The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-09-15
OPENING OF THE STATE NORMAL
SCHOOL,
A Good Attendance Of students.
Interesting Exercises Monday Evening,
Address Of Prof. g. W. HOss.

Oo1-o puOlC W0ICOmc was given Dy
the Board of Directors and the citizens
of Emporia to the new members of the
Faculty. A large and intelligent audi
ence was present, and the exercises
were interesting.
The Meeting was called to order by
S. B. Riggs, Esq, of the Board, who sta
ted that neither Governor Harvey nor
Prof. McCarty, were present 1t was
expected they would both address the
meeting, but both were unavoidably |
absent. He announced that the pro-
gramme would consist of singing, an |
address of welcome by Major Bancroft,
a response by Prof Hoss, and a sociRble |
after the exercises.
Messrs. Cunningham and Wait, and |
Misses Fletcher Rush and Ella, sung a |
beautiful charlottesville Storrs pre-
siding at the instrument with her usual |
ease. grace and eloquence.
Major Bancroft then took the plat |
form and delivered brief welcoming
speech on behalf of the Board and citi-
zens, which was well received by the
audience.
At the conclusion of the Majar's re-
marks, Miss Jennie Fletcher sang a
beautiful song entitled "Under the
| Snow"
After which Prof. Hoss was intro
duced and delivered the able and point
ed address which we print in full below.
This he prefaced with some excellent
remarks about our State and our city.
| To hoI 40 R,so IL l.
but on all sides the evidence of thrift
and energy for which the people of
Kansas are noted.
| He had visited Kansas four years ago,
and had watched her progress and stud
led her advantages and the character of
her people ever since. It was the ener-
gy and intelligence of the people, above
all other things, which had brought
him here-the conviction, also, that
here was an earnest people. This ap-
piled to the State at large as well as to
the locality in which he had cast his
lot. He had never seen in any commu-
nifty so large proportion of busy peo-
pie and so few loafers. He had come
here to cast in his mite in helping to
develope the State. These remarks
elected frequent applause. or this
part of his speech, and of the eloquent
appeal to the Students, at the close, we
kept no notes. If all Students made
note of his advice to them, and will fol-
low it, we shall have no fears of the
results of their efforts in teaching, and
no feeling that the State supports this
institution in vain.
Mr. Riggs made some earnest and
timely remarks to the people, urging
them to stand by the Board and Faculty
in all their efforts to make the Normal
School what it should be.
After another quartette and an hour
in social intercourse the audience broke
up with the best of feelings, and express
ing the utmost confidence in the
manner in which the school had opened,
and thanks for the evenings enter
tainment provided by the authorities
of the institution.
THE NORMAL scHooL-ITs AIMS, RELATIONS,
AND THE MEANS OF ITS EFFICIENCY.
The above caption indicates the points to be
touched in the brief time allotted. In pass
| ing, may stale that had prepared much
more elaborate address, but at late hour,
prepared this briefer paper in its stead.)
1. THE AIMS OF THE NORMAL SCHOOL,
The very definition Of the terms, Normal and
School, indicate these aims; Normal, q rule or
pattern, model; school, place of learning.
Hence = school, holding, in ideal at least, the
best models; and afterward applying, so far
as practicable, these models in all its instruc-
tions; and thirdly, illustrating and present
ing these as models to its pupils. The aim,
therefore, is that these pupils may become
normal pupils, i. e., model pupils, trained af-
ter the best patterns and fashioned into the
best types. For what purposef Simply for
self culturep No. For models to be admired
possibly praised NO. No: But to be examples
types upon their pupilS-in q word. daguer-
reotyping themselves in their fullest and best
| culture, back upon the young hearts and
young tntellects Of the children committed to
their instruction. Thus they model, mould,
educate the rising generation after the best
p patterns, and we trust, into the best speci-
mems. Including all in a single statement.
| the aim OF the Normal School is to prepare its
pupils to become teachers, this preparation to
! models.
Second. This preparation, indeed the whole
Normal School system, rests back upon the
assumed, or granted fact that there is a science
in education. We say this fact is granted. If
questioned, an It was through all the former
ages, and is by some now, the Normal School,
/. e. its friends and advocates, must go back
| and prove it. Believing there is no need of
such proof before this audience, and lacking
| Ll1l0 IOT lQ6 sAIucs We 5QBll not e0LeT upon IL
on this occasion. We will merely state that
this proof is found in the laws of mind and in
the order of Development. An analysis OF the
mental faculties will show that they came In
. to working Vigor at different times. These
times tabulated would stand thus: First, the
Senses; second, the Memory; third, the I'M
agination; fourth, the Judgment and Reason;
and fifth, coetaneous with all these, the Sensi-
bilities and the viii. These each have their
periods Of activity. growth, and maturity,
ing. Thus, considered subjectively, we have
an order Of development, and effectively an
order OF study. In these is found the science
Of education. The Normal School accepts and
applies this science.
2. RELATTONs.--Employing the language
OF social life, the Normal School is honorably
related, Cd to the State, (2) to the Public
School System.
First, to tie iStGte:-The analysis of this re-
civil stVins Il certsin
chises and imposing upon it certain duties.
Chief among those duties IL the securing, SO
piness Of the people. The Site comprehend.
ing, in degree, the great work imposed. be-
gins to search for the ways and means of its
accomplishment. 1t discovers that virtue and
intelligence are essential conditions TO these
ends. True. it did not know thia in the early
history Of the race. Looking farther, it dis
covers that schools are the most efficient
means Of intelligence and virtue. Nor did the
State know this In the early history Of either
sSon Bt S.yn eon 6 nG pbe 5Or
It begins to look for the means to make these
means, to-wit: the schools, more effective, and
IL discovers that trained and able teachers are
among the most potential means. But here
| was the question; how shall good teachers be
obtained1 The common school, the seminary,
the academy, the college and the university
| were each in turn tried as means Of producing
them. but in vain. These gave Scholarship,
and culture. but not the Science OF Education
and the Art OF Teaching. ALI agreed that
these schools may make scholars, but not
teachers. And all in turn said, child intel
| lect and child conscience are too delicate and
too precious to be experimental upon by
jOurneymen and nevices. And again all said, |
the State joining, what can be donef The |
State went farther, saying, have furnished |
money, houses, appliancesi in short, furnished
| an entire system for the education Of all the /
children, yet we lack trained and able teach |
| ers; what shall be done. Just ut this time,
| light springs up in the educational Mecca of /
| Europe, in Prussia. Such men as FRANKIE, |
| Hecker and Zinzendorf solve the problem. |
| They conceive the idea Of the Teachers' /
School, the Normal School. The experiment |
| 10 tried, approved, and the State adopts it. |
| Such was the origin, and such the relation Of |
| the Normal School to the government in Eu- |
rope Similar conditions exist in this country.
| Under the leadership Of such men IS Pierce, /
GAllandett and Mann, Massachusetts,, the hon. |
ored mother Of common schools IN this coun- /
| try, established her ,irst Normal School in /
/ 1883. This school was established by the /
State, and In thie set was fixed and sealed the /
| relation between the State and the Normal /
| School. And this act was the leaven in the
meal. l0eYeuiug the whole lump. or changing