Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-05
CONVENTION A SUCCESS.
Whitewater Meeting OF Wisconsin
Teachers Association a
Record

Whitewater. Wis, April 81 Special
The Southern Wisconsin Teachers con
ventlon, which came to close on Satur-
day afternoon. was one of the best at
tended and most successful meetings o.
teachers ever held in the state The DC
caSlon was the first annual meeting of tn,
association, which is an outgrowth ant
consolidation of the former southeastern
and southwestern associations. The at
tempt to effect such an organization wa;
regarded by many as an experiment anC
that the first convention should be suct
recOrd-breaker was exceedingly crafty
ing to the promoters. The books Of the
treasurer show a total paid membership
OF oOl, while enough nOnmemberS Wefi
present to swell the attendance OF teach
ers to nearly 900. This phenomena.
showing has been eCualed only by tht
state association on few occasions.
1t was distinctively gathering of the
rank and hle Of the profession. i'll Otnel
words, the district school teachers, al
though. Of course, many prominent edu'
Gators were present to counsel from oX'
perlence and lend the requisite dignity
to the proceedings. Conspicuous among
these was the great educational orator
and editor Of Boston, whose several adj
acter and models in the oratorical line.
Whitewater outdid itself in the line o:
hospitality and caring for the 1000 stran
gers who for two days held the city as
their own Free entertainment was
granted to all the city teachers. The To-
cal committee consists of President Al,
bert Salisbury of the normal. Principa.
H. a. WhiDple of the high school anG
Prof. A. A. Upham of the normal.
The sessions of Friday were held in
the Normal building and Of Saturday al
the Congregational church. This large
edifice was filled to overlooking all day
Secretary Hutchins of the state library
commission told How to Use the Ii.
brary IN the District School" State
Superintendent Harvey gave "The Pres.
ent Status of the Institute" He i'm
pressed on teachers the necessity of con.
tlnuous attendance at an institute to de-
rive profit, and also advised that the
work be subdivided and sectionized &c
reach all classes The subject was ably
the Whitewater normal. Supt. DaviC
Throne of Rock county and S. y. Gillian
Of Milwaukee. Prof w. \. Henry OF
the university told how teachers could inn
part practical lessons in agriculture &c
their pupils.
But for the most of the day the cOun
try school teachers had their innings and
NNbJSIlH VI Nltul u lliclli NtAe
treated on. First of all. President Sails
bury. who is an authority of national re.
putc on this question. told What d
Country School Teacher ought to Know
and Teach" followed by discussion by
Prof. \. \. Thomson of Tomah. Their
four bona fde district school teachers
Armand Morris of Willard, Nellie Jones OF
Beloit. Grace futile Of Richland City
and George w. Davis Of North Freedom
presented papers on their greatest obsta
Gle in teaching district school," and
they had such prominent educational men
as President w. II. Cheever Of the Mil
waukee normal. President Duncan Nc
Gregor OF the Platteyille normal and
Prof. ]. *. Lowry OF Waukesha to picb
flaws in their views. Prof. &. L. Patzel
OF the Milwaukee normal predicted The
Future of the Country school, the dis
cussion on this topic being led by w. w
Storms Of Racine and the ncwly-elected
president of the association, Supt. J. X
Nattrass of Lafayette county.
The splendid send-off which the first
convention OF the association has received
guarantees Il great meeting ut the see
ond convention next year at Racine.