Glass __L_B- Book. \^\b OREGON HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES BY J. A. CHURCHILL SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION X c ^ .V... O^IUjla^ li .i^^xjmw^Au-xjch.Mf' -ixA444,e, AwvAxkx»- SaleMj Oregon : State Printing Department 1916 D. of D, DEC 9 vm HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES The trend of modern education is to teach the pupil to think in terms of the group rather than in terms of himself. A forceful speaker, this last fall, said : "The battles of democracy in the tAventieth century are to be fought, not for the rights of the individual, because these battles have been fought and vpon and the principles of individual liberty established, but for the proper assumption of duties and responsibilities toward society by the individual." For many years our excess of democracy has so developed an exaggerated individualism that today it seems to the thoughtful student that it is the greatest hindrance to the establishment of community consciousness. Every teacher should require each pupil to do the work assigned him thoroughly and well, not only for the enrichment of his knowledge and skill, but for the value of such a habit upon all his undertakings. But communities no longer believe in the royal priesthood of scholarship. A student who works daily for grades and makes that the end of his school work becomes self-centered and never comes into a partnership in the activities of the social and industrial life of the community he is to serve. Vast sums of money are now being spent on our schools and communities are demanding that public education represent and perpetuate the best ideals of the race by controlling the forces that make for all that is best in modern life. A willingness to assume social responsibility is a most valuable equipment for citizenship and any plan for providing it through school instruction should challenge our interest. The attention of this Depart- ment has been called recently to the plan of the 3 Forest Grove Higti School for promoting the spirit of cooperation on the part of its pupils and for aiding in their socialization. Each pupil is required to earn at least fifteen points in the various activities before any of his grades are recorded, thus holding him for the training he should have for some of the duties of community membership. Different schools will have different classifications for their activities and some, of course, will include athletics. We present herewith the plan of the Forest Grove High School as written by City Superintendent H. A. Inlow for the careful consideration of the teachers of the Oregon High Schools. It is possible that the experience of all, after trying the plan, will enable this Department through its next High School Course of Study to organize more definitely this worli. J. A. CHURCHILL, Superintendent of Public Instruction. THE ORGANIZATION AND DIRECTION OF HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES By Bt. A. Inlow, Forest Grove, Oregon. The following plan for the organization and direction of high school activities, excepting athletics, was adopted in the Forest Grove High School in the year 1914-15 and continues in use there. It is pre- sented here with such modifications from the original plan as the experience of two years' acquaintance with its workings would seem to justify. The purpose in working out a plan of this sort was to give every student an opportunity to discover and develop his particular abilities ; to train him in unembarrassed and effective public appearance ; and to help him to establish a point of contact between his school work and the affairs of life. Taking as a working basis the recommendations of the Oregon High School Course of Study that there be exercises and training given in oral expres- sion as a part of the regular course in English, each student was informed that in addition to such oral ^vo^k as might be required or given in the classroom, he would be required to make further public appear- ance by participation in one or more of the activities organized under the direction of the faculty ; that this requirement was for such work as might clearly fall under the head of English training, but that if he so desired he could choose in lieu of this strictly English work, some other activity for which he might feel himself possessed of some special aptitude. These activities were classified under the heads of Student Body Organization, Debate and Oratory, Literary Society, Dramatics, Glee Club, and Orchestra, with one or more teachers assisting and directing in each. The outline of the plan as presented to the students appeared as follows : 5 1. Each student in the high school shall be required during the year to earn 15 points bj' partici- pation in one or more of the activities designated below. 2. This work shall be considered as a part of the regular course in English and the grade in that subject for the second semester shall be withheld from any pupil who has not earned the required number of points. 3. It shall rest with the faculty to determine when any student has fulfilled the above require- ments. 4. Points may be earned in the various activities as follows : A. student Body Organization 1. President Student Body 10 2. Editor Scliool Annual 10 3. Manager Scliool Annual 10 4. Secretary 5 5. Treasurer 5 6. Associate Editor Annual 21/4 7. Manager any branch of school activity 2% 8. President Senior Class 2% B. Debate 1. Participation in Tryout 5 2. Participation in Intra-school Debate.. 10 3. Participation in Inter-school Debate.. 10 C. Ijiterary Society 1. For 80% attendance at meetings 5 2. Each appearance on program 2% 3. President Literary Society 2% D. Dramatics 1. For 80% attendance at meetings 5 2. Major p'art in school play 10 3. Minor part in school play 5 E. Glee Club 1. For 80% attendance at practice 5 2. Each authorized public appearance.... 2 V^ 3. Each appearance before school only.. 1 F. Orchestra Same as for Glee Club. The student body organization referred to had been previously effected and is similar in purpose and form to that generally found, including the support and encouragement of student affairs but not extend- ing to student self-government. 6 In the beginning no restriction was placed upon the freedom of choice but it soon developed that so many students were turning to glee club and dramatics who had only mediocre or less than mediocre ability along these lines that the tryout system was adopted for the former and a plan of recommendation by the English teacher from the three upper classes for the latter. Indicating the comparative enrollments in the several activities the figures for the year 1916-17 are given : School enrollment at date choice of activity- is indicated 233 Number enrolling for Debate 30 Number enrolling for Girls' Literary Society 66 Number enrolling for Boys' Literary Society 47 113 Number enrolling for Dramatics 30 Number enrolling for Girls' Glee Club (after tryout) 32 Number enrolling for Boys' Glee Club (after tryout) 24 56 Number enrolling for Orchestra 16 The relatively low enrollment in Orchestra is due to the fact that several high school students had been admitted to practice in an orchestra under the direction of the musical instructor of the local college. The excess of the total enrollment in the several activities over the school enrollment indicates the number participating in more than one activity. The teacher directing each activity is responsible for the character of the work done therein. A definite program of accomplishment is entered upon in each line of work and this is correlated, insofar as is practicable, with the regular class work. Syracuse, IN. PAT.JAN. 21,190S