Editor.Dorothy M. Bell
Palmer, Alaska Advertising .... June Knoff
Published once a week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Farmers' Coopera
ting Association for the purpose of giving news cf the Associations' work, prob
lems, and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $1.75 $1.00 for six months ' IQs* a copy
SHOULD SCHOOLS TEACH ABOUT : COOPS?-. /
Taken From The Cooperative Digest r •' - — \ *
• ' ; J . . ■ V
There are those, apparently, who believe that because: teachers have repeatedly de
clared their lack of knowledge of-cooperatives no attention should be givdn to the
subject in the hallowed halls of learning. No doubt they have good reasons for
believing as they do but should we project this type of reasoning into all our
learning from whence would cone progress? This line of thinking Is reminiscent
of the little boy who came home from school one r'ay and •-’nnounced to his parents
that he didn't want to go to that school anymore because the teachers were trying
to teach him a lot of things he Idn't know anything about.
Assuming that we should omit cooperatives from the curriculum of our schools beca
use che teachers nre n..t as completely informed as some co-op specialists leads
our thinking Into sene strange oaths. At the outset of course, it Implies that all
there Is to teaching is the transmission of knowledge from the notes of a speciali
st to the notebooks of his avidly listening students without having passed through
the minds of either one. There are, It must be pointed out, relatively large num
bers of people enraged In education today who believe that the least effective
form of teaching Is that same lecture system.
WEAK SPOT
Another weak spot In such reasoning Is that were-we to follow It to Its natural
conclusion we would eliminate any c -nslderaticn of such areas as atomic energy,
sell conservation, and health. For surely teachers are not specialists In these
fields either. We know very little about the atom, yet the frightened scientists
whe discovered It knew tha.t mere education is the answer tc the problem of hcv to
use it for productive rather than HuStructlvc purooses. It would seem to this
writer that we have nothing to fear.from any honest attempt on the part of anyone
tc disseminate knowledge--unless we fear the Instrument Itself. The Biblical ad
monition seems apropos: "What fear ye cf little faith?"
True, teachers have been 111-infcrned concerning cooperatives, their principles,
and their techniques cf operation. In a recent study of the schools of Wisconsin
under the administration of a county superintendent of schools the writer received
information which confirmed this. But It should be noted that while the teachers
stated a desire for more knowledge of cooperatives they did. say they were interest
ed In cooperatives, they considered then an Important economic development, and
felt that they were an integrating force In the community..
One reason the teachers were not being well-informed,.the study pointed out, was
the fact that cooperatives themselves have not made their presence felt In the
community.
BACK STREET
When a cooperative locates Itself on a back street or cn the edge of town It appar
ently assumes a similar place of Importance In the life of the community. Many
teachers asked that they be shown why cooperatives are Important. The question
night well be asked here, "Are members of cooperatives cn school boards?”, or :‘Do
co- p members belong to P.T.A.’s?", or even "Are members of cooperatives also par
ents?" If affirmative answers be given tc these questions, then It follows that
one should step tc werrer why these same monbers of cooperatives have not acquain
ted their teachers and schools with an economic Institution which Is so Influential
In the life of the community. 'Vhy have not the members of the cooperative paused
long enough in their activities to point out to the schools that there are numerous
films, books, and resource materials which may be used tc study firsthand this spec
tacularly expanding economic Institution?
Could it be that the cooperative and- its members have been concerning themselves
fare more with lining their own pockets and have failed to see that any institution
that begins to assume proportions such as most cooperatives new have must begin to
"1 .ok unto the hills"?
Isn't there something In the lore of the whole cooperative movement to the effect
that_.a i>rlnclpalcorvtributlon has been ln "helping people help themselves"?