The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-06-18
County suparintendents Annual Report
Of the School Of Columbia County,

Of the School of Columbia County,
The most promising features of the
work during the past year we're the
increase in the number of pupils at
tending school and greater regularity
in attendance.
While more interest was manifested
in the work this year than ever before
by patrons, directors, teachers and
pupils, yet there is room for improve
ment in various ways in many
districts.
The majority of our directors are
careful, capable and conscientious,
and seem ever ready to do whatever
in their judgment tends to make the
schools more efficient
The attendance of directors at the
directors association at our last coun.
ty institute was the largest ever known
at a regular meeting of the association.
Excellent addresses were made by
Superintendents B. r. Johnson of
Union county and J. George Becht
OF Dycomlng county.
1t seems no more than right that
directors should receive actual ex-
penses for attendance at the sessions
of the association for the one day
during the county institute.
1t was suggested at tie last meet
ing that as the district receives
through the directors who attend, the
benefits of the association. that it
would be proper for the district to pay
the actual expenses of those who
attend the meeting.
The county institute was held
October a1--25. All the teachers
IN the county except two were
present. One of these was absent
on account of sickness.
The institutes during the past few
years have been very largely attended
by teachers, directors and citizens,
and have been unusually interesting
and successful.
Interesting and excellent instruc-
ton was given Ly Dr. Arnold Tom
kins of Chicago, Ill.,, Supts. r. r.
Johnson Of Union county, J. George
Becht Of Lycoming county, Miss
Margaret McCloskey of the Lock
Haven Normal School, Mrs. f. N.
Allen of Yonkers, N. Y, Prof. VIM.
NoetlIng and DR.. J. P. Welsh of the
Bloomsbury Normal, and Prot. E. K.
Richardson of Berwick. Prof ]. A.
Spinkel had charge of the music. The
lectures were given by DR.. James
Hedley, DIR. Byron King and Rev.
Thomas Dixon, Jr., and concert, by
the Arion Concert Company.
Eight local Institutes were held.
They were better attended by
teachers, directors and citizens than
ever before.
Special efforts were made to give
natural science prominent place on
the program of these Institutes and
Prof. Cope of the Normal did good
work in this subject.
Valuable instruction was also given
by other members of the Faculty of
the Normal as well as by many of the
teachers of the county.
1t is necessary to state this year
again that number of the out-build-
ings are not what they should be and
that therefore the law in this particu-
lar has not yet been complied with
in some districts.
One new school house was built
during the year and many were re-
paired and made more attractive and
CO.. ortable.
The p. Q. S. of A., erected poles
at number Of school houses in the
county and presented those schools
with beautiful flags. This society is
to be commended for the good work
it is thus doing
While many of our schools have
unabridged dictionaries, some libra
ries, or the beginning of library, and
few have good supplementary read
ing yet there is great need of i'm
mediate attention to these matters
and improvement in them.
Each school should have an un.
abridged dictionary and library.
Our directors as a rule have been
careful and wise in refraining from
spending large sums of money for
useless charts, but they might invest
to great advantage more money in
dictionaries and supplementary read
ing.
In many districts teachers are
more carefully selected, and most di-
rectors are now fully awake to the