Page:Final Report of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission.pdf/44

 These were however but a small part of the two hundred and fifty thousand teachers in the states of the territory.

The commission had no paid staff of lecturers, or moving picture programs. Personnel did not even permit of personally visiting county and independent district superintendents; much less principals and individual teachers.

To reach 600 county superintendents, fifty thousand school principals, two hundred and fifty thousand teachers in order to reach five million school children, in a manner to be really effective, is quite a problem in itself.

From the experience of this commission, no matter how well it may compare with other celebrations, it appears almost hopeless to reach this tremendous potential group effectively within any reasonable bounds of expenditure.

This commission spent about $22,000 or 22% of its total appropriation directly on school participation, and with scholarships given by institutions for higher education, this becomes about $35,000.

The text book was intended to prepare teachers to interpret this history to their respective ages and grades of students. It would be very interesting to actually know how many teachers ever received and read the text book.

Maps were not printed by the States to reach all school children as had been proposed, and it is doubtful as to whether the distribution of those which were printed was any more carefully or conscientiously carried out by school authorities than was the distribution of the text book.

The school contest was, according to all school authorities consulted, the best and most remunerative so far offered to schools by any agency. The results secured may be seriously questioned as to being worth the cost.

Summing up the factor of organization participation, it is difficult to compare results secured in this celebration with those attained in other similar programs. The premises are always somewhat different; many celebration reports are inclined to "gloss over" meagre results secured for one reason or another and dependable figures on previous efforts are not available.

Certainly it must be expected that 100% results will not be secured by any method, and any actual attainments must be measured against their cost.

This commission's working personnel believes that either newer and more attractive promotion and organization methods must be devised, or effort toward such participation be confined to simple and inexpensive procedures, with major funds devoted to other more productive features.

This is one of the particularly pleasing features of the program and great appreciation is due to those agencies which cooperated so heartily.

The plan for the celebration was premised upon securing wide publicity by doing things which were news, and which would so find space in the news columns of publications rather than only in paid advertising space.