Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-22
TIE INSTITUTE.
Interesting Meeting OF Los
Angeles Teachers.
SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS PASSED,
Papers on the Delsarte System and
the study of Physiology in
SchOOls-Next Institute.

The county teachers met yesterday
at Turn Verein hall for institute
work, Superintendent Seaman presiding.
After calling the meeting to order, Mr..
Seaman congratulated the teachers upon |
the success that had attended the Stat Q |
Association meeting, which was mainly |
due to the efforts of the Los Angeles
teachers. He announced that next De-
cember, when the State Association will
meet at San Diego, the county teachers
will meet here and proceed in body to
the convention, stopping on the way for
the San Bernardino county teachers, So
that the tive bodies would make a crowd
ESQ strong. The first event on the pro-
gramme yesterday was vocal solo by
Charles E. Day. Then Miss Alma s.
Brigham read an interesting paper on
physiology. She illustrated her remarks
by means of a number of bones which
she had on the stage together With a
skeleton.
Miss Helen Mar Bennett read an inter
-esting paper en- the Delsarte method, in
which she said: There is so much that
might be said showing the necessity for
the Delsarte training, there are somany
examples thst might be given in proof of
the good it can and has already accom-
plished THAT it would be difficult to tell
where to stop; but, above all, desire to
make evident its perfect practicability.
There is too much mysticism, there are
too many lofty expressions of truth and
too little natural use of it. feel that it
is possible in six months, or even less
time, to obtain q sufficient amount of
definite knowledge of this art to be of
lasting benefit to the pupil. 1 would call
your attention to the perfecting of the
body as an instrument in constant use.
No one likes to work with dull, unshapen
tools, and this training which we give the
body makes it alert, keen, quick and
responsive. All the effects produced
by humanity since the beginning of
time have been accomplished through
the action of spiritual energy on muscu-
lar tissue. The more obedient we rem.
der the muscular tissue, the more we
accustom it to instantly yield itself to
the dominion of the spiritual energy, the
more we economize time and force. For
unless the body has been trained to be-
come the ready servant of the will, it
will be dumb and inarticulate as an agent
for expression. l will state the advan-
tages to health and character of the Del
sarte training. 1t is hyeienically supe-
Tior to every other system of physical
culture, because it is the only one that
does not begin with an increase of ner-
vous tension, and yet this is precisely
the factor which the existing conditions
of civilization give US in repletion. When
We use more nervous force than is
necessary for one action, are we not
robbing vitality, which should and il
meant to give us new strength fol
many other uses? Are we not actually
stealing what does not belong to us,
since only the force needed for the bes t
performance of the action is really ours?
In many cases self.consciousness is
simply nervous tension. Our introspec-
tive age, full of critical self-accusation,
conscience educated till it makes towards
of us all, has given q restraint to the
physique, rigidity tt our muscles, and
we need to practice plastic, 1.-the, supple
and elastic motions to overcome this.
Upon the nervous systems of American
women are reflected with intensity the
suffocating repression. the conventional
restraint which is the residuum of the
sober, earnest but narrow and incom-
plete lives of our puritan forefathers.
This desperate intensity leads to nervous
exaggeration, and we are awkward and
angular in the carriage of our shoul ders,
void of rythm and poise in our walk,
self-conscious, restless and misersb
in our attitudes. Right here /
would speak of grave and
most deplorable fault in the carriage
of the body, namely: of giving an undue
prominence to the abdomen. We see
this habit on all sides and among every
class. There must be no separation be-
tween the chest and the abdomen. The
perfectly poised man is he whose head,
trunk and limbs form perfectly straight
line.
In closing I should like to call your
attention to the following observations
made by DR.. Edward Hitchcock, of Am
herst, on the subject of physical train
ing: The soul can be regenerated and
the body remain disorderly. The body
can be trained to fine physical life and
action and the soul remain unregener-
ated; but certainly the fullness of life,
both for this world and the next, comes
from a more perfect harmony of the
body with the soul. So long as the soul
needs the body at all, it must be of ines
timable importance tnat the body should
conform itself to the pure laws of nature
by stunning physical evils, as it is that
the soul should be born again through
stunning spiritual evils.
MIR. James L. Smith, of the University
school, read paper on The Discipline
of Experience" he thought there was
need for more practical work in the
schools, and that the teachers should en-
deavor to place themselves in sympathy
with the children.
Mrs. Brsdfeld, principal of drawing in
the schools. delivered an inter-
esting lecture on the use Of
models. A number of teachers outside
of the city were not familiar with the
method now employed in the use of
models, and Mrs. Bradfield's remarks on
the subject we're of great benefit to them
She illustrated the various points of her
lecture by means of the blackboard, and
the half hour she was on the platform
was one of the most interesting of the
week.
State Superintendent Hoitt, who was
present, complimelted the teachers of
the department, and in bidding them
goodbye said he hoped to meet them at
San Diego next December.
AfteEnO0n Session.
The proceedinps at the afternoon session