The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-17

.L4ll.-..'LkHCALLOIL II.
Ia he @
Address OF L. r. Dashlell at recent
Educational Conference in the South,
held in Lexington. Ky:
Mr.. President, Ladies' ana Gentlemen.L
a few weeks ago. when Dr.. Dickerlnan
said he wanted me to have something
to say ut this conference, naturally
asked what he wanted said. His reply
was brilliantly indefinite. On my return
to Virginia, feeling some natural shrink
Ing and anxiety over the matter, asked
Dr.. Mitchell what should. say. His re-
ply was even more indefinite. con-
Guided that both these gentlemen had
been studying De Tocquevlle3 to the end
that, as the cure for the evils OF de-
mocracy was more democracy, SO the
cure for indefiniteness was more ndef-
.niteness. or else, they both thought it
safer not to tell woman what she should
say, rs In that case she would be GER
tain to say something else. However, it
was finally; suggested that the work OF
organizing local education associations
in Virginia might prove OF interest to the
school superintendents of Kentucky. L
mean woman's part in that work.
There is something almost pathetic in
woman's method Of works. She never.
loses faith In her own ability; she never
has any faith in man ability to accom-
plish the same work: she believes every
thing that is said to her, and acts as
though she did not believe anything;
she is always encoura ged by 1scour-
agements: she never loses heart, nor
power OF speech, and thus she goes,
either to glory or to disaster. Montaigne
has said that mans brain is logical and
that he consequently has talkabillty.
while that Of woman is Illogical and she
has. not talkability, but talkativeness to
a. degree. / believe DR.. Henry Van
Dyke rat her confirms this opinion. With
all difference to the scholarship and at
tainments OF these two writer's, they are
mere men. and do not understand wo-
mans logic. Two hundred years ago
there was an old lady who still held out
against the established fact that the
earth is round. She studied her Bible.
and that said from the four corners Of
the earth" Now. a thing with four cor
5ners Is square; the earth has four corr
tners. the Bible says So; therefore the
earth Is square. You. gentlemen, may
consider that illogical. l. on the con-
q
of the first magnitude
Il To be brief. the history of these assoc
Citations began in Richmond about SIX
years ago with the organization Of the
Richmond Education Association. whose
charter embraced the schools of that5citys
only. But in Virginia q woman Is not
satisfied with field Of labor short OF
the whole State, SO the charter was made
to embrace all the schools of the State.
The work OF the Richmond Education
Association has been to establish a train
Ing school for Undergraduates; to put
klndergartens into the public schools; to
bring ipto existence cordial Co operation
between the homes and schools; to In
duce the city. to have medical inspection
OF schools: nature study; manual train-s
Ing; to beautify school buildings, and
other such like improvements. To do
Tor the rural schools some such work
became an alluring aim, and the ASSOC
citation felt that this could be best COM
passed through similar associations or
school Improvement leagues Throughout
the State. particularly IN remote dis
tricts.
The general object Of a league is to
unite the friends OF public schools, pupils,
teachers, school officers and other citi-
Gems In an effort to secure school im-
provements. ss
i. The specific objects include the en-
tire circle OF school interests rs providing 4
for the social, civic and literary train
ing OF the children.
2. 1t does Its work directly In the local
school.
alt seeks to make the pupil, the pa
rent and the teacher partners In the
work Of bringing the school into Its best
estate. "a
4. It would hold each community re-
sponsible for the improvement OF its
own school In the effort for literary and
material Improvement. d II Is
N Still the work was slow and the first
effort almost futile.
In the spring Of 1904 a commission
known as the Cooperative Education
Commission was formed under the sane
tIon OF Governor Montague, who pre-
sided over It's meetings Tho commits
sion was composed OF the most distin-
guished educators In Virginia, and In ad-f
d!tion four or five ladies' were invited
to Join. The commission had nine defi-
mite aims, one Of which was the organ
izntion OF local school improvement
leagues, In this respect the aims Of the
Richmond Education Association, and the
Cooperative Commission were tho same,
therefore, 81
The work was voluntarily undertaken
that summer, and three leagues We're Or,
ganized under great discouragemen and
difficnlties, The work was regarded with
suspicion. and ones Intentions were often
asked, which Is. at least. dlsconcerting,
Shakespeare Gays. 'tIf 'twere done when
'tis done. 'twere we'll 'twere' done duickly,''ss}
If ehakespeaye had undertaken to orr
ganize leagues he would have said.f
",Twera better 'twere done slowly.
q During the fall and winter two or more