Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1905-12-09
The Golden Belt


here in its 10th annual session Dec
1st and End at the Western branch
Normal building. Owing to exag-
gerated reports of the diphtheria
situation and on account of the
cold wave, the attendance was
somewhat less than that of last
year, but in spite of all obstacles,
the association was an enthusiastic
one Throughout its session.
The address of the President, w
H. Keller, on Friday morning was
a fair index of the attitude of the
teachers of the Golden Belt tow
ard their work. We would gladly
give the entire address, but lack of
space forbids. The following are
few of the good things he said
on "The Practical in Our School
Work."
| '"There are Il great many
critics of our public schools who are
constantly complaining that our teach
ing is not practical. They say we teach
too much that is not applicable to life
after leaving school. There has been so
much of this kind of criticism these
days that sometimes the teacher comes
to wonder what really is practical The
criticism is somewhat overworked in
some respects, think; and yet there is
much ground for the complaint
81 will not for one moment concede
that our schools of to-day are not better
than those of a generation ago 1t may
be admitted that in some phases the
schools of the past were more thorough
than that of the present, but the tho
roughness was obtained thro' narrow
ness. [ am sure our course of study
with all their broadening and enrich
ment are still more practical than those
of the old schools. tits a question well
worth our considering however, and
we may well listen TO the complaints of
our critics even though they are some
l
"It seems to me that the most severe
criticism should be made, not on what
we teach but as how we teach it, There
is too much smatterIng too much half
way work. We too often allow pupils
to say 81 don't know y. when they
} should say II am too lazy to know.
1.-THE dayis past when inactivity can
L
, now days is the man who can do the
most. The world is getting tired OF
social and political barnacles The ship
of state is having her hull cleaned OF
| such. Let us hope that the cleaning
may be thorough. Social and political
pulls are coming to mean less. The
. world is calling, and calling loudly fo1
men who are ready to earn what they
get". ''If young person is to be
trained in school for life he must be
given as broad view of life as possible
! while in the school. One of the strong
est factors in this direction is the intro
ductlOn and spread of manual training
1t is the teachers duty to insist or
logical work in all exercises. False res
soning should be mercilessly exposed"
And so Iwould say that anything
/ that conduces to the growth of the pupi
in any phase of his being without de
L tracing from some other, may be called
Q practical and may be considered in ou1
work"
We make special mention of the
> address given by Mr.. McKeeve
of Manhattan on "The Emotions
and the one by Judge Reeder o
Hays on obedience to Law"
Both were full of helpful sugges
!. tons for all.
Al The concert given on Frida,
evening by the Lyric Quartette o
g Emporia and the lecture on Rus
sian. Problems of To-day by DR.
o E. A. Steiner Saturday evenin,
were both entertainments of a We
e ry high order
VI H. Coover of Wilson was elect
ed President for the ensuing yea
-e and the Association meets ther
'e next year, but we hope it may re
e turn after that to Hays as its pei