The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-01-20
LOCAL INSTITUTE nELD AT BEN
TON, SATURDAY, JANUARY Ia, 1893.

IUN, ShIUhDA1j JANUARY IA, 1898.
The institute was called to order by
Prot. J +. Harkins and opened with
singing NEARER My God to Thee"
Devotional exercises were conduct
ed by Rev. Mailman, The teachers
present were Mr.. Calender, Miss
McHenry, Mr. Fritz, and Mr., Thomas
from Jackson. o. M. Hess, Nora
Harvey, Emma Harvey, and Blanch
Fritz from Sugarloaf. Miss Evans,
Miss O'Brien. Prof Harkins, Mr.
Larish and M. K. Keeler from Ben
ton. Teachers present from other
townships were II. B. Gibson. Centre;
Miss Fritz Greenwood. The first
speaker was Mr.. +. II. Larish who
talked for a short time on Improve
ments needed. "Our school houses
should be improved. In some houses
part of the plastering is off and on
cold day the wind comes through the
cold draughts that are continually
ing through the room are apt to cause dis
ease. Window blinds are needed to pro.
tcct the eyes. 1t is impossible to keep
building warm with only one small
stove in the middle of the room. The
character of a child is influenced by
his surroundings. We should have
a beautiful building as we'll as com
Portable one our school room should
be as pleasant as our homes, the
ground should be beautiful as well as
the room. A part of the state ap.
preparation should be used IN beauti-
flying the grounds and school rooms"
) The next was recitation by Miss
Hattie Albertson, followed by a reci-
tation by Miss Edna Smith, and a solo
by Master Bennie McHenry. The
next speaker was Prof. Noetling of the
t, Bloomsburg Normal School, "The
first institute l ever attended here you
were in the back woods, now you are
out in the public. You have modern
buildings, and you are in the line of
progression. That is right for we are
in progressive age. Farmers, me,
!, chanics and professional men are inn
j proveing, but there is still room for
y improvement Our school houses are
! better than they were, but there is
still room for improvement. In some
i schools children are sitting on seats SC
high that their feet cannot touch the
. floor. This is positive cruelty. II
n we cannot lower the seats let us raise
y the floor. The teaching is better thar
= it was, but there is room for improve
l. ment The largest room in the worlt
Il is the room for improvement. If the
70 people want good schools they mus
elect good directors; good director:
o employ good teachers and they CIV,
1t us good schools. kay the. teachers ;
good salary SO they need do nothing
but teach. A man to be successful
s. must follow the business and nothing
" else" The next was recitation b.
Doyle Hartman, followed by a recita
tion by Arthur Fiske. Music by th'
choir.
If The next speaker was J. G.. Nc
s Henry. "The public school is tn
only agent by which government ca
=, be sustained and perpetuated. Il
., send children to school is a parenta
- duty. The parent who sends his chill
y into the world without an educatio
u does wrong to mankind as we'll as t
~ ~ his family. All children should b
y. -. educated to such degree that the
70 can understand the laws of our lane
~ and become useful citizens. The p;
' rents should visit the schools and Sc
:. what is being done, but it ought
% make no material difference with tn
y success of the school whether the
. attend them or not. The teacht
IN should not require the personal supe
sc vision of the citizen. The children {
ne Benton have never before had bett,
opportunities for acquiring an educ;
lie ton than at present. Taxpayel
irt should not grumble at tax whlc
thy think is to be honestly used. III
,g schools are the greatest of institution
,ol let us then cherish them. Send yol
es children to school and work in ha
mony with the teacher" Recitatic
acc by Miss Anna Edwards; solo by Mi
Bertell LauDaCh.
&c. The state superintendent, DR.. d.
vs Waller next addressed the institut
= ave should have free schools. Thou
- ands of dollars can be saved in ye
by free text books. Directors C;
y" y" buy the books much cheaper becau
'e- they buy them at wholesale. VIII,
one pupil completes book anoth
to can take it, thus getting double Sc
vice from it. There are other ben
re- fits to be derived aside from dolls
and cents. No valuable time
mt wasted IN waiting for pupils to e
books: If you don't feel able to p
them all in at once, put one or two
DOL at time. Histories and Geographi
,us this year, Grammars and Readers ne
4 AkA axt1