The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-12-09
County Board of Education.

The annual meeting of the Burlington
| County Board of Education was held a
the court house on Saturday. There ar,
in the neighborhood of 300 members o
township boards and of this number abou
40 managed to get to the meeting. Noun
Laurel was the banner township, sendins
six of its nine members The other town
ships sending representatives were: Bev
erly city, 2; Burlington city, 8; Chester
| field, /; Chester, 2; Cinnaminson, 3; East
ampton, 3; Evesham, 3; Lumberton,
Medford. 2; Mansfield, 1; New Hanover
2; Northampton. 6; Pemberton, 2; Pal
myra, l. Riverside, 1; Riverton I; South
ampton. 1; Springfield. Q; Woodland, l.
This was a representation of ID school
boards out of SO, and was an increase over
the attendance Of the previous year.
The meeting was opened by the presi-
up the day for the benefit of the educa-
tional interests of the county. and while
he was pleased to see the increased at
tendance, he still saw room for further
improvement, and hoped the number
would be doubled at the next meeting.
Vernon L. Davey, principal of the High
School of East Orange, was introduced
and made an interesting address. He
thought Burlington county was doing re-
markedly well to get 40 together on an &C.
casion like this, when he recalled the last
meeting he attended in Essex where only
20 assembled. He believes in this kind of
gathering, and said one of the greatest
and most hopeful signs is the organization
and maintenance of boards of this charac-
ter. 1t is the country district that needs
to be on the alert to secure proper recog-
milton. the towns and cities can take care
of themselves. He spoke on the necessity
of having good teachers. One of the
greatest wastes in the school system is in
engaging poor teachers. The public
school is as important a factor for the
good of community as anything in ex
istence for the making of good citizens,
and every one will admit that good citi-
zens are desirable. Ii is all right to give
the child chance for an education to fit
him for life. but the people, the taxpay-
ers, also have rights in this matter, and
one of these is the right to have good men
and women started from our schools
The teacher is very important factor
on this point, and how to obtain the prop
er official is of great Importance. The
speaker thought the principal of school
better adapted to securing q good teacher
than any other member of the board Of
education. He should be given this duty
and should be held accountable for re-
suits. One of the qualifications of a
teacher should be ability to handle chill
dren. This is as important as the ability
to instruct Some Of the methods of the
State Normal School were criticised. The
course of education there is gradually
reaching a system of lectures without
much practical instruction. The value
of this. the speaker insisted, was about
equal to a course of lectures on swim
ming with the expectation of having the
nearer become an expert swimmer at the
close of the course
School buildings were given consider
able space in the talk. The necessity of
proper ventilation, light, heat and sani-
tary conditions was dwelt upon at length.
New Jersey has great reputation in edu-
cational matters and she should see that
every detail of school life is the best.
Mr.. Vernon spoke of the difference in
many conditions now and at the time
when he, as a green country boy, started
in life as a student, and later as teacher.
He believed the points in school life
should be classified thus: character, moral
ity, health, education. Mr.. Vernon
thanked those present for the marked at
tention paid to his remarks and was
warmly applauded at the close of his talk.
Dr. Richard Ii. Parsons, who had en-
tered the hall, but who was not on the
programme as a speaker, was asked by
the president to give the audience brief
review of his work as medical inspector
of the Mount Holly schools, which he
kindly did
H. Brewster Willis, County Superin-
tendent of Middlesex county, was the
next speaker. He was very glad to see
that there were some men in the county of
Burlington who had time to give to a
meeting of this character. The man who
has not time to devote to school work
should not accept the position of member
of the board of education. All members
of that body should be men who have the
time to spare and the inclination to give
their time to this subject, one of the most
important that can be thought of, though
the county meetings could be made more
interesting and more valuable If the pro-
gramme were extended somewhat beyond
that of the present gathering. He real
lied that this organization was really in
its infancy, but he fOresaw good prospects
for the future. 1t was Mr.. Willis who
suggested the social feature of these
gatherings and so well had that idea been
other suggestions. He thought each
township board should be asked to present
report on the condition of the school
under its control. This would prove to
be not only interesting but of value, as
the members present could compare
methods and either receive or give bene
fetal points He told of many transac
tions in his own county and of the inter
est manifested there in the meetings of
the county board, all of which saw hun
bred members in attendance. Mr.. Willis
remarks were necessarily short at the
court house as there was some business to
transact before dinner, SO he concluded by
SAYING he would continue at the dinner
table.
Election of officers for the ensuing year
resulted as follows: President, Joseph C..
Kingdom, Northampton; vice president,
Samuel s. Fort, Springfield; secretary,
Charles Conard, Beverly City; treasurer,
N p Greedy, Burlington township; ex-
ecutive committee, Edmund Braddock,
Medford; William II. Zelley, Evesham;
Robert T. Evans, Mount Laurel.
The question of time of holding the
next annual meeting was discussed. 1t
was argued there would be better attend
ance if the meeting could be held on
another day than Saturday, as many of
the members were business men who
could not leave on that day Mr.. Willis
thought it would not be bad idea to hold
the meeting on the last day of the annual
teachers institute. This would give the
members a chance to attend both gather
ings. He suggested the dinner be held
first and the meeting to follow. There
were three lady members present on Sat.
urday and one of them thought it would
not do to hold the dinner first as that
would debar the ladies on township boards
from attending. She was assured this was
not so, and that such course would be to
the benefit of the affair as it would be a
very desirable and pleasant addition to
have the ladies at the dinner table. This
idea was approved by all present and two
Of the ladies pal took of the annual din
ner. 1t is hoped there will be many more
at the next gathering.
A motion was made to hold the next
meeting on the last day of the teachers
institute and it was adopted.
The meeting then adjourned to the Ar
cade hotel where fine dinner was served,
at the close of which Mr. Willis was
asked to renew his talk. He took up the
subject of country schools, and the method
to be observed for their successful man
agement. Economy is necessary but the
great danger in being rigid economist is
to lean towards penury. 1t is nonsensical
to expect the schools of to-day to be con-
Quoted on the same ideas and principles
of quarter of century ago The de-
mands of the present day are entirely diff
ferent from then. A boy or girl seeking
position now must have a greater gener-
al knowledge than used to be required.
Liberality must be practised. He had