Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-12-16
Gloucester County School

The number of school teachfs who at
tended the County Convention the Court
room last Saturday, nearly tested the seat
ing capacity OF the audience room, being
the largest gathering of the kind ever held
in the county.
County Superintenden VIM. Fl. Eldridge,
President of the Teachers Association, pre-
sided, and in opening the Convention read
sections of the school law defining the
duties of the County Superintendent and
the teachers. On the subject of teachers
certificates he said =
No person should be allowed to teach
unless first showing their prerogatives
The laxness with which this law is applied
has done great injury to the school system,
and, to the mind of the County Superintend-
emit the failure of superintendent to rig
idly apply the law in this respect is the
reason so many incompetent and irrespon-
sble men and women are found as teachers.
4 I think the issuing ofprovisional certificates
was mistake, when there was suficiency
of teachers regularly employed" He gave
notice that during the ensuing year be
would issue no provisional certificates as
long as there was regular supply IN the
county.
He spoke specially of the special certif
| Gates sued to teachers, with q minimum
average in any one branch of 80 and
general average of 80. There were many
teachers in the county who, by their skill
in organic stion and advancement, were de-
serving of the special honors, but unfort-
unatelythe bestowal of the special certificate
was not permissible because of the failure
of the teachers to acquire the average.
TOO YOUTHFUL TEACHERS
A forcible argument was advanced against
young girls presenting themselves for
teachers certificates. :" The law" said the
speaker, "will not permit you to issue a
certificate to any one under Is years of age,
and then only third grade certificates
There is something required of you. y
continued the speaker, besides passing the
examinations and securing certificates and
that is good work in the school room.
IT have right to criticise your work
and | warn you, as teachers, that | shall
say just what think of your work. | Will
refuse to advance you in grade and issue
| certificates if you fail to conduct your
schools in properly and orderly manner.
We have no use for teachers in Gloucester
county unless they are Jealous and earnest
in their work.
Treasurer Bowen submitted a report
showing receipts amounting to $50 80 and
expenditures of $50 03.
Mr.. Tharp moved that committees be
appointed to draft resolutions on the death
of late Prof. Bomans, and resolutions of
sympathy to Prof. Green, of Woodbury.
Miss Ada Van Stone Harris, of Newark,
speaking on the subject of Reading" said
| no subject is SO poorly taught in the schools
as this The failure of scholars in other
! branches is because they cannot read in
| telligently. II is the basis of school work,
and not enough time is devoted to it.
Professor Manness, on behalf of the State
Teachers Retirement Fund, explained the
work accomplished during the past year
He attributed the obstacles, which were
being overcome, to the apathy of State Of
fcials and district clerks. He said the
present situation was concisely as follows.
There are 2130 paying members and the
bill will go before the legislature this
winter. The fund is self-supporting and
this year the amount paid out in annuties
will be less than $4,000"
The proposed library for the teachers, the
establishment of which was inaururated
about year ago, drew forth quite discus
sion as to it's location and it was finally de-
cided to divide the library to suit the
Executive Committee. A committee of
| five was appointed to select the books.
The afternoon session was opened with
an address by Miss Harris, on Language"
She said thought material was the basis for
language power. TO be good liDguists we
must be natural The day has gone by
when studied and forced gestures and
dramatic attitudes are considered art IN any
profession. We must be our natural selves
to be successful. What we want to realize
as teachers is not how much knowledge we
can cram into the heads of the children, but
how well. We want teaching that devel-
ops the child for every day living. Thought
evolution and thought growth is one Of the
| first steps in language work. Concert
recitation is, to my idea, an abominatioD,
and should be wiped from the school
system"
The officers elected were as follows -
President, w. A. Eldridge; Vice President
and Treasurer, Professor Frank A. Bowen,
Secretary, Reeves 7. Batten.
What Live Board of Trade is
Doing.
dispatch from Pottstown, Pa, dated
December 5, says
The beroughs of Pennsburgh and East
Greenville, Montgomery county. are ex-
periencing a boom that has never been
equalIed in the history of the two places.
About seyenty-fve dwellings have been
staked off, on which operations will begin
ths coming spring Through the instru-
| mentality If local Rosrd of Trada various
industries have been established, including
large silk mill, hosiery and tobacco
factories, and the demand for labor caused
thereby has resulted in the necessity of
building new houses. A water works OF
the most approved kind has been con-
structed, and the public shirt of the citi-
zens has been manifested in various other
directions.
This favorable condition of affairs in
these towns has had an effect on farms
near them. The prices for them haYe
advanced and there is good demand for
| them