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Brad’s Odds N Ends

September, 2007 - Vol. 1, No. 3

Christians, Parents of Teenagers, and Teachers

Welcome!

Past Issues

Small Town Family Adventure

August, 2007 Issue

July, 2007 Issue

Small Communities

The antique capitol of Texas.

Putnam, Texas

A tongue-in-cheek view of small town life

Tell us about your small town. Accepted descriptions and pictures will be presented as reader articles and editorials in the Brad’s Odds N Ends newsletter. Send your submissions to the newsletter address below.

http://www.bradsoddsnends.biz

newsletter@bradsoddsnends.biz

Figure 1 Relic from the past

The Texas Legislature mandated that public schools would not start before the last Monday in August. So, this year have a couple of extra weeks in the summer. Band and football are starting a little later and teachers go back to work a little later.

Our new hometown is small enough that we send our kids to the next small town to go to school. It all takes me back to when I was in school nearly 30 years ago and there were 60 students in the whole school.

Coaches and band directors in small schools become very good friends and work together on practice schedules so that everyone can do as many activities as possible. Coaches and directors may not have enough for a team or a section in band. The opportunities to participate in a variety of activities help to make them better rounded adults in a variety of social and work situations.

So many of the 16-year-olds and older are working which makes for scheduling nightmares when it comes to planning events. Some of the students are needed by their families in the fields plowing, planting, harvesting, and running cattle. Some work at the local cafes and restaurants. Some work for people who tear down and build fences to keep the cattle off of the highways. The nearest grocery store is 25 miles away making it hard for a student to have time or pay for gas to drive to other jobs.

One of the new coaches comes from a large district with over 1500 students in the high school. He made the comment that these boys work harder in practice because there is little down time in the practice. Then, many of them go on to work after practice and two-a-days and work physical jobs. He felt like many of the guys in town would not have survived these practices and working those kinds of jobs.

The lifestyle we have chosen is not easy, but it does build character for parents and children both. I do not worry about our children going hungry or having a place to live because they know how to work hard and maintain the relationships with the community.

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