t a few examples of events which form crises in the life of every
community and which have a far-reaching and subtle effect in moulding
its character.

The cultivation of a knowledge of its own history is, therefore, one of
the first duties of a community which seeks to understand itself so that
it may better direct its life. Every community should maintain a record
of its history, and have some means of preserving important historical
material. The New York legislature has recently passed an act
authorizing any township or village board to appoint a local historian,
without salary, and to furnish safe storage for historical records. One
of the most progressive rural communities in the country is the Quaker
settlement at Sandy Spring, Maryland,[12] whose first historian was
appointed in 1863 and whose historian reads the record of the year at
each annual meeting. These "Annals" form a most intimate account of the
community's progress. The custom of some rural newspapers of publishing
local history of the past year on New Year's Day serves much the same
purpose.

One of the best means of encouraging historical appreciation, and one
which is very generally neglected, is the teaching of local history in
the schools. Educators have learned that it is more pedagogical to
commence instruction in geography with the local environment of the
child, which it can know and understand, than to begin--as
formerly--with the nebular hypothesis; but they are only commencing to
appreciate that the same principle applies to the teaching of history.
Is it not true that most children can glibly recite dates and events in
the history of their own and foreign countries, of whose significance
they have only a vague appreciation, but who never secure any real
historical point of view or an appreciation of the importance of history
because it has not been made concrete and intimate, as must be the case
in considering local events? If national history is taught to develop
patriotism, why should not local history be taught to inspire civic
loyalty? Such a study of the efforts and sacrifices of former citizens
would bring a new sense of obligation to be worthy of the heritage they
have bequeathed, and would gradually establish an attitude of loyalty to
the community which would be considered as essential to respectability
as devotion to one's country. Indeed, how can one be truly loyal to a
great country which is mostly unknown to him if he is not