Newspaper Page Text
WHEELER COUNTY EAGLE, ALAMO, GA. 30411 FRIDAY, OCT. 8, 1971
Deaths And Funerals
Henry C. Coleman
Funeral services for Henry
Cannon Coleman, 83, who died
Saturday afternoon, October 2,
in the Telfair County Hospital,
were held Monday, October 4, at
11:00 a.m. at Zion Hope Baptist
Church with Rev. Charlie T.
Smith officiating, assisted by
Poulson Perry.
Mr. Coleman was a retired
termer and a deacon of Zion
Hope Baptist Church.
Active pallbearers were
Ralph Matthews, William Mor
ris, Jesse Anderson, Terry
Brown, Johnny Hendley and
James Evans.
Honorary pallbearers were
Poulson Perry, Fred Brace
well, D. A. Johnson, J. C.
Yawn, W. M. Saunders, Clyde
Perry’, Jesse Brown, Lamar
Jackson, J. R. Shepherd, Jim
Maloy, B. W. Weeks, Malcolm
Minor, R.V.Cook, Tom Whatley
and Joseph Farmer.
Survivors include one son,
Melvin Coleman of Helena;
three daughters, Mrs. V. A.
Coogler of Thomaston, Mrs.
Raymond Kirkley of Wichita
Falls Texas, and Mrs. Wilbur
Yawn of Rt. 1, Helena; one sis -
ter, Mrs. Lizzie Smith of
Macon. He is also survived by
18 grandchildren; 28 great
grandchildren; and six great
great-grandchildren, and a
number of nieces and nephews.
Music was rendered by Her
bert, Wenell and Carlton Bowen
and the Rev. A. J. Giddens,
with Mrs. Gieger Bowen at the
piano.
Burial was in the church
cemetery with Harris and Smith
Politics oJii Parade
/7|\\ M 'f/iams
iiMfc
The General Assembly made
better progress than we fig
ured on reapportionment, so
by the time this is printed, the
boys may be at home- Already,
as of last week, both House and
Senate had passed bills for
their own reapportionment, and
are not likely to make any
changes. That is, unless Gov.
Carter vetoes the Senate bill,
which, as we wrote last week,
he would be very foolish to
do.
Congressional reapportion
mcnt has been more of a bug
aboo, and when we were at
the Capitol last Friday, vari
ous plans were floating around.
There was even talk of ad
journing and holding this bill
until the regular session in
January. However, with a little !
politicking by Lt-Gov. Lester i
Maddox and others, this idea
died aborning.
With all three reapportion- *
ment jobs done, the state need
only wait to see if U.S. At- i
torney-General John Mitchell
will give his approval.
* * * *
Last week we wrote that per
haps the Communists are pay
ing the expenses of Ralph Ab
ernathy and Hosea Williams,
leaders of the SCLC, on their
visits to Russia and Red China.
The evidence seems to point
more and more to this being
true, since Abernathy has issued
a statement high in praise of
East Germany, and compared
the United States unfavorably
with that Communist state.
What surprised us more than
anything else, though, is the
fact that the usually-'iberal At
lanta Constitufon editorialized
against Abernathy for this.
* * • *
At the Capitol last Friday,
we heard any number of legis
lators speak in condemnation
of Gov. Carter's refusal to
have the young Negroes thrown
out of the legislative commit
tee room which they took over.
One former close friend and
supporter of Carter told us that
he is through with him. Others
say that Carter's ultra-liberal
ism (which we tried to point out
to the peop’e of Georgia in
last year's election) is assuring
that his fe'low liberal, Senator
David Gambrell, will not be
re-elected in 1972-
Speaking of the Negro take
over of the Capitol facilities,
the mess they left looked like
a bunch of hogs had been there.
Even the carpet was burned by
numerous cigarette butts.
Funeral Home in charge of
arrangements,
Amos Otis Cook
Funeral services were held
Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. from
Rockwell Baptist Church for
Amos Otis Cook, 90, a prom
inent and highly esteemed resi
dent of Telteir County, who
died at his home near Milan,
Tuesday , after an extended ill
ness.
Services were conducted by
the pastor, the Rev. B. L.
Caldwell, assisted by the Rev.
Fred Cook. Burial was in the
church cemetery with Harris
and Smith Funeral Home in
charge of arrangements.
Pallbearers were Clyde
Matthews, L. E. Batchelor,
Zester White, Quay Cook,
Eschol Jones and Joe Hardy
Marchant.
Mr. Cook was bom in Wil
kinson County on June 25,1881,
the son of William Frank and
Susan Brack Cook, and was
married to Miss Annie Moore
on December 10, 1905. He was
a member of Rockwell Baptist
Church and the Masonic Lodge,
and had served as Clerk of the
Telfair Baptist Association for
14 years. He was also a Direc
tor of the R.E.A. and a suc
cessful retired farmer.
Survivors include two sons,
Kenneth Cook of Milan, and
Leon Cook of Jacksonville, Fla.;
two daughters, Mrs. Bascom
Eason of Milan, and Mrs. Frank
Smith of Miami, Fla.; eight
grandchildren; two great
grandchildren; and one great
great-grandchild; twobrothers,
M. A. Cook and Fred Cook of
Jones Lane, Representative
from Bulloch County, will in
troduce a bill in the regular
session of the Assembly next
year which will provide that
state money for education will
be paid directly to parents, so
that they can send their chil
dren to whatever school they
please. It would apply equally
to both white and black parents.
Jones calls it the “voucher
system.”
We can't see how the fed
eral courts could overturn such
a procedure, since no discrimi
nation would be shown. And,
as everybody knows, many,
many black parents don’t want
their children to go to school
with whites, anyway, and they
could use the state money to
set up their own private
schools.
♦♦ ♦ •
As an example of Jimmy
Carter’s ineptitude in politics,
when the Assembly sent a com
mittee to inform the Governor
that the legislature was in ses
sion, he kept them waiting in
his outer office for 15 minutes.
* ♦ * *
COINCIDENCE: Lester Mad
dox’s birthday was Sept. 30,
and his friends celebrated with
a party for him the night be
fore. Jimmy Carter's birthday
was Oct. 1, and his staff served
coffee and cake in the Execu
tive offices. And, to top it off,
Jody Powell, Press Aide to the
Governor, has the same birth
date as the Lt.-Governor. And
his middle name is Lester.
•* • «
Carter infuriated a number
of legislators when he sent the
note to the Senate saying that
he might veto their reappor
tionment bill, if it d.dn't pass
as he desired it to be. They
didn’t appreciate the near-ulti
matum. and, also, they figured
that the Governor has no
right to veto this type of legis
lation passed by the Assembly.
"He's not the jury", one mem
ber told us, “John Mitchell and
the federal courts will be that ”.
As you probably read in the
daily press, the Governor has
officially announced that the
State Dept, of Veterans Service
is being deleted from his reor
ganization plan. Also, he stat
ed publicly that Civil Defense
will remain in the Dept, of De
fense under Ernest Vandiver.
Now we hear — not yet an
nounced — that he has de
cided to NOT put the Dept
of Banking under the Comp
troller-General.
Milan; and three sisters, Mrs.
Mary Lancaster of Mcßae, Mrs.
George White of Milan, and
Mrs. Julian Hines of Milledge
ville.
Levi Alexander
Dopson
Funeral services were held
from the Jacksonville Methodist
Church Monday at 3 p.m. for
Levi Alexander Dopson, 75,
prominent resident of Jackson
ville, who died Saturday in the
Telteir County Hospital.
Services were conducted by
the pastor, the Rev. Charles
Burdette, with burial in the
Jacksonville Cemetery.
Pallbearers were LaMont
Craft of Uvalda, Grady Harrell
of Macon, Jim Brophy and Julian
Williams of Douglas, James
Strickland and Frank Ray, Jr.
of Jacksonville.
Mr. Dopson was bom in Tel
fair County on October 9, 1895,
the son of the late John A. and
Sophia Harrell Dopson. He was
married to Miss Henrietta
Burch on February 19, 1928,
and was a member of the Jack
sonville Methodist Church,
Helena Masonic Lodge #536,
and was a Veteran of World
War 1.
Survivors include his wife;
three sons, Lester fl. Dopson
of Jacksonville, Deane Dopson
of Uvalda, and Alex Dopson of
Rhine; one daughter, Mrs.
Harriett Dopson Harrell of
Warner Robins; six grand
children; two sisters, Mrs. D.
T. Willcox of Jacksonville, and
Mrs. J. C„ Rogers of Eastman;
and two brothers, J. E. Dopson
of Jacksonville, and H. J.
Dopson of Byron.
Harris and Smith Funeral
Home was in charge of
arrangements.
Hoke S. Lancaster
Hoke S. Lancaster, 62, prom
inent retired retail merchant
in Carrollton for many years,
died at his home in Carrollton
Wednesday, September 29, after
a long illness.
Mr. Lancaster was bom in
Telfair County on November
20, 1909, the son of John W.
and Nancy Cook Lancaster, and
was married to the former
Reba Copeland, who survives
him. He was a member of the
Milan Methodist Church.
Funeral services were held
at Almon Chapel in Carrollton
at 10 a.m. Saturday, conducted
by the Rev. M. M. Beavers, and
again in Mt. Zion Methodist
Church in Milan at 4 p.m.,
with the pastor, the Rev. Harvey
Strickland, officiating.
Pallbearers were Harold
Nixon, Joe Nixon, Howard
Nixon, Ilobert Sheffield, Gene
Copeland and Jimmy Rowels.
Survivors include his wife;
two sisters, Mrs. Charlie Yawn
of Milan, and Mrs. Garfield
Gosden of Columbus; two
nieces, Mrs. David Meabon of
Tallahassee, Fla., and Miss
F WASHINGTON 1
I AND SMALL
[business tsdWm
Operation Build America
, For some time, the nation's
। independent business people.
voting through the National
Federation of Independent Bus
iness. have strongly supported
i what is known as "Operation
Build America
♦ ♦ »
This is centered on legisla
tion pending in the Congress
i by Congressmen Joe Evins of
[ Tennesee and Keith Sebelius
of Kansas, Senators James
Pearson of Kansas and Fred
Harris of Oklahoma and many
co-sponsors to give tax incen
. tives to new employment gen
erating enterprises that locate
in rural areas.
* * *
• Recently the Western Confer
■ ence of Governors, in one ot the
strongest documents of the sec
ond half of this century, took
' up this matter. The resolution
I follows:
» • »
The I'nited States needs to
develop a national policy on
voluntary population distribu-
I tion. It is now projected that
the population of the I'nited
States will rise from 200 mil
lion people at present to more
than 300 million people by the
; year 2000.
* * *
Our nation has practiced pop
ulation distribution incentives
in the past through such de
vices as the Homestead Act A
( new and fresh approach to pop
ulation distribution at the pres
ent time is needed
» » »
The Social and economic
problems of overpopulated
areas Include ghettos: poverty;
mass transit demands; over
loaded educational, health, and
'c Xnth’iMil Fixh-r*! <4 liKlrfttuldti Kitsint*
Susan Gosden of Columbus; and
two double-first cousins, Bus
ter Lancaster and Mrs. E. C.
Jones of Milan.
Burial was in the Mt. Zion
Cemetery.
George M. Waldrep
Graveside funeral services
were held in Sand Grove Baptist
Church cemetery Wednesday at
3 p.m. for George Melvin Wald
rep, 52, who died in Alexandria,
Va„ Sunday after a long illness.
The Rev. Lawton Sammons of
Cordele, officiated, and Harris
and Smith Funeral Home was
in charge of arrangements.
Pallbearers were Leroy Till
man, Jack Tillman, Ennis Wald
rep, Ricky Waldrep, Ted Jamie
son and Don Livingston.
Mr. Waldrep was bom in
Jasper County on November
12, 1919, the son of Johnny
Osgood and Lillie Belle Tillman
Waldrep. He was a member of
Del Ray Baptist Church in Alex
andria.
Survivors include his wife;
his tether, J. O. Waldrep of
Mcßae; a sister, Mrs. Jewell
Jamieson of Warner Robins;
and three brothers, Roy
Waldrep of Warner Robins, Jeff
Waldrep of Alexandria, and
Richard Waldrep of Mcßae.
James W. Carroll
James W Carroll, 51, died
at the Veterans Administration
Hospital in Dublin, after a long
illness.
The native of Alamo, had
lived in Chatham County for
20 years and was a truck driver.
He was a veteran of World War
n and received a Purple Heart.
Surviving are five daughters,
Mrs. Patricia Carter of Savan
nah, Mrs. Janice Cooler of Har
deeville, S. C., and Connie
Carroll, Debbie Carroll and
Karen Carroll, all of Savannah
Beach.
Graveside services were held
at 11 a.m. Monday at Hillcrest
Abbey West.
Saxon-Massey Funeral Home
was in charge.
Mrs. Winnie I. Grant
Funeral services for Mrs.
Winnie 1. Grant, 73, of Milan,
who died September 21, in the
Dodge County Hospital in East-
man, were held Sept. 22, at
the Milan Baptist Church, with
the Rev. Hubert Windham and
the Rev. A. L. Ott officiating.
Burial was in Sandgrove Ceme
tery.
Mrs. Grant, widow of the
late Rev. O. A. Grant, was a
lifelong resident of Dodge Coun
ty and was a member of the
Milan Baptist Church.
Survivors are one daughter,
Mrs. Ernest Martin of Milan;
two sisters, Mrs. C. L. Jamie
son of Rt. 3, Eastman, Mrs. J.
B. Barron of Rhine; three
grandchildren, and one great
grandson.
Home Funeral Home was in
charge.
recreational services: pollution
of air and water; Increased
crime: and a growing level of
; individual frustration and ner
vous tensions.
» « »
On the other hand, undo pop
j ulated areas are suffering high
' economic and social costs as
= well. These costs are brought
I on by an inadequate tax base
: and too few people to support
'l necessary institutions on a com-
I inunity basis such as schools.
| churches, hospitals, recreational
areas, etc.
* ♦ »
Environmental management
and conservation become exces
sively costly because of the
severe population imbalance
between the overpopulated
States and those which are un
derpopulated.
The Federal Government,
through its inadvertent and un
coordinated planning and pro
grams. is one of the major tac
tors in creating population im
balance
• « *
There are remedies that
should be attempted to allevi
ate population imbalance. Sub
sidized low Interest rates could
be offered on loans for indus
trial expansion in underpopu
lated areas. A revamping of
the Interstate Commerce Com
mission freight rates, which
now make economic expansion
virtually impossible in some
underpopulated areas, could be
adjusted to permit expansion
in underdeveloped areas.
* ♦ »
It is high time that people
not only become concerned,
but upset over the neglect of
i rural America.
Mrs. Sadie Brown
McKenzie
Mrs. Sadie Brown McKenzie,
lifelong resident of Dooly Coun
ty, died at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Helen M. Jones
in Mcßae, on Thursday,
September 23, after a lengthy
illness.
Mrs. McKenzie was the widow
of the late John McKenzie of
Byronville, and was a member
of Little Poplar Spring Baptist
Church.
Funeral services were held
Sunday, September 5, at 3:30
p.m. at Little Poplar Spring
Baptist Church, Byronville, (
with the Rev, H. C. McCrary
officiating. ,
Music was rendered by the
Central Valley Baptist Church
choir of Mcßae, and Mrs. ।
Catherine Laney and Mrs.
Lottie Swint.
Survivors include three .
daughters, Mrs. Julia Nash of
Jacksonville, Fla., Mrs. Ollie
Griffin of Byronville, and Mrs.
Helen M. Joies of Mcßae; five
sons, John, Willie and Roy Me- '
Kenzie of Atlanta, Calvin Mc-
Kenzie of Elizabeth, New
Jersey, SFC. David McKenzie
of San Antonio, Texas; one sis
ter, Mrs. Ollie Hobbs of Mc-
Rae; a brother, Semour Brown
of Weirton, West Virginia; 30
grandchildren, and eight great
grandchildren.
Burial was in the church
cemetery, with West Mortuary
in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Zack Hilliard
Mrs. Zack Hilliard, 33, of
Atlanta, died Tuesday, Sept. 28,
in Piedmont Hospital after an
extended illness. Funeral ser- 1
vices were held at 3 p.m. Thurs- 1
day, Sept. 30, in Pleasant Grove <
Baptist Church near Rhine, with
burial in the church cemetery, i
Mrs. Hilliard, a native of 1
Dodge County, had lived in At
lanta 10 years. She was a mem
ber of Calvary Baptist Church
in Forest Park.
Survivors include her hus
band, Zack Hilliard; a daughter,
Miss Carmen Hilliard of
Atlanta; parents, Mr. and Mrs.
L. H. Durden of Milan; two
sisters, Mrs. Juanita Barren
tine of Dublin, and Mrs. Lula
Farmer of Eastman; and two
brothers, C lewis Durden of
Rhine, and Clifford Durden of
Atlanta.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral
Home was in charge.
R. D. Williams
R. D. Williams, 72, of Cor
dele, died Wednesday, Sept. 29,
in Crisp County Hospital.
Funeral services were held at
3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, at
Dekle Funeral Home. Burial
was in Sunnyside Cemetery’.
Mr. Williams, a native of
Milan, had lived in Crisp Cou
nty for 41 years. He was a
member of the First United
Methodist Church. He was a
retired foreman for the State
Highway Dept., termer and I
grocery store owners.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Annie Cheek Williams; a
son, Larry H. Williams of
Charleston AFB, S. C.; three
sisters, Mrs. Jolin Seay’ and
Mrs. John Clark, both of Milan,
and Mrs. Howard Wooten of
Mcßae; and two brothers, Dave
M. Williams of Milan, and Henry’
B. Williams of Mcßae.
Sam Wilkerson
Sam Wilkerson, 60, of Milan,
died Monday in the Dublin V.A.
Hospital after a lengthy’illness.
Funeral services were held
Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the
Betliel Baptist Church with
burial in the church cemetery.
Mr. Wilkerson was born in
Trenton, Fla., and had lived in
Dodge Count' for 17 years. He
was a member of the Betliel
Baptist Church and was a
termer.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Maggie E. Wilkerson; his
mother, Mrs. Mattie W’ilkerson
of Micanopy, Fla.; two sisters,
Mrs. Alma Sheffield of
Micanopy, Fla., and Mrs. Mar
guerite Folds of Oklahoma; a
brother, James Wilkerson of
Tampa, Fla.; and two daugh
ters, Mrs. W. G. Kitchens of
Ft. Myers, Fla., and Mrs. Billy
Jones of Milan.
Mrs. Carey Bowen
Funeral services for Mrs.
Carey Margaret Bowen, 53, of
Rhine, W’ho died Sunday , were
held at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Rhine
Baptist Church with burial in
Bay Springs Cemetery.
Survivors include her hus
band, T. G. Bowen; a son,
Guyton Bowen; mother, Mrs.
Lola Barron; four sisters, Mrs.
Christine Ryles and Mrs. Willie
Powers, all of Rhine, Mrs.
Ruby’ Maddox of Winder, and
Mrs. Mytice Cravey of Albany;
and a brother, Bo Barron of
Rhine.
1— 11 ■ I.
Mrs. Myrtle Mae
Lumley
Mrs. Myrtle Mae Lumley,
56, of Mt. Vernon, died in a
Vidalia hospital Saturday morn
ing, October 2.
Mrs. Lumley, the former
Miss Myrtle Mae Grinstead,
was a lifetime resident of Mont
gomery County and was a daugh
ter of the late Griffin Grinstead
and the late Mrs. Nanny Morris
Grinstead. She was a member
of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors include her hus
band, Johnnie Clifford Lumley;
one son, Jack Clifford Lumley
of Jacksonville, Fla.; five sis
ters, Mrs. Addie Cooper, Mrs.
Mattie Coleman, Mrs. Nan
Reynolds and Mrs. Freda Tay
lor, all of Mt. Vernon, and
Mrs. Annie Mae Reed of Shreve
port, La.; and three brothers,
Curtis Grinstead, Willie Grin
stead and Willard Grinstead,
all of Mt. Vernon; and two
grandchildren.
Funeral services were con
ducted from the Chapel of Sam
mons Funeral Home in Soper
ton, at 2 o’clock Monday after
noon, October 4, with the Rev.
Ted Hatten officiating. Burial
was in the McLeod Cemetery
with nephews serving as pall
bearers.
Homer C.
Richardson
Homer C. Richardson, 67,
of Mt. Vernon, died in a Glen
wood hospital September 30,
after a long illness.
Mr. Richardson had lived
most of his life in Montgomery
County and was a son of the
late Ellis Richardson and the
late Mrs. Minnie Kea Richard
son. He was a retired Prison
Guard and was a member of
the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Rosell Rowland Richard
son; one daughter, Mrs. Glenn
Wilkes of DeLand, Fla.; two
sisters, Mrs. Troy Edenfield
and Mrs. Johnny Morgan of
Twin City; two brothers, Edgar
Richardson and A. R. Richard
son of Mt. Vernon; six grand
ch" Iren; one great grandchild,
and a number of nieces and
nephews.
Funeral services were con
ducted from Mt. Vernon Bap
tist Church at 3:30 Saturday
afternoon, October 2, with the
Rev. Carl Milton and the Rev.
Mary Cason officiating. Burial
was in the Mt. Vernon Ceme
tery with Sammons Funeral
Home in charge.
Pallbearers were Raymond
Richardson, Pete Richardson,
Ed Richardson, Bob Richard
son, George Collins and Joe
Mcßae,
Bolton Aims At ■
Changes In Ga.
Judicial Rules
Georgia’s Atty. Gen. Arthur
K. Bolton lias advocated that
the attorney general be allowed
to prosecute criminal cases
anywhere in the state to deal
with the growing problems of
organized crime.
Addressing the LaVista Lions
Club in Chamblee, Bolton said
“there is no overall authority’
or power resting in anyone to
go into a particular judicial
circuit and undertake the prose
cution of a particular case un
less requested to do so by the
judge of the judicial circuit.”
“While this system has work
ed teirly well in the past,” he
continued, “it is becoming all
too apparent that the attorney
general, and here I speak of
the office and not of myself as
an individual, should have the
power to go into any judicial
circuit in the state, and prose
cute in a given criminal case.”
Bolton said the governor
should have the power to direct
the attorney general to take
over criminal prosecutions.
On another subject, the
attorney general said Georgia
needs a better method for re
moving unfit public officials
from office. The present method
of impeachment, he said, is
“as archaic as the horse and
i buggy.”
Bolton suggested that the
Georgia House of Represent
atives set up a standing com
mittee to air complaints against
public officials, including elec
ted members of the state court
system.”
The committee could function
until the legislature comes up
with a better method of handling
such situations.
FISHING ABOUT AS EX
PENSIVE AS GOLF: We went
to one of these Trout Farm
Setups Bait (whole grain
canned corn, casting rod. or
pole if you preferred, all fur •
nished The water so clear
you could see the finny tribe
playing leapfrog, etc They
were hungry, too In about 30
minutes of pulling 'em out.
we had a dozen that totalled
Georgia
Scene
in higher ..
D , education
| Dr. DuPree Jordan Jr. |Hl|i|iP«S
i V
USS"
The annual Governor’s
Conference of Education will
be held in Atlanta, October 13
and 14. This simply is one
more occasion which will
demonstrate the widespread,
growing interest in education
throughout the state of
Georgia, and the deep concern
which has been expressed by
Governor Jimmy Carter.
More and more business and
community leaders are looking
at the field of education,
seeking ways to improve the
entire process from
kindergarten through graduate
studies at the university level.
One of the businesses which
has done a great deal of work
in exploring new approaches
to education is the Travelers
Insurance Company in
Hartford, Connecticut. An
outgrowth of some of their
work has been carried on by
Dr. Milton A. Young at the
Center for the Environment
and Man, Inc. They have been
looking at learner-oriented
methods of education, and
have recently published a
volume titled Learner-Based,
Open Education Systems.
Good and Bad
In the introduction to this
volume, Dr. Young and the
group of educators, scientists
and researchers working with
him. state: “Students
beginning their education this
year will complete it in the
late 1980 s or early 19905. The
education system which they
are entering has been
spectacularly successful in
many respects. It has provided
us with the capability of
producing a gross national
product of a trillion dollars a
1 year. It has accommodated
universal compulsory
education to the point that in
1969-1970 we had 45 million
students in an education
system spending $35 billion
each year and employing more
than 2 million instructional
staff members. Os the Nobel
prizes awarded before 1930,
only 5% were given to
Americans; now Americans
hold amost 40%. Ours is an
education system which is
impressive in its complexity,
size and accomplishments. It is
also a system which is in deep
trouble.
“Many students find the
present system of education
irrelevant; 25% do not
complete high school. Only
25% of our children are
psychologically ready for the
grade in which their school
places them. A questioning of
the meaning and purpose of
life infuses the education
system, and society in general,
with a pervasive sense of
anxiety. Since World War 11,
costs for education have more
than doubled in real dollars
and can be expected to double
again by 1980. Taxpayers,
barely able to support present
cost levels of education, are in
revolt against proposed
increases. Nationally, voters in
1970 approved only 48% of
the school bond issues put
before them; in 1965, the
approval was 77%, and in
1960 it was 89%. Referenda
on increasing property tax
levies to meet school operating
costs have met a similar fate.
For example, in Ohio, only
29% of such issues were
approved at the polls last year,
down from 84% in 1960.
Financially pressed school
districts are being forced into
reducing teaching and
administrative staff; both New
9 1/2 lbs . or $14.50 worth.
But the man whacked off their
heads and tails, dressed and
iced them in plastic bags.
We went home broke. Had to
borrow’ from the wife. But
had lots of fun It was worth
it No chiggers or mosquito
bites to scratch that night
The future comes like an
unwelcome guest.
York and Los Angeles are
facing S4O million budget
deficits.
Individual Focus
“In developing an education
system tuned to the needs of
our current society and the
future, we at the Center for
the Environment and Man,
Inc. (CEM) have come to
believe that the purposes of
education are to offer each
individual the opportunity to
develop, first, the
self-confidence and the
knowledge which will
maximize his ability to
analyze his possible roles in
life, and to freely choose those
roles he prefers, and, second,
to develop the competence to
perform his chosen roles to
the utmost of his capabilities.
A system designed to serve
those purposes will have to be
radically different from
present systems.”
Os course, any system or
approach which is drastically
different represents a threat to
many people, and always
generates a great deal ol
resistance. The CEM
recognizes this, and has tried
to sell their concept. They
have won a great many
businessmen, seeing the
tremendous potential in this
approach.
Their own presentation
gives some of the rationale of
their approach: “Learning
involves a relationship
between the learner and an
environment which responds
to him, which meets him
where he is and which changes
(in appropriate steps, at
appropriate times) as he
changes. As each learner
realizes that he is of interest
and value AS AN
INDIVIDUAL, his responses
will be strong, positive, joyful.
Change Needed
‘‘The framework to
accomplish this, an
individualized education
system, will require reaching
out and making the whole
world, in effect, a part of the
education system, so that the
learners will have the
necessary range of resources
and options. The resources
available to the learner in
terms of staff and facilities
must be far broader than those
in today’s system of
education. The people
included will be not only
those present professional
educators who are willing to
change and help create a new
learning climate, but also
people from diverse fields who
are competent, knowledge
able, interested and willing to
be resources to help
individuals learn.
“The community itself,
then, becomes an important
part of, and a resource to, the
education system, and is
responsive to its needs.
Education that takes place in
the context of the community
in which the individual lives
becomes relevant, meaningful
learning. In this environment,
acquiring the commonly
agreed-upon skills and
knowledge of the ongoing
culture (such as reading,
writing, figures) can be a
joyful experience.”
Os course, such a shift in
approach, attacking a system
which is so drastically
different, will require many
adjustments. But it also opens
many exciting opportunities.
We will be learning much more
about some of these ideas in
the weeks ahead. (43)
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