. 899 S7 P3 913 opy 1 Suggestions For County Fairs and Field Days Prepared for the State Department of Education by W. K. Tate, State Su- pervisor of Elementary Rural Schools <:/5 >^^^^ Issued by J. E. Swearingen, State Supt. of Education, 1913 D. of D. APR 22 1918 The Meaning of the Movement. No teacher or pupil can do his best work in isolation. The hardest class to teach satisfactorily is that composed of one pnpil. One of the greatest advantages which come from the consolidated school arises from the emulation created by the larger classes. A school or school system which does not occasionally have an opportunity to compare itself with other schools or school systems misses one of the great natural incentives to growth and perfec- tion. Under the stress of the emulation caused by friendly com- petition, new ideas are quickly assimilated by teachers and trus- tees, and new ambitions are aroused in the pupils. The teacher who works in the small isolated country school sometimes looks upon her task as insignificant; it assumes a new dignity and importance when she has a chance "to see it in its re- lations to the larger county system. The school spirit of the boy from the Pine Grove or the Long Branch School takes on a dif- ferent meaning after he has marched behind his school banner in the County Field Day parade and has seen the representative of his school take honors in the spelling match or in the 100-yard dash. The trustee or patron of the backward school may be ignorant of its deficiencies or may view its condition with complacency while it lives a hermit life, but he is usually eager for improve- ment when his school must stand up in line and be compared with his neighbor's. Such reasons as these induced twenty-five counties in South Carolina to organize County School Fairs or Field Days, or both of these county enterprises, last year. This circular is presented in response to numerous suggestions which have come from coun- ties which have not yet undertaken this phase of school work. THE COUNTY SCHOOL FAIE AND THE COUNTY SCHOOL FIELD DAY. The county competitive school activities naturally divide them- selves into the two groups which we have designated as the County School Fair and the County School Field Day. In small counties, and at the beginning of the effort in larger counties, these two may be combined into one, but there are many reasons which make it advisable to hold the two events on different dates. It is very easy to plan too large a program for execution on one day where a large number of schools take part. Since the School Fair is directly related to the harvest, it will be easiest to hold it at a convenient time between the opening of school and Thanks- giving Day. In counties where there is a well-conducted County Fair, the School Fair may well make up a section of this larger county enterprise. This plan will emphasize Educational Day as an occasion for the instruction of all the people in school affairs. The School Fair should especially set the standard and furnish the incentive for the agricultural and manual activities of the opening school year. The Fair and the Field Day will have common elements, but the former will consist largely of work done leisurely in the regu- lar exercises of the school, or in the home under the inspiration and supervision of the teachers and school officials, while the Field Day will be made up largely of active contests between the pupils themselves. The Fair will, of course, include the exhibits of the Boys' Corn Club and the Girls' Canning Club, cooking, sewing, manual train- ing, and drawing, as well as specimens of work in composition, writing, arithmetic, map drawing, and other school subjects. The exercises of the day should include a procession or parade of the children by schools, demonstrations in corn judging, canning, cooking, and home appliances. A "Better Baby" contest may well have a place on the program. The best time for the Field Day is in the spring near the close of the school year. Its object is to awaken educational enthusiasm and to exhibit school activities which can not be represented by material products. In a measure it sums up the countj'^ co-oper- ative efforts of the year, and exhibits the pupils themselves in action. A special effort will be made to have present at the Field Day exercises every pupil in the county. The schools, each with its own colors, badge, or banner, will form in procession, and march around the fair ground, the court house, or through thfe principal street of the town. The larger schools will be encour- aged to devise attractive pageants or floats, or to represent his- torical or allegorical scenes as a part of the parade. The proces- sion will move to the court house or the assembly hall, where the exercises of the day will be held. The work will have been care- fully planned. After a short welcome address and the county school songs, in which all will participate, the children will enter on the literary contests of the day. While the contests in declama- tion for the boys and girls of the elementary school are taking place in the principal auditorium, the contests arranged for the other school subjects will be conducted in auxiliary or adjacent rooms of the building. If there is time, a county spelling match may form a part of the general program. At noon an intermission of two hours will be given, and a basket dinner will be spread on tables arranged for the purpose. After dinner the assembly will proceed to the field where the athletic sports and contests will be held. At the conclusion of these, the judges will announce their decision on all the contests of the day, and simple prizes and blue ribbons will be awarded to the winners. If this program is well planned, it will require most of the day for its execution. If the Field Day and Fair are combined into one, the exhibits should be placed where they could be examined and studied at leisure without disturbing the contests. PEEPAEATION FOR THE FAIR AND FIELD DAY. In order for the Fair and Field Day to produce the best results they should serve throughout the school year as a constant incent- ive to good work. A feverish anxiety and hasty preparation crowded into a few days or weeks previous to the occasion is misdirected energy. The teacher should have a special drawer or receptacle for the School Fair material, and pupils should be encouraged to make the regular work of the year good enough to find a place in the exhibit. The athletic events of the Field Day should serve as a constant stimulus to wholesome exercise and healthy play thoughout the session. The writer recently visited a school in which the boys had devised a simple apparatus for prac- tice in the running high jump and the pole vault. Throughout the year they were practicing for these and other events in the Field Day. It is a sign of poor planning if the teacher finds it necessary to neglect any of her other school work in order to make hurried special preparation. A DEFINITE PROGRAM. . In order to conduct a successful Fair or Field Day it is abso- lutely necessary that the nature of the contest should be abso- lutely clear and definite in the mind of the teacher and children. There are many school exercises which can not well be made the basis of a contest. The announcement of a prize to be given to the best pupil in arithmetic in a fifth grade would not be suf- ficiently definite to secure special preparation or satisfactory re- sults. On the other hand, if it is announced that a paper contain- ing two exercises in addition, two exercises in multiplication, and one exercise in long division, designed to test quickness and ac- curacy in these simple fundamental operations, will be given to fifth grade contestants, and that a prize will be awarded to the one who first hands in a perfect paper, the teacher would have a definite basis for drill. In like manner it would be inadvisable to advertise "a contest in sixth grade geography," while a contest to see who could draw the best outline map of South Carolina in ten minutes would be definite enough to attract entries and secure preparation. This definiteness should characterize every event or contest. The con- tests should be such that they may be finished in thirty minutes at most. No child wishes to be tied up in a lengthy written examina- tion on Field Day. THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF EVENTS. Not only should the nature of the contests be perfectly definite, but these should be announced as early as possible in the year, so that they may serve as guides or incentives to pupils and teacher throughout the school session. PRELIMINARY CONTESTS. Preliminary contests, conducted at intervals throughout the year in the individual school or grade, should always constitute a part of the Field Day scheme. The chief value of the county spelling match, for example, is found in the fact that every class in the county will be stimulated to effort and interest by means of the class matches to determine the county contestant best fitted to bring back the honors to his school. The final preliminary contests should be held during the week previous to the Field Day. For the Fair all good work should be entered, but the pupils should be encouraged to strive for the best which can be produced, and work which does not reach a high standard should gradually be eliminated. ORGANIZATION FOR A FAIR AND FIELD DAY. For the complete success of a Fair or Field Day it will be neces- sary to organize a representative- committee which will enlist the enthusiasm of all forces, which will plan wisely, and act energet- ically. This committee should include the County Superintendent of Education, the Rural School Supervising Teacher, the County Farm Demonstration Agent, the Canning Club Organizer, the President and Executive Committee of the County Teachers' As- sociation, the Chairman of the County Trustees' Association, the President and Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations of the county seat, and such other teachers and friends as are necessary to do the work. All these will nat- urally look to the County Superintendent of Education for execu- tive leadership. From this general committee and from other teachers and work- ers of the county, sub-committees will be formed to look after divisions of the work, such as Finance, Prizes, Judges, Exhibits, Athletic Contests, Literary Contests, Parade, and Dinner. It will be a mistake for one person to try to do all the work. Division of labor is the only way to create a wider interest and develop new leadership. It will be necessary, however, for the chairman of the Executive committees to keep closely in touch with all the sub- committees. JUDGES. The Committee on Judges should secure the services of persons competent to judge the various exhibits and events. The farm demonstration workers, and the Clemson College Extension Divi- sion will frequently be able to give expert assistance in judging the agricultural exhibits. The extension department of Winthrop College will, perhaps, furnish a judge for the sewing, cooking, and fancy work. The University of South Carolina, Clemson Col- lege, and other colleges of the State have sometimes given the services of their athletic departments for managing and judging the athletic events. In every county there are men and women who are qualified to act as judges at the Fair or Field Day. PRIZES. Manj^ of the County Fairs and Field Days which have been held during the last four years have offered an elaborate list of 8 prizes. The merchants and business men of the county seat have usually been generous in this respect. Money prizes should not be given for athletic events, as under the rules of the athletic associ- ations of the United States the acceptance of money prizes classes the recipient as a professional, and prevents his entering amateur contests. Costly prizes are not necessary to success. The winners in the famous Greek games were rewarded only with a crown of laurel or a chaplet of oak leaves. A simple prize or badge indi- cating first or second honor, and publication of the list of winners in the county newspapers will be just as effective as a costly re- ward. General participation may be secured by giving a simple, inexpensive button, with an appropriate design and motto, to every one who takes part in the Fair or Field Day. It should continually be borne in mind that the object of the movement is not to bring a few children into great prominence, but to encour- age general effort, and to lift the average work of the county to a higher level. HELPS. The University of South Carolina and Clemson College issue special bulletins giving instructions and suggestions for directing games and field sports. These bulletins may be obtained by ad- dressing a letter to the President of these colleges. The Depart- ment of Public Instruction of Virginia has issued a pamphlet entitled "County School Fairs in Virginia," which is specially suggestive as to material for the School Fair and as to methods of judging exhibits. Suggested Events for County Field Day. LiTEKARY Work. In the Country Schools it will be difficult to class contestants by grade. It will, perhaps, be found best to divide the contestants into three classes: Class C, including pupils of the primary de- partment between the age of 7 and 10; Class B, the intermediate department, including children between the age of 11 and 14; Class A, the high school department, including pupils over 14. In some subjects it will, perhaps, be advisable to make closer divisions than this, but in others the whole group may enter, and judges take age and grade into consideration in awarding the honors. Composition. The executive committee should announce beforehand a list of composition subjects for Class A, Class B, and Class C. These lists should contain four or five subjects each. On the day of the contest, when contestants have assembled, one subject will be an- nounced for each class, and contestants will be given not more than 30 minutes in which to hand in the papers to the judges. The subject selected should appeal to the interest of the pupil, and should be related to the life of the county. The following are suggested : 1 — How We Improved Our Schoolhouse. 2 — The Life History of a Cotton Handkerchief. 3— The Story of the Butterfly. 4 — The Housefly and Its Dangers. 5 — Why I Like to Live in South Carolina. 6 — How I Made My Garden. 7 — How to Make a Loaf of Bread. 8— Advantages to a Community Which Come from Home Ownership. 9— What a Boy Can Do to Make Home Attractive. 10— What a Girl Can Do to Make Home Attractive. 11 — How Nature Prepares for Winter. 12 — The Effect of Legumes on the Soil. 13 — Labor Saving Conveniences in Country Homes. 10 14 — How I Spent My Summer. 15 — A Letter (general nature to be described by judges). Drawing. The drawing from nature of flowers, plants, or simple objects and geometrical forms arranged by judges. Time limit — 30 minutes. Writing. The contest in writing should consist in the copying on uni- form paper a stanza of verse or a sentence of prose, selected by judges. A selection should be made for each class of contestants. Time limit — 20 minutes. Map Drawing. Class C : ' 1 — Outline map of South Carolina, showing parallels and meridians and location of principal rivers. 2. — Map of county, showing the location of the county seat, the railroads, and the school of the contestant. Class B : 1 — Outline map of the United States, showing meridians and parallels, and location of the principal rivers and mountain sys- tems. 2 — Outline map of. South America, showing parallels and meridians, principal rivers, mountain systems and the location of the principal cities. Class A : 1 — Map of South Carolina, showing meridians and parallels, rivers, railroads, principal cities. 2 — Outline map of North America, showing parallels and meridians, principal rivers, mountain systems and the location of the principal cities. Time limit for each — 30 minutes. Spelling. Grade Contests arranged between pupils selected by the schools in preliminary contests. The ground to be covered by each grade should be definitely announced beforehand. 11 ArithmefiG. In the Fair or on the Field Day the contest in arithmetic may best take the form of an exercise to test accuracy and speed in fundamental operations. This is best done by preparing the test beforehand, duplicating it on uniform sheets of paper, which, in the contest, are placed face downward on the desks of the contest- ants. Each contestant first writes his name, his grade, and the name of his school on the back of the paper, and at a given signal turns it over and begins his work. When work is completed, the papers are handed to the judges, and numbered in order of receipt. The first contestant who hands in a correct paper wins the prize. It is readily seen that this contest is designed to stimulate both speed and accuracy. Class C: Lower Section. Test on the 45 combinations which make up the addition table. The combinations arranged for addition al- ready appear on the paper, and pupils must merely write the sums. Upper Section. An exercise in same form as above, but com- bining addition and multiplication. The combinations should be placed in irregular order. Class B : 1 — A test paper containing three exercises in addition, each consisting of five or six numbers running up to tens of thousands, one exercise in multiplication and one exercise in long division. 2 — ^A test paper containing one exercise in addition, one in mul- tiplication, one in division, and two or three in fractional opera- tions. Class A : Test paper, including a long column for addition, composed of numbers of three or four places, addition of columns, including smaller fractions, multiplication and division of decimals. If the teachers in the school would take up this drill work a few minutes each day, with a view to developing speed and accu- racy in their pupils, the judges will be surprised at the short time required for these tests. 12 Reading, The reading contest should be arranged by grades, and should consist in the reading at sight of selection made by the judges. Declamation and Recitation. One boy and one girl should be allowed to enter this contest from the elementary department of each school, and a boy and a girl from each high school. Four prizes will be offered, one for boys in the elementary grades, one for girls in the elementary grades, one for boys in high schools, and one for girls in high schools. The contest in elementary declamation is usually held before the assembly in the auditorium. Many counties hold the High School Declamation Contest on the evening preceding Field Day. ATHLETIC EVENTS. The following Athletic Events are suggested for boys : 50- Yard Dash for classes A, B, and C. 100- Yard Dash for classes A, B, and C. 220- Yard Dash. 440- Yard Dash. 1-Mile Relay Race. Potato Race. Shoe Race. Three-legged Race. Running High Jump. Standing High Jump. Running Broad Jump. Standing Broad Jump. Pole Vaulting. Putting the Shot. Throwing Baseball. Minor races and athletic contests should be arranged for the smaller boys and girls. Suggestions for training for these events are found in the bulletins issued by the University of South Caro- lina and by Clemson College. 13 SCHOOL CONTESTS. These should be decided by County Superintendent, County Eural Supervising Teacher, Tomato Club Organizer and Farm Demonstration Agent, and announced at Field Day. Best School Garden. Best Demonstration Plot. Best School Museum. Greatest Improvement during the year as indicated by score card. SCHOOL FAIR' EXHIBITS. The School Fair should exhibit work done by the pupils during the year in the school or at home under the inspiration and su- pervision of the school. No article may be exhibited for premium for more than one year. The continued success of the Fair demands that the articles submitted shall actually be made by the pupils and not by their parents or friends. The teachers and the Fair Committee should use every precaution to secure honest entries. The following entry sheet used in Virginia is suggested : ENTRY SHEET. County School Fair Prize Competition Department. Department Glass To the County School Fair Committee: I desire to enter the accompanying article for the prize offered the public school pupils of this county for the best in Class I certify, upon my honor, that I have received no assistance in the preparation of this except so far as expressly permitted by the printed rules given in the County School Fair Catalogue of 191 — , and that it has never been exhib- ited at a former County School Fair. (Signature) (Age) (School) (School District) Teacher 14 I hereby certify that , whose name is signed to the Entry Sheet above, was a pupil in regular standing in District, of which I am teacher, during the school term of ; is years of age ; and that the which he is entering was prepared, to the best of my knowledge, by him without assistance, except so far as expressly permitted by the printed rules given in the County School Fair Cata- logue of 191 — , and that it has never been exhibited at a former County School Fair. Given under my hand this day of — , 191 — . Teacher of School It will be noted that this sheet presupposes a catalogue or list describing the class and conditions of entry. 15 Suggestions for Fair Exhibits. AGRICULTURE. 1 — Largest yield of Corn per acre. (Subject to Corn Club Conditions.) 2 — Largest Net Profit on acre of corn. (Based on detailed account of receipts and expenses. Rent of land placed at $4.00, labor of boy 10c. per hour, labor of horse 5c. per hour.) 3 — Best ten ears of corn. 4 — Best single ear of corn. 5 — Best stalk of corn with two or more ears. 6 — Best written report on methods of growing corn. 7 — Best yield of tomatoes from 1-10 of an acre. 8 — Best display of Home Garden products. 9 — Best display of canned goods by single pupil. 10 — Best display of canned products by school. 11 — Best Cotton stalk raised by pupil. 12 — Best description of a school experiment in crop rotation. FLOWERS. 1 — Potted Ferns. 2 — Potted Chrysanthemums. 3 — Dozen Cut Chrysanthemums. 4 — Potted Geranium. 5 — Pressed and labeled collection of Native Wild Flowers. HOUSEHOLD SCIENCE. Pound of Butter. School Lunch. Breads. 1 — Loaf of yeast bread. 2 — Loaf of salt rising bread. 3 — Half dozen soda biscuits. 4 — Half dozen baking powder biscuits. 5 — Half dozen beaten biscuits. 16 6 — Corn pone. 7 — Half dozen corn muffins. Cakes. 1 — Best cup cake. 2 — Best cookies. 3 — Sponge cake. 4 — Sugar cake. 5 — Ginger bread. Jellies. 1 — Blackberry jelly. 2— Plum. 3 — Apple. 4 — Grape. 5 — Quince. Preserves. Pears. Strawberries. Peaches. Figs. Cherries. Plums. Pickles. 1 — Cucumber, sweet. 2 — Cucumber, sour. 3 — Watermelon. 4 — Peach. 5 — Tomato. 6— Mixed. 7 — Chow-Chow. 8 — Tomato ketchup. Pies. Apple. Peach. Cherry. Potato. 17 Meats. Fried chicken. Boiled ham. Eoast beef. DOMESTIC ART. 1 — Rag rug. 2 — Three button holes on cotton cloth. 3 — Darned hose. 4— Patch. 5 — House work- apron. 6 — Dressed doll. 7 — Hemstitched handkerchief. 8 — Patchwork bed quilt. 9 — Yard of crocheted lace. 10 — Embroidered center piece. 11 — Drawn-work bureau scarf. 12 — Machine-made shirt waist. 13 — Hand-made corset cover, 14 — Embroidered belt and collar. 15 — Six hand-embroidered table napkins. MANUAL TRAINING. 1 — Axe handle. 2 — Hammer handle. 3 — Cotton basket. 4 — Split feeding basket. 5 — Willow lunch basket. 6 — Pine straw work basket. 7 — Shuck door mat. 8 — Picture frame. 9 — Plain Mission book shelves. 10 — Kitchen table. 11 — Ironing board. 12 — Dish drain board. 13 — Coat hanger. 14 — Bread box. 15 — Bracket shelf. 16 — Short broom. 17 — Long broom. 18 18 — Book rack. 19 — Bookcase. 20— Doll house. Other School Work: 1 — Maps drawn during year. 2 — Copy books. 3 — Composition books. 4 — Illustrated compositions. 5 — Arithmetic note books. • 6 — Historical maps. 7 — Farm arithmetic papers. EXPENSES. The stimulation which the Fair and Field Day will give to the school work of the county will justify an appropriation from the County Board Fund for printing and publicity. The County Fair officials or the business men of the county seat will usually look after all local expenses connected with the installation. COMMUNITY FAIRS. The collection of the exhibits for the County School Fair should offer an excellent opportunity and occasion for a School District Fair and Community Day. Several communities have already experimented in this direction with excellent results. When Community, County, and State work together to a common end we will have a magnificent School Exhibit at the State Fair. 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