The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-11-21

ers will have taught about q month and n half
just sufficient time for the teachers to be able
to determine whether they are meeting with sue
cess, or whether they are deficient in school gov
ernment, or in teaching this or that particular
branch. 1t would be at the County institute,
held during the vacation of schools for the Hol.
ilays, that the successful teacher could spread
the glad tidlings and secret of his success in
teaching to his fellow laborer there and then
the unsuccessful and disconsoate teacher might
lay his wants, and the cause of his discomfort.
before the teachers more successful and expert
enced and from them receive such instructions
and encouragement as would cause him to re-
turn, With light heart, and resume his voca-
.tien with renewed vigor and ultimate success.
Thirdly, AS few of the teachers who teach
the free schools make business of teaching,
during any season of the year except winter, it
is necessary that they should take Moro exercise
and recreation, than they are permitted to do by
keeping the schools constantly in session for four
months; and it may be asked with propriety,
where, and in wlnt Bsarner, can teachers find a
better and mora useful enjoyment than by spend
ing few days of this vacation at a County In
sttutc? We let the public answer.
The committee in their resolution, recommend
''that no Institute be held during the coming
Holidays, but that the ASSOCIATION hold its neat
meeting on tie 1874 and 14tt days Of April 49,
63,"!! This is about as rational as bring
ing up rcinforccmcnts to an army.aEteF a battle
has been fought and lost TIE committee cer-
tainly knew that ere the 18th OF next April,
the free schools will have been closed; and if,
as they say, the attendance during the. coming
Holidays aco4f uausualy small, what kind Of
attendance aiNzWe to anticipate next spring at
ter the teachers shall have been scattered to
the 'four winds of heaven? Besides, the pub
lie schools will lose the benefit which should
be derived from holding an Institute during the
early part of the term.
In the address to the teachers of Bedford
County, the committee state that they uncil-
hngy came to the conclusion embodied in tie Iesoe
luton, because they felt g7use respo visibility
resting upon them ,ohoterer their action natqat be-
A question of doubt might be raised whether
the business of the committee properly implied
that they should make such Recommendation,
or come tosuch q conclusion. Had the commit
tee, instead of trying to have the meeting of
the Institute postponed, issued an address u.-
ging every teacher and making it incumbent
upon him or her to attend the teachers associ-
alton, to be assembled at the proper time and
place, no fear of that g'ure responsibility need
have disturbed this committee, for they would
have had the satisfaction of knowing that they
then had done their duty.
The committee say ''they have taken such steps
as seem to them best calculated to promote the
great cause for which the association was organ
ized.' For what, I asked, was the association
organized? The answer doubtlcssly is, for the
Improvement of teachers and the advancement
OF Education by our common school system
A teachers association may be compared to a
great agricultural ware-room, in which the best
agricultural implements, the choicest fruits, the
most profitable plants and the best-producing
seeds, are kept for dissemination. If the doors
OF such wafe-room were closed until after seed
time, the tilcr of the soil would not be benefit
ted thereby, so, if teachers association be
postponed until after the close of the schools,
the teacher and pupils viii derive but little BEN
eft from it, +~"
Another complaint from the committee is
"that our national troubles absorb every other
feeling" Can, the teacher, by neglecting his
school, and allowing his feelings and thoughts
to be occupied by our national difficulties, avail
anything for the government? If not then the
earliest influence of the Institute is necessary to
direct the feelings and thoughts of the teacher
into their appropriate channel.
The committee oil jcct to holding an Institute
during the Holidays for the reason ''that many
of the teachers, who at former Institutes, took
an active part. are no longer in the county,
1t will be readily conceded that more young and
teachers will be employed during
tl,n, Al.
eral years, and the young teachers, more par
ticularly, shoull be taken under the fostering
care of the County Superintendent, and the ex-
perienced teachers. Every inducement to col
lect them together, as early rs possible, should
have been held out, so that they might all have
received instructions in the best methods of con-
Quoting a school, for it is practically impos-
sible for the County Superintendent to accom-
pl'sh much in this respect, by visiting the nu-
merous schools in the county.
The committee have offered, what tiey term
otter reasons for recommending postponement
of the meeting of the teachers association; such
as ''the reduction of the salary in different parts
of the county," ''thc expenses of attending the
Institute" S'Chlistmas and New Year coming
in the middle of the week." ''that by law the
teachers are required to keep up district organ
izations," and worst of all, ''that the County
Superintendent agrees cordially with them in the
Most Of these suggestions are too trivial to
deserve notice, but we do NOT expect that the
landlords of Bedford would make exorbitant
charges for entertainment, especially with the
Lady Teachers; and, as for men. we think that
during vacation, more, money would, perhaps,
be uselcssly spent at home, than would pay the
expenses of attending the county Institute.
If the law authorizes district teachers asso-
Citations, and requires the teachers to attend
them it asp. provides. the time for such 'attend-
amcc, and the teachers lose nothing in this re-