The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-16
OFFICERS CHOSEN
BY THE TEACHERS
DR.. w. T. Whitsett is
Elected President.
DR.. VENABLE SPEAKS
An Address Of Depth and Power. Dean
Russell of Columbia University
Delivers a Memorable Speech.
Page and Minis Heard
at Night.
Especial to News and observer.)

Greensboro, n. c., June 15.-When
| the North Carolina Teachers Assem-
| bly, met this morning in the Grand
! opera House, after an opening prayer
by Rev. Egbert W. Smith, of the First
Presbyterian church of Greensboro,
the first business meeting of the ses-
sion was held. President Foust an
nounced that nominations for officers
were i'm order and in short order the
following We're elected:
President, DR.. w. II. Whitsett. presi-
dent of Whitsett School, Whitsett
First president. j. A. Mathew
son, Superintendent Durham Graded
| Schools
Secretary and treasurer, r. d. w
Connor, Public School Building Loan
Clerk, Raleigh.
Vice-presidents: D. H. Hill, of A. &,
NJ College. Raleigh; E. w. Sykes,
Wake Forest College, Wake Forest
w. ID. Few, Trinity College, Durham;
j. C. Horner, Horner School. Oxford;
L. c. Brooks. superintendent Colds
boro Graded Schools; w. a. Harker,
Elon College, Elon.
| The customary resolution of thanks
was adopted by the customary rising
vote for Greensboro courteSieS TO the
| assembly, and resolution of thanks
| to the railroads got but a small vote.
A resolution providing for re-
organization of the plan of the
| Teachers Association, making it more
permanent, compact and reliable, get
alta bile offered by Charles l.. Coon,
and approved by DR.. McIver. was
adopted. And a resolution offered by
| r. B. White. of Franklinton. seconded
by DR.. McIver. that the president ap-
point a committee of seven to Whlcn
should be added the president and sec
retary to formulate q plan of organi-
zation and report to an adjourned
meeting Friday morning was adopted
| President Foust named the following
as committee on plan of re-organiZ2-
| ton:
| White. McIver, Connor. Mathewson,
E. c. Griffin. r.. L. Madison, and Miss
! Edith Royster.
DIR. Venable's Address.
At the conclusion of the business
session DIR. Francis p. Venable, presi-
| dent of the University, was present2d,
and his address was a splendid pre-
pared paper. He dwelt on the need of
vision: the capacity of divning things
which comes through close introspec-
| ton, constant thought, consecrated.
unselfish devotion to mankind's needs.
hopes attainments and uplift. This
| thought was finely illustrated by cita-
! tions from the experience of individual
/ lives. the teachings of concrete history
and the proverbs of the Bible. Quot
| ing the Proverb that where there was
no vision from the wise the people
were in darkness. he applied it force
fully, often eloquently and philosophi-
cally. Thousands he said could
| think, could speak, could act, where
one could see There was need for
more .see-ers. seers today. Leaders
who had a deeper vision into things
that have been, that are, that are TO
be- that ought to be, for where the
| leaders had no vision of a wise truth.
| no accurate conception of foundation,
facts or basic principles on which
great or a small vital question rested,
the people, the followers. would neceS-
sarily be falsely led; or both being
blind. would fall into the ditch of
scriptural description.
He said that the homely ignorance
of the forefathers which had been
preserved in tradition as evidence of
their wisdom and had become fixed
maxims or profane proverbs. had
done such mischief, and were not true.
One of his illustrations was the old
saw. lone man can see as deep into
a milestone as another. The truth
was that where one man could not
see into milestone at ALL another
of years. the genesis of creation Itself.
the beautiful story of inanimate. ami
mate q chaotic life Of ferns and flow
ers and air and water, all adding their
evidence to the testimony OF the rock,
opaoue to some, luminously trans
parent TO others He made a beauti-
full application by sayin gthat it was,
or should be the glory of the teachers
life and their great, wonderful priyi-
lege TO open the eyes of youth. first
i'm life to this deeper vision. and to
stimulate by their own wisdom the
eyes of older people to keener ap-
probation of the value of peering
| into the recesses of n thing or ques-
| ton until the training itself had given
| them the Joy of a deeper vision.
Dean Russell Speaks.
| President Venable was followed by
| Dean Russell. of Columbia University
who spoke in a clear cut concise, elo-
ouent stvle. He spoke not school
| teacherlv at all. but as father ad-
/ yising his own, or a neighbor helping
modestlv less opportunitied netghbof
| and friend. Discussing what was
worth while in education" Dean Rus
| sell said that one of the first great
things to teach in the home and IN the
/ school. was know thyself physically
| 81 that health of body could be not
| only appreciated but preserved as well
as conserved.