The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-07-22
State Teachers Association.

3
The Wisconsin State Teachers Associa-
ton commenced its Seventeeth Annual
Session at Oshkosh on Tuesday evening,
July 5th, 1869. 9ag 81 u ait.-. - IL
The meeting was opened by the sing
ing Of song entitled, "The shaking of
the hand speaks the language of the
heart" Mayor Porter delivered short
address of welcome on behalf of the city,
and DR.. Dale, City supt., followed with
an address of welcome on the part of the
School Board and friends of Education.
Prof. Alex. Kerr, President of the Associ
alton, responded as follows :
"Permit me, gentleman, representing
the Teachers of Wisconsin here assembled,
to express our grateful acknowledgment
of the cordial welcome to your prosperous
city. Many of us have seen it to-day for
the first time; but we have all heard and
read of it as good and fitting represen-
tatiYe of the energy and enterprise of this
rich central region of the State. Although
Oshkosh can hardly be said to be like
Lebanon; excellent with the cedars, yet
its pride and delight is of far more
service to the worker in wood, for
in our modern civilization the cedar as
well as the palm must yield to the pine.
King Soloman of old built temple
whose beams were of cedar and whose
rafters were of fir 1t is, perhaps, as
we'll that zoe care less for temples, and
more for happy homes, and that the pine
forests are falling only to reappear In the
white cottages of the towns and villages
which were SO rapidly forming in these
new States. Yet some of us are trying to
build again another temple of Solomon,
whose Invisible pillars are seven. We
have come up hither, at your generous
invitation to get new life and vigor for
our work and we know by your good
name that we have fallen among friends.
Your liberaity and enthusiasm In pro
noting the interests of education are
known to every member and active friend
of this association. Your magnificent
school edifce, your prospective Normal
School, and the popular sentiment which
renders these things possible. make
Oshkosh most appropriate place fol
holding our seventeenth annual session
And, as you have, with true western hos
pitality, opened your doors to receive oul
lady Teachers, you will remember that G
good action is often its own compensation
and that by entertaining strangers some
have entertained angels unaWares." "a
After more singing, the lecturer of the
evening, J. G. Converse Esq, of Beloit
was introduced His lecture was care
fully prepared and we'll delivered, and
was powerful and beautiful. His theme
was the necessity and dignity of labor
The speaker was warmly applauded and
the. exercises closed with a song by Mr.
Chandler entitled, "Hoe out. your row
boys" After the adjournment all the
lady members of the Association moi
already provided for were assigned
quarters during their stay.
The first important business or
Wednesday morning was the annual ad
dress of the President The subject ot
the address this year. was "What shall
constitute an Educational Programme p
Prof Kerr's treatment of this question
was earnest, intelligent, and gave general
satisfaction. At the close of his address
he thus hit off those croakers who persist
in believing and asserting thst the
Association is defunct
GAS the Teachers of Wisconsin have
come up to this annual gathering, in the
beauty of summer, to give each other
words of counsel and cheer, to inspire
with courage those who are educating the
people, let ne express the hope that this
seventeenth session of our association NAV
give an impetus to the cause, such as shall
be felt for good in the remotest school
district of the State. Notwithstanding
the expressed fears of some of our friends,
1 have been thoroughly convinced within
fed in my belief to-day, that the Wiscon-
SIN Teachers Association still lives; or,
if it is dead, that 1t is like the eagle which
we read of in the papers last May. Pat
said locker on you didn't kill the eagle
that time % yes was the answer,
hes dead, but he's not sensible OF it.
This association has already accomplished
work of which its early friends may
well be proud. 1t has had much to do
with creating public opinion which de
mands that the schools of Wisconsin. shall
be equal to any in the land. 1t has helped
to convince the people that to organize
and successfully conduct the schools will,
require ability, which if employed in
other pursuits would appear at least re.
spectacle. And we cannot be too thankful
that we hear less than formerly we heard
of men throwing themselves away because
they devote their lives and energies Co
the work of instruction. e.q idHllaal gre
This Association has taught many