* APRIL, 1943

15

 

Much healthy competition and fun re-
sulted from the contest. Boys and girls
are anticipating many hours of enjoyable
reading now and in the months to come.
Attics, basements, and garages have
surely had their “spring housecleaning.”

Mrs. R. T. Canary,
Publicity Chairman,
Lowell P.T.A.
Mary had gobs and gobs of books,
“Colliers,” “Posts,” “Lifes,” and “Looks,”
She brought them all to school one day,
And the teacher said, “Why say—
These books will help us win the prize,
And help us beat the other guys.”
Bob Chastain—5 B.

McCormick P.T.A. entertained the
teachers with a covered dish dinner
in the school auditorium on St. Patrick’s
Day.

The intermediate Girl Scouts of Me
Cormick helped with the serving.

Mr. McAllister, Supervisor of Physical
Education in Wichita Schools, led the
group in games and every one had a
most enjoyable evening.

Mrs. Robert Hayford,
Publicity Chairman.

 

ELEVENTH DISTRICT
Mrs. John Daly, Director

Greetings to all members of District 11.

A letter from Macksville Unit reports
this very interesting meeting. With the
stage set to represent the living room
in the home of James Whitcomb Riley,
as he sat musing on his poem, “Think-
in’ Back,” he fell asleep and the char-
acters of his favorite poems, represented
by Parent-Teacher members, came to
call as the readings were given by mem-
bers of the High School Dramatic Class.

The Liberty Junior High School Unit
of Pratt had a “Back To School For
Parents” meeting recently. Following a
general assembly in which the school
principal presided, the teachers went to
their respective rooms. With the bells
set to ring at fifteen minute intervals,
parents went through their child’s daily
schedule, thus meeting the teachers in
the same way that their child does each
day. Yes, some parents even had to be
sent to the office for tardy slips.

The study groups of North and Cen-
tral Grade Units in Pratt have united
this year in a Home Nursing Class. The
Red Cross Manual on Home Nursing has
been used and the class has been taught
by a registered nurse.

 

Over only three buildings in America
does the national flag fly officially night
and day continuously—over the east and
west fronts of the National Capitol and
over the adjacent House of Representa-
tives and Senate Office Buildings. The
two emblems over the Capitol (storm
flag size) are replaced every six weeks.

Kansas Parent-Teacher Honor Roll

 

When your Executive Committee (elected officers and chairmen of standing
committees) are subscribers to this magazine, your unit is listed here.

Lawrence, Cordley P. T. A

Kansas City, Noble Prentis P. - Arora

Hutchinson, Avenue A, P. T.

Mrs. Nelson LeSuer, Chairman

SRS h eae Mrs. J. H. Gerber, Chairman

Mrs. Eldon Lehi, Chairman

 

Wichita, Meridian P. T. A
Wichita, Robinson P. T. A.
Wichita, Hyde P. T. A
Hutchinson, Allen P. T. A

Mrs. H. T. Byan, Chairman

Mrs. M. V. Rinker, Chairman
Mrs. Homer Minnick, Chairman
Mrs, R. E. Daw, Chairman

 

Wichita, Horace Mann P. T. A

Pittsburg, Eugene Field P. T. A.

Mrs. John Parradee, Chairman

Ree Te ae Mrs. J. F. McCabe, Chairman

 

PUBLICITY
Mrs. D. D. Harbaugh
State Publicity Chairman

To succeed in writing publicity one
must know (1) the story of the work
to be described so as to utilize all oppor-
tunities for news that may arise in con-
nection with the organization; (2) one
must know how to recognize news values
and to be able to make the story crisp
and alive, and (3) one must know the
papers and other publications for which
the material is prepared.

This poem by E. Thayles Emmons,
Geneva, New York, illustrates these
points very well:

THE CITY EDITOR AND A PRESS

CHAIRMAN

The editor sat in his easy chair

Smoking his pipe with a nonchalant air;

Trying to snatch a moment’s rest

While news poured in from east and
west.

He was tired, dead tired, with his morn-
ing’s rush,

With the hurry and scurry and scramble
and push

That was a part of his daily life

In a job chock full of worry and strife.

“Tap, tap,” came a knock at his sanctum
door.

“Come in,” he called with a lion’s roar.

There entered a lady, gentle and shy,

With trembling lip and quivering eye.

The gallant editor sprang to his feet

He bowed quite low the lady to greet.

“Your errand?” he asked, the lady
smiled

With eyes as meek as those of a child.

Looking straight at the editor’s shoes;

“T’ve come,” she said, “with a piece of
news.

I’ll give you the facts now bit by bit,

And you'll write it up as you see fit,

How you do it I don’t care a fig,

Only be sure that you make it big.

Print at the top of the very front page

Or all the club ladies will be in a rage.

And, if you please, a two-column line

Used as a heading would be just fine.”

“But what’s it about?” and the editor
sighed.

“We had a meeting,” the lady replied.

“T hurried right down as soon as I
could

To get it printed; they told me you
would.

We had a speaker; ’twas no one I knew,

And somebody sang; I forgot to ask
who.

And to top it all off they served ice
cream and cake

Now how much of an item ought that to
make?”

The editor smiled a weary smile

And asked some questions and after a
while

Set down a few facts, and guessed a few
more

And wrote up an item—an inch or more.

And the ladies who read the paper that
night

Complained that “he never gets any
thing right.”

But right near by on the very same page

Was another item that stirred their rage.

And as a report it couldn’t be beat.

It told WHEN and WHERE and HOW
and WHY

And not a fact did it pass by.

It named the speaker, told what he said

Gave important parts of reports that
were read.

It mentioned the music and told who
sang

And throughout the item the praises
rang

For the committee that staged the event;

Giving them credit for the way things
went.

“Rank discrimination;”
thought;

But now was it, really, or was it not?

With the report that made them so mad

The editor used all the facts that he had.

“Twas nice and long and quite complete.

And with the other he did the same,

But the second lady knew the game.

She told him all he wanted to know,

Enough to make a column or so.

And had he not stopped her, I’m ready
to bet

That active press-lady would be talking
yet.

You see the point; yes, it’s perfectly
plain,

And also the moral, I need not explain.

So in choosing a lady to cover your news

Just get a “live wire.” Use care when
you choose.

the ladies