Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-05-01
IN GALA ATTIRE.
SangeryilIe Entertains Penob-
scot Teachers Association.
The Semi-AnnuaI Meeting Opens
With Large Attendance.
Well Known Teachers Present The Discuss
ions and Addresses-Notes.

Piscataquis river, wears festive attire,
annual meeting of the Piscataquis
County Teachers Association, which is
in session at the Sangerville Higi1
school building, today and tomorrow.
AS the train drew into the station, the
school bell vigorously rang out well
come to the visiting teachers, of which
there were large number. The build
ing was tastefully decorated with flow
ers and bunting, in honor of the visit
ors. The people of Sangerville threw
open their doors and entertained the
teachers in grand style. Besides the
teachers there We're quite a number Of
children present and the town officers.
The meeting was called TO order at
10.15 A. NJ, by President II. Il. Williams,
principal of the Sangervlle High
school. He introduced Rev. A. II.
Aldrich. pastor Of the UniversaIist
church, who conducted the devotional
exercises, reading portion of the sec
ond chapter of Proverbs and invoking
Divine blessing on the meeting. asking
that the teachers be given broader
ideas of truth, after which America"
was sung in rousing good style, to
which Miss Genthner played the ac-
compartment on the organ.
First Selectman q. b. Williams gave
the address Of welcome. stating that NJ
more pleasant duty could be imposed
on him than to welcome those leaders
and instructors of young America.
Prof. Il. d. Pratt of Brownville High
school, made the response in a few well
spoken words, giving expression to his
pleasure at the hearty welcome eX-
tended by the town 1t was eminently
fitting that the first meeting after the
re- Organization should be in a tow
which was 50 interested in town mat
ters as the school building in this place
shows the people are. Was glad Of the
large number present ana thought the
teachers had as important office. if not
more SO. than the minister. The teacher
comes more in contact. sometimes. than
the minister who too often. after
prt aching his sermon on Sunday, re-
tires to his study. while the teacher Is
with the people all the time ana whose
place in history is not excclled by any
Prof. w. w. Stetson. State superin-
tendent Of schools. followed with a.
tuAEtSS on INtttHi SNCilOhi I4tS lSldAlpll
it's Benefits" which was greatly en-
ioyed 10y all. AS usual Prof. Stetsoa
was accorded a hearty welcome. II K
refaced his remarks by mention Of
Rev. X. II. Aldrich's remark in his
prayer. asking for broader ideas and
better understanding of methods. NO
better sentiment than that could be
voiced" He didn't agree with O. +.
Williams when he said unlike the
soldiers of the Civil War teachers
didn't take their life in their hand. II
would like. or rather wouldn't like. to
see any more deadly bullet than car
bonic acid gas with which the majority |
Of teachers have to contend with.
In his remarks on the laws he had been |
careful TO get the interpretations of the |
wisest men in the employ of the State. |
and not from the osrner grocery where |
YOU are sure to get law as it is not. After |
March |, 1895 no town will be allowed to |
maintain a school which has an average |
attendance of less than eight and they |
will be obliged to furnish transporta |
tion for pupils living at a suitable dis |
tance In case any persons cant get an |
understa nding with the committee as what |
is suitable distance they can appeal to |
the State superintendent. No person can |
be member of the experimenting school |
committee and be superintendent or |
teach
one thing to be regretted was that the |
law making it impossible for school |
money to he spent for apparatus, books. |
etc. had not been made to go into effect |
March l, 1898. There has been a radical |
change in the free high school law where |
by pupil must pass an examination and |
demonstrate that he will be benefited by |
such attendance, and no free high school |
can he maintained unless they teach |
studies taught in secondary schools.
The most important law passed was the |
permit to grOllD several towns together |
and have one supervisor. This is an ex
celent provision as it so provides that |
suitable instruction can be given your |
teachers without which they would many |
times fail. Maine is the second state II
pass this law Massachusetts having been
the first. Several other states tried to
get ii through but failed. The only |
thing remaining is for the towns to take
advantage of this excellent law and get |
good supervisors who will put their whole |
time into it. They will be elected by the
and the different towns will have votes |
in proportion to the amount of money
they put in. The easiest way is to call a
mass meeting and have somebody there
prepared to give comprehensive eX
planation of it and then have Il town
meeting called.
The meeting here adjourned until after
into a committee of introduce
ton to introduce the teachers to each
other.
terestng talk on school Discipline.
He said in part that in years gone by the
rod formed the principal part of school
discipline and he had some physical re
of that manner of discipline.
He thought now attention to school |
duties was the main point of discipline.
Then ranking system is one of the best
systems. He paid a compliment to the
teachers of the school in which the meet
ing was held for the excellent condition |
in which the building is in and said the
discipline must be excellent. Only one
thing can be done successfully at time
in the school room and didn't believe in
and trotting up to the desk |
to ask the teacher some trilling question. |
In the discussion on the subject Irinci-
pal Williams told how he had achieved
the result of having the school building
kept in such repair He explained to tn
pupils the laws governing officers. once
he found some writing and asked mi dly
TO have the person erase 1t for he had
recognized the writing. 1t wasn't erass
the following day and he asked more
forcibly for 1t to be erased. At noon h
said If ii wasn't erased he would com
municate to the authorities and have tha
offender punished. 1t is needless to say
III erISpIA