The Portland daily press., 1898-07-08
TEACHERS AT NORTH CONWAY.
Meeting of the American Institute of
Instruction,

North. Conway, July 5.-The American
Institute Of Instruction met here this
evening, There was large number pres
ent, but few from Maine The exercises
opened with an address by Gov. Ramsdell
Of New Hampshire, welcoming the school
teachers to New Hampshire. The Gov
ernor was eloquent, booming his state
and especially Conway. as the most
beautiful place of the earth. Superintend-
emit G owen, CT New Hampshire, followed,
giving the welcome of the teachers of
New Hampshire. Rev. Mr.. Allis followed,
expressing the welcome of the people of
Conway to the pedagogues. A response,
expressing the gratitude of the Institute
was made by George A. Church, presi
dent of the Institute.
The address of the evening was by the
president of Clark University. His SUBJ
ject was Adolescence, meaning the
period of boy and girl life from 10 to %.
The doctor gave us deal of old, we'll
known facts in a new form of expression,
and the funny thing about it is that the
speaker seems to think that he is the dis
coverer of great truth, destined to rev.
olutionize the universe, and develop
new form of human soul; and the fun
NEST thing of all is that the speaker
seemed to have "Calvinistic" belief in
what he was setting forth.
Wednesday Prof. Hodge of Clark Uni
versity delivered an address on ''Humsn
Interest in Nature Study The speaker
spent the first half hour of his time in
reviewing the great fact of suffering,
the struggle for life the destruction of
the weakest, the survival of the fttest, as
the law of life. He then endeavored to ex-
plain this fact as related to the idea of an
all powerful, an all seeing, an all loving
creator. He deduced the conclusion that
the divine purpose was and is to secure
mans perfection by making him an
agent with God in securing the best good
of all.
Nature study then must be so related to
all study as to make every child an agent
to secure the survival of the fttest, and
the most painless destruction of the
weakest. Finally the study of nature Is
to SO bring each child to such condition
that he may be fit to survive ; Prof.
Hodge was followed by Prof. Morrill, Of
New Haven. formerly Of Portland. cart
in Public Schools was treated by Miss
Maynard under these heads:
/. Is there art in public schoolsP
2. Need OF such teaching. 1t develops
character.
8. Proof in results obtained by which
children have become critics of beauty in
all around them.
4. Course OF work outlined as it appears
in the s9 art work of the Springfield schools.
B. The close observations of the pupils
lead to consciousness Of fitness and har-
mony, which is ethical in effect.
9. The study OF art in school has 8
practical, ethical value in making disci-
pline easier.
The address was not strictly on the SUBJ
ject as announced in the text, but was
discussion of methods. very suggestive
and helpful.
Manual Training was discussed by
Principal Keyes of the High School of
Holyoke. Mass This address developed the
following salient points:
1. Manual training has an ed ucational
value and on that its right to be rests.
2. The present High School course is
| too crowded.
8. The present High School course is
body killing course.
4. Time for manual training is to be
found by doing all the valuable High
School work in shorter time.
5. Manual training in the High School
will bring into tho High School many
boys who now will not enter there.
6. Manual training in the High school
will help many of tine boys who are, or
seem to be, stupid in the routine
studies, to real active, intelligent, earnest
work and turn them out abreast, If not
in advance, of thu brightest pupils in the
routine course.
Z. Time. amply sufficient for tn in
PRODUCTION of manual training may be
found by using only part of the time
wasted in any GLASS In any High school.
s. Manual training introduced the stu
dents will be fitted for college on present
college conditions in the time now used.
8. Manual training more than all stud
les now in the High schools determine
the special work OF life for which the
pupil has a natural fitness.
10. Manual labor in the II Ugh school
will bring to the pupils a con seriousness
OF the DINGHY of labor.
II Manual training in the High
school will give us skilled leaders in all
work of productive industry, which lead
ers, We. are now obliged to import from
foreign countries.
II. Manual training in the High school
must not be separate school, or in a
special building, but must be part of
the High school, beside history, litera-
ture, Latin, etc.
r. Manual training in the High school
will tend to break down the antagonism
of classes and cultivate the idea of uni
versal brotherhood.
North Conway, July Z.
Last evenings programme was an ad-
dress by Prof. Dolbsar of Tufts, on
''What We Know About Ether.'' He
said it must be all pervading, illimita.
BILE. not composed of ultimate PARTICLES
hence not matter; not causing friction,
hence not matter; without gravity, hence
not matter; infinite. las to extent; form
of energy. On the whole the professors
was interesting, but one could not help
thinking of the Scotchman's definition
of metaphysics, "When the one man
dinna ken what he's palavering about,
and the tither man dinna ken what the
one man says. That is metaphysic. ~