The event passed off with great satisfaction to pupils and teacher. All that was needed for Verna was special supervision and commendation, as she was given the place of mother, which she represented with hearty eagerness. CASE 72 (SIXTH GRADE) [Sidenote: Picnic Manners] North Lord School celebrated the coming of summer with a picnic. Miss Bradford attended carefully to everything except the behavior of her pupils. Scarcely had the crowd gathered, before she began directing the boys and girls how to conduct themselves. Calling out from a distance, she said: “Shame on you boys for taking the swings first. Let the girls have a good time, then you can have the swings if you want them.” Several older girls made a dash for the bridge that led over to the other side of the railroad tracks. They were out of sight in a moment with the teacher on a hot chase. When she overtook them there was another scolding. “You’re a pretty lot! There’ll be several girls sent home now if there is any more running off like this.” On returning to the group of children she heard a confusion about the lunches: “Here, let me. I’m going to get out the lunches.” “No, get out, you can’t manage this.” Meanwhile some one was ordering them all away from the lunch baskets. Thus it continued to the end with noisy, and in large part, fruitless attempts on the part of Miss Bradford to keep some sort of order and decorum. CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Arrange for details of conduct before the event comes off on occasions like this. As a basis for good order, organize the school into committees, assigning specific duties to each and develop a sense of dignity in each pupil, sufficient to sustain the part appointed to him. Give explicit instructions on certain urgent matters. “If the girls gather around the swings, offer them an opportunity to use them; the chairman of the swing committee will see that this regulation is carried out. “Paul will attend to the lunches. Any one may place a lunch in his care at any time, and receive a check for it. But no one can get his lunch out until 11:45. Paul will attend to this without fail.” Do not attempt too many regulations; be content with a few clearly stated, necessary directions. This method with slight modifications should be followed with children of all grades. COMMENTS System and reasonably good manners have an appeal for children because of the desire they have to imitate adults. Appointment to office gives a child authority and evokes a corresponding respect from other children. If each child is given a task, he quickly senses the situation when required to conform to the standards of courtesy which he wants others to follow in dealing with him. It is always needful to plant at once, perhaps many times, seeds of new acts, sometime before the fruitage is expected. A little reflection will often permit a child to adjust himself, when, if required to act instantly, he would break out in rebellion.