| A. A Challenge to College Men | |
| I. | The Relation of the Colleges to This Problem |
| A new interest and sense of responsibility. | |
| General college neglect of the rural call. | |
| The stake of the city in rural welfare. | |
| Rural progress waiting for trained leadership. | |
| II. | Rural Opportunities for Community Builders |
| The call for country educators. | |
| The call of the country church: | |
| Large tasks awaiting real leadership. | |
| The modern type of country minister. | |
| The call for Christian physicians: | |
| The special need of country doctors. | |
| The unique rewards of country practice. | |
| The rural call to the legal profession. | |
| Life opportunities in agricultural professions. | |
| The call of the County Work secretary. | |
| B. A Challenge to College Women | |
| I. | Some Responsibilities Shared with Men |
| A necessary partnership, and its increasing burden. | |
| Responsibility for rural education. | |
| Responsibility for rural health and sanitation. | |
| Opportunities for religious leadership. | |
| II. | Unique Opportunities for Rural Social Service |
| The opportunity of the village librarian. | |
| The specialist in household economics. | |
| Demonstration centers of rural culture. | |
| Womanly leadership in church and club. | |
| The rural Association secretary. | |
CHAPTER VIII
COUNTRY LIFE LEADERSHIP
A. A CHALLENGE TO COLLEGE MEN
I. The Relation of the Colleges to This Problem.
A New Interest and Sense of Responsibility
It has been plain from the start that this book is a book with a purpose. Its object was frankly stated in the preface and the author at least has not forgotten it in a single chapter. These seven preceding chapters have condensed the facts of country life in its strength and weakness and have voiced the modern call for rural leadership. Every call for trained leadership must come ultimately to the college man. Both the need and the worthiness of rural life, its social and religious crisis and its strategic signs of promise, bring the challenge of the country to the man in college.
For two or three years past there have been groups of men in various universities meeting weekly to discuss this problem. In comparing the needs of various fields of service and weighing their own fitness for various tasks, they wished to study the opportunities in rural life for consecrated leadership. These groups are certain to multiply. Alert college men even in city colleges have discovered that we have to-day not only a complicated country problem but a great rural life opportunity; a problem intricate enough to challenge earnest investigation by thoughtful students, and an opportunity for a life mission worthy of strong men.
General College Neglect of the Rural Call