The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-05

| GALVESTON, June 29.-The fourth meeting
OF the sllperlntendentS, ASSOCIATION was called
| to order by President H. b. Gwyn in the read
| ing room of the Washington hotel. The sub
| ject under discussion was how best to conduct
a summer norman institute, secure attendance
and make them beneficial to the teachers
| Prof Baldwin opened the discussion in some
| well-timed remarks, and said it was about
| time for Texas teachers and educators to get
| out of the haphaZard manner OF
doing business and get down tC
| System-actiye, harmonious work, and have
good summer normal institutes OIL correct and
| thorough principles The time was fast ap
preaching when Texas would need 100 Uartive
| efficient teachers, fully equipped to educate the
| great mass OF children that would be cr0Wdlng
I the SchOOlhouSes OF the state. Now only one
| half the children of scholastic age in Texas
wfre in attendance upon the schools. The plan
| agreed upon to establish normal schools III
| each senatorial district was an exc. llent one
| and he hoped to see it successfully carried out
| Prof. Gallagher agreed i'll all Prof. Baldwin
| had advanced, but that the country teachers
| were ignorant of the designs and intentions OF
the summer institutes, and the first step to be
| taken was to get the teachers i'll the districts
where these institutes are held Interested. and
| thus secure their attendance and cooperation
Professors Harris and Mcclure emphasized
| the argument and suggestion of Professors Bald
| win and Gallagher, with their own experience.
| Superintendent John j. Hand and Rags
| dale's names were presented for membership
| and elected.
Professor Ragsdale animadverted upon
| the law which gave the county
Judges authority 10 issue certificates
| and often ii WIS used IN II political way
| and inefficient persons were given authority
| to teach; but there was no way 10 cOuIteract
| this abuse until the law was changed. The
only way TO mitigate evil effects was TO secure
| the attendance OF such teachers on the sum
| mer institutes. and the making it obligatory
| upon them TO attend. if they desired TO teach.
| Prot. Coleman. OF Palestine, then read Il pa
| per. THE Teachers Library" which was
| well conceived. He held that il was As requi-
| sta for teachers to have well selected
| library as the lawyer, doctor or any other pro
| fesSiOnal man.
| Prof Rote seconded the ideas and views
advanced by Prof. Coleman, but differed some
what in his conclusions and stated in course
| of his remarks that the profession of teaching
| did not meet with its full recognition and
would not until teachers became more indie
pendent and demanded that educators should
| Judge of the qualifications of those seeking
| admission into their profession the same as
was accorded the legal and medical profess
| SiOnS.
Prof Gwyn forcibly showed the
| absolute necessity OF teachers
| rived therefrOm by a systematic course OF
discussed by Prof. Harris and others.
Prof. WaggOner was then invited to address
the association, and he delivered an eloquent
address on normal institutes, how they should
be conducted, and what had to be done Ia
make them successful, graphically describing
his own experience and its happy results.
The association then adjourned to meet in
Austin December &c, 1888.
H. B. Gwyn, W. &. ROte, Smith Ragsdale,
T. H. Harris and A. II. Wilkens were elected
directors for the Texas Educational Journal