The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-08
TOPICS OF EDUCATORS
MANY SUBJECTS DISCUSSED AT THE
MILWAUKEE CONVENTION.
Letter of Regret from President Me-
KinIey-Report of the "Committee
of Ten" on Schools.

MILWAUKEE,, July AT to-day's gem
eral session of the National Educational
Association, after invocation by Rev. DR.
George II. Ide President Skinner proceed
ed promptly to business. The following let
ter was read from President Mckinley, adj
dressed to 1.-THE Hon. Charles r. Skinner
president N L. A.
My Dear Sir-I have been deeply graft
fed by the cOrdiality of your invitation to
attend the meeting of the n. t. a. at Mil
Waukee, but have felt obliged, owing to
great pressure OF public business, TO reply
that ii would be impossible for me to be
present. The work OF your association has
Tor every citizen the greatest significance
us members constitute body OF trained
opponents of the principles which con-
sldered vital by the founders of our govern
ment, and the enthusiasm and devotion ev-
idenced in these annual meetings are among
the most encouraging signs of the perma-
nence and strength of our institutions You
have my best wishes for the reunion, which
shall be memorable in its annals"
The committee on resolutions is as fol-
lows: Nicholas Murray Butler, of New
York. DR.. j. H. Garfield, of Ohio; Charles
H. Keyes, of California; James r. Preston,
of Mississippi, and David X. Goss, of In
diana.
A communication from the board of direc-
tors embodied the following:
Resolved, That the board of directors
do hereby recommend that Article 8 Sec
ton g. of the constitution be amended as
follows: Any person desiring to acquire
membership in this association may, on ap-
pncatlon, accompanied by annual fees, 81,
and the payment of dues for current year
become a member of the association.
James NJ. Green, of the Princeton IN. j.
Normal School, spoke on Data of
Method"
Mrs. Ellen M. Henrotin. president of the
General Federation of Womans Clubs, of
Chicago, addressed the convention on the
cooperation of woman's clubs in the public
schools. She gave her attention to detail
ing the work of the Federation of Woman S
CUBS IN experimenting the plan of general
education. The speaker eloquenty urged
try with the women of the schools, to the
end that no child needing education should
be without it.
Gilman H. Tucker, of the American Book
Publishers Standpoint" Alexander Ora
ham Bell, of Washington, d. c., delivered
an address on The Education of the Deaf. >
DIR. Bell said when the first deaf child was
taught to speak, two hundred years ago, it
was heralded as an attempt to duplicate
the miracles of Christ. The speaker re-
terred to other efforts failing because in
tolerance compelled their abandonment. A
Drlef discussion of the rise and progress of
the oral method completed the address.
Nine department meetings were held late
this afternoon Among the most important
was was the ,IkiIn1dergarten meeting, the subject
being Child Study" DR. John Dewey, of
the University of Chicago read the first
paper, The kindergarten and Child
Study" which was listened to with great
interest. Miss Bertha Payne, an associate
Of Jane Adams in the Hull House work an
sWered the question, Has the child study
movement any help for the kindergarten"
decidedly in the affirmative DR.. Jenny b.
Merrill, kindergarten supervisor of the New
York public schools. had for a theme
Methods of Child Study in the Kinder
Merrill eXOlainpO
keeping of Undergraduates as carried on in
New York, and said she thought all meth
DDS of child study were good for the kim
The meeting of the round table for the
education of the deaf attracted much at
tention Mrs. Juan Minor Coburn talked
interestingly on Ten Minutes with Pencil
and CrayOn." Francis DeVereauX Clarke
superintendent of the Michigan School for
the Deaf, gave a practical talk on Fourth
Year in Language Work." laying special
emphasis on the omission of definitions and
lance of reading. Prof. Edmund Lyon.
state inspector of the New York Schools
for the Deaf, spoke on Comparative Tests
in School for the Deaf" j. w. Jones, of
Cleveland gave "a plea for the higher ed
ucation of the deaf in our institutions and
there was a paper by E. II. Garter, of New
York.
The National Hobart Society held an in
teresting session. DR.. John Dewey, of the
University of Chicago, spoke on the Ethi-
cal Principles Underlying Education.
Charles De GarmO, of Swarthmore, deliv-
cred an address on the Social Aspects of
Moral Education" and other papers were
read.
The session of the normal school depart
ment was taken up with discussion of the
report of a committee appointed last year
to report the control. management, main
tenance, courses of study, ETC., OF normal
schools.
The meeting of the art department was
a most interesting session. Papers were
read by Mark NJ Maycock, president of the
department; Harriet Cecil Magee, of the
Oshkosh State Normal School; d. r. Augs-
bury supervisor of drawing in Salt Lake
City, and Gratia Rice, State Teachers In
stitute instructor in drawing, Albany n. Y.
In the department of business educatlon a
number of very good papers were read ana
discussed.
A most interesting session was that of the
natural science department. The chief dis
cussions were on physical geography lab
Oratory work and physics.
The famous committee of ten" on higher
and secondary schools gave its final report
this afternoon. The report was one OF the
best papers given during the convention
and the decision arrived at was eontaine7dd
be so elective as to give all pupils under
wise direction, a choice of work and so
elastic that one may pass from study
which initiates against mental growth, 10
one to which his organs or assimilation ana
appropriation readily respond. as easily and
philosophiCally as changes from harmtul
10 a wholesome diet" Much interest was
eVinced in the paper and the thought OF the
meeting seemed to be that the colleges and
high schools must be made to meet
Nearly 5000 people attended the session of
the National Education Association con-
vention in the Exposition building tonight
The greater part of the programme was
devoted to music. Miss Jane Adams, Hull
House, Chicago. delivered an address on
"Foreign-born Pupils in Primary Schools.
Bishop John b. Vincent, Of Chauta4uqua'
spoke on tom and His Teacher. He PIC
ti1red Tom as the average American boy
and said he should be taught to think ana
to observe accurately, taught to earn his
own living and be independent ,-.......
A canvass Of the different Headquarters
of cities looking for the. next national
convention shows Salt Lake City to be in
the lead over Omaha, Los Angeles, WASH
ington and Boston.
The committee on nominations of the Ma
tional Educational Association named j. NJ
Greenwood of Kansas City, Mo, as the
next president of the association; irwin
Shepard. of WInona, Mimi, to be reelected
as secretary and ]. c. Mcneil. of West SUI
perior, Wis, to succeed himself as treas
urer. These names will be reported TO the
general session tomorrow and elected.
knights of Honor in Conference.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 7.-More than
fifty grand dictators and grand reporters
Of the various state Jurisdictions Of the
KNIGHTS of Honor met here in called session
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