The San Francisco call., 1903-12-29
Visiting Educators Are

SChoOlteaCherS from every county in
this State crowded the Alhambra The
ater yesterday in response to the call
for the annual institute of the San
Francisco city and county teachers and
the California Teachers Association.
The latest in winter gowns and milli-
merry was displayed by the fair peda-
gogues. The fair sex predominated at
the gathering.
Every seat was occupied when Will
liam H. LangdOn the popular super
intendent of Common Schools of the
city and county of San Francisco, called
the convention to order. His address
was a formal welcome to the visiting
teachers on behalf Of the local School
Department. 1t was a vigorous speech
and was listened to with deep interest by
the big as~emblage. In part he spoke
as follows:
WELCOMES TEACHERS.
Teachers of the state OF California The
educational people Of San Francisco welcome
the teachers Of our great State. 1t is with
no perfunctory gladness that we say a hun
dred thousand welcomes, for this IS an occa-
sion when you bring TO Us the best thought
and inspiration from every city and town IN
our commonwealth Time when watch
ing from our hilltops the richly freighted ar
seas to the Orient and the world we said,
This is A great city. Now as we see as
slopes pouring from its sources in hill and val
ley to our piers We say, This is a great city
and this is a great state We realize at
once our dependence upon you ana our respon-
sibity 10 you in matters Of education and cul-
ture well in matters OF industry and
trade. The responsibility OF educational lead
ershp that falls TO the metropolis of d great
State we accept. The responsibility OF CO.
operation and support We ask you TO assume.
in return under the splendid opportunities Of
the organization and the wealth Of a great
CITY we shall repay with record of educa-
lfcl,rr7 7arlfc hal hn rio
service TO education and the State as well as
inspiration and help to you The new
san Francisco has begun to be, in matters of
education as in everything else Those of
you that have watched US during the past few
years cannot have failed 10 see that we have
nut on ou- new civic robes. Already we have
won the better educational conditions upon
which a great school system is built. We have
voted three and one-half million dollars worth
Of bonds FOR betteF-material school equipment.
VIC have given our children teachers chosen
by merit alone, determined through civic serV-
ice examinations that invite the ablest and best
teaching service of the entire State, and once
elected, We have protected them from political
domination and intrigue by giving them life
tenure during good and efficient service the
only cure could find for evils that blocked
progress
SEARCH FOR LEADERS.
We have searched our own ranks and those
Of the other teaching forces OF the State to
find sane practical. scholarly leaders to super
vice picked teaching talent We have sent
these leaders abroad. some near, some far, that
the best ideals and systems OF other school
systems West and East might be brought
home 10 our teachers. We are now ready to
achieve educational destines- Step by
step we shall organize system that may yet
be the strongest we know Already We are
committed to the belief that great schools
to be made up only of strong men and women.
The classroom force Is after all the main force.
There needs to be superintendents deputies.
principals and special teachers, but these are
an Subordinate 10 the service Of teaching the
child and with shall not be permitted to
crowd out the personality and the dignity of
the teachers who teach. system and super
NC n O1Fdr hrff
teachers.
And right here I wish to extend a special
welcome to those Of you that are ambitious
for a place of service in great city school
force through merit determined by competi-
tive examinations some thirty or forty teach
experience that we can find. In return we Of
fer you life tenure. place protected from in
terference Of personal or party politics You
will find in our ranks many whom YOU have
known in some distant school. for already we
have drawn much outside strength into our
ranks.
NEED OF SYMPATHY.
We trust that you will come to Know in your
contact with them the large educational work
we have set cut TO perform. We need your
sympathy. your help and support in making
this great Western metropolis al the gateway
Of the Pacific seas a great educational center
worthy to be the center Of growing and Wig
orous culture that call Western. And so
this welcoming upon our part is full of sig
nihcance for US and we hope in time to make
II 50 Tor YOU J on nave turned your
San Francisco as the Mecca for this years
knowledge and inspiration. We welcome YOU
more than for this hour. this day this week
We trust that your greatest city you will
turn 10 US in the years TO come and find the
same help and inspiration that you will get
during the coming session. tApplause
Once moro behalf Of the teachers of San
Francisco ! say a hundred thousand welcomes
For this year at least the session of the cali
forna Teachers Association and the Institute
Of San Francisco's teachers is one In welcom-
ing you 70 this joint session may VIC not ex-
press the hope that this cooperation may con-
tinue TO exist through years and that a great
city and a great State may be both co-opera-