Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-03-19
Meeting of the Orleans Co Edu-
cational Society.

SOSiSOy was Hetu ~ 1lONefs Flluay
March 8. The meeting was calico
to order at 10 80 a. IN. by the sec
rotary, both president and vice pres
ident being absent. Principal w
+. Sargent OF Newport was chosen
president pro tenn. Prayer was Of
fered by Rev. JENNIE, who also il
the absence of Rev. +. w. Pierce
spoke fitting words of welcome, tc
which principal Sargent responded.
The first essay, Teaching" by
Miss Marcia Shedd, was an excel.
lent production; we hope it will be
carefully 4, adj when it shall soon ap-
pear in our county papers. This
essay called forth remarks from SUI
perintendent Daitt, Rev. JENNIE,
Miss Emma Fairchild, principal Sar-
gent and others. Superintendent
Dart in speaking of "Our Scholars
brought out the following thoughts
We get our work from the busiest
people. Teachers should be active
in church and in the Sabbath school.
We get meagre obituary lines unless
we have done something to make
people better Miss Aicott's life has
been a busy one for the good of
others. We teachers must arouse
in pupils desire for something bet
ter. They are not apt to ask for it.
1t may be that the studies are but a
means to the desired end. Routine
work may become monotonous, but,
if there is enthusiasm, we shall love
the work. Pupils are like the waters
of the river that never grind but
once we have but one opportunity
with our pupils; they are soon be-
yond our influence, engaged in the
active duties of mtture life. As
teachers, we are failing to give the
pupils the power of applicant n with
the desire to know comes application.
We are doing too much of the work
for our pupils it is the work they
do, not the work done for them, that
develops them. Parents hinder teach
ers much in allowing pupils to be
absent. The habit of irregularity
will hold through life. We teach
too little of history, too little of
patriotism pupils should begin early
to study the history of our country.
We need a good history of our state
it is to be regretted that there is no
good history of Vermont; the prac-
tice of celebrating birth days leads
to much knowledge of history. Az
ter some inquiry as to what extent
the observing of birthdays is prac-
ticed in the schools of this country,
the president named for a committee
to nominate officers for the coming
year, principal Thomas Martin, Miss
Emma Fairchild and Miss Lou Sta
pies. The society then adjourned TO
meet at 80 p. m.
In the afternoon the nominating
committee presented the following
names: President, w. +. Sargent,
Newport vice president, w. +.
Clark, Glover; secretary and treas
urer, ID. 5. Waterman, Barton Land
ding; executive committee. Jennie
NJ. Locke, Barton Landing, Sey-
mour A. Hunt, Westmore, all of
whom were elected. In a talk on
aids in teaching" +. w. Clark
spoke of the true relation of the
textbook to the teacher. He would
not be too dependent on the text
book he believes in a uniformity of
textbooks. Every schoolroom should
have a dictionary, an encyclopedia,
and copy of the general statutes
the pupils should be taught to use
the reference books; teachers should
take and read educational periodi-
calls. The question drawer contained
questions which brought out much
interesting discussion.
In an essay on Emusic" Miss
Lila Tucker spoke with enthusiasm
of music as an important element in
education superintendent Dartt en-
phasiZed some points of the essay,
and spoke of the power of music in
the army, and of its universally, he
saws that we need it in all our schools |
and that we should have a larger at
ndance at our teachers meetings,
if we had more music on the pro-
gram. Principal Thomas Martin
read an essay on "Words" in which |
he plead for the use of the good old |
Anglo-Saxon words; he cited pas
sages from the Bible and from Mil
ton as examples of expressive En-
glish in mple words. Supennten-
dent Dart mentioned Phillips Brooks
as a user of short, plain English |
words principal Sargent mentioned |
Grants Memoirs as a model of plain
Ineligible English. Geo. Ii. Blake
would use, as a rule, the shortest and |
stoutest words. He laments the in
ability of our people to write and
spell the English language correctly.
The society voted to publish the |
essays in the county papers, and
editor Blake expressed a willingness
to give them a place in the columns
of his paper. The teachers present
petitioned superintendent Dart for
a Teachers Institute to be held in
the county in May or June.
DARWIN :. WATERMAN.
Magazines for nearly Half.