The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-11-16
FIRST ANNUAL MEETING
OF MANlTOWOC COUNTY
SCHOOL OFFICERS.

SChUUl UfflCEkS.
The school board convention held at
the Turner hall Friday was a pronounced
success in every particular. The meet
was the first annual gathering called by
the county school superintendent in
pursuance of law passed by the last
legislature, which law reads rs follows:
CHAPTER 1O5, LAWS OF 1905.
The county superintendent of schools shall
annually call and hold at least one school
board convention for his superintendent dis
| trict at the county seat or some other cOnven-
lent place, for the purpose Of consultation,
advice and instruction upon matters pertaining
to the management of the schools. Each dis
trict clerk shall and the director and treasurer
may attend such convention Each member
present shall be allowed two dollars and mile
age at the rate of three cents per mile each
way. going and returning to and from said
meeting said sum to be paid from any moneys
in the school district treasury not Otherwise
appropriated The county superintendent shall
| issue to each member ia at tendance certificate
| which shall be filed with the school district
clerk and serve basis or evidence for
drawing the necessary warrant upon the dis
| trict treasury.
Though Fridays school board conven-
tion was the first gathering of the kind
held in this county pursuant to the re-
quirements of a state law, it was not
actually the first school board conven-
ton called and held in Manitowoc
county. The first school officers meet
ing in this county was called and con-
Quoted in the year 1895 by A. W..
Dassler, the then superintendent of
schools, who, for Il series of years, was
one of the most successful and prominent
educators Of the county. The example
set by Superintendent Dassler was fol-
lowed by number of other superinten
dents in various sections of the state
and the results were invariably so en-
couraging that educators, the state over,
finally came to realize the necessity for
the enactment of law requiring every
county superintendent of schools TO call
and hold annually at least one school
board convention for his superintendent
district Hence the enactment of the
wise law above quoted.
About $50 school officers, representing
l12 districts of the county, were in at
tendance at last Fridays meeting at
the Turner Opera house. The conven'
ton was called to order by Supt. w. E.
Larson ut 10 o'clock a. m, and the pro
sram was opened 10y the rendition OF
two excellent selections by the North
Side high school orchestra under the
direction of Miss Strauss. The mnsi
clans were loudly applauded.
Supt. Larson then gave brief intro,
ductory talk in which he set forth the
purpose of the convention in we'll chosen
words. At the conclusion of his re-
marks he introduced Prof. l.. w. Wood
of Madison, the state rural school in
spector, who, after short speech couch
ed in diplomatic words we'll calculated
to get everybody present en- rapport
with him, took up the discussion OF the
subjects of heating, lighting and venti.
lation of school houses.
At the close OF Mr.. Woods plain,
practical talk, which contained numer-
Gus suggestions that will no doubt bear
fruit in the shape of improved sanitary
conditions in many rural school in the
county, Mr.. A. w. Dassler member
of the Kiel school board, took the floor
and in his characteristic fluent, vigor.
GUS manner, called attention to existing
conditions intimately connected with
the many faulty sanitary conditions
often obtaining in rural schools, but
which conditions Mr.. Wood had not
touched upon. Mr.. Dassler's remarks
contributed much to the success of the
meeting, for his words were teeming
with thought and were calculated to set
the audience a-thinking. One of the
points emphasized by him was this
Suppose everything that is wise, neces.
sary and desirable in the matter of heat
ing, lighting and ventilation were done
by the rural school boards, would it be
a matter of course that hygienic condi.
tions would then obtain in the schools
Is the average teacher so we'll equipped
that he is really capable of running a
materially we'll equipped school in a
truly sanitary manner? These are vital
questions that are altogether too often
lost sight of. Prof. Wood and Supt.
Larson admitted the force of the ex.
superintendent's timely remarks, but
thought the discussion of such subjects
belonged to the province of teachers in.
stitutes and such like gatherings.
The next subject discussed was The
New School Laws, which subject was
handled by Fred Christiansen, principal
of the local training school for teachers.
After this clear, interesting explanation
adjournment was taken until 1:30
o'clock p. H. During the intermlssion
all school officers in attendance were
given certificates by the county superin-
tendent, emitting them to compensation
Of SO and mileage at the rate of three
cents a mile each way, the money to be
paid by the district represented.
On re assembling for the afternoon
session the convention was treated to q
number Of admirable songs and per
formances by a large class Of kinder
garten children from the First ward