Smyrna times., 1905-11-29
KENT TEACHERS INSTITUTE
LEAVES FINE IMPRESSION
SESSION IN SMYRNA LAST WEEK ONE OF
THE MOST ENJOYABLE EVER HELD
Evening Attractions Were Far Beyond the Av-
ersge and Rich Treat Was Given to all Who
AyaiIed Themselves of Opportunity.

The Institute has come and gone
and the thirty-fr annual session of
the teachers of Kent County will go
down in history as one of the most
pleasant and profitable sessions ever
held. Superintendent j. E. Carroll,
through whose excellent management
the success of the course was made
possible, is coming in for a great share
of praise. The teachers and the peo-
pie of Smyrna have had rich treat
from the many good things heard and
seen during the three days session.
The evening entertainments, always
an attractive feature of the sessions,
have positively been the best ever held
in Kent County. The Lyric Glee Club
opened the entertainment course We'd
nesday night with a fine production
and captured the audience from the
start. 1t was a we'll balanced quar-
tette of happily blended voices and so
popular were they that the audience
would not let them off until they en-
cored every number on the pre- gram.
Miss Doyle, the reader, also captivated
her hearers with her Irish dialect.
Thursday night the audience was given
a treat that will linger for many days,
when Dr.. Frank Dixon, the well
known orator of distinguished fam
lily, gave lecture on ''The Threat of
Socialism" The subject was brought
out in new light to many and was a
masterpiece in both production and
delivery. For nearly two hours he
held his audience spell bound. Rarely
has lecture pleased the people of
Smyrna more. Friday night the Err
nest Gamble Concert party gave re-
cital of an unusually high class order.
Mr.. Gamble was the soloist, Miss Verna
Page was the violinist and Mr.. Sam
Lamberson was the pianist. All were
artists and the musical treat they gave
has never been excelled in Smyrna.
They were encored repeatedly.
Impressions Of the Day Course Of Institute.
The day course of instruction was
also highly profitable and entertain
ing. Principal John P. Burdette o.
the Smyrna High School, who took al
active interest in all the sessions
when asked to give the impressions oi
the institute, said in part: ''Dr George
w. Gerwig, Superintendent o.
Schools at Allentown, Pa. grew as he
proceeded, aud it seemed that we mus
all go to our work with a feeling tina
the heart culture should go along will
the head. Literature, as uufolded b.
him, awakens the deepest feelings. DR.
Edward Dawson, Professor of Eng
lish, Delaware College, opened the in
tellectual tield of Literature and mad
the study of words delight. He, wit
Rev. DIR. Howard d. Quigg, pastor o
the NJ. E. Church, of Georgetown
made literature field for great ples
sure and intellectual growth. w
could not help desiring to get bette
grasp of our Mother Tongue. AS Dl
Quigg opened to us the plot and el
quisite arrangement of the MerchaI
of Venice, and revealed the marvelou
skill of the writer in keeping the il
terest n the play, we felt an intel lie
tual quickening and there grew a d.
sire to enter more fully into the wor
of the myriad minded poet. 1t wi
very helpful to all to have worker
who made their talk dove tail
nicely"
The Nobility Of the Teachers Profession.
''Dr. Henry Houck, deputy supe
intend of the Department of Public L
struction in Pennsylvania, continue
Principal Burdette, "made us all fe
that our work is worth while. We wi
love our work the more because of b
visit to us. DIR. George Edward Rec
president of Dickinson College, wi
dignity gave us encouragement and v
could not but feel the nobility of Of
calling as he gave us the principle f
which we should strive. The who
institute was made less tiresome al
very helpful to primary workers
the presence of Miss Josephi
Fletcher, instructor of music in Il
Wilmington City Schools, who gave
many lessons in how to teach the
tie ones music. 1t was an innovatio
but to me it seemed very wise on
One thing impressed me as usual a.
that was the total disregard of pee
gogical principals applied to the ins
tute. If we expect to get the mt
into the minds of our pupils, we do
by drawing the thought out of the
The Institute is simply pouring
process. 1t may be the best we can
under the circumstances but to say
least, is poor example to teachers