Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-25
IOWA 1[AC'. Rs
and C55.I[NDONS
State Association Facing Prob
lem of Increasing Their In
terest In Meetings
INCOMES ARE INSUFFICIENT
INCOMES ARE INSUFFICIENT
Taking Advantage of Holiday vaca-
ton as Time for Family Reunions,
is Another Factor = President
Seeriey Of the State Normal Thinks
State Association is Over Organized.
special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, May 25.-The executive
committee of the Iowa State Teach
ers' Association Is engaged in the
preparation OF the program for the
semi centennial anniversary meeting
of that association. Members Of she
committee say that they expect to pre-
sent a program that will attract
much larger attendance than usual.
But aside from this the executive corr-
mittee Is facing the problem of what
to do to increase interest in the state
association meetings, and some dme
ago sent out to leading educators
questions on this subject with a view
to getting at what is necessary to iII-
prove the association meetings AS
result Of this investigation II IS
probable that the association will again
resort to the plan which was dropped
without any formal action and again
send the convention on alternate years
to some city of the state other than
Des Moines. There appears TO- he gem
eral agreement that the sending Of the
convention to Des Moines year after
year is mistake and that interes. n
it would be enhanced If j. went occa-
sionally to Sioux City. Davent OFT,
Marshalltown. Dubuque, Ottumwa and
other good cities OF the state, where
conventions may be entertalncf.
Among the many educators who waf
asked to diagnose the case of sh..
teachers association was President
Seerley of the State Normal and he
put it in this way:
The incomes of the rank and file
of teachers are. not sufficient 10 en-
able them to atterrl 80 many con-
ventions. They usually receive their
salaries when they attend the section
meetings and are specially urged to
go. Such influence is not exerted as
regards attendance at the state asso-
citation.
s"The holiday vacation is the only
time in the year that is convenient to
make visits and SO many teachers
are away from home all the year that
they take this time for family reun'cns.
etc.
The section associations are alErtse
as prominent and are less hamreret
by constitution and permanent diff
ferentiation as to work, hence they
present a more varied program and in
management and plan have the ad-
vantage. The state association is
oyer-organized, the general executive
committee having little they can do
to improve the yearly programs.
n
features have prevailed for several
years in response to urgent demand.
This has cultivated an attendance
that is not much interested In educa-
tional problems and has made the
programs cater to the line or special
ties, leaving the problems to the
minor round tables and sections.
Hence the members do not care to re-
main more than one day and some
conclude that it hardly pays to go to
such large expense for such short at
tendance and do not go at all. This
is evident in all parts of the program
where educational questions are dis
cussed by members. The attendance
at such sessions is very small, as there
is practically little ii any interest
The fact that the privileges of the
reduced rates are given to all alike
was also urged as a reason for small
enrolment.
The Iowa commission for the erec-
ton of monuments on the battlefield
of Shiloh convened in regular session
at the Columbia house on the battle
field Vice Chairman w. B. Bell pre-
hu
passed the following preamble and
resolutions:
"Whereas the Honorable Albert B.
Cummins, governor OF Iowa, has SO
earnestly and ably presented the
cause of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth
Iowa regiments in the matter of con-
troversy with reference to the inscrip-
ton of said regiments, before the
national commission of the Shiloh
military park, upon the rehearIng
granted by the secretary of war at the
request of Governor Cummins, there
for be it
"Resolved, That we extend our sin
cere thanks for the interest he has
taken in this matter, both from the
standpoint of his having made it Ia
bor of love toward us as Iowa soldiers,
and in his capacity as chief executive
of the state of Iowa.
'In further proof of our appreciation
of his services in this behalf both to us
and to the people of our great common
wealth in keeping the facts of history
connected with the service of Iowa SOL
diers correct and in accordance with
the facts discovered by his painstaking
Investigations we have hereunto affixed
our names.
.Done at Pittsburg Landing. Tenn.
this 21st day of May, 1904. Signed
w. B. Bell. vice chairman; John Hays,
secretary: Daniel Matson, j. w. Carson,
G. w. Crosley, G. L. Godfrey G. 0. Mo-
gridge, A. ]. Miller"
Governor Cummins was given a copy
of the above resolutions signed as indi-
Gated by the members of the Iowa COM
mission on Shiloh monuments. He re-
turned today from his trip to the bat-