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Page TWO THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1960 ILOT Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. Stick to the Essentials! The State Board of Education, meeting in Raleigh last week, took a long hard look at the way the schools of the state are being run and then called on local boards and school ad ministrators to put first things first: first things being Education. In a much-needed and reassuring statement, the board laid down a policy calling for con centration of efforts on the essentials, on “those subjects and student activities that can make the greatest contribution to the educa- ional objectives of the school.” While specifying that this .dictum to local boards is meant not as a directive, but simply as guidance in the effort the state group be lieves should be made in each individual school, the board made its meaning clear as crystal: “It. is necessary that school officials guard jealously the time allotted to the school day,” and “time for both teachers and students to do a quality job must be provided.” This statement is sure to be deeply wel comed in school circles. There is hardly a per son connected with our public school system these days who has not felt the burden of in creasing encroachments on the time available to do the work that must be done. There is only just so much time and, considering how the little there is gets diluted, spread out thin for the individual student because of the large classes, overcrowded rooms—cutting down on the chance for teacher supervision and help— and the hundred and one interruptions that seem inevitable in school or out of it, it is surely a wonder that the children get as good an education as they do. This firm statement by the state board should do much to bring public attention to the need it emphasizes. And here is where local school boards can play a big part. Through their cooperation with school officials and teachers, above all through their community ties, they can explain this policy to the public. This will be important. In order truly to con centrate on studies, the students will need pro tection from the calls that assail them from many directions: from parents, from organiza tions, churches, and charities. Concentration on the curriculum means that all non-essentials must go. No more may harrassed committees plan “to let the children” sell tickets—or candy —or flowers—or whatever, for this, that, or the other worthy cause. Or sing or play, or march, or put on a show or a game because the community would like it or because it would bring credit to the school. No more of this sort of thing if it means taking time from studies. The school administration will be involved in this, too; of course: no more picture-taking for the annual in the middle of classes, no more social planning dqring school hours! The Pilot feels the local schools have a good record in these respects and, incidentally, con gratulates the East Southern Pines administra tion, for one, on having decided to eliminate the traditional “travelling shows,” in favor of educational movies (but, again, would the lat ter be considered an essential?) Anyway, good as our record is there is generally room for some improvement everywhere and this directive from the state board will strengthen the hand of those administrators, teachers, and board members, whose chief interest is in building up high standards of educational ac complishment in their schools. Stick to the essentials—that’s the word from the state! It’s a good word to hear. In Right Direction Comes the word since the adoining editori al was written that a joint committee of school officials from the County, Southern Pines and Pinehurst school systems are studying the question of eliminating mid-week high school basketball games—a proposal that this news paper has repeatedly endorsed. 'The commit tee is to report in time to make changes, if they are to be made, for the next playing sea- , son. • most strongly urge this committee to make its decision in the light of the State Board of Education’s admonition: “Stick to the Csseritials.” Of non-essentials, mid-week games stand high on the list. At Ease, General! The criticism is frequently heard that the United States never seizes the initiative but lets Russia get the .jump on her. We would like to see this government seize it right now and be the one to stop the pointless, danger ous and childish game of hurling charges and counter charges bade and forth across the world. Every day since the U2 incident, the big black headlines have screamed out the latest exchange between the President of the United States and the Premier of the Soviet Union. Sometimes only one of them “hurls” or “raps” or “warns” or “threatens” and the next day the other, and sometimes they’re both going at it, hammer and tongs, the same day. While the whole rest of the world sits, withdrawn, shaking a bit, and pondering a great deal. Ex cept, probably, for China and Mr. Mao. Mr. Mao rubs his hands and maybe he takes down his snikersnee and the whetstone and goes to boning the edge. If this is the only activity produced by all the shouting., it will be lucky. We are confi dent that neither the Russian people nor the Americans are starting to oil up their arma ment. And still it’s a dangerous game. Sabre- rattling, oiling squirrel guns: such threats. such noises so often lead to real trouble. By so much they may be bringing catastrophe a shade or two nearer. That’s why most of the people are shivery; that’s why they are quiet; why, back on the sidelines of the world, they ponder. There’s another reason why such shouting matches ought to Stop: why our president should stop his part in them. They lower measurably the prestige of this nation. For the president to keep up this exchange of backyard scrapping—“you’re a so-and-so”— “you’re worse’n I am!”—“Am not!”—“Y’are too!”—is silly, undignified, useless; it makes him look ridiculous. Who cares what Khrushchev says about us? What difference does'it make? That’s the way he is and it is by how perfectly clear that he’s quite accustomed to such behavior, expects it himself and actually means little by it as far as we or the president are concerned. He’s out to impress folks around the rest of the world and, if he can, to lessen the enthusiasm of our allies. The more the. President lends himself to this exchange the more Mr. K. is likely to succeed. The best way to block his little game IS to quit playing. And then he’ll crow? So what! World in a Moral Muddle The U2 spy incident has shocked the na tion not only because of its dreadful effect on American-Soviet relations but because it breaks the traditional silence that surrounds spying. It reveals the seamy underside of the patriotism and noble aspirations which all na tions claim and in terms of which their inter national policies and procedures are custom arily described. It is as though a movie or novel had turned into stark reality before our eyes. The U2 flight, and others like it which ap parently have been going on for some time, was against international law—but in the world of spys, law is ignored. And this is the official policy of the United States, publicly acknowledged or not, as it is of every other nation. “Because syping is illegal, its methods are often immoral and criminal,” writes Walter Lippman. “Its methods include bribery, black mail, perjury, forgery, murder and suicide. The spy business cannot be conducted without illegal, imnioral and criminal activi ties. . . 'The spying is never admitted. If it can be covered successfully by a lie, the lie is told. .. .” Presumably, national survival is worth all that. Like the business of military prepared ness and war, spying derives its only justifi cation from a philosophy that ends justify means. Yet this philosophy is treacherous and disastrous in many other areas of human life. One wonders if, in the end, it will be any more successful in the international realm. Unswervingly honest and completely con scientious people, like the Quakers, who find moral compromise intolerable, refuse to accept as inevitable any of these evils, including war. Their convictions, while generally viewed as “unrealistic,” make the rest of us realize the moral muddle in which the whole world ex ists and which we keep trying to pretend is not there. The Dangerous Season Most of the 173 children under 14 who were killed in North Carolina traffic accidents last year died during the spring and summer months when t’ney wer^ on vacation from their school classes, notes the State Depart ment of Motor Vehicles. In school, children are safe for a large part of the day, so far as traffic accidents are con cerned. And most motorists, before and after school, exercise more than normal caution, 'knowing that children can be expected in and around the streets during those hours. But everybody’s attention seems to lag in the summer. Motorists are not watching fdr children at certain hours. And the children themselves, free in the exhuberance of sum mer fun, are outdoors most of the time and in or around the streets at any hour of the day. Parents of all children should take to heart the advice of the Highway Patrol: “Every ef fort must be made to see that small children are closely supervised and older children thoroughly trained in safe traffic conduct.” Time spent on this matter by parents is time well spent and may prevent a tragedy. A Donkey’s Dilemma Uy )'U'2 REPORT ON WHITE HOUSE CONTERENCE Children: A Community Responsibility Mrs. Edna B. Taylor of the Tayloriown community near Pinehurst was one of the North Carolina delegates to this Spring's White House Conference on Children and Youth in Washington, D. C. A retired public school teach er, she served during the past school year as attendance of ficer for the Negro schools of the Moore County School sys tem. She was chosen as a delegate because of her long identification with education and social service activities. On her return tfrom the con ference, Mrs. Taylor prepared a summary of its findings—a summary that parallels in many respects the findings of Moore County White House Conference' study groups, several reports of which were published prior to the con ference by this newspaper. Below is the first portion of Mrs. Taylor's report. Others will follow in coming weeks: As a result of having attended the 1960 “Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Chil dren and Youth,” I have been im pressed and enlightened with a deep consciousness of purpose and have been able to return to my State, home, school, church and community, and work more fervently toward instructing the people on the basic needs and facts of children and youth as they were so ably discussed by the delegates and speakers from various sections of the country. I was further impressed with the youths themselves as they discussed the universality of this great problem that is causing so much contention in the world. All addresses were interesting and informative and were design ed to stress the fact that this problem of juvenile delinquency must be handled with the greatest of tact, as the young American holds the strength of our future and our pride. How are we preparing today’s cnildren for tomorrow’s world? The workshop to which I was assigned afforded mg with de tailed and meaningful informa tion on the basic needs and facts youth, reminding all present that if we want a better job to morrow with our best potentials, our children, we must do a better job today. Reports coming to the confer ence from all sections of the coun try confirmed the fact that home life has crumbled—that divorces aie wide-spread, that teenage marriages are increasing, that that drinking and unsafe driving among teenagers are increasing, and that the lack of adult inter est in the moral and physical wel fare of children and youth is a major problem. We must improve the “living climate” for children and youth. The discussions showed that the three basic foundations for chil dren will always be the home, the church and the school, with the home exerting, the most direct influence on the child. The community that plans and works to protect the welfare of children will have less delin quency than a community similar in other respects which is too preoccupied with other things to do this. More citizens must become ac tive in preventive efforts. The juvenile delinquency problem is too big and all-pervasive for po lice couits and other agencies to handle without the help of organ ized citizens. These citizens can work at overcoming root causes in homes and communities, which may pre dispose some youngsters to de linquency. Complacency about juvenile delinquency is never justified. Juvenile delinquency is fast be coming America’s No. 1 social problem. It was revealed that children and youth throughout the nation are delinquent, neglected and un- dei’privileged only because we permit it. As well-meaning community The Public Speaking More Facts Given on How School Money Was Spent To the Editor: It has been stated recently by one of your correspondents that ail or almost all of the nearly seven million dollars spent for new school facilities in Moore County during the past 24 years “has gone to build gymnasiums, auditoriums and cafeterias” but noihing was said about the more necessary facilities constructed over that period. In all fairness to the County Commissioners, the County and City Boards of Education and the County and City Superintendents of Schools who served during that time, I feel that more of the facts should have been given. A study of the records reveals that almost two thirds of the school capital outlay funds ex pended since July 1, 1936, went to provide the more necessary school facilities and that in most cases these necessary things were done first. Of the $6,806,085 county and state capital outlay funds spent for county wide school capital outlay in Moore County since July 1, 1936, $4,445,085 was used to construct 329 new classrooms, 17 new libraries, 8 new science laboratories, 11 new home eco nomics laboratories, 9 new agri culture and industrial arts shops and to purchase 49 new school busses, whereas only 2,441,000 was spent for the so-called lux- uiies including 15 gymnasiums, 7 auditoriums and 15 cafeterias. It is admitted that in several in stances the luxury facilities were provided in certain communities ahead of the more necessary things, such as classrooms, in other communities but this was not the general rule. This was done be- neighbors, we have overlooked our responsibility to neighbor hood children and families of our communities. We neither insist that they be good citizens nor aid them suf ficiently toward that goal. If we forcefully attack the source of infection and contamination, the serious moral disease and cultural degradation will become obso lete. When we ignore child and fam ily neglect, we invite social can- car. The forum on “The Young in Conflict” examined the causes of juvenile delinquency and at tempted to measure the responsi bility of modern living for young er, more vicious criminals. It was observed that schools have "come far from the days when they were isolated from the rest of the community, with their doors open only during school hours. It must be remembered that a child’s education starts long before he enters the school building and doesn’t stop when he leaves it. cause of overwhelming pressure bxought by certain communities in favor of having gymnasiums, au ditoriums and cafeterias built in their, communities before the boards could provide classrooms in certain other less influential communities. All of our high schools in Moore County ^re accredited by the North Carolina State Depart- n.ent of Public Educatidn, but only one of the county high schools is a member of the South ern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The size of a high school is not necessarily a requirement for membership in the Southern Association of Col leges and Secondary Schools, 'riiere are many small high schools in this organization. The high schools in Moore County that are not able to qualify for membership in this associatioh cannot do sd because of the low salaries paid the teachers, the lack of a full-time librarian, the Mck of clerical assistance for the principal, the heavy teaching load, out-of-field teaching and a number of less important' fac tors, few Of which are related in any way to the size of the school. Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Pinehurst High Schools can qual ify for membership through sup port provided by special local district school taxes voted by the people. Consolidation of high schools into large units only makes it less difficult and more economical ' to meet the high standards of the Southern Asso ciation of Colleges and Secondary Schools. H. LEE -raOMAS Qarthage. (Mr. Thomas retired last year after more than 20 years as superintendent of the Moore County School system. , —Editoii) Grains of Sand Miaow From a Woman'’s Page article on helpful hints on how to get along, conversation-wise, at a party: “Fasten a beautiful artificial rose in your dancing frock: it’s a- good conversation-maker; you know: catches the eye and calls for comment.” Such as, perhaps: “What, no corsage tonight, dearie?” Another of Them Adventures' with the Wey mouth baby possum have awaken ed our curiosity about this species ana we are delighted to discover that our possum has a far-off rel ative of extraordinary distinction. He is very small: about the size of two mice, (end-to-end; no tails) Put HE has a tail. Oh yes. That’s tne point. His name is Feather tailed Opossum. We hope our Baby P. knows about him. That is, if he doesn’t immediately develop an inferiori ty complex. After all, between a skinny ratty tail and a feathery, birdy one—But ours will always be a Tarheel baby possum and dear, to our hearts, feathers or no feathers. The other one lives in New Guinea—Pooh! Old Ark's A-Moverin' We read about the feather-tail ed opossum in one of those reports from the Museum of Natural His tory, gold-mines of fabulous in formation. This report was gotten out by a gentleman named Brass. (And he must have had a lot of it to take on such an assignment.) He went to New Guinea and came back with 70,000, more or less, species. There were 2,295 mammals, 50 birds, 4,105 am phibians and reptiles, about 50,- 000 insects and spiders, (does that mean spiders are not insects? How about it, Mr. McElvare? “Bugs,” perhaps?) Added to this impressive list, were 18,271 plants and seeds. There were lots of bats among the mammals and these and some of the others had ectoparasites on them (1,500). Wonder who counted those? Mr. Brass travelled back to the U. S. from New Guinea with all that crowd. Well, Brass is a good name for him. Noah would be good, too. He had a good deal of brass, Noah did, to take on that ark job. These two have a great deal in common. Wonder how many ectop2u:asites got aboard with Noah? Also Favored by the EGs Hubbub of a cocktail party quiets in one corner where a dis tinguished executive of one of tae biggest concerns around here is earnestly pointing out to the editor of GRAINS that of course he didn’t mind it’s not being men tioned but he just wanted the edi tor to know that he also, and his family, had had evening gros beaks coming to his feeder; and he thought PERHAPS more than anyone else. Thirteen at one time, for instance. (Or was it thirty?) They say Southern Pines is over-organized but here’s a new one that just now crops up, or flew in: The H.T.’T.E.G.A.: Hosts to the Evening Grosbeak^ Associ ation. Any more members, speak up! The newest member, too, is one stroke ahead, his daughter hav ing had the honor of caring for a little hurt E. G. She found him injured in some way: kept him, fed him: he grew very tame and appeared happy. Then, when he was Well, he flew gayly away. What joy there was in those two families: the Cushmans and the Grosbeaks, that is. No Thank You We can get along without a word coined or at least used by a Raleigh newspaper who an nounces funeral notices like this, “Mr. Blank funeralized today . .” The PILOT Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT, Incorporaled Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 Editor Associate Editor Katharine Boyd C. Benedict Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott Newton Business Bessie Cameron Smith Society Composing Room Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jas per Swearingen, Thomas Mattocks and James C. Morris. Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos, $2. 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffice at South ern Pines, N. C., as second class mail matter. Member National Editorial Assn, and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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June 9, 1960, edition 1
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