There's one thing about a school system in a small town the teachers know their students. They know their families. They're more concerned with each student as an individual not as I heard more or less. That's Marge months. She lives in Mott North Dakota population 1368 and she and other residents will be heard talking about the school and local government in this program called our hometown. It's one of a series which explorers of values and character of life in small towns. It's produced with funds provided by the North Dakota committee for the Humanities and public issues by Minnesota Public Radio Station kccm. The interviewer is John gets be very definitely.We influence the children and I would die. I think we can throw some more than the parent does and more than the church just because we have them more. and I don't like to say the emulators, but I think if they do to a certain extent at least in their thinking, so I think we are on. we're very important in that since you feel like an average citizen or do you feel like someone who's under a bit of scrutiny I don't think I'm under a any scrutiny. Surprisingly modest is very liberal and comes to teacher but them. I sometimes think we thought it was. May be second-class citizens in that we're working Jenny with complaining that we don't have any money and they were the lowest paid people in the community and we get three months off every year. So I think God A lot of people believe that we complain too much and we don't work as hard as we we say we do. Anyway, what role does the school play in a community like this for 9 months out of the year the whole Community revolves around the school children are in the band in football basketball and plays and what not. And I think you say this especially with basketball because this is a very big singing in mott and you can go down to the gym. And it'll be just packed everybody all turn out for a basketball game. So we are. For a lot of people were the only source of entertainment outside the home in a rather than go to a movie or something like this table. You know, what come up here and go to the basketball game. So I have Not talked to some people who feel that. Sports are overemphasized here. How do you react to that? Yeah, I would probably say they are little bit over emphasized. I'm prejudiced because I'm in working with drama and I have a terrible time putting on a play because you got to fight through all sorts of different sports to get the kids out to know all of the kids playing some Sport and you can't get them. We are. Princeton basketball we have the a squad in the B Squad in the freshman and the junior high and we got four different for five different teams playing Just basketball alone. And then we have the same thing with football. So I think we do tend to overemphasize that too much or matzo basketball town and they really like like the basketball so the school plays an important part in inspires entertainment around here. A lot of the big cities matching basketball isn't much but there isn't much here and let the school does refined and I think it's greatly appreciated cuz we have every year. We have a cafe concert in get a great turnout there. I think people are generally interested in what the what the school has to do. I didn't mean because well they're helping pay for it in oscillating common sense. If you're going to pay for something, you know, might as well get something out of it, but in general, I think the people are concerned with it. You know, we have that the council here within switch which is made up of members from the town and everybody's pretty well interest in what goes on here. I suppose it's over and precise Chesney around here. So I think that's part of it. No, like where it where the county seat and Ladder like the neighboring towns. Don't really think we should be in a manner of speaking. I don't know if we should or not but there is a lot of rivalry like we want to be the best in the area and I think a lot of people may not want to admit that but I think that's right because they care what happens and I don't know when we come home from football game, you know, even if we lose like this spirit in our team is in the greatest the people to seem concerned about it and That movie with you leave even gotten so the old people in the middle aged people yell at our games and just me cuz you feeling behind the team just feels and it's part of being together feeling and I don't know I got this one in town that is really our arrival and I don't know it becomes more of a game for the the older people like they bet in on between town and I don't know it becomes more of that than the kids, you know, and it it shouldn't be that way. But you know, it just isn't not know the kids still kind of pressure cuz they have to win, you know, but I don't know it's like in one or two games. It's not all the games. The people in this town as far as Athletic score there. I probably the most Reverend Townsend. Speak in the basketball. It isn't probably considered a basketball town. I when I first come we we didn't have too much success we were losing and as far as the people they were there just as much then as they are now when we're winning song. Football speak in an athlete never been a real winning team in football with the people always been interested in it. So they don't time the real upset if they don't win her. Are you have a few that do? Never 46-mile Haverstraw. Overlander To me. I feel that I'm the type of person that I have to be in things. And I I feel what I have to offer is put to very good use in our small community. If I decide to work on something I can feel I've made a damn thing and it's not just a mess of effort. Not that that's not good to I also feel that that this is our community and my husband's say noises. You have to pay your dues and in doing this we have to be active in our community and I would hope that our children will have a better place to live because we have had the opportunity to be active. Are you over organized? There's room for all the organizations but there is two small percentage of the people that are in every organization. I think there's a lot of people that Princeton sauce with belong to blasted many organizations. You're gone all the time. Yeah, I know some people that really probably don't belong to any and I don't think that's fair either belongs to he's on elective boards and Hospital School in church and I feel like those are essential to our community. That's worthwhile time. We have gotten ourselves perhaps overburdened with the type of obligation where we couldn't say. No. I think we've reached the point in our life where we're going to see ourselves getting out of more of those because our children are reaching a point where their life is becoming active and we have involvement with getting them to and from various activities. I think right now there are many things that I had thought were. On the top of the list for me that right now and this time my life ain't aren't is important. I see that maybe it's time to my opinion to the kind of rest for a while and let somebody else get in there. watering social and right now but I agree wholeheartedly with my wife says I mean no matter what you think of your opinion in time in your life when you should Step-down Target defeated one of the other let someone else take horrible. good evening, ladies and gentlemen boys and girls On behalf of the month JC's I would like to welcome each and every one of you this evening. It's beautiful to see such a wonderful crowd. I think we have a tremendous program for this evening. I hope everyone has a few laughs and enjoys himself. And without further Ado, I would like to have all of you welcome or 10 beautiful contestants and are very capable Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Gary Bert Parks record. Good evening. Ladies and gentlemen, and here we are. I've got a beautiful bouquet of flowers here for you to enjoy the night before we get started. Set back relax. It will start the show right now. I want to delphinium foreign country our next contestant for this evening Miss creeping. Jenny Uninvited Farm flower our next contestant for this evening Miss desert hibiscus desert desert transplant on the Middle East next violet It's coming up to us direct from Africa. Greyhound Miss Gypsy Rose If they all the way by a TWA from India next message, Junie petunia. How about that for a holiday favorite? Next we have Miss Billy daffodil. Billy is our Miss pretty girl for tonight. But not least Miss Martin's hollyhock. And there you have a lovely group of ladies for tonight, then lovely ladies all vying for the crown of Miss barges 1974. We are good as the booster club. and this booster club is a is more less of a Where is Men's Club? Find ways and means to get get things accomplished. You see the Lions International is not necessarily a big money-making Club. It's it's more of a club in the more of a spark plug thing rather than the than the part so well. We forgot the art of the booster club organized and that has been a good strong organization ever since in order to have an organization have something going on in town and somebody getting the sparking the activities that need to be smart. Somebody has to do that. And the people that are civic-minded then who are ambitious for the town and are active they are the ones that are going to come to the fore they are they'll have the ideas. They don't have the know-how and they'll have the the guts to get out and make them drives for finances or whatever it takes and go out and get the membership or they'll get them go out and do the selling job or whatever. It happens to be and they would they would welcome. They would turn their job over in a minute if somebody else would step forward and do it. And though I know this is this is the case. I've heard this argument many times 1 somebody doesn't want to come forward and do his job way. Then somebody passes him up and leave him said to somebody that's got it a good idea and it wants to see you put into effect like come forward with it what we've always welcome these of anybody who was had an idea or had some some something to offer and they've been very welcome. How can we get at least 60% of the business people and lock to take a hold of this organization to make it? more effective very good question for discussion anybody have any ideas how to renovate and reactivate the He hasn't for the club. Toward a better membership than the active membership. Possibly dirges plenty of clubs in this town and I don't know if it's possible. Maybe we could incorporate with the Lions and When does all this club or something for example, perhaps, there's too much activity to make it sound real radical, but it is just want to hear some blond other clubs. Everyone knows there's about eight or ten people in each club and got his what it is to do all the work. What's the same work horses have to do with the work. That's what it comes to me. You can talk all you want it, but you're going to town this side. You're going to find maybe a dozen then we'll be doing the work as far as promotions are concerned and I realize if I may be over organized but the same time they're certain men that will come to a booster meeting like this and participate. Maybe we try to do too much. Pretty good cooperation when you're really have a project. Nobody wants to volunteer for the job that you wanted to do. No matter whether it's Alliance one project or a booster club project. I think there's definitely a really involved in the community or ruling Clique and if it doesn't go along with her ideas of what the community should be like You got a job to convince them? as long as you subscribe to their beliefs and go along with what they're going for. You will tend to rise to power within the community. The question is a Corsa by prostituting yourself to their beliefs or their concept or way of doing things and compromising. Trading off when you finally get up to the Pinnacle of power where you want to be within the community where you can be effective. You've almost became one of dang, it pops out a lot in the police in small town where you will see the policeman turn their heads to Offense is committed by certain people they tend to be able to get away with speeding down the street or if they belong to a certain influential family and tell them that they can tend to get away with more. I myself am known for having a heavy foot. Do not drive fast. Not Reckless, but I tend to drive fast and I have yet to be picked up for it mainly because I hold a certain amount of power in the community and they don't want to get me upset with them and they're mad at you know. So it's just there's a double standard that exists if you don't belong to that. clexa Halal do you happen to commit an offense? It doesn't apply in all cases. It's a hard thing to put your finger on it in a community, but it is there is no question of it. I think that there regardless where it's at to have. A few leaders that will take off and lead in the only input that say the average person has as far as our democracy goes is on their vote. If they don't like it, they will sure let him know or the way they vote the way they react if you get people riled up they will Express an opinion. And basically I think there's one person has the feeling of his area or he wouldn't be in that position in the first place and he will lead the group and I didn't do a beautiful job very adequate. There's once in a while you're feeding to get the little suede one way or the other but it doesn't take you long for your friends and your Associates to let you know that that person won't let anyone know who I always that he's not going quite what they expect the basic. I think you need one person strong enough to be forward and outspoken enough to be a leader. You don't find that quality and everybody there is a notion that small towns are the Grassroots democracy that have his impact. On the future the town of his place of living is that a true estimation of small town politics? I know from experience that if I haven't done it, but I know people that have in if you in a small community, if you don't belong to the people who run the community they'll listen politely, but that's as far as he goes. I think so and through the years. I've become very close to a lot of people in all these communities and I know that is true. There is a small number that actually do that the work of running and follow the unwritten directives that come down from those with well with money or with influence whatever occasionally It's not necessarily the people who are holding apps is that are running the town not really able to let him go ahead and run. sometimes I think it's Who is easier they find that it's easier letting them running and conforming then there is the battle it and losing getting Altidore. I think we have the same problem on on a state level International where we we can form. We say the politicians run it and there's nothing we can do about it. And then they're there isn't anything unless they're everybody wanting to do their share. But in a small town you have a chance and many people do go to the city Commission in your herd. And you're very welcome. There is very open to anyone who comes in with a problem. The park board is open its small town everyone knows everyone you always know when these meetings are being held because there are so few meetings that you're aware of everything that goes on a mod and you're aware of what the issues are because it's published in the front page of our own newspaper. So everyone knows what's going on and everyone had the chance for rebuttal if there is something So I I can't say that even if it's only a few like to run the show. This is true of people. There are only a few leaders and then most people are follow it and that's fine. That's how it should be but they still have more of a chance for a tornado in a bigger city. A few people decided to leave the gates in the river this year the damn it would keep the River High cuz we have floods in the west side of town. and a few people got wind of it they lived over there and Got together with the mayor. I believe they got invitation didn't they or they got the city cost together and they Portland open the gates which wooden are nearly been done, but they got together and did this you can become involved. In your local government quite easily. Are you School District or Park District? Are you stating government and by not being a large municipality you're out here if you if you wish to serve in any one of those areas and make your intentions in your Ambitions known it can be done so easily and then it is such a rewarding experience. And if you do serve that way you and mediately meet your counterparts and various other places in the state and the next thing you know, you've got friends and people all over the state and it is quite rewarding. I found it one time the one session Being a Democrat from a heavily Republican District. I thought they treated me very well, and I certainly enjoyed. servicing there to being a service to the District calendar serving in the state legislature Just one of those things that can happen to a man in a small town do people take advantage of that to a lot of people take advantage of it, or is it generally a few people who end up doing most of the work most of them? idea hatching well It's not good at just a few people do it to you. You got to sometimes you have to. What are the recruit people that do various jobs to expose him to this type of work and once they are exposed could they begin to enjoy themselves? They don't realize that they haven't within themselves to Serve the People. But it's not good to him. Probably not even going to be an office as long as I am today. I don't know why I've overstated that. I hope I have sense enough to get out after this term. That's 10 hard Mayer mayor of Mott North Dakota. This is been another in the series called our hometown produced by Minnesota Public Radio station kccm with financial assistance from the North Dakota committee for the Humanities and public issues producers for the series are John ydstie Dennis Hamilton and Bill Sebring accept copies of this program are available by contacting kccm and care of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota 56560.