Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-01-12
Randolph Normal School.

Randolph Normal School.
The closing exercises OF this institution took
place in the week ending Friday, January It'll
Sunday evening Rev J. r. Bartlett Of Williams
town preached thoroughly good, practical dis
course before the graduating classes from Gala
tians III pa" Wherefore the law was our school,
master to bring us unto Christ" The perfection,
purity and permanency Of Christianity were adj
miraby dwelt upon by him.
Examinations for graduation and promotion
occurred through the week, all the candidates for
graduation being successful Wednesday evening
Professor j. X Lord Of Dartmouth College deliv-
cred an interesting and instructive address upon
Reading as Branch Of Education" Thursday
evening was devoted to competitive speaking
The exercises, opening with prayer and inter-
spersed with music, were as follows:
i-Gorious New England. .Prens
Herman r. Eaton.
Ellen H. Waldo. '''' W '''"'
aThe Brakeman Who Went to Church. Hawkeye
Lila Il. Monlton
Jessie T. Benson. h0'i"no
Minnie T. Hebafd. ''"''''''
s-Hymn to Mount Blanc Coieridge
Bcrie r. Durham ''''"'
s-Unjust National Acquisitions
George y. May.
e-Karl the Martyr. Anon
Feneila ii. Dana.
llHow We Hunted Mouse jenkins
JariuA Is. Adams.
Virginia f. Forrest ''''''
The decision was made by a vote OF the audi
ence The first six In order OF votes were Mr.
Adams, Miss Dana, Miss Durham, Miss Waldo,
Miss Forrest and Mr.. May. All did finely, and
many OF the audience declined to vote, as they
could not make a choice
Friday afternoon the original essays and ora
tons Of the graduates were delivered in the Con-
gregational church, which was filled to its utmost
capacity as usual. A new feature of the gradu-
ating exercises Of the classes OF 81 was their de
cidedly normal character, being confined to
teaching and teachers work This has been the
animus OF the literary work for the term past
Women as Teachers" by Miss Nellie C. Mead
| OF Randolph, showed some reasons why women
as instructors Of children and the unfortunate are
superior to men. The steady progress of women
In their work. and the increased facilities for her
education were noticed
1.-The Schoolmasters In Fiction" by Miss Mary
A. Benson of Hartland, gave few graphic pic
lures OF the pedagogues OF literature Those Of
Dickens, Eggleston, Holmes, Irving and Goldsmith
were prominent A rather unloving ard unlov-
able class she showed them to be.
Miss Rebacca l.. Bryant Of Windsor discussed
Object Teaching" and enforced her precept by
giving an example. She literally let the cat out
Of the bag. She did 1t in an orderly, normal
| Pestalozzian way.
Miss Edith Brown OF WILLIAMSBURG, in a con.
| scientious way, discussed 1.-THE Spelling Reform"
She did not advocate the phonetic alphabet, but a
gradual reform, by dropping superfuous silent
| letters, using for & soft, and such changes as
some OF our leading journals have already adopted
| Mr.. George p Armstrong Of Speedside Ontario,
on Policy in Teacher" gave a broad defini-
ton to the word policy, excluding from it all sim
lister meaning. lie maintained that the old adj
age, honesty is the true policy" is applicable
to the school-room as well as to the nation.
"The Art Element in Education by Miss Mary
Leonard of Gaysville, was plea for the develop
ment OF the finer instincts of the chds nature by
surrounding him In early life with pleasing OBJ
jects. 1t was protest against the rigid economy
that sees "a place only for the cabbage, and
never bit for the rose" that nothing divine
| in beauty
| Miss Mary A. Brown OF wiamstown spoke
advisedy Of "The Importance OF Professional
Growth" As means to this end she mentioned
the better education OF teachers special normal
training, graded system of prices, associations
of teachers, examination OF teachers by their
peers.
Miss Emma II. Parker of Springfield gave an
expose OF Froebals method Of teaching young chill.
dren by the kindergarten method" She ex.
hibited and explained some OF the gifts
Miss Carrie L. Simmons OF Royalton, in "The
Influence Of the Community upon the School,
told a few plain truths She seemed to think
that the kind OF a trustee employed, the improve
ments furnished the teacher, the home support
given her in matters of discipline, and the moral
tone of the community, all have an important
, bearing upon the school.
or the second course, Charles C. Mead of Ran
dolph showed THAT the basis of all knowledge,
and the wheels OF all progress are dependent upon
The study of History"
Miss Ida R. spaulding of Bethel divided her
subject, Mistakes in Teaching" into divisions
physical, intellectual and moral. She showed
that it is absolutely necessary for a successful
'o"ehoi W icBaiu edCH VI tneSe turee important
| divisions.
Forrest c. Manchester of Randolph, in GO The
Inertia OF Human Nature" gave a statement of
the laws of Nature and showed their similarity
to those OF the mind. His illustrations were good
his article finely written and well delivered.
Miss Eta S. Chamberlain of West Randolph, in
Character more to be Desired than Attain
ments," urged the necessity OF higher moral quail
ifcations in the teacher, and spoke of the things
necessary to develop true character.
The exercises of the week were closed by So
ciabe in the hall in the evening. The past term
has been very successful one; the attendance
considerably larger than that of one year ago
Much more attention has been given to methods
| OF instruction, making the school more truly nor
NAL in its character.
The principal, A. W. Edison, is now giving the
Massachusetts and Connecticut normal schools q
thorough examination with the view of doing still
more in this direction in the future. The pros
pect is good for large attendance another term,
which opens Tuesday, February sth
RICHMoND-The VAUDEVILLE comnanv are bilad