledge. Benkelman, the county seat, boasts one of the best accredited eleven grade schools west of Hastings. No expense that can afford is denied to make it the very best possible. This year it has a faculty of eight teachers, one of whom is a special teacher for the eighth grade and music, another a special teacher of penmanship and drawing. The school contains a good laboratory equipment and a library of about four hundred volumes. A new building will probably take the place of the old one in the course of a couple of years.

     Dundy County's rural schools are growing better each consecutive year. This would naturally follow the development of a new country but there have been other causes for advancement. The eighth grade examinations have been a spur to better work and one of the greatest helps in grading the rural schools. It has also been a means of eliminating the ninth grade subjects from the rural school. In many instances six years ago, when visiting schools I found sixth and seventh grade pupils studying Civics and Bookkeeping. I began a quiet campaign against this advising it only among the advanced pupils in special cases. Now it is the exception to find these subjects taught in the country schools of Dundy County. Children when guided correctly became anxious to be thorough in the eighth grade work and so lost interest in the things they were not ready for. Special stress has been laid upon the county eighth grade exercises each year since 1904,

which has been, a source of bringing together people from all parts of the county interested in the advancement of the children. It is only the most extreme reasons that keep n graduate or his parents away from there commencements. We have been fortunate in bringing our eighth graders in this way into touch with Ex-Superintendent McBrien, Dr. Condra and Dr. Stuff of the University, Dr. Frank Lafayette Loveland of Omaha besides some of our United States Senators and men from the State Normals.

     The inspiration received at these exercises with the aid of the Free High School Law has brought these young people into our High schools and some of them are in the University. Although the High School Law has aided many of our young people, it is not free from criticism. The tax which sustains this fund, in the opinion of many, should come from a state levy just as our university fund is produced, then no child would be debarred from its advantages. As the law stands a large percentage of the districts in the western counties is exempt from the law. Of the twenty rural graduates in Dundy county this year, only six can secure the benefit of the High School tuition. This seems a gross injustice.

     The State Aid has been another means of helping our weaker districts to better teachers and longer terms Several of our districts will depend largely upon state aid this year, but as the land in these sections becomes deeded, they will soon become independent districts. The attendance of teachers at Junior Normals and the Normal Training Courses in the High Schools in connection with the pressure brought to bear by the new certification rulings is bringing us a stronger, more intellectual, better trained class of teachers than the county could ever boast of before.

      In the older sections of the county, the people are beginning to see the wisdom of consolidation and in two districts consolidated in the spring of 1910, one a rural and one a village school, a nice brick two story school house lakes the place of the two old frame ones. A woman holding a life certificate and with a number of years of varied experience in rural, grade and high school work is principal of the school receiving a salary of $75 per month while her assistant, a well qualified teacher receives $50. In another consolidation a better equipped building takes the place of the old ones and a teacher, a graduate of an eleven grade high school is at the helm this year drawing a salary of $55; This last June this school graduated an eighth grade class of five pupils, two of whom held first and second ranks among the graduates of the county, the school itself holding first rank among the schools of the county graduating eighth grade pupils. The teacher of this class was Miss Una Richards, a graduate of the Benkelman High School.

     An incentive to industrial work in the county has been the organization of boys and girls clubs with the annual Agricultural and Domestic Science Contest. This year on account of local conditions, it

was thought best to center the industrial exhibit at the County Fair. The large cut shown is a picture of an industrial exhibit made by District No. 19 at the County Fair last year. Another cut shows the exhibit of this district at the County Corn Contest in 1909. Miss Myrtle Neff who is now principal of the consolidated school spoken of first was the teacher in District 19.

     As we secure stronger and more experienced teachers, our County Teachers' Association grows better. Live officers with a local interest in the success of the meetings have furnished us good programs and we have promise of some good things for this year. The number in attendance at District and State meetings grows larger each year proof of the fact that we are getting in closer touch with the real work of the state. Our reading circle work we have found most successfully handled through the individual note book work. Teachers are unable to get together for circle work except in e few localities near the railroad. Between forty and fifty teachers will enroll this year.

     The enforcement of the compulsory attendance law, better selection of library books, closer application to the course of study with Improvements in school buildings and equipment in connection with all the other things mentioned before is bringing Dundy County into rank with the most progressive counties of western Nebraska.

C. ESTELLA GOODWIN,       
County Superintendent     

     The teachers of Fillmore County have been greatly helped by the Normal Training in the High School and by the Geneva Junior Normal, thus enabling them to have adequate professional training at home. As a result the county is well equipped with teachers, some have even been employed in other counties and few from outside have come into the field.

     There are no weak districts and few that do not maintain at least eight months of school and pay a salary of at least $40 per month. All are equipped with libraries, only four districts failed to comply with the Library Law and as a result they are still waiting for the State Apportionment.

     A campaign is on this year to make the school as attractive as the home and teachers are working to establish a sentiment for sanitary conditions and open air playgrounds. The old water pail will be a thing of the past at the end of this year and the dirty slates are doomed. New buildings are being equipped with modern heating and ventilating plants, and the teachers are exerting their influence toward beautifying the interior of the schoolhouse and also the school grounds.

     Several years ago the School Officers Association adopted uniform text books and the list is adhered to as closely as possible. The course of study is the outline for the work throughout the county and the

teachers in Normal Training classes and at the Junior Normal received special instruction as to its use.

     The eighth grade class was exceptionally large this year and nearly all have signified their intention of continuing in High School district No. 17 alone sending eleven pupils to high school. The industrial work started by County Supt. Vauck, during his term of office was a marked success and is to be continued this year with renewed enthusiasm. Our class in the Home Department work has done creditably and we expect a good showing in November at the annual County Corn Show.

     In regard to the Reading Circle work we are all going after it with enthusiasm and all teachers who want certificates renewed are compelled to do the work.

     Our County Teachers' Association will hold two meetings this year. Fillmore always is well represented at the District and State Associations. This year six of our teachers attended the National meeting at Boston, two of them were sent by the county paper, "The Nebraska Signal," with all expenses paid.

     The ideal condition can never be reached in country schools, but we can do a great deal to better the existing conditions by working together and that is the watchword this year. May we all pull together for the best interests of the boys and girls of Fillmore County.

J. E. RAY,               
County Superintendent.     

     Two meetings of 'the County Teachers' association were arranged one jointly with Lincoln and Dawson counties at Farnam, and one at Maywood in the west part of the county. It is planned to hold one general meeting and a number of sectional meetings this year.

     Only a few of our teachers attended the district association meeting at Alma.

      Most of our teachers did the reading circle work. This work is proving very helpful, both in increasing professional interest and in more effective teaching.

     Nearly all districts have complied with the library law.

     None of our districts received state aid.

     The course of study is being more closely followed, the pupils more carefully graded, and daily programs pretty strictly adhered to.

     Most of our teachers took work at some summer school. They have been doing this for a few years, and qualifications are being gradually raised.

     There were forty-six graduates from the eighth grade. The plan of having three examinations was very helpful.

     Almost all of our rural districts are exempt from the requirements of the free high school law, yet the tuition was paid for nineteen high school pupils by their home districts.

     Little difficulty is experienced in enforcing the compulsory attendance law.

     This year special stress will be laid on more careful grading, close adherence to the course of study, and on reading and spelling as the basis of all work.

L. W. COLEBANK,          
County Superintendent.     

     The County Association last spring was a splendid success, considering the inclemency, of the weather there was a good attendance of enthusiastic teachers responsive to every call for united effort in all plans for successful schools. A forceful and helpful address was given by Dean McProud of the Nebraska Wesleyan university. The coming year we are planning for two rousing meetings. They are helpful in getting teachers better ecquainted (sic), discussing plans and other things of interest to the schools.

     Furnas county had a large attendance at the district meeting and all appreciated the interest most of the school hoards showed in the advancement of their teachers by allowing them time to go, thus putting them in touch with the new ideas and plans suggested and they returned to their schools with new energy stimulated by the association with school people.

     The greater majority of the teachers of the county did reading circle work, those in the towns holding sectional meetings, while the rural teachers prepared note books which show the careful work they are doing along professional lines.

     Most of the school boards cheerfully complied with the school law as to libraries, some investing much more than the amount the law designates. Some districts have good libraries and are still adding to the same, others are laying good foundations, being careful of the selection of hooks to be placed in the hands of the boys and the girls, for a good hook stimulates and develops the mind, while a bad book poisons and corrupts both mind and character. We have planned to issue certificates of award to pupils who do careful and systematic library reading.

     We cannot speak in too glowing terms of the normal training work in our high school. It helps to prepare the youth for better service by thorough training, thereby qualifying the young teachers for more effective work, and strengthening the teaching force of the rural districts.

     All teachers are instructed to follow the state course of study, that there may be uniform work throughout the county. Blanks for daily programs are furnished every teacher, one to be tacked up in a conspicuous place in the school room, the other sent to the county superintendent at the close of the second week of school.

     Teachers are expected to observe all special days with programs, stories, music, etc., thereby teaching the children patriotism and rev-

erence for our forefathers who planted the standard of civilization and national liberty.

     Along the industrial line we have sixty boys enrolled in the corn growing contest and thirty-five girls in the cooking contest, there is much interest displayed along these lines. Several of our town schools have science clubs and are doing splendid work. We are planning an interesting meeting in this department this fall and hope to have our state superintendent with us.

     The compulsory education is carefully looked after and the law observed.

     Emphasis is laid on the cleanliness of school buildings, the beautifying of the grounds, the best means for ventilating and heating. Districts are urged to furnish the best equipment possible as they are so much aid to the teacher in interesting the pupils and developing their minds and their bodies. The decorating of the school room is very essential, for children surrounded by pleasant and inspiring environments can do more and better work. It also trains them to look for the beautiful and higher ideals in life.

     Teachers are urged not to be content with anything but the very best qualifications within their power.

     Consolidation of districts wherever possible is urged that they may be thereby able to pay better wages and receive the best Instruction and hold longer terms of school.

     Emphasis is laid on the importance of thoroughly mastering the eighth grade before trying to take advanced work. The requirements for an eighth grade promotion are nothing below 65 per cent with an average of not less than 75 per cent.

C. F. STILWELL,            
County Superintendent.     

     Few counties in the state are larger than Gage. Only two have more school districts. We number up to one hundred and sixty, but on account of consolidation of two districts we have really one less than that. This, our only example of consolidation, falls a little short of the ideal owing to the omission of the very important matter of provision for transportation, and the long distances greatly affect attendance. However, there is every indication that conditions are going to be improved.

     We belong to the Southeastern Association, and since it usually meets at our county seat, it has been the general custom to let this take the place of any formal county association, while reading circle work is the medium for smaller gatherings. The interest and attendance of teachers at the various associations and meetings is measured here, as everywhere else, by their interest and effectiveness in any other line of their work. Comparatively few schools boards are quite convinced to the point of allowing teachers to attend meetings on full

pay, but the best teachers cheerfully make up the time and usually attend, both the state and section meetings.

     Our reading circle has nine sections and all but one of these did good work last year. This year it is the intention to make the reading of the books and keeping the note book an absolute requirement with three options on attendance.

     I. Full attendance, five points credit on certificates and exemption from examination on more than three subjects on plain certificates.

     II. Non-attendance--Examination in three subjects on credit certificates, and on plain certificates examination in 'three subjects not otherwise required, provided the whole number does not exceed five.

     III. Non-attendance and written reviews of two professional books other than 'those of the course.

     Our schools are comparatively well supplied with libraries. Teachers are, usually, doing a good work in encouraging systematic reading. It is hoped that many will be interested this year in planning little courses for the children if the regular reading circle books are not on hand, certificating them for books read.

     Gage is particularly fortunate in having four strong normal training classes, and there is every indication that the problem of supplying the schools with teachers is partly solved. True it is, that it is still difficult to find experienced teachers for the schools, and schools in the shadow of home for the teachers, but these very normal students are supplanting the mediocre teachers right along as most of them are cheerfully willing to work anywhere just so they have an opportunity of trying to make good.

     It is trite to say that about the only difficulties with the course of study arise from failure to follow it. In the one year for the new course, teachers have made a commendable effort to grade their schools so that it will be comparatively easy to locate the pupils in the course in the future. As for the matter of the daily program so closely related to this question of the yearly program, that is, the course of study, we have the usual difficulties to meet. It is not so impossible to sit down and write out what appears to be a good program, but some trouble usually occurs in the practice thereof. Of course this is generally due to scanty preparation of the plans for the day's work, and that is to be the burden of a great part of the work in this county this year.

     Gage county has always insisted on a high grade of qualifications on the part of teachers and we have arrived at the place where we do not need to consider third grade certificates. For years the number of such has been very small and lately none except in name have been granted, that is, an applicant may never have taught nor had normal training and so must bear the name of third grade on the certificate, but the certificate is in every way the equivalent of a sec-

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© 2003 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller