and get to hear and to know of the hundred and one kindnesses which these clubs and communities are always doing to promote good fellowship and to be material assistance to their less fortunate neighbors, you would agree fully with Edgar Guest when he said: "When you get to know a fellow, know his every mood and whim, You begin to find the tissue of the splendid side of him; You begin to understand him and to cease to scoff and sneer, For with understanding always prejudices disappear. You begin to tell his virtues and his faults you cease to tell, For you seldom hate a fellow when you know him very well.” This is only a brief sketch of some of our rural activities, but perhaps it will be sufficient to help "blaze the trail” for other rural communities. SUGGESTED YEAR'S PROGRAM October First Meeting Second Meeting Address by outside speaker Open Meeting (In evening if preferred) First Meeting Second Meeting Origin of Thanksgiving First Meeting Second Meeting Community Party First Meeting Second Meeting First Meeting Second Meeting March April First Meeting Second Meeting First Meeting Second Meeting Community Interests First Meeting Second Meeting or First Meeting Second Meeting May June Rural Field Days Much interesting material is reaching the Playground and Recreation Association regarding field days and other recreational events which are being held in connection with rural schools. Brief descriptions of some of these special days may prove suggestive to principals and teachers in rural schools. School Field Day For seven years the Third Supervisory Disat East Aurora, trict of Erie County, New York, in charge of New York Mr. W. E. Pierce, has held school field days. The program of the 1920 field day held at East Aurora in May follows: Program 10:00 A. M. Spelling contest (pupils will please provide them selves with pencils) boys from the school of one town will play against boys of another town, the order of play being determined by drawings. Winners will continue playing until defeated or until series of games has been played. 11:15 A. M. Schools form for grand parade starting at 11:30 A. M., parade being headed by band, physical direc- certified by the teachers, will be photographed. 1:30 P. M. Free play by groups under direction of regular teachers Pageant, America, Yesterday and Today Fifty Yard Dash--Boys four feet and under under under Sixty Yard Dash-Boys four feet eight inches and under Sixty Yard Dash-Girls four feet eight inches and under Seventy-five Yard Dash-Boys five feet eight inches and under Seventy-five Yard Dash-Girls five feet eight inches and under Dashes for Pupils of High School Grade O. P. H. S. (Three from each school) Seventy-five Yard Dash-Boys-E. A. H. S. vs. O. P. H. S. (Three from each school) Boy Scout Demonstration. Three Hundred Yard Sprinters' Race-Male mem bers of faculty-three in team. E. A. H. S. vs. pupils. E. A. vs. O. P. Awards Mr. Walter Elwood, District Superintendent Township of Schools, Second Supervisory District, Educational Day County, New York, writes of the Second Annual Township Educational Day held for the schools of the town of Amsterdam in May, 1920. The activities of the day were divided into three periods: (1) Contest in reading, spelling and arithmetic nature study cation-setting up exercises, folk dances, games, races A nature study playlet, health playlet, singing, home project demonstrations, a pícnic lunch, an exhibit of pupils' work, folk dancing, games, and races, filled the day with interest both for children and their parents. F. B. Bomberger, Assistant Director and Specialist, Extension Service, College of Agriculture, University of Maryland The tournament is a form of contest which for many years has been very popular in Southern Maryland. It probably had its origin in the fondness of landholding gentry for fine horse flesh and the general inclination to formal gallantry so common in this and other Southern sections of the country. The contest is a pale imitation of the jousts of the armed knights which played such a large part in the chivalric exercises and combats of the Feudal Days. Each Knight is mounted upon a charger (not, however, the heavy war horse of medieval days, but a smaller, swifter beast) and armed with a wooden lance bearing on its end a long slender point. Usually each Knight wears a sash of his favorite color or colors. Usually, too, the Knight assumes some fictitious name based upon the old, Colonial name of his homestead or upon some point of local historical interest, such as the Knight of Birmingham Manor, Knight of Rosedale. The contest takes place in the "lists” which are usually three arches, placed at suitable distances apart, from which are suspended small metallic rings, one ring to each arch. The Knight rides his charger from a starting point, perhaps a hundred paces from from the first arch, under the arches at a pace which will enable him to complete the course in a prescribed minimum of time, at the same time endeavoring to pick off with the point of his lance the rings suspended from the arches. As the rings are never over an inch or inch and one-half in diameter it will be evident that, with the horse moving at a gallop, a certain amount of skill in horsemanship is required to "take the rings." If all of the Knights are successful in taking all of the rings in the first contest, smaller rings are substituted and the contest goes over. If any of the Knights fail in the first contest they are eliminated from future trials. As the rings become smaller and smaller, the test of horsemanship, keenness of vision and steadiness of hand becomes keener and keener until finally one Knight emerges victorious from the tournament. a |