DARTMOUTH IN CHINA GROWS
H. W. Robinson '10 has recently written news from China that will be appreciated by all Dartmouth men interested in broadening the contacts and outlook of Dartmouth. Last March he returned to the Paotingfu mission, the field where Dartmouth's contribution is being used. The letter below is the first news form him since his return from furlough.
The Dartmouth-in-China project is a new departure in extension work that is fast gaining the. interest and support of the College. It is part of an American mission in the region immediately southwest of Peking which is organizing a model school system as a part of its program. Beginning in 1922 the Dartmouth Christian Association through Mr. Robinson was induced to contribute three hundred dollars. This contribution has grown from year to year the total for this year including two appropriations from the College Chest reaching $1750.
The model school system includes elementary schools at outlying mission stations -as well as at Paotingfu, a junior (high) middle school at Paotingfu and Jefferson Academy (junior and senior middle) near Peking. The latter is inconveniently located for the Paotingfu district, so the plan is to extend the Paotingfu school to include the senior grades.
Paotingfu is the business center of a rural district of four million in an area a little larger than Connecticut. The people are very favorable to Christian education, and no antiforeign agitation has disturbed the mission since the famine relief work of 1921. The Chinese support the schools as far as 'their extreme poverty will permit. The Paotingfu school receives twice as many applications as the dormitories will accommodate.
In the past the Dartmouth contribution has been used to open and support two new primary schools and to pay part of Mr. Robinson's salary, but beginning with this year's contribution most of it is to be used to extend the Paotingfu school plant and pay teachers. The first five hundred from the College Chest has already paid for the dormitory shown herewith.
The main part of Mr. Robinson's letter follows : "Ever since I learned of the splendid advance the D.C.A. has made in raising money for the educational work here, I have wanted to write and tell you how much we appreciate this extra help. It comes at a very opportune time. When I reached Paotingfu in the middle of March, I found that our middle school was badly in need of funds to erect dormitory buildings so that we can keep the graduating class here this fall instead of sending the boys 40. our Jefferson Academy near Peking. The Dartmouth money makes these buildings possible. In fact some are already nearly finished, and 'I took a picture of them the other day and am herewith enclosing a print.
"Last year a Boy Scout troop was started in the school and it made such a favorable impression that the whole school has adopted the scout uniform this year. They all have drill every Wednesday, and as fast as boys fulfill requirements they are admitted to the troop. Last fall the whole student body and the teachers took a hike to the mountains about 17 miles west of here and 'camped out' for two or three nights. I suppose this is the first time most of them ever experienced anything of this sort, and I am sure it was good for them. There is a fine spirit in the school among both students and faculty, and the whole school is in the most promising condition I have ever seen."
Snapshot of the new dormitory being built with the contribution from the College Chest. The same building would cost $5000 to build in America.
