The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-02
PEpAcocUes IN SESSION.
Opening OF the Me .,ings Of the state
Society at WatervilIe.
Especial to the Press.l

WArERvILLE, January 1.-The eleventh
annual meeting Of the Maine Pedagogical
Society opened In City Hall this evening.
The attendance was very large notwith-
standing the severe weather. This society
brings together the educationallsts Of Maine
from all departments Of work; the colleges
and secondary schools, the normal schools.
and the teachers Of our public schools In all
| grades. The efficient president OF this body
| Is Supt. w. w. StetsOn Of Auburn, and Prof
E~tanrooke Of Gorham, is its accomplished
| secretary,
Amobg the leaders in education present
| last evening were President Hyde and Prof.
| Robinson OF Bowdoin, President Small and
other members Of the faculty from Colby
| President Fernald Of the State College, Hon.
N. A. Luce state superintendent, Dr. Han
son of the Coburn Classical Institute. Prln-
clpal PuriDgtpn of Farmington, Principal
land, Supt. Stuart OF Lewiston, Principal
B r. Snow of North Yarmouth Academy,
Prof Estabr0Oke OF G0rham, Principal A.
Z. Chase Of Portland, Supt. Gould OF Bid
def0rd, Supt. Crawford Of Waterville.
The best representation of teachers ever
gathered at an annual meeting Is present at
this session. Auburn appears to lead In the
number OF teachers In attendance, but Port
land comes next, and very near, In It's hand
some delegation, while other cities and
LOWuS ara well IcpI6ocubFU uO nOtCto GA0
all crowded, and the friends OF the associa'
tion are much sratifed by the fattering
numbers gathered In the dead OF this terri
BILE winter.
he opening session was held at 7pi M.
In City Hall, which was crowded. Prest-
dent Stetson took the chair and prayer was
offered by Rev. Mr.. Chapman.
The address Of welcome was given In COZ
dial terms by Rev. j. L.. Seward, aud Presi-
dent Stetson very happily responded.
1f.xNn frrao faIf In hn h
sence OF Judge Symonds, who was expected
to open the regular programme with paper
ON "rhe Old Time School and the Work that
1t Did," Judge Symonds was imperatively
detained by his professional connection with
the great pulp case at Portland.
In this emergency Judge. A. +. Savage.
mayor Of Auburn, very kindly and at short
notice came to the rescue. Judge Savage,
with graphic touches, drew the picture vi
house, for which old time Institutions he
confessed to a fond recollection There
were Joys In those old school days, and there
was training OF individual scholars, there
were reading classes In which pupils really
learned TO read, and there was not little
good training In other lines.
Prof. f. @ Robinson OF B0wdoin College,
In thoughtful paper on the school OF today,
spoke Of the magnitude OF the present school
system and tae good work IL Is doing. We
need real teachers, no more taskmasters.
appliances and a more exact and intelligent
policy. He favored industrial and mechani-
cal education, though he thought brains as
well as hands would ever need training.
Dr. Hanson, of the COburn Classical In
stltute treated in an excellent paper OF
What have lost tnat would have been help
full to the schools t. retaine" DIR. Hanson
saw many great advances In the school sys-
TEN. The losses he found 20 be In reading,
arithmetic, English grammar and the power
10 mem0riZe.
The power to memorize anything what
ever verbatim Is well nigh extinct. DIR.
Hanson believed that the extreme reaction
against memorizing Is false, pedagogically
and practically pernicious.
Principal Richardson. Of the Castine Nor
NAL School, considered What have we re-
tanned or added that th- schools would be
better without" q in pointed, telling address.
We have retained, to our injury at all
points and In all place the pernicious dds:
trict" system. We retain hundreds Of
wretched buildings. Our schools are, not
few, without globe, blackboard or any other
apparatus. We have retained a pinehing,
parsimoni0us policy as to the pay Of teach
ers, and coupled with this many poor made
quate teachers. The system of the ''dis-
trict" Is the great drawback of our state.
and this abolished the way will be open for
advance along all lines.
Hon. o. @. Hall Of Waterville and Ara
Cushman of Auburn participated In the
animated discussion which followed.