Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-27
LARGEST IN
ITS HISTORY
IS THE PRESENT MEETING OF
THE STATE TEACHERS AS
ISOLATION.
SESSION OPENED IN
BUTTE LAST EVENING.
Professor g. j. McAndrews' Paper on
the Unification of Education in
Montana.

The annual meeting of the State
Teachers association. which was for
mally convened last evening. got down
to work this morning. Assembly hall
at the high school building was filled
when the meeting hour. $3.50, arrived.
| The forenoon was devoted to the read
! ing of papers discussions of them and
| the enrolment of teachers. Chairman
| b. c. Hastings of the enrolment COM
| mittee stated this afternoon that the
number of teachers enrolled IS but
few less than 800. AS the teachers are
| enrolled they are presented with neat
copper badge, which will entitle them to
| all the privileges for their entertainment
| provided by the committee. Prominent
members OF the association state that
the present meeting is the largest in its
| history
The meeting was opened in the audi
torium of the high school 'bE ldlng last
night and fully 400 instructors, repre-
senting nearly every district in the state
were in attendance.
State Superintendent f. A. Carleton
called for order and then, in the absence
of President d. e. Sanders. the chair
was turned over to President Craig OF
the state university at Mssoula.
In the absence CT Ex-Governor Rick
ards, and Henry Mueller, president OF
| the school board, Charles H. Lane, ore
of the trustees, made the address of wei
| come. He said that the citizens OF
| Butte would do all in their power to
make the stay OF the visitors pleasant,
ana he had been instructed by the mayor
to state that the keys of the city would
be turned over to them; that every-
thing would be wide open, and he hoped
that all would have good time.
! w. +. Harmon of BoZeman, in respond
| ing. said the visitors would thankfully
take advantage Of all the good things
| offered
| President O. j. Craig of the State uni
| yirsitv thanked the people of Butte for
! the hearty reception accorded the teach
ers of the associa ton.
Music and the reading of the address
of Vice President Mrs Eddy by Miss
! Josie Duke concluded the programme for
| the evening.
! City Superintendent Young announced
! that arrangements had been made for
| all Who desired to visit the underground
| workings and smelters of the city, after
which chairman Craig announced the
| committees as follows:
| On Enrollment-.Mr. Hastings, Butte;
| Miss Dorchester. Great Falls: Miss
| Evans. Livingston.
On Fynance-Superinten Youns,
Butte: Miss Harwood, Dillon: Bram-
well. Deer Lodge.
On Resoutions-Mr. Swan, Bozeman:
! Miss Davis, Virginia City; Professor
Hamilton. Missoula.
On Presidents Address-Miss San
ders, Butte; Miss Glenn, Helena Miss
! Brayton. Butte.
President o. j. Craig OF the State unc
versity presided a this mornings seS-
sion. He called on Rev. s. II. G. Burgin
of the Methodist church, South, to Offer
the Invocation, after which the regular
programme was taken up.
Prof. G.. j. MGAndrew, president of
the State Normal school, read a paper
! on the subject The Unitication of Edu-
cation in Montana; the Place of the
Normal School in an Educational Sys-
tenn The paper follows:
The normal school idea is not old.
Within the memory of many who may
listen to these words, in the whole
United States there existed not single
institution of any kind for the profess
sonal training Of teachers. Like many
another worthy idea, it did not prevail
without opposition 1t has Won upon
it's merits. In spite Of those who. hav-
ing eyes see not and having ears hear
not-ultra conservatives, who have long
ed for the return of the days when
ability to WELD the rod and some knoWl-
edge of the three RS We're the main
requisites of the pedagogue's art-We
find that public opinion has steadily and
irresistably advanced toward high
higher and. in some cases very high
ideals of the culture, education, and
above all. the professional training of
the teacher. There is no longer any
doubt about the ineXpediency of en-
trusting to an unskilled novice the
mortal destinies of the physical, mental
and moral well-being of two or three
score of young lives, in the risk of ruin
ing Oike the bull in the china shop)
without knowing it, much precious ma
terial ere that prudence is attained
which the dear teaching of experience
designs sparingly to vOuchsafe.
What the normal school .dea mas done
for the teaching profession and for the
common schools, it has done in Il less
| direct way for society. There
is no other social force so
potent and so far-reaching in its eff
fects upon our civilization and status
as a republic as the common school.
1t has been said that the school is the
supplement of the home. Now, since it
is an undisputed fact that the normal
school has greatly advanced the stand
ard Of public education, it must also
have been means of elevating the
conditions Of home life and culture, and
therefore. of society in general.
1t is generally agreed that the normal
school is maintained to train teachers
for the schools of the state. For the
advantage of the commonwealth and
/ the perpetuity of its institutions. each
succeeding generation must be educated.
| The training of teachers is therefore as
sumed to be a public duty, that the
schools may have good teachers and
! this work be better done