Facts Versus Theories

By Mrs. A. J. Wilder.

Facts will not always bear out theories! It was a Missouri judge, at a little inland county seat, who adjourned court without a proper regard for the interests of the case that was being tried before him, and who, when remonstrated with and told that he "could not do that," replied, "Well, I have." And now a Missouri farmers' club has also set at naught the opinions of experts.

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In an article, on women's clubs, in a late magazine, I find this opinion by Eugene J. Grant, a prominent New York man whose wife is a leader in club work in the state: "I do not believe that clubs for men and clubs for women should ever be combined. I say keep them separate. They won't mix well. Men and women may work toward the same ends, but they work differently, and there's no use in trying to combine the clubs." To this the Bryant Farmers' club of Bryant, Mo., may reply, "Well, I have."

Article 2, section 1 of the constitution of The Bryant Farmers' Club says, "Any one in good standing may become a member of this club by paying the annual fee of 25 cents." This is well clinched in section 2 of the same article: "When the head of a family joins the club, all members of his or her family under 21 years old, may become active members without paying additional fees." Not only the women but the children are taken into this Farmers' club and made active workers, all as a matter of course.

The Bryant Farmers' Club was started about 17 months ago and was planned to help pass the winter evenings and in order that neighbors might become better acquainted. The meetings are held at the homes of the different members. At each meeting the place for the next meeting is decided upon and three members are selected to make a talk or write a paper upon some farm topic. After the business of the meeting is disposed of, the members talk over their successes and failures and compare notes. The talks and discussions are followed by a short literary program. The homes of the members are scattered and the long distances to go makes it difficult at times for them all to be present at the meetings but there usually is a good attendance. At times as many as 68 have answered at roll call. Advising with and helping one another in this way the club members, of course, raised some fine crops. making a collection among themselves, they exhibited it at the fairs at Mansfield and Ava last fall. The exhibit received a great deal of favorable comment and won, for the Bryant Farmers' Club, 85 blue and red ribbons. During the busy summers, when the evenings are short and the days, tho long, are still too short to accomplish the work waiting to be done, the meetings of the club are discontinued unless something especial comes up, when a meeting is called by 'phone.

The club is growing and branching out in several directions. The members are planning to build a hall, in some central location, in which to hold their meetings and social entertainments and also as a place in which to keep a permanent exhibition of their best grains, grasses and other farm products. As a start toward this hall they have already given one entertainment which netted them $25 for the building fund. They also are co-operating in the purchase and management of livestock and in the sale of livestock, farm and garden products.

The officers who have led the members in making this farmers' club so successful surely deserve honorable mention. They are as follows-- M.L. Andrews, president; Miss Hattie Williams, secretary-treasurer; C.A. Williams, D. B. McMillan and J.E. Williams members of the executive board. The president and secretary-treasurer also are members of the executive board by reason of their office.

Mrs. A. J. Wilder. "Facts Versus Theories." Missouri Ruralist,  (June 20, 1916): 9.

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