Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-05-26

Attcr opening words OF welcome "A
committee consisting 81 4. r. Drinkwa-
ter E>q.. ". u McCratc Of sullivan.
/ Richard Perkins i.anoine, were appoint
| ed % make q list ot officers for the per
manent organization ot the Convention.
The following j. the report Of the
I Com. which was adopted
For President. Rev. VIM. H. >avary
Vice Presidents. Rev. ~cwaIl Tenney.
I H. -, Arno Wi-wcli E-q.
I Secretaries. Richard Perkins. La
moline: Pclcg q. staples. rcnob~cpt :;
! Mis- Eva >omr-. Nj. Desert: sarah
I .Iov. Ellsworth
4 The President called Tor Reports of
/ school Committees aud asked that the
( present diff in the management
/ of school, bc presented for discussion
Mr. e.. Il. >i"t~un ut Lewiston. who
/ i on" OF the best organizers ot Public
Instruction in The state. offered some
suggestions On classification OF schools
which were exceedingly valuable lie
/ showed how greatly to reduce the num-
her of classes in the District schools :.
how To- conduct class recitaiions in the
place Of individual recitation. He said
there ought never TO be more than two
classes in Grammar. two in Arithmetic.
TWO III Geography, three in Reading.
He said there ought to he more gcner-
al exercises: Drill and Review: in the
schools. more oral instruction. Mr.. >tct-
son has produced in the schools Of
Lewiston and Auburn AN entire Rcvo-
luton. they are now considered hv some
the best in the State. Mr.. >avary spoke
OF til. evil Of the multiplicity Of Text
Books, aud the complaints Of parents
that they were obliged continually "a
supply new Books. He thought parents
had good rca-on for finding fault. Good
Teachers can hear Rotations on the
topic plans using different text books
i'll the same class. But we hope 10 see
the time when change, IN text books
will come Ia an end, aud Il uniformity
exist in all the schools OF the state. Let
will soon see AN end to the present con
fusion and disorder. The first session
OF the convention proved too short To do
more than hint at methods of study and
Rotations in the several English
branches.
In the afternoon of Friday there was
a larger gain in the number present.
The fine Hall, complete in all the APP
pointinentS, presented most attentive
and Interested audience The meeting
was opened by calling for reports of
Teachers and Committees. Remarks
were made by Rev. Mr.. Trip Of Surry.
Mr.. Wardwell of Bucksport, Mr.. Crosse
of Orland and others. The number of
Teachers present was estimated to be
about forty, many OF them from the sur
rounding towns. The great intellectual
feast of the afternoon was the Lecture
bv MIR. G.. 4. Fletcher Of Castine. Prin-
cipal of the Normal School.
No synopsis of this eloquent and
stirring address can here be attempted.
MFR. Fletcher made most valuable in
PRODUCTION of the way to make teaching
glorious vocation and the wise pur-
poses and uses Of the school to which
his powers arc now devoted. The val
n IN this eounty IF th;r live 90
the highest grade must have been real
lied as never before. Ifthe convention
had secured nothing more than the
knowledge of bringing before the coun-
~ the man who is now training teachers
it would have been enough. The Lee
ture occupied one hour and a half and
called out the strongest expressions of
enthusiasm and admiration.
The Lecture was followed BY remark.
from the chairman urging Teachers to
set before them a lofty ideal. win the
sympathy and gratitude of parents,
make no complaints of the poor old
School Houses till they had earned the
right to teach in the best to be afforded.
After remarks from Rev. Mr.. Hanscom
of Brooklin. MessrS. Blaisdell. Staples.
Rev. Mr. Loring. n X. SAWYER ESQ.
and others, this most profitable session
was closed
In the evening large audience filed
the Hall to listen to Hon. Warren John
son State Superintendent. The Lecture
was upon the Economy of the public
School System.
MIR. Johnson's style is clear, logical.
strong and most convincing. He treat
ed the subject with the grasp Of schol-
ar. He showed profound acquaintance
with the Laws Of Education. 1t is easv
to see where the vigorous work that is
now begun for the Public Schools hss
its sources Of inspiration. Let time be
granted to the plans which have receiy-
ed the approval Of two Legislatures and
The state will have better schools and
higher and more effective Teaching than
has ever been known.
The session Saturday Morning brought