SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 
 LEAGUE OP MAINE. 
 
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 Book. 
 
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State of JV\&.lri& 
 
 EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT 
 
 School Improvement League of Maine 
 
 Th« co-operation of parents, teacher* 
 and pupils in behalf of the public 
 schools insures the educational growth 
 of the community. 
 
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 7 1912 
 
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 School Improvement League of Maine. 
 
 RECORD. 
 
 The School Improvement League of Maine was 
 organized in 1898. Its main purpose has been to 
 bring together teachers, parents and pupils in a move- 
 ment to improve the physical conditions of the 
 schools. Probably no similar instrumentality in 
 any state has directly and indirectly been more fruit- 
 ful of good results. The hundreds of schools that 
 have been made better by it are witnesses of its 
 efficiency. For the future as in the past the field of 
 activity in which the League will find its greatest 
 usefulness will be that of the rural school. 
 
 OBJECTS. 
 
 The objects of the School Improvement League are 
 as follows : 
 
 1. To make the local school the centre of local 
 community interest. 
 
 2. To improve physical conditions. 
 
 3. To help to provide school libraries, pictures 
 and supplementary equipment. 
 
 The Local School a Centre. 
 
 The extension of the uses of school buildings now 
 going on in the cities and larger towns is an applica- 
 tion of the idea formerly accepted in every country 
 community which made its school the centre of social, 
 
political and, sometimes, even of religious activity. 
 The school once the common meeting place of the 
 community was the scene of the political rally,, the 
 public debate, the singing school, the lyceum and in 
 many instances of the Sunday service. 
 
 While modern conditions may make unnecessary 
 or undesirable the duplication of all these activities 
 yet there can be no question of the greater service 
 that can be rendered by making the local school the 
 centre of the educational activities of the commu- 
 nity in which it stands. An association of teacher, 
 parents and pupils will find a multitude of ways of 
 increasing the uses of the school. Among these are 
 literary and reading clubs, socials, debates with neigh- 
 boring schools and lecture courses. 
 
 Better Physical Surroundings. 
 
 The interests of the members of the League will 
 be best aroused and maintained when specific 
 objects are presented to them. Hardly a rural school 
 exists that does not afford various suggestions of 
 needed physical improvements. Draughty, ill-venti- 
 lated schoolrooms, spine-curving benches and 
 unsightly school yards are happily coming to be 
 things of the past. Towns are showing their readi- 
 ness to hasten the era of better facilities ; individuals 
 and communities are daily giving evidence of their 
 appreciation of improved equipment ; it is the duty 
 of our teachers and school children to do their part 
 in cultivating these favorable tendencies. 
 
 The League should exercise its efforts not only 
 in decorating rooms and in grading and caring for 
 grounds, but it is especially its province to assist in 
 
preserving things already provided, to help in keep- 
 ing the room and buildings neat, and to exercise a 
 constant watchfulness over the school yard. 
 
 A school garden should be connected with every 
 rural school. The League can help to make this a 
 success. The soil about the school should be studied 
 in order to determine what plants and shrubs will 
 best grow there. The Youth's Companion, Boston, 
 supplies free to teachers a book, "How to Set Out 
 Trees and Shrubbery." Pamphlets on school gardens 
 and the selecting and planting of trees will be sent 
 on request to the state superintendent of schools. 
 
 If the yard needs grading, a day should be ap- 
 pointed to be spent on this work and the men of 
 the community should be invited to assist with their 
 teams. Arbor Day should be celebrated by clearing 
 the yard and planting trees, shrubs and gardens. 
 Study "Forest Trees of Maine" sent free on applica- 
 tion to the state superintendent. A committee should 
 be assigned to care for the yard and outbuildings. 
 Keeping the schoolroom perfectly clean means "Bet- 
 ter Physical Surroundings." 
 
 There should be a "Vacation Committee" in each 
 League. It should be the duty of this committee to 
 see that the plants and shrubs do not suffer for want 
 of attention during the long summer vacation. This 
 committee should include members who live near the 
 schoolhouse and should have at least one adult mem- 
 ber. 
 
 Making the Schoolroom Attractive. 
 
 An important part of the League's work will be 
 to make the schoolroom more attractive. In planning 
 
improvements of this kind it is best to begin by 
 tinting the walls a soft restful shade. The colors 
 should be so arranged that the floor will be the dark- 
 est part of the room, the wainscoting lighter than 
 the floor, the walls lighter than the wainscoting and 
 the ceiling the lightest portion of the room. The 
 ceiling should be pure white or light cream. The 
 walls may be light drab, light gray, light bluish gray 
 or light greenish yellow. If the walls are to be 
 papered designs should be avoided. Tinted papers 
 are the best. 
 
 Picture moulding is not expensive and the results 
 of its use are more satisfactory than that of 
 unsightly nails and screws. A picture to be hung on 
 the wall should be large enough to command atten- 
 tion. 
 
 Small copies of pictures are excellent for seat 
 study and a supply of them for this purpose is a 
 wise League investment. 
 
 In framing pictures the use of ornate and gilt 
 frames should be avoided. Plain mouldings are far 
 more satisfactory for the schoolroom. In a village 
 a picture loan exhibit would add to the decoration 
 fund. 
 
 Plaster casts are very attractive ; there is a wide 
 choice of subjects and they are inexpensive. Any 
 school may own at least one. Send to the state super- 
 intendent of schools for lists of casts and pictures 
 suitable for school decoration. 
 
 Suggestions for Organizing. 
 
 The teacher should appoint a day for a meeting 
 of the friends of the school. This meeting should be 
 
called at the schoolhouse. Certificates of member- 
 ship will be furnished by the state educational depart- 
 ment free of cost. 
 
 Arbor Day affords an especially appropriate oppor- 
 tunity for forming a new League. 
 
 The teacher should explain the object of the 
 League making special application of its purposes 
 to the local school. The following or a similar sim- 
 ple constitution should be offered for adoption at the 
 meeting. 
 
 Constitution. 
 
 Constitution of the School Improve- 
 ment League. 
 
 Article i. 
 
 This League shall be a branch of the School Improvement 
 
 League of Maine. It shall be known as the 
 
 League. 
 
 Article; 2. Object. 
 
 The object of this organization shall be to unite the 
 pupils, teachers and friends of the school in an effort to 
 help and to improve it and to make it of the largest possi- 
 ble service to all the people of the community. 
 
 Article 3. Members. 
 
 Membership in this League shall be open to pupils, teach- 
 ers and friends of the school who are willing to subscribe 
 to the objects named in Article two. 
 
 Article 4. Officers. 
 
 Sec. 1. The officers of this League shall consist of a 
 President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and 
 an Executive Committee of three, the chairman of which 
 shall be the President. These officers shall be elected by 
 ballot at the first meeting of each term. 
 
 Sec. 2. The duties of these officers shall be those usually 
 
required of such officers. It shall also be the duty of the 
 Secretary to return to the Secretary of the County League 
 full reports of the doings of this League. If there is no 
 County League such report shall be returned to the Secre- 
 tary of the State League. 
 
 Article 5. Finance. 
 
 Sec. 1. The income of the League shall be derived from 
 such entertainments as may be given by the League and 
 from the voluntas contribution of members and friends 
 of the school. There shall be no required assessments. 
 
 Sec. 2. An account of the receipts and expenditures 
 shall be rendered by the treasurer at the close of each term. 
 
 Article 6. Meetings. 
 Sec. 1. The regular meetings of this League shall be 
 
 held 
 
 Sec; 2. Special meetings may be called by the President. 
 
 Article 7. Amendments. 
 Alterations or amendments to this constitution may be 
 made by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a 
 regular meeting, provided that notice of such alteration or 
 amendment has been given at a previous regular meeting. 
 
 Naming the League. 
 
 It is suggested that the League adopt the name of 
 some person prominent in the history or literature of 
 the locality, state or nation and that the school com- 
 mittee be requested to give the name likewise to 
 the school. 
 
 Meetings. 
 
 On the first or second Friday afternoon of each 
 term a half hour should be taken for reorganizing 
 the work for the term. Regular meetings may be 
 held on alternate Friday afternoons or once each 
 
month. If careful attention is given to simple rules 
 of procedure and a portion of the meeting is devoted 
 to a literary program including papers, recitations, 
 discussions and debates there would be ample justi- 
 fication, in the educational value of such work, for 
 taking half to three quarters of an hour each fort- 
 night or month from the school session. Social 
 meetings should be arranged for Saturdays, holidays 
 or evenings. 
 
 The opportunity offered by the League for certain 
 literary work should not be overlooked. The 
 "lyceum" for so many years connected with our 
 schools, was of inestimable importance in developing 
 certain qualities that have distinguished the producf 
 of New England institutions. The Leagues may 
 wisely turn their attention to a work similar to that 
 done by this excellent organization. Each meeting 
 should devote attention to literary exercises. Papers, 
 debates, readings, lectures, musicales, are all legiti- 
 mate features to introduce into the League meetings. 
 A study of the lives of men famous in local, state 
 and national life should be made. Leagues may 
 profitably give attention to local historical research. 
 
 Publicity. 
 
 It is of first importance that there be extended full 
 information of the League's activities. The local sec- 
 retary should send promptly to the county and state 
 secretaries reports of important meetings and of im- 
 provements made. Frequent notes of public interest 
 should be sent to the local papers. Teachers will 
 receive much valuable assistance by correspondence 
 with other teachers who have organized Leagues, 
 
8 
 
 County secretaries can furnish the names and ad- 
 dresses of these teachers. A term report of progress 
 should be filed by the local secretary with the state 
 secretary, Mrs. Blanche K. Blake, So. Orrington, 
 Maine. Forms for these reports will be provided on 
 request. 
 
 Parent-Teacher Associations. 
 
 Parent-teacher associations are organizations of 
 parents and teachers made for the purpose of study- 
 ing local educational needs and problems and of 
 bringing the homes and schools into a more sympa- 
 thetic understanding of their joint obligations in the 
 education of children. These associations are partic- 
 ularly adapted to larger villages and cities. 
 
 An account of the work of a Parent-Teacher Asso- 
 ciation with suggestions for conducting its work is 
 issued in pamphlet form and will be forwarded on 
 request to the state superintendent of schools. 
 
 Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Clubs. 
 
 The object of these clubs is to bring together the 
 boys and girls of rural communities for a study of 
 agriculture and other concerns of rural life. They 
 aim to promote an intelligent interest in farm life 
 and surroundings through friendly contests in crop 
 growing and similar activities. A special pamphlet 
 containing suggestions for undertaking and carrying 
 on the work of the clubs will be sent on application 
 to the state superintendent. It is suggested that 
 wherever a League is organized the work outlined 
 for the boys and girls may be conducted through the 
 League without the duplication of organizations. 
 
Education is not alone a thing of books nor of schools. It has to 
 do with all human activities. The best educational system is] that which 
 combines in a common effort all the forces that make for the all round 
 development of man, neglecting not body, mind or soul.