Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-24
Daily q ennebec 3op~1aL
SOMERSET EDUCATORS
Hold Annual Meeting at Maine Gen.
trail Institute at PittsfeId.
A Fine Programme Carried 0ut-Address by
Pres. o. II. Drake.

The annual meeting of the Somerset
Educational Association opened at
Maine Central Institute, today, with
an attendance of about $50. This is
an exceptionally large attendance and
promises to be very interesting and
instructive meeting.
The convention opened, at 10 o'clock,
with the address of welcome by the
president, Prof. o. H. Drake, principal
of Maine Central Institute. This was
followed by paper on Mature Studies
in School, delivered by Miss Emma
Johonnett of Palmyra, and was freely
discussed by sevehal of the members.
Following is the programme as car
ried out in the afternoon: Paper,
How to Teach Fractions" Prof. f. w.
c. Wiggin. principal of Hartland
Academy; question box; Paper, How
to Secure and Maintain Good Order in
School, Mrs. w. H. Burton. Pittsfield;
discussion of same opened by Miss A.
Ella Hatch, Harmony. In the evening.
at the Free Baptist Church, occurred
the address by Prof. Hartshorn of
Bates College, which was largely at
tended and enjoyed, besides being very
instructive.
Following is the address delivered by
the president, Prof. O. II. Drake:
Il am glad to welcome you all to
this meeting. 1t sometimes seems to
observers that no great amount of
good comes from such conventions as
this. They say we meet and talk over
just about the same subjects each time,
and then we go away and keep on with
our work pretty much after the same
old fashion. There may be too much
of truth in this, and yet | have no
doubt that we shall all agree that great
good results from such a meeting in
many ways And after all. what most
of us need is to keep on doing the same
old duties, only to try and do them a
little better each time. DR.. Wayland
Hoyt in some notes on the Sunday
school lesson, of week or two ago
speaking of the words yet again. says:
Never be satisfied with what you have
done or been. Let there be a yet
again for you in service. | have
known many Christians for whom there
was no more yet again They were
resting on what they had done. From
any special duty they withdrew them
selves, saying, somebody else can do
it l have known such refusal of the
yet again. when l have seen plainly
evident the shrinking of the spiritual
life.
Cannot we bring this thought with q
little change home to ourselves? 1t Will
apply to other things well as to the
spiritual life. AS teachers we are obliged
to do some things yet again We must
follow certain routine OF work. But
are there not very many teachers for
whom there is no longer a yet again IN
any higher sense than this? They have
been over the same till they think there
is no need of their studying. They can
teach well enough without that. Leave
that for those who are inexperienced ana
ignorant They can can, get along along Vel
ings, for their own ideas are as good as
others. Whenever teacher feels tnat
dence of a shrinking in the life and III
the work? He that is satisfied with what
he is doing is making no progress.
Blessed be discomfort, someone sad
and | wish there were more OF the rlgnt
kind of discomfort among teachers. The
teacher who always leaves her books III
the school room. and never looks at them
except at recitation time, is pretty sure
to look at them great deal at that time
and to waste the time of the class Ever
if the subject to be taught is SO well II
the mind that the teacher can derive n
benefit from the study of it, still there Is
a yet again for such a teacher: u d,
again for you in knowledge. Never cease
learning. Have a good book in steady
reading. Keep your eyes and ears open.
81 would that every teacher might keel
this advice. You can teach without
studying, do you say? Well, perhaps. yoi
can go through with the motions in
certain way, but if you wish to keeI
yourselves alive. if you wish to grow. yoI
must say yet again to knowledge. Pur
any line of study congenal to you
Do it regularly and with purpose. an,
your teaching will be the better for II
No matter if it does not bear directly o.
the subjects that you teach. You WI;
hat,
knowledge in any direction Will brighter
you up in all. \ learner yourself, yo'
will be in sympathy with Az AZ ea earn r., i.
able thing. A teacher ought 70 pe Jus
as much of man as posSlDle,lust ..
much of a woman possible. Nothin!
that helps to bring one into this condi
ton ought to be neglected. The matt 2
of bodily health is by no means a tritiln
matter There ought to be yet agar
in this also. if we are inclined to be at a
careless i'm the matter. Such things a
proper diet and exercise ought 10
thought of as part of one GUY.
have known a teacher whose usefulness
was greatly impaired by his fondness 10
mince pie. His wife knew what mlSht y
the cause of his frequent headacheS an
the consequent sufferings OF ms pupll;
There ought to be constantly we
again in sympathy and in influence oNa
the pupils life. .
..Teachers of the highest intellectual at
tainments are not always the best teach
ers. We have all known teachers Z
who were much more helpful 70 incl
pupils than others who We're possessed {
the keenest intellects. They had IN
mower of getting hold of their pupils an
inspiring them with thirst for all tina
Is highest and best. He who can prih
ont the best that is in the child IS dom
a great work. no matter II he lmpar'
very little knowledge directly.
"a teacher needs inspiration as trui
as a preacher or an author of Holy W.T.
| once listened to an address by an en-
nent Canadian educator in which u
spoke of this need in words like theSt
IF | were obliged to teach young peopi.
and could feel no inspiration. woui
storm the very Heavens but l Won!
have it. His address in itself was an II
spiration to any one who heard ii.
above all things does the teacht
need a yet again in moral ve!opmen
He whose character is seriously detecuN
has no business in the school room. W
select persons Of correct habits to II
positions of responsibility. where IN
lives and limbs of others may be at sta
if there is any failure of duty. VIVA
more delicate task can be found than IN
work of the teacher? Where can create
risk be incurred if his life is not what
should be? | hope that we may all dt
rive from this meeting some slight III
pulse in the direction Of a broader an
.laaner life that pupils may nm