Oil Trough Rural School Attracts Attention of
Citizens and School Men Over tin tire State
CLOSING EXERCISES
HELD FRIDAY NIGHT
The closing exercises of the
Oil Trough High School were
held Friday Evening, May 5.
The weather was somewhat
unfavorable but the building
was filled to overflowing and
a large crowd stood on the out
side. H. G. Dasher, Professor
of Agriculture, was master of
ceremonies.
The interior of the building
was beautifully decorated for
the occasion.
The program began at 8 :tiO
and lasted for more than an
hour. It was, indeed, an in
spiration to see so many large
boys anti girls interested in
their work, and to hear them
read their papers on various
interesting topics of the day.
The only pity is that more
boys and girls have not so good
an opportunity thru contarli/ed
schools to better prepare them
selves for a great and useful
life.
We were pleased to have
with us Judge Gray of Rates
ville, who gave a very interest
ing address toward the close
of the program. His words
were full of valuable advice
to the young, as he admonished
them to prepare for a great
and useful life in the future.
We are certainly glad to see
men like Judge Gray so inter
ested in school work.
The grammar school depart
ment meant to render a pro
gram the later part of the week
but owing to sickness and bad
w'eather, it was postponed un
til Monday eveningt It was
very interesting and enjoyed
by all.
The program for the Junior
High School was as follows:
Opening Song.—Chorus.
Salutatory.—Reece Cravens.
Quartette.—J. H. Hill, H. J.
Harris, H. H. Stephens,
H. G. Dasher.
Valedictorv.—A1 fred Neal.
Presentation of Certificates.
—J. M. Cravens.
SENIOR HIGH
Duet.—Miss Esther Stephens,
VI
Home Economics
MRS. P. G. WALKER
The Home Economics De
partment was added to the
school this year, the work
being related with the Smith
Hughes work.
This includes a four-year
course in cooking and sewing.
This first year’s work has been
quite a success. The class en
rolled fourteen high school
girls who have been greatly
interested. Our school has the
best equipped work room in
the county and the girls enjoy
their work.
We feel that our school, in
j putting in the Agricultural and
Home Economics departments,
is doing what all rural schools
should do—giving the boys and
girls opportunities to make
good—and also to create a de
sire to stay on the farms.
The success of our school
along these lines this year is
an inspiration to both pupils
and patrons to forge ahead
and do greater things in the
future.
School Enrollment
Hirsh el Stephens
Cleo Hankins
Vester Trotter
Estes Stephens
Dorothy Mayhue
Maudlye Pease
Bulah Ray
Bessie Davidson
Willie Davidson
Marcus Harris
Orson Harris
Bonnie Foster
Lee Pegg
Josie Bannon
Joe Bannon
Ollie Elevens.
(Continued on next page)
-Car
11. G. Dasher.
| Paper on Agriculture.
los Jones
Paper on Home Economics.—
Bessie Davidson.
Song.—Chorus.
Valedictory.—H. H. Stephens.
Presentations of Diplomas.—
J. M. Cravens.
Address.—Judge T. A. Gray.
| Address.—W. A. Mayhue.
! Address.—J. H. Hill.
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MOORE & ELLISON
Are Boosters for the
OIL TROUGH CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
TO EVERY PUPIL: WE SIN
CERELY HOPE THAT YOUR
TRAINING HERE WILL RE
SULT IN MAKING YOU BET
TER MEN AND WOMEN AND
WILL BETTER FIT YOU TO
FIGHT THE BATTLES OF
LIFE.
WE WOULD REMIND YOU THAT WE
CARRY A FULL LINE OF
General Merchandise
AND CAN FILL YOUR WANTS AT ALL TIMES
Moore & Ellison
Oil Trough, Arkansas
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Hats Off, Folks, to Our Neighbor
Community Who Accomplishes j
Unusual Results With School
“Readin’ and ritin’ and ’rithmetic.” Those few words
are expressive of many memories to a lot of people today. One
of many things important, and a fact that will go down in his- (
tory is that a few years back it comprised the entire course of j
study in most small town and rural schools in Arkansas.
But shift the scene a few years. Education is a great
thing. The more we learn the more we want to learn. When
people become “sot” in theirways it is a hard task to change
them sometimes.
But “readin’ ritin’ and rithmetic, ” like the acorn, is the
seed from which great knowledge springs. The seed have fall
en on fertile ground in this case and the progressive people of
Oil Trough have had a vision of greater things. The result is
they have builded here in this beautiful and historic White
river valley, one of the best rural schools in the entire State of
Arkansas, and a school that very citizen of I nd e pend ence
county can point to a feeling of pride.
In the spring of 1921 plans were perfected for the consoli
dation of school districts G3, (is, and 100, south of White river.
Immediately a new addition was started to the school building
and now a modern school home shelters something near 300
pupils.
The literary work of this splendid school is in charge of
Prof. ,1. II. Hill, Principal. Mr. H. J . Harris is in charge of
the intermediate department and Miss Myrtle Trotter is the ef
ficient primfary teacher.
Chief among the unusual things being done here, is the
work being done of the Agricultural and Home Economics
Department. Right now when there is such a great influx of
country boys and girls into the cities this progressive communi
ty is training its boys and girls to stay at home and make a
better living.
Mr. H. G. Dasher, who has an A. B. S. degree is in charge
of the Agricultural department. Practical work rather than
showy pretentions seems to be the motto of this young man,
who has 30 “all-day” students, each of whose studies and ex
periments are being carried on on tracts of from 1 to 10 acres..
Most of the experiments are in corn and cotton. He has 12 or
15 “part-time students. Experiments are being tried with lime
and fertilizer extensively, and, confidence in the outcome is ex
pressed by all. The United States Government is footing the
bill for this work and pays the entire salary of the agricultural
man. Mr. Dasher’s work continues through the entire year.
At the same time the agricultural department is training
for better farmers the Home Economics department is accom
plishing the splendid task of making better house keepers,
better cooks and more modern home-makers. You simply
can’t neglect the women and Uncle Sam has provided $500
worth of equipment for this department and the school district
pays the salary of the teacher. Mrs. P. G. Walker has charge
of this work and the fullest confidence is expressed in her
ability, as evidenced by the patrons of the school in their most
complimentary remarks. Fifteen students in this department
this year were taking their first steps on a four year course.
Mrs. Walker holds an A. B. degree.
The school term this year was 8 months,
will be increased to nine. Can you find another
munity in Arkansas that is beating this record?
The Journal maintains that it takes a live,
Next year it
rural corn
wide-awake
IN SCHOOL OR OUT
We Can Supply
Your Needs
The Boys and Girls of Today are the
Men and Women of Tomorrow. We
have done our best to merit your con
fidence in the past and want your
future business. We offer you the
best seasonable merchandise at the
LOWEST PRICES
We are boosting the Oil Trough School
and are proud of its splendid achievements
FISHER & SAYLORS
Oil Trough, Ark.
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ME RURAL SCHOOL
BY j7h7hill
It seems that rural schools
is a favorite topic of the day.
2 very where you go, you hear:
nore or less about them. And
tve may wonder why it is that
here is such an awakening. L
is this, we have given so little
:)f our attention to the rural
schools in the past that, as a
result, they were very poor;
and since we have awakened
to this fact, we are all asking;
“what is the remedy?” Now
[hat perchance we have found
the remedy, let us apply it with
the most utmost zeal until the
rural schools of Arkansas are
up to the standard of other
places.
It is commonly accepted that
the ideal school is the school
that most nearly fills the needs
of the particular community
in which it is located. I here
fore, a rural school, ir. order
to be a good one, must fill the
needs of the rural community
in which it is located. W hen
plans are being made for a ru
ral school, the uppermost thing
that should be in mind is, what
is the need of this community
and, how can we best fill that
need with the school?
So many of the schools in the
past have led the child in such
a way that if he happend to be
ambitious, he would have a de
sire to leave the farm for some
thing else. This idea has pre
vailed until, now, you frequent
ly meet with people who con
ceive education as something
that places a person where he
will not need to work. But in
the future, dear reader, the
rural schools are going to lead
the child in such a way that
he will want to stay with rural
life, for they are going to pre
pare him to do and to know
community with a vision of iht
been done at Oil Trough, and
Board of School Directors, wh
'ng: J. M. Cravens, presiden
Hankins, M. a. Parmer, H. F.
We are for Oil Trough 10
Agriculture in School
H. G. DASHER, Instructor I
The Agricultural Depart!
ment was added to our school
at the beginning of the ne\J
year and we believe this shoulj
mark the beginning of a great
er movement for a better aiu
more practical education avail
able to the people of our com
munity.
The courses given are basei
on the needs of the community
as seen through the communi
ty survey. The class takes the
form of a community group
studying its problems, each in
dividual having more or less a
different one to solve. This
necessarily makes a vocational
class a very informal affair.
In conjunction with the work
done in the class-room, the
home project is an important
feature of this training for ihe
people. It gives dignity and
responsibility to the work, be
sides yielding a monetary re
turn to the pupil.
The home projects in this
community are all well under
way. The instructor is em
ployed for twelve months and
the summer is spent on the
boys’ farms, supervising the
work and rendering communi
ty sendee.
All projects this year are
outlined under the field crops
course and about thirty “all
day” projects are being cared
(Continued on next page)
the things that he must Injew
and do in order to make rural
life attractive and interesting.
Then our people will think of
education as something thatin
! creases the efficiency of a per
son, and as something that
that maks his work more effec
tive.
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t future to accomplish what has
more especially a progressive
ich is composed of the follow
'; L. E. Ray, Secretary; E. L.
Hankins, J . M . Jones.
0 per cent strong.—Editor.
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We Want the Trade of Every
PUPIL AND PARENT
of the Oil Trough Consolidated School
We carry at all times a complete line of the
Very Best Merchandise
and Groceries
and can save you money. When you need
anything call on us.
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WE ARE BOOSTERS FOR
THE SCHOOL AND are
PROUD OF THE FINE SHOW
ING BEING MADE BY THIS
SPLENDID INSTITUTION
i
OIL TROUGH MER. CO
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