The University a Workshop for Leaders

The University a Workshop for Leaders By Lowry Nelson, Director Extension Division, Brigham Young University The Brigham Young University, at Provo, during the week cf January 22 to 26, had enrolled upwards of 3,500 people, in addition to its regular student body of over 1,100. The occa- sion was the Annual Leadership Week, during which time, the big school directs its efforts, and turns over its facilities, to the great body of its clientele for the purpose of giving help to those who are assigned the tasks of leadership in the Church and the community. A company of 350 deacons — Bishop John W ells of the Presiding Bishopric (Insert) To serve this end, the University is turned into an intensive training camp, and the work organized in such a way as to serve a wide variety of interests. This year there were twenty -one departments as follows: Priesthood, Aaronic and Melchizedek ; Relief Society, Sunday School, Y. M. M. I. A., Y. L. M. I. A., Scout Work, Bee-HiKe, Primary, Religion Class, Genealogy, Teacher Training (three sections), Presiding and Public Speak- ing, Pageantry, Music, Home-Making, Social and Recreational Leadership, Health Work, Farm Problems. A five-day program was carried through in each of these departments, the schedule

450 IMPROVEMENT ERA being arranged in such away that an individual might attend several of the classes each day. Prominent Lecturers Over one hundred speakers addressed the various sections and the general assemblies during the week. Of the general authorities of the Church the following were in attendance, at some time during the week: Presidents Heber J. Grant and A. W. Ivins, of the First Presidency; Elders James E. Talmage, Ste- phen L. Richards, Richard R. Lyman, Melvin J. Ballard and John A. Widtsoe, of the Council of the Twelve; Elder Levi Edgar Young, of the First Council of Seventies; Elders David A. Smith and John Wells, of the Presiding Bishopric. In addition there were members of the general boards of the Relief Society, Y. M. M. I. A., Y. L. M. I. A., and the Pri- mary, some of whom spent the entire week at the University. Further lecturers were secured from the schools and pro- fessional life. The faculty of the Brigham Young University also gave talks in the various departments. General Assemblies Inspirational Each day at 1:30 p. m. a general assembly was held. At these sessions some very inspirational addresses were given. The Commission of Education had the time on Monday. Dr. Widtsoe outlined the policy of the Church at present in regard to education; and the aims and purposes of Church education were discussed by commissioners Stephen L. Richards and Rich, ard R. Lyman. On Tuesday, Elder Melvin J. Ballard gave a stirring address on essential qualities of leaders. On Wednes- day, Mr. L. H. Weir, field representative of the Playground and Recreation Association of America, discussed the place of recrea- ation in the life of a people. He was followed by Dr. George H. Brimhall and President F. S. Harris, both of whom dwelt upon the importance of leisure time, and the demand, for lead- ers. On Thursday, President Guy C. Wilson, of the L. D. S. U., spoke on "Religious Education," and President W. W. Hender- son, of the Brigham Young College, spoke on "Research and Education." The week's round of good things had a fitting culmination Friday in the visit and addresses of Presidents Grant and Ivins. As was the case on other days it was necessary on Friday to hold two overflow sessions to accommodate the great crowd which came to hear the leaders speak. In spite of the storm, the enrollment on Friday was perhaps the largest during the en- tire week.

452 IMPROVEMENT ERA E\iiening Entertainments Please Each evening there was given a free entertainment to the Leadership Week guesls. On Monday evening a drama was pre- sented in College Hall, and a get-acquainted dance was held in the Ladies' Gym. On Tuesday evening a, pageant under the direction of Professor Eastmond, and a band concert under the direction of Professor Sauer were given in College Hall. On Wednesday, "In a Persian Garden" was presented by the music department under the direction of Professor Florence Jepperson Madsen. The hall proved en'irely inadequate for the crowd which wanted to see the popular musicale, and hundreds were turned away. On Thursday evening the annual triangular de- bate between the Brigham Young University and the University of Utah was held in College Hall, the former winning the de- cision. This event gave the Leadership Week visitors a first rate example of present day collegiate debating, which it is expected will be helpful, especially to the M. I. A. workers. Wide Distribution of Representatives That the appeal of Leadership Week has gone out to the entire Church is evidenced by the fact that representatives came from over 50 stakes throughout the Church. They are Alberta, Alpine, Bear Lake, Beaver, Big Horn, Bingham, Blackfoot, Box Elder, Carbon, Cottonwood, Deseret, Duchesne, Fremont, Idaho, Juab, Jordan, Kanab,'Letbbridge, Lost River, Logan, Millard, Moapa, Nebo, North Davis, Nor h Sanpete, Ogden, Oneida, Panguitch, Parowan, Pioneer, Pocatello, Roosevelt, St. George, San Juan, Sevier, Shelley, South Davis, South Sanpete, Summit, Taylor, Teton, Tintic, Tooele, Uintah, Union, Wasatch, Weber, Woodruff, Young, Utah. The Salt Lake stakes are not segregated in the registration. Provo, Utah Winds of March Blow, blow, ye mighty winds of March! Make bare the brown mould, rich and deep, That holds our food-store in its keep, And break Old Frost King's iron chain That man may delve the earth again. Blow, blow, ye gentle winds of March! Caress our brows with touch of Spring. Bid dormant life awake and sing. Blow softly, let thy whispering make The sleeping heart of Hope awake. Blow, blow, ye winds, and blow again! March, naught but joy thy winds shall bring; Sure harbinger, of coming Spring. Then let thy winds blow high or low, Our souls rejoice; God wills it so. Tridell, Utah Alice Morrill

Doing Common Things in an Uncommon Way A Study for the Advanced Senior Class M. I. A., 1922-23 By George H. Brimhall. Prcsidei.t Emeritus, Brigham Young University Lesson XIX — Advertising, Selling, Persuasion. Propaganda Special Reading Reference: "The Story of the Two Lamps," by Dr. James E. Talmage, Improvement Era, Vol. 17, page 256. 1. Everyone Has Something to Sell. It is one task to create or dis- cover desirable things and it is another equally great and necessary task to dispose of them, or to persuade people to take advantage of them. This applies to everyone whether he serves his fellowmen with manual skill, muscular power, mental products or spiritual values. Everyone who earns a livelihood is under the absolute necessity of offering something for sale. Giving is as essential to growth and development as receiving, and if we are going to give we must do it in a way that will inspire someone to receive. From the foregoing we have a suggestion of how important it is lo know something about the principles of advertising and selling or the prin- ciples involved in persuading and inspiring others to action. Advertising, in a business sense, is printed salesmanship or printed persuasion. In a larger sense, advertising selling, propaganda and persuasion, are one and the same thing and are all accomplished by the same underlying prin- ciples. 2. Fundamental in Persuasion. With all reverence to the Master, his teachings constitute the best text we have on the fundamentals of sale9 manship. Leaders, for example, such as Harry N. Clarke, who is presi- dent of two large companies and a man of recognized leadership, are claiming1 that the fundamental principles of salesmanship are the teachings of the Bible. No one ever even approached the ability of Jesus to persuade and lead. Next to him comes Paul. The most interesting thing about these two leaders is (1) Their characters, (2) Their doctrine, and (3) Their ability to anticipate the thoughts and feelings of other people. Texts on salesmanship and advertising point out these three corresponding elements which are fundamental in persuasion or salesmanship: First, Ourselves. Secmid, Our proposition. Third, the other nerson's mind.

454 IMPROVEMENT ERA 1. Ourselves. In the first place, we must be the kind of persons we would like to do business with. People must believe in our acts and state- ments in order to be convinced and persuaded. An appeal, therefore, must radiate with an inherent quality of sincerity and honesty, frankness and candor, vigor and energy. These qualities should never be a veneer, but should spring from a genuine love of humanity. Such an appeal will inspire a feeling of friendliness and confidence. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, and possessed with sin- cerity, frankness and vigor, our missionaries, without education, have at- tracted many people who could not be attracted in any other way. Satan realizes the value of these qualities and tries to appropriate them to his own use. His success, if any, is to be only temporary — he being unable to du- plicate practiced counterfeiting. 2. Our Proposition. Our proposition, the chief element for persuasion, must be such as to benefit both the giver and the receiver, or both the seller and the buyer. If the exchange is not mutually helpful, the receiver is impoverished and the outlet for our product is being destroyed. The test of our proposition should be, therefore, is it the kind of proposition you would like to have come to you? The deceiver's success cannot be per- manent because his propositions improverish and destroy. The success of the honest salesman is to be permanent because his propositions enrich. 3. The Other PersonJs Mind. To fathom and direct the mind of the other person, requires skill, adroitness and the power of analysis. Every time we make a purchase or accept a proposition there are four different mental states involved in the mind of the buyer: The first mental state is attention, which properly sustained and aug- mented, develops into interest; interest, properly sustained and intensified, develops into desire; desire in turn, if properly sustained and encouraged, develops into favorable decision and action. These are the same four mem- tal states which are involved in every voluntary sin committed or act of kindness performed. The act first arrests our attention, which is sustained and intensified into interest. Interest awakens desire, sustained desire calls for action. Strength and weakness, in all their phases, are the two com- monly used avenues of appeal. Pleasure, joy, fear, pride, vanity, success, profit, power, are some of the more susceptible phases of our weakness and our strength. It is a problem for the salesman to find the weakest link or the most susceptible avenues of appeal by means of which the mind of the prospect can be led through the successive mental states. Satan is a past master at finding the weak links, and breaking the anchor chain of salvation. Jesus is the skilled inspector finding defects, providing for their repair, and placing high value on the strong links of life. He who said, "O ye of little faith," also declared to his disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth."

DOING COMMON THINGS IN AN UNCOMMON WAY 455 Questions and Problems 1. Explain the fact that everyone has something to sell. 2. Why is it important to our progress that we develop our ability to inspire others? 3. Why are business people beginning, to rely more and more on the teachings of the Master, Paul and Joseph Smith? 4. What are the three interesting things about our divine teachers which correspond to the fundamental elements of persuasion? 5. What two elements, aside from the Spirit of God, enable our uneducated missionaries to allay prejudice? 6. Why does the deceiver impoverish his followers? How can sales- men do the same thing? 7. Explain the fact that the deceiver appreciates the power of sincerity, frankness, and vigor. 8. What kind of propositions do the 'Mormon" missionaries have to sell? Why doe9 it fill the fundamental elements of persuasion? 9. What are the four states of mind involved in putting a proposition over, or making a sale? 10. Show the adroitness of Satan in attempting to sell a spurious sal- vation to the Savior. 11. Relate the parable of the lamp by Dr. James E. Talmage. 12. Discuss the high grade quality of the Beatitudes as gospel propa- ganda. 13. In what respects is the Word of Wisdom a sample of good bar- gaining? 14. Give instances of uncommon advertising by Edward Bok. 15. Tell of the clean advertising. See A Dutch Boy Fifty Years After, by Edward Bok, pages 121-122. Lesson XX — Seeking Employment 1. Growth Dependent on Employment. Regardless of great capabil- ities and splendid training, people become failures if their employment fails to afford a suitable outlet for their qualifications. On the other hand, people with less natural aptitude, but with a proper outlet and facilities for development achieve success. Seeking employment is, therefore, worthy of much more thought and attention than is ever given to it. People accidentally gravitate into posi- tions or jobs rather than intelligently seek them. 2. The First Consideration. Before we begin the actual task of seek- ing employment, it is important that we attempt to analyze ourselves and determine whether or not we are looking chiefly for work, oppor- tunity or money, and whether we are concerned mostly with the immediate present or the ultimate future. This is a difficult analysis for the average person to make, because the average person has no well defined or even vague conception of the one great big thing he wants to do or become in this life. The course of the average man's life is determined by the direc- tion of the current rather than by a well laid out plan or even a vague plan. In the absence of a well defined goal to work to, we have no spe- cific yard stick or rules by which we can gauge or measure our under-

456 IMPROVEMENT ERA takings. This is why we drift into positions rather than intelligently seek them. 3. Ideals. If we have no well defined goal or plan to work to. we should by all means try to adopt one. If we haven't already done so we should first choose what might be termed a "Great Ultimate IdeaL" the cornerstone of all our activities — Salvation. Next we should choose what we will call a "Contributory Major Ideal." This is our vocation or profession, and should contribute to the accomplishment of our ultimate ideal. Lastly we should choose what we will call our "Contributory Minor Ideals," such as/ an ideal home, ideal recreation, an ideal employer, ideal companions, etc. After getting some sort of ideals or plans in mind we can more wisely determine the most suitable position to seek. In actual practice, we find desirable jobs extremely scarce. Em- ployers, on the other hand, find desirable applicants for desirable jobs extremely scarce. The fault lies in the main with applicants. They ap- pear to concern themselves chiefly with salary and the immediate future, they are prone to overlook opportunity and the ultimate future, and they make application for positions beyond their qualifications. 4. Look for Responsibility — not Salary. If we advisedly pick a certain business profession as an aim to work to, we can afford for a while to take st very small salary if the salary is accompanied with an op- portunity to learn and advance into positions of responsibility. In the long run we will be ahead of where we would be if we accept anything in the nature of a job, just because it has a fair salary attached to it. If a desirable job can otherwise be had, it is better in most instances to offer our services gratis rather than go into some other field for which we have not planned or trained. 5. Take Opportunity as Part Pay. Few business men or employers would turn down an opportunity to take us into their organizations, if we had the stuff in us to offer our services without salary until such a time as an opening occurred in the organization. It would be indeed an unusual thing for a business man to have such a thing occur, and there are few business men who would keep us waiting very long without finding a job with some kind of monetary remuneration. This is based on the assumption, of course, that our services and work were satisfactory. If we enter a firm's employ under these conditions we would be sure to attract so much favorable interest and confidence on the part of the employer that advancement would be rapid in comparison to the ordinary employees of similar education and ability. Therefore, the humble begin- ning would turn out to be a good one in the long run. In case of an absolute immediate need for ready money, salary will be the chief requirement, and opportunity of secondary consideration. This should be clearly understood by us because after our immediate needs for money are supplied, we have a tendency to forget our original ob- jective and seem to continually look for the monay requirements. In the long run we have received no advancement, and are still getting about the

DOING COMMON THINGS IN AN UNCOMMON WAY 457 same salary as we started out with. In case we compromise and take a job with a fair salary and fair opportunity, both our salary and advancement will forever be only medium, because that is what we have looked for. Again, if we look to responsibility and opportunity for advancement in positions of importance, and make that our specialty, our advancement will be rapid; but rapid advancement invariably carries with it a cor- responding increase in responsibility and an advance in salary. Questions and Problems 1. Why do we need an outlet suited to our capabilities and training? 2. Why do people accidentally gravitate into positions rather than wisely seek them? 3. What is the thing to do before actually starting to look for work? 4. Explain 4he three kinds of ideals. 5. How are ideals linked up with seeking employment? 6. Explain why we should keep in mind the ultimate future rather than the present, when we look for work? 7. If we make the accounting profession our ideal, under what condi- tions should we accept any other kind of work? 8. What is the trouble with ua when we go to look for a job? 9. Explain how we can eventually get a good job in most any large concern? 10. Explain why we should seek responsibility and opportunity rather than salary? 11. Tell about Edward Bok's "First Job'' as illustrative of uncommon seeking of employment. Lesson XXI — Furnishing Employment It is almost self-evident that the mutual interests of the financier, the employer, the employee and the public are identical. Where we have community interest in temporal things we have a corresponding unity in spiritual things. The case of the city of Enoch is an example of unity in all things. "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." It is futile to hope for spiritual progress when temporal conditions are at cross purposes. The industrial or temporal turmoil is quite largely centered about the employee and employer. Whether or not it is possible to agree on just what is responsible for our lack of industrial peace, we can examine outstanding examples of harmony and success, and from these, we can draw some conclusions as to what the prerequisites for harmony and progress might be. Take the common case of Mr. Ford who has become, in the space of a few years, one of the richest men in the world. His success in a monetary way has been greater and more rapid than any in the history of the world. Mr. Ford is quoted as saying that he believes he can serve his fellowmen best by devoting his time and profits to furnishing more work to more people. What are some of his characteristic policies? In the first place, he does not lie awake nights wondering if he is paying his employees a little more than his competitor, or figuring out some scheme for reducing

458 IMPROVEMENT ERA wages without causing a strike, or evolving some scheme for getting more efficient help, and more work out of the help he already has. He can rest, knowing that he is paying the highest wag© rate in the industrial world, and in turn, getting the lowest labor cost per unit of output; that a strike is out of the question; that he can get all the help he wants, and that he is getting a very high degree of efficiency out of his workmen. In the second place, his employees are not lying awake nights trying to figure out) ways of doing more "soldiering," and getting more pay for it. They appreciate the fact that their interests and the company in- terests are identical, and they cooperate accordingly. In the third place, Mr. Ford is turning out a very useful article at a minimum price and allows the consumer to share with his em- ployees and himself in all economies effected. In the fourth place, there is no quarrel between Mr. Ford, on the one hand, and the public and capital on the other, since Mr. Ford holds the unique position of having his own capital. In the fifth instance, instead of either squandering, piling up, or other- wise converting his profits to his own selfish ends as fast as they are earned, he invests them so that they will give more compensative work to more people which in turn will make more profits to be shared so as to give work to more people and so on indefinitely. As a result of this, he now gives work to over 100,000 people all working for a community interest. This can not help but contribute to a greater social unity and strength. The underlying feature of Mr. Ford's success is due to his regard for the public, the employees and society in general. It is Christianity applied to employment. If everybody paid a full tithing it is difficult to imagine the amount of industry and of employment which might result. This seems to be one avenue of approach through which we can establish the order of Enoch or system of unity in material affairs as revealed through Joseph Smith in this dispensation. It has this virtue also that it places respon- sibility on the employee; if the employee share in the profits of a business, it would appear reasonable that he be wiling also to share in the losses, and in forming the capital. The employment provisions of the revelations of the Lord to the Latter-day Saints fit the capacity for work from childhood to old age inclusive. The living up to the employment privileges of the Church would bring about a condition where there would be no poverty and no idleness. Questions and Problems 1. Why are the interests of the employer, the employee, capital and the public identical? 2. Why does Mr. Ford profit by paying high wages? 3. How do Mr. Ford's employees feel toward the company inter- ests?

DOING COMMON THINGS IN AN UNCOMMON WAY 459 4. What does the product have to do with Mr. Ford's success? 5. How do you help the employees when you put your profits back into the business? 6. How does our tithing furnish employment? 7. If the Church funds go to build up industries and furnish em- ployment how will that help to establish unity among the Latter-day Saints? 8. What are the gospel provisions against enforced idleness and poverty? 9. What are the two great purposes of employment? 10. Discuss: It is doubly better to give employment than to give charity direct. 11. Tell of Edward Bok's uncommon way of giving people an op- portunity to get an education. Be Constructive in Preaching By Joseph S. Peery Shortly before his death President Joseph F. Smith said, "Try to be as broad as the Gospel." The Gospel is eminently constructive. It leads on to perfection. We have a glorious saving message to give. We cannot give it by attacking others. If the Spirit of the Lord leads us in our utterances, the message will be one of peace and good will. If we contend, the hearers will fight back and they refuse to listen. To a man who interrupts with a desire to find fault, a mis- sionary could answer: "You have good reasons for your point that the sinner stays in hell forever. If I had the Bible only to uphold me, I probably would believe as you. In addition to the Bible, we have modern revelation that explains what "endless and eternal punishment" really means. (See Doc. and Cov. 19-"6, 12.) Or the missionary could say to a contentious individual, "Brother, according to your view point, you have good reasons, but as Mark Twain said, 'Let us talk things over and not argue.' To admit the man has good ground to stand on, does not weaken our position and may put him in a receptive mood to listen to our side. In giving our message, let us not for- get the other person is sincere in his belief." The Prophet Joseph Smith told the missionaries not to contend with others about their religious beliefs, but to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. When we do preach the doctrines of the Savior, the hearers are elevated into a spiritual plane of peace and happiness. So are we. A young lady who had filled a successful mission said, "The missionaries should pray to be led by the Spirit of the Lord. Then it is Spirit speaking to spirit, and the hearers never forget it,"

Scout Leaders at Brigham Young University During llie week, January 22-27, 1923, 126 scout leaders were in train- ing at the Brigham Young University, and at the same time, a like number were also training at the Agricultural College of Utah. Excellent courses were given at both institutions. The great writer Arnold has- said, "I hold that a man is only fit to teach so long as he is himselfi learning daily. If the mind once becomes stagnant it can give no fresh draught to another mind; it is drinking out of a pond instead of from a spring." The scout leaders had an opportunity to come to these training courses, to receive new information and inspiration. The youth of our Church are calling for a prepared leadership. The men who are suc- ceeding and enjoying their work are men who are prepared. The testimony of a man who ha9 held his scouts together for three years and had them advance steadily under his training is valuable as showing what effect the work has upon the men of a city. He writes as follows: "Work is progressing wonderfully. The moral uplift among my older scouts is a source of great pleasure and indeed pride, and our effort to keep the scout laws and promise is having an effect upon the community. One of our business men said at a recent gathering, 'It would do us older chaps a great deal of good to try to live up to the scout prom- ise. I like that 'good turn' idea. It would be a good thing for us to practice,' and so after three years of effort our labors are bringing some results.'' Every opportunity for training should be accepted by our leaders as a chance to prepare for better service and greater joy. — Oscar A. Kirkham.

Helps in Teacher-Training What Psychology Is and Does (To accompany Lesson 1, How We Learn^ Teacher-Training text, for 1923) Written for the General Church Board of Education by L. John Nuttall, of the Brigham Young University Psychology has reached scientific conclusions based on experiments and careful observations both of one's own learning processes and of the action of others. "Where uniform results have always come from the same conditions the conclusion has been set down as a psychological law. Learning is measured by one's ability to control one's conduct. "When a question is asked, the one who knows does not just talk but controls him- self and talks appropriately. One who has learned to dance does not just move around but controls the movement of his feet in certain defi- nite ways. One who has learned that disease is due to a certain cause does not wail and moan and run about wildly importuning various assumed gods to intervene for the sick one but controls his activity along the lines of providing proper care and remedies. One who- plays the piano does not just beat thf keys, but strikes them in a definite order, controlling action according to the laws of harmony in sound. One who knows how to ad- vertise does not just indiscrimately display his goods or describe them, but does it in a certain controlled way which will attract and hold the at- tention of the buyers. How anyone acquires these controls of conduct is the field of psychology in as far as it formulates the laws of learning. The art of teaching is the art of assisting and guiding in this learn- ing process. Just as the maker of a machine must know and apply the physical laws of leverage, stress, elasticity, etc., and as the manufacturer must know and apply certain chemical laws, so the teacher should know and apply laws of learning formulated by a good scientific psychology. From the first lesson of the outline, therefore, should come a point of view which will make interesting the following lessons in the course. • The student of psychology approaches the subject generally from the point of view of an investigator, wfiose chief objective is the scientific desire to "know and understand." The teacher approaches the study of psychology looking for some rule or law or principle or device which will help him in his teaching. The first is the point of view of pure science; the second, is the point of view of applied science. Too often the teacher wants to apply psychology before he knows it. A study of the outline and the texts suggested will justify the conclusion that in order to apply the laws of learning as established by the scientific in-

462 IMPROVEMENT ERA vestigations in the field of psychology a teacher must know what these laws are and must then) apply them through the use of proper teaching meth- ods. One caution is necessary at this point, psychological investigations reach over into the fields of the sub-consciousness, of dreams, of sugges- tions, etc. Some people approach the study of psychology with only this idea of the content in mind. As a study of the mental side of human be- havior psychology has analyzed the every-day actions of people, observed uniformities and differences, experienced on these, and has formed certain conclusions which make it possible to control conduct by teaching. The following may assist in making this analysis of what psychology does more clear. Do you ever expect pupils to know something and they do not seem to know it? Do they really not know it or, are you not able to call up the response? Have they forgotten it? Did they learn it when you taught it? These questions require analysis for their answer. You taught a lesson. By what means did it get to the pupils? The only avenues are the senses. What real impression did they receive — auditory, visual, tactual, muscular? How intensely were these impressions made? Were they welcomed by the student? When the student received these impressions did he tend to act differently in speech, attitude, or con- duct? Should he have done? Is it necessary for the child to be active when learning? These are but typical of many questions asked by teachers about their work. They realize that teaching is unsuccessful when pupils learn. Modern psychology has studied human behavior and has determined quite defi- nitely what the learning process is and how it may bei stimulated and con- trolled. To have this information about the laws of learning is basic in learning to teach. It can be acquired either through the long process of practical experience or through a study of psychology. The Church is asking us to study psychology so that the costs of experience may not be too great in terms of disinterested children. Heredity and Etwiornment (To Accompany Lesson 2, How We Learn, Teacher-Training Text for 1923) The manufacturer of an automobile truck puts into the machine a cer- tain amount of material. The frame work is of a certain size. The engine has a certain bore and stroke and number of cylinders, the tires and wheels are of a definite size. The springs have a definite number of leaves of certain thickness and length. Careful measurements will show what the load limit of this machine* is. Good care and handling will make the machine carry this load. Poor driving, poor gasoline, lack of oil, etc., may prevent the performance of this expected task. No amount of care and skill in handling nor good fuel can, however, make the car do more than was made potentially possible in its manufacture. Neither will the inculcation of great potentialities by the manufacturer cause the car to do work unless it is filled with fuel, started and driven by some one,

HELPS IN TEACHERTRAINING 463 Original nature as controlled by heredity causes each individual to have certain powers. Some of these, notably the human form and certain fundamental instincts, are the heritage of all mankind. Other qualities such as color op general stature are found in certain races. In family groups still other characteristics which are more specialized are common. Wihen parentage is pure in regard to any characteristic or ability the in- heritance is sure; to negro parents are born negro children. But when the parents differ, variations occur among the children. The variations are generally in amount of traits. We all have the same human form, but some are taller than others. We all inherit the instinct to fight but there are marked differences in the intensity of the tendency. The human tendency is to have hair on, the head, but we differ in the amount, color, degree of curl of this hair. The inheritance of such traits is clear. Heredity as a problem comes when the peculiarities of family groups are studied and the attempt is made to determine if possible what can be expected of children, on the basis of heredity. . Aa in the case of the automobile, heredity limits the power of the indivdual. All do not have the same possibilities. Experiments show that in school subjects the ordinary grade group will vary in a ratio of approximately one to eight. In other words some children having had ap- proximately the same training will do eight times as much as others. That these differences in ability seem peculiar to family groups, is amply proved by studies in heredity, but to just what extent mental and moral abilities and traits are inherited is not accurately known. Children re- semble their parents more than anyone else. They, however, resemble somewhat grandparents and ancestors still more remote. It is also to be kept clearly in mind that individuals inherit these qualities in combina- tions that sometimes make them appear entirely different from the family group. As an illustration of this out of the Kallikak family, the best known example of the inheritance of feeblemindedness, 46 normal de- scendants were found among the 480 individuals who were studied. Because part of this Kallikak family originated in the union ot a relatively weak man and a feeble-minded girl the progeny for generations lived lives of imbecility, squalor and crime. The other side of the story, as shown by the careful study of the second family of this same Martin Kallikak, married to a good woman, and the study of the family of Jon- athan Edwards causes one of our recent psychologists to conclude "Mate good with good and good will inevitably result; mate good with positively bad and a mixture will result in which the' bad will be striking if not predominant." It may, sometime, be possible through Eugenics to con- trol the mating and thus insure the good in immediate inheritance. For the present we can only accept the inheritance and teach. In doing this Thorndike says, "It is a first principle of Education to utilize an indi- viduaFs original nature as a means to changing him for the better to produce in him the information, habits*, powers, interests, and ideals which are desirable."

464 IMPROVEMENT ERA It is different to trace an ability to its hereditary source. The studies mentioned above have done this. Our attitude, when we know what we can find out about} the contribution of heredity to the lives of the children we teach is to furnish the environment fuel, stimulation and guidance that will insure the use of the native ability to its fullest capacity. We seldom drive the automobile to the full limit of its power or speed. When we teach human beings we should aim to stimulate them to the highest possible development and achievement. One thing should be made clear. We inherit capacity or ability, we do not inherit the form in which it is expressed. Language for all, if invironment is controlled, can be good. Home life, if environment is completely controlled, can be made the means of expression of the inherited sex and parental tendencies. The legitimate clean show can be made the means of expression of the in- herited power to act or sing, and can be made the satisfier of the in- herited desire for entertainment if the environment in these matters can be fully controlled on the level of high ideals. Physical traits, such as height, eye color, peculiar features of face and form, hair color or curl are easily observed to be commonly alike in families although marked exceptions are noticed. If a family has dark, curly hair generally, the exception may have light hair. What should be done about it? The light hair should be just as carefully cleaned, and cut as the dark and it responds with health to proper care. Peculiar weak organs may be the family trait. What should be done about it? Care and healthful living should be the watchword. Should a strong robust child be born in the family, he should likewise be carefully fed and clothed and exercised and he will respond by keeping well. He may always thus be stronger than the weak child, but neglect him and his life may be full of more suffering than his weaker brother. Except for certain nervous disorder, such as insanities or neurotic tendencies, specific diseases are not inherited. Children may easily acquire such diseases as consump- tion from parents, so sometimes they are assumed to be inherited. Similarly mental and moral traits are inherited. Children tend to resemble their parents more than other people. Just to what extent parental ability can be used to predict the ability of children, is a prob- lem that has received and is receiving1 much careful study. It is not yet answered. We should teach them all so that within the limits set by original nature all may act right. Just as on a given base a great many forms of triangles may be drawn, so, as Mr. Conklin shows, on a given base of moral and mental heredity, a number of different kinds of lives may be built. A family may tend t<j be superior, another may tend to be mentally weak. What we should do is to see that on each foundation is built all the good possible. Provo, Utah.