The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-02-09
Meeting Of the Teachers.
tn the Editor of the Dispatch:

The third meeting of the teachers
of Lexington county wes held in the
Lexington Graded School building
on Saturday last, at IL O'Clock, with
good number in attendance.
Prof. L. A. Sease of the Lewiedale
school, who is President OF the AS
sociation, notified the Secretary that
be could not BE- present, and Mr.. Il.
E. Shealy was made president pro
tenn. The meeting was then formally
opened by calling the roll and read
ing the minutes, which were approved
and adopted.
The discussion of Civil Govern
ment next followed. Mr.. Arthur f.
Harman opened this question by
saying that good plan to teac'' 1t is
to organize moot court as is done
in law schools. He thought this
plan would not work so we'll where
the classes are small. The tendency
is to talk too much yourself instead
of letting the pupil himself tell what
he knows. Indeed that is the
trouble with a good many OF US IN
many other studies. We do most OF
the talking while the student should
do more than we.
In order to make useful citizens
men who know how to cast an intel
ligent vote, the children must be
taught something of the duties that
shall devolve upon him when in b
majority.
q. D. Seay thought the student
should know something OF the
responsibility that the student shall
sustain to his country and his fellow
man. The future destiny Of our coun-
tryshall soon be placed in the hands
of the rising generation. Then tie
question arises shall we teach our
children to think, to reason, and to
vote intelligently, or will we entrust
them to the hands of scheming pol
iticians to lead them to the ballot box
Il is far better and safer to teach the
boys and girls OF our country that
they are a unit, an important factor
in this system Of government. Lets
teach the masses their duty as
citizens and we shall have a stronger
government.
The Secretary read a lengthy paper
on corporal punishment and [ think
established the fact that the rod
still maintains and important place
in the school room. There are as
many abuses of the rod as there are
uses.
Mr.. Thad. W. Dreher thought the
| child should be whipped when nc
other punishment would accomplish
the desired result. He said that
whisping, and a good part OF the
other rigid discipline to which pupils
are subjected, could be dispensed
| with if the children were properly
| trained at home, but because some
parents fail in this duty accounts for
| 30 much trouble in the school room
Parents often forget that children
can't see things as other people see
them, and furthermore, that young
| people are given to exaggeratlon
! Since this is so, Mr.. Dreher though
it very dangerous TO allow them t(
bring home news from school. Ihi:
is a very baneful policy. If the
parent lends willing ear to tn
child's story he will soon find man,
things to blame the teacher for. An'
when this begins great deal OF tn
teachers usefulness is destroyed
| He said further, if parents canno
place confidence in the teacher tina
he will treat their children properly
not send to him at all. A child vii
be taught very little, by a teacher i
whom the parent has no confidence
If parents could only know this the
certainly would cease to destroy tn
usefulness of the schools. Let tn
teacher and the parent understan
each other and then, if possible, joi
| heart and labor in this noble wolk.
Miss Hendrix said the rod wa
necessary from the fact that a
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