Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-07-04
SCHOOL BOARDS MEET.
DISTRICT BOARD CONVENTION
WELL ATTINDHD.
Members Look on At the Institute
and Then Discuss . Carefully Pre-.
pared Program-Practical Talks
BY All.

| the midst OF harvest Q large numbe
, Of members Of schoolboards Of tn
county were present, showing tn
deep interest taken in the gathering
About 80 visited the normal insti
tute during the morning. The ses
sion closed at II O'Clock and addresse
were made by Messrs. A. J. Huff, J
R. Van Worst, 0. W. Kirby, J. X
Callister, L. Swigart, A. Clayton
Miss Wooster and Prof. Hisey
Prof. Hisey, who appeared before
the teachers for the last time today,
expressed himself as being greatly
pleased with the idea Of school board
conventions and commented on the
credit due Dickinson county for being
the first county in the state to act In
this direction. He also complimented
the way in which our teachers work,
Dickinson county will feel very de.
cidedly the effect Of having had Prof.
Hisey at the head Of the model work
and the teachers all feel grateful to.
wards him for bis work during his
two weeks stay
Dinner was furnished free at the
hotels and homes Of the city by
courtesy Of Supt. Shirk and others.
Promptly at 1880 supt. D. F.
Shirk called the convention to order
in the court room. There was a large
attendance. Nearly half Of those
present were ladies.
H. Springer Of Dillon led the as
sembly in an earnest prayer
A. Clayton of Hayes was chosen
chairman and made a brief talk. He
said there is right and wrong way
to run a school and the schools of the
county have been on the upgrade for
the past two years. Schoolboards
need education as well as pupils and
teachers.
W. l. Early and W. L. Lesher were
chosen secretaries.
Prof. j. N. Wilkinson, Of the State
Normal school and conductor Of the
normal institute, delivered an inter-
esting address. He made practical,
helpful talk on the everyday practi-
cal questions which meet the districts
at their annual gatherings. He
talked Of the leading expense which
comes to the district-the teachers.
He decried the genius" who is a
crank, but lauded the common sense,
every day worker who is a born
teacher. The teacher should have
character and health---the school room
is not hospital, pensioning agency
nor reformatory. He congratulated
the assembly as being the only real
educational gathering Of the kind he
ever saw worthy the name; the county
on having the best county high school
in the State and the institute upon
having so large proportion Of teach
ers who have certificates and are
merely learning to teach. He praised
the county high school as an institu-
ton.
"Have we made any progress dur
ing the past year," was the subject
Of talk by A. j. HUFF, Of District 81.
Mr.. Half said among other things |
that those who had completed the
normal course at the county high
school were better and more efficient
teachers. That the average intelli-
gence Of the people Of Kansas was
higher and better than elsewhere. lie
hoped to see more teaching Of the
boys and girls to think and reason
for themselves rather than so much
rote learning Of text books. He also
wished to see the time when all
school districts should furnish free
text books.
The subject was further discussed
by j. B. Baxter, who said that as a
OF a school board for nearly
20 years it was very easy to point out
the progress Of the schools. Mr.
Baxter said that the education Of to-
day was fitting the children more
rapidly and more efficiently than at
any time heretofore.
0. W. Kirby said that be was very
much surprised while visiting the
normal at the progress manifested.
He also registered a hearty protest
against any further cut in teachers
wages which brought forth the
hearty applause of the audience.
Township Graded Schools" was
he subject Of q paper by D. Trott, ,
4 Dist. No. 40. After tracing the
ise Of schools he said that township I
,raded schools would be very good
hing. He thought that these
chools would permit the children to i
emain a longer time in the care Of 0
he parent until their characters were t
lore strongly fixed before they =
hould go to college. i
supt. shirk then presented a plan r