Nat Kaplan on the Young Workers summer school held at Lake Dennison Farm, near Winchendon, Massachusetts.
‘A New Generation in the Making’ by Nat Kaplan. Vol. 3 No. 228. October 9, 1926.
IMAGINE corralling fifty-two American youngsters of both sexes onto a thirty-acre New England farm and telling them: “This is your domain. Set up your government and rule.”
Some of the old gray beards who think thru their hardened arteries would answer, “Impossible, chaos, scandalous—petting parties, etc.” We hate to disappoint them, but nothing of the sort took place. From the first to the fifth week the Young Workers’ League Summer Training school held on Lake Dennison Farm, near Winchendon, Mass., was a perfect picture of self-discipline enacted and enforced by the students themselves.
It Is true that in the beginning we had some hazings. One of the Boston students, a member of the rules enforcement committee elected by the students, was about to retire one fair evening, and found a cool reception awaiting him. Another student from Long Island had decorated his bed with small lumps of—what the student lawyer in the student’s trial on the matter called—“frozen ice.” The student’s court found the “culprit” guilty and promptly sentenced him to become the school ice man and to supply the refrigerator daily. Since that time no serious breech of discipline was recorded.
Purpose of the School.
THE school was one of a series of three district schools established for the Young Workers’ League this year. The main purpose of the school was to give a minimum political-theoretical training to a number of chosen members of the Yonng Workers’ League so that they could become better functionaries of the league. When the instructors arrived, they found that a large number of the students were non-Communist youths, many had no contact with working class organizations before. The Finnish comrades, who were helping to finance the school, had in this way extended Its purpose.
The Student Composition.
Of the fifty-two students in the school, 30 were girls and 22 were boys. Thirty of the students of both sexes were American-born (Americanized youngsters in every sense of the word). The social composition was not of the best. There were 19 young workers, 2 young farmers and 31 were students (the majority attending high school). Yet, we cannot be too dismal in regards to this composition.
Large numbers of the students in American schools have demonstrated their militancy in the struggle against compulsory military training in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Not only that but large numbers of the students from working class families will be forced into the industries after leaving the schools. Twenty of our school students were not members in any part of the radical movement when they arrived.
The Curriculum.
BOTH of the instructors were unanimous from the start in discarding the old socialist Sunday school type of curriculum, i.e., one which starts with the evolution of the earth, of man and society and finally comes—if ever—to a consideration of the present capitalist system and the problems facing us today. If for no other reason, the short school term, made this impermissible. Some of the students, who when they were younger, had attended socialist Sunday schools, were questioned one day as to what they had learned there. One remembered hazily that she had learned something about an ape; another had learned that at one time there were cave men. Marxian economics, i.e., an analysis of the capitalist mode of production was logically our starting point if we aimed to be realists.
From this starting point we were able to advance to a consideration of the question of the class struggle and the role of state; classes and parties in America; Imperialism; forms and strategy of the class struggle and revolution; the role of the party; the role of the Young Workers’ League and the youth problems, etc. During the last two weeks we also added the study of American history to our curriculum. The day was divided so that there was plenty of time for the school work, study circle work, recreation and meetings of the students’ government.
Method of Instruction.
THE instructors merely tried to guide the students in their self-education. Neither of the instructors assumed that they were to present their lectures and disregard whether the students were actually deriving something from them. The instructors invited interruptions and interrupted themselves during the course of the lectures to present concrete problems to the students. The ordinary lecture method was turned into a discussion method and thus the initiative of the students was developed.
The main bulk of the discussion, however, took place within the students’ study circles. There was one basic fault in the teaching method. The school was too far removed from the actual struggles of the workers during the period of its existence. The academic-training should have been combined with real work in the factories of Gardner and vicinity. A factory could have been visited and studied, then a campaign among the workers planned.
Students’ Self-Government.
UNLIKE the capitalist schools, the highest authority on this farm school were the students themselves. The final say on all matters was in the hands of a students’ body composed of all the students. This body elected a students’ council of 13 members which functioned between meetings of the students’ body.
Some permanent committees (a restrictive committee to enforce the student rules, an athletic committee, a kitchen police committee, which apportioned K.P. duty to all students evenly, etc., were elected. Besides the permanent committees temporary ones were elected whenever necessary.
Some of the students had been sent to the school under the instructions of their parents, not on their own initiative and had so expressed themselves in the beginning. It was the students’ form of self government within the school which absorbed these students and made them refuse to leave at any price.
Athletics and Side Features.
THE school had a “cracker-jack” baseball team which won three games out of four, and lost only one. Besides baseball, there was swimming, canoeing, fishing, high jumping, pole vaulting, shot throwing and track athletics. The real spirit of working class sportsmanship was built up in the school—and no little part was played in this development by the girls.
The school had a wall paper as its official organ which was called The Red Revel. A husky young farmer from Vermont was the editor-in-chief who was supported by an able staff of students.
Michael Gold, would have received the thrill of his life it he had seen these students present his mass recitation, “Strike” to a large audience of sympathizers. Debates and many other side activities arranged by the students kept this youth community hustling all the time.
As the school was coming to a close the students all lined up in the Young Workers’ League. Speeches of determination to win away the Youth from the grip of the capitalist exploiters were made on all sides. Many of the students felt sad as they to say good-bye to their comrades who were leaving for their homes in all parts. “In our future work in the movement,” said one of the students in parting, “we will never forget the spirit and the lessons of the Lake Dennison School.”
‘Y.W.L. School at Winchendon, Mass; by H. Peters. August 24, 1926.
LAKE DENNISON, Winchendon, Mass., was one of the places where the resolution, “To give the young workers an education” was put into practice. After much work and financial sacrifice by the members of the Workers’ Party, the school was opened July 16 at the shores of Lake Dennison, Winchendon, Mass.
The students became immediately acquainted with each other and the daily routine, compiled by the instructors, was put into practice: 7 a.m., the breakfast bell is rung. From 7:30 to 8:30 breakfast is served. The basic subject the first three weeks, economics, and the last two, the activities of the Y.W.L., was from 9 to 10. Then from 10 to 11 the students, divided in three study circles, would read, discuss and prepare their lessons for the following day. Again, at 11, was the basic subject, which was the first three weeks economics and the last two weeks American history. At 12 o’clock was the grand rush for dinner. Then from 1 to 2 we had current events, in which we sometimes had real fiery debates. Lastly, from 2 to 3, was the public speaking hour.
This proved to be a very embarrassing hour to many of the students the first weeks, but gradually the students be came accustomed to such procedure and the embarrassment changed to interest and liking in many cases.
An interesting part of this program was the soap box speaking. This gave the impatient listeners a wonderful opportunity to play k.k.k. by hurling annoying questions at the speaker, and in turn gave the speaker a chance to experience reality, and act accordingly. This ended the program of the day.
Do not think, comrade readers, however, that the remaining day amounted to naught. Plenty of activities more than filled the day. such as preparing for debates, holding student body, student council or other meetings, preparing for picnics, and so forth.
The last week of the school kept the students very busy In preparing the program for the closing night of the school, and also in editing the school paper. The Red Rebel. Besides the school work and the activities, a few of which I have described, sports were in important factor. Swimming was ideal. A fine football team was organized which won every game but one. Track, Jumping, shotput, and countless other sports were organized. Thus the school was an all-round school, preparing the young workers both mentally and physically for work for the struggle of the proletariat.
Of course we cannot estimate the value of the school until we actually see the results, but the majority of the students left filled with enthusiasm to carry on profitable work in organizing Young Workers’ Leagues, forming shop nuclei, in joining the unions and so forth.
In conclusion, we wish to express hearty thanks to all those workers who helped make the school a reality. Last, but not least, we wish to express great thanks to our instructors, comrades Nat Kaplan and Nells Kruth, who worked side by side with us, always ready to aid us. Comrades, let us try our best to follow their examples!
The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.
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