The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-06-18
BIENNIAL LECTURE.

Inc biennial lecture before the
Alumni Association Of the Seminary
was given on Tuesday evening in the
chapel by Prof. S. F. Emerson of the
University Of Vermont. Miss Mabel
Granger presided at the organ. The
speaker was introduced by e. r.,
Davis. '91, and after few pleasant
PREDATORY remarks announced as his
subject The School and Society" or,
since the demands of society upon the
school were to be considered, he might
perhaps call it THE Specialization of
Teaching
In brief, Professor Emerson traced
the development, as a result of the
revolution going on in society, of a
comprehension of the incontroverti-
BILE relations of the individual to So
ciety as parts of great whole-es-
sential each to the other--a growing
recognition that institutions and regu.
lations hitherto dominating and con
trolling society are to become subordi-
mated to social needs rather than su-
preme as social ends.
This geat change among the vast
middle class Of pc Jple affords vision
of limitless possibilities filled neither
by State nor church, the one supreme
law being social advancement. In
the attainment of this no factor will
be of greater Importance than the
school. Its prime object will and
should be to enable the youth to feel
at home in the universe, to develop
quicker sympathies, stronger en-
thusiasm for what is NOBLE love
for truth; not to send forth intellect
ual machines to compete for doubt
full success with other machines but as
potential factors in society. In practi-
cal education there is too much slip
shod learning, too little of training in
habits of accuracy in thought, and
too little of developing the powers of
observation The establishment and
growth of industrial schools, cooking
schools, boys clubs and similar insti-
tutions are efforts symptomatic of
profound social movement. 1t is not
so much necessary to change the
school curricula as to surround it with
an atmosphere that shall produce the
largest possible receptivity and the
largest responsible activities. 1t will
become, then, the duty of the teacher
to develop right attitudes of mind in
h. -E,, L. IL
| universe, toward nature, his fellows,
the community and toward art, the
| love of the first a basis leading to
Brightness in the others. There must
nevertheless be gradual unfolding
not too rudely should the curtain be
drawn on the undeveloped mind lest
| it blind or distort-rather gentle
and tender guidance that leads to
natural growth, to upright lives
1.-THE speaker believed such teachers
would be forthcoming when society
demanded them and was willing
to furnish suitable compensation.
Rather" said he, should school
board consolidate the work and money
expended in six years into one, under
such teacher, than the many hours
of work under mere lesson nearer. "
Society is appalled, at the illiteracy
or semi-illiteracy of the times, the
outbreaks of savagery and barbarism
in north, east, south and west. The
universal desire to grasp prize with
out effort, to get gold without digging,
is undermining the whole social NOR
| ale; and to the end of establishing a
| fine sense of honor and intellectual hon
| esty the schools must labor unceas-
ingly. The struggle for merit alone
will remove the sting and stain from
all rivalry.
The examination were completed ON
| Tuesday afternoon and announcement
of honors will be made after the grad
uating exercises on Thursday morn
ing. The planting of maple tree by
the class of 1908 on the campus occu-
pied part of the afternoon and the
exercises included an address by
Principal Davenport. The program
was in charge of j. w. Tebbetts,
class president.