Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-01-17
INSPIRATION INSTITUTE AT ALMA.
January 9, 10 and II--Large
Attendance.
Synopsis Of Proceedings of the
First Session,

Synopsis CT proceedings OF the
First Session.
at the hour for opening the lnspI
ration Institute for Gratiot county, the
opera house WAS fairly well filled, the
audience being composed, beside thu
citizens and teachers of Alma, Of the
reachers from the Central Normal
aud public schools of Mt Pleasant.
It. Louis, Ithaca. Elm Hall, Breckeu-
rIdge aud district schools in the vicinity
If Alma. After the selection by the
College choir, President Bruske offered
prayer. at the close of which Mr. Beck
ner sang "A solo, with Miss Whiting AS
tccompanist.
Sup't T. II. Kelley of Mt Pleasant
was the first speaker of the evening
lie said that no state III the Union
makes more generous appropriations.
or has done more for the cause of edu
alton than Michigan. Rich in all the
material resources that makes a state
prosperous, she seeks to make sure Of
the future 10y liberal appropriations for
education. Mr.. Kelley asked two
questions: Does the state receive any
adequate return for the money invest
I'd Does it pay the state to invest
large sums annually in the education
of the masses He said education is
growth, dt velOpment-mental, moral,
ply sicial, spiritual and social. This
look 10 i'll their relations with children.
While too much attention is paid To
methods. 10 the neglect, often, of the
real work of the teacher, he would not
have teachers study methods less, but
child-life more. Ii parents do not
know how 10 properly deal with one or
two children, how can teacher know
without Divine help, know how 10 deal
with forty or fifty children, from as
many different homes The function
of the public school and the public
school teacher is to care for all these
children Teachers must not fail to
teach the story aud lesson taught by
the dag. This is the duty If the public
school TO the children of the thousands
who c'na from other lands, who must
oe taught TO honor the flag under whose
shelter they have sought home. We
have To deal with the undesirable ele-
mrut Is Well AS the better element
that comes to us from the Od World,
and thl- undesirable element must be-
trained Do or puDIic schools To be- the
desirable element of thecnmmuaity i'm
which thew seek "a home. The public
school isl Tire fountain from which for
-'gn louth learns s'n5of patriotism
Let Us guard the public school protect
and support It, as the Angel standing
guard over American institutions.
President Bruske followed i'm his
Enthusiastically happy manner, aud
extended d hearty invitation 10 the WIS.,
ting teachers to visit Alma college.
Then i'm a few words Of eXho.tati0n, ne
told the teachers that We needed
teachers who hated all that was mean.
selfish aud sinful, and sand that no man
or woman has any business 70 teacn
who doesn't love, and try to inCulcate
i'm their teaching all that is good aud
true. Teachers need An inspiration to
bring an intense realization of the mag
niJUde of the teachers work, and to fit
them 10 60 back to work in the strength
of faith and the inspiration of hope.
Prof + & r. Bellows of the Central
Normal school of Mt. Pleasant, who
WAS for many years connected with the
State Normal school at Ypsilanti. and
is "A veteran in the states educational
work, spoke OF the progress the cause
of education has made IN Michigan IN
the past half century, from the first
rural schools, with their meager cours s
of study, 10 the splendid system of pub.
lie schools, colleges, normal schools and
university of today, and said that this
wonderful progress IS "a mighty source
of inspiration TO the workers In the
school room, and that another source
of Inspiration Is IN the contemplation
of the better things the future vii
bring To us. He said that 100 much
prominence has been given to methods
of teaching, without reference to the
fruits of these methods, and that
methods should be used as means
rather than All end. Ii IS an encOur
agement To note that more attention i.
being paid To training the morals Of the
youth If today, and that the true edu
cation is the development of the spirit
ual aud moral nature of the pupils.
The college male quartet at thi,
juucture rendered "Old King Cole
So effectively that an enthusiastic
encore was gwen them Sup't Whit
ney ot saginaw, who WAS next on tn,
program, was absent, and Sdperintend
ent Pdttengill was the next speaker