The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-10-17
GREAT CROWD
OF TEACHERS
4
Assembled In Burlington This
Afternoon
FOR STATE CONVENTION
Before Saturday an Enrolment Of 500 Il
Expected Mayor Bigelow Welcomed
Them and President Dempsey
Gave Annual Address.

Burlington, Oct. 1.-THE Queen City
Of Vermont welcomed the iIity.cighth
annual convention Of the Vermont State
Teachers association, the opening kcs.
sion Of which was held this afternoon
at che Edmunds high school building.
With president c. II. Dempsey Of 81.
Johnsbnry presiding, aud an attendance
Of some Ave hundred. Il Is fully ex.
pccted that 500 Vermont teachers viii
be gathered here before the close Of the
convention on Saturday, which viii be
the largest attendance at a state teach
ers' convention In Vermont on record.
Mayor Blgclow welcomed the teachers
this afternoon in a cordial address OF
welcome. lie was followed by President
Dempsey, who after an appropriate re-
'sponse read his annual addres on The
System and the Individual" synopsis
Of which will b. found In this article
A cordial greeting was rendered Gov
ernor Proctor at the convention. The
governor gave a characteristics speech,
which was enthusiastically received, The
session closed with an address, --Litera-
ture for Children BY Miss Ada Van
Stone Harris, assistant superintendent
Of schools nj Rochester, \. y.
President Dempsey's Address.
President Dempsey spoke in substance
as follows: To even the casual reader
OF current history. Il Is evident that the
conditions Of American social life have
undergone, and are still experiencing. a
revolutionary Transformation. An intri-
cate and complex civilization has taken
the place OF the old individualism charac-
teristic Of the pioneer days. The power
Of the individual Is great, 20 be sure.
but II Is often largely exerted through
some carefully elaborated system.
To large extent We are no longer
a nation Of individuals in the sense Of
the early days, but a nation of systems.
Our schools, among other things, are
ranked according TO the perfection Of
their system. do not wish to be
as decrying this great move
meut, however. Tbs change has been
and In spite Of gross abuses
Il has produced results Of incaleulabsc /
benefit to humanity. By developing the /
efficiency Of industries. our government |
and various philanthropic enterprises.
II Il fact full OF import, though, |
that our progress and character Of eduea-
tion has not kept pace with our indus
trial and social evolution. do not fear /
anyone taking issue with me when ]
make the statement that while our
schools are busy training the intellect, I
10 some extent the hands and body. and |
20 slight extent the character, they are
not adequately developing the boys and
girls as social beings with social duties.
But leaving the roll Of the critic. can
We gain a clear conception Of the prin
'iples that should underlie the organiza
ion Of society--eall it system or what
Fou will--guage the demands that pres
mt day conditions make upon the indi-
iiduaIs, and determine the mutual rela-
ions of the system and the indiyidualg
4 so, we can readily perceive the civic
unction and work of the schools and the
inns to be sought.
First, the standards of system must
,e as high as those demanded by indi-
Tiduals.
Second. no system may endanger, eth
r wilfuliy, or BY neglect, the life, lib
rty nor happiness of the individual,
Third, every system should be, not the
Master, but the servant of the individ-
Ial.
Fourth, our political and industrial
ife must be freed from the haneful in-
uencc and control Of systems
Fifth, responsibility for abuses and
awlessness must rest, not upon the cor
oration as such and its property, but
pom the individuals comprising the cor
ofation
sixth. any system Is but the aggregate
forts Of q group of individuals who are
ontly and severally responsible for the
cts and policies Of the system as 4
Thole
The new individual must be imhued
nth q stronger spirit Of love for his
allowmen, and must possess greater
eviction to civic duties. ~The core of I
is service, and the good citi- I
IN ii he who Is socially serYiccable"
1t is thought full OF encouragement i
~ Us that In the development and
aiming of the new individual, we are
lso rendering the most effective service /,
,r improvement of society.
Inc flnfilUU Oh the SGHbOi III LHih ROu | d
nctiou II obvious IL IL the training Of J
le individual for his work in society.
Ghether we are supervisors, teachers or
Aicials, we must not content ourselves
ith the elaboration of courses OF study,
le grading Of schools, the Improvement A
the intellectual standing Of the pu
rs. aud the other things that are COM
only included in q school system"
valuable as they are The schools are, 2
ore than any other institution the y
aiming ground for citizenship and The Z
ifegiard Of organized society. Y
Our first duty, fellow teachers, is to 7
luip ourselves for this work, to render d
rselyes powerful and valuable social I
ctors; our next duty is to see that our
hool or system meets the needs Of the
ciety it serves, BY assisting each boy
id girl to acquire the knowledge. ahil- 7,
' and will to become a free, efficient,
w-abiding and law enforcing member
society We must bring our young
ildren to q profonnder and simpler b
yerenee for the state and the processes VI
public order. TO aid in the speedy Of
aiization of these ideals. both for our n,
cial institutions and for the individual b,
the chief function of our schools. the b
stifeation for their existence and our n