The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-21
STRONG APPEAL
FROM A TEACHER.
Principal Of South Hill High
School Points Out Value Of
Associations.
ALL DECISIONS HAVE THEM
Refers to Ministers, Lawyers,
Mechanics and Others as Valu-
ing Unity Of Action.

s5gIT6 : 4 r
Among the very Interesting papers
read at the Education Conference here
Hast winter was one by Mr.. T. w.
Ozlfn,sIrincipal OF the South Hill High
School "
Mr.. czhn's subject was "The Value
I.oe Local Teachers Associations and
The treated It in most creditable
manner.
Ills paper follows:
We are living In an age of speciali-s
cations and of combines. This fact Is
apparent IN almost every phase of our
fcompiex life-both intellectual and In
l.dustrial. AS a rnle the physician is
mo longer content to obtain g general
1 knowledge Of the PRINCIPLES Of medi-
| cine and thus fit himself for prac-s
| tice of a general nature, but, on the
4 contrary, he selects come one branch.
lof the science OF medicine and then
| exerts all Of his energies to the mas
/ tering Of this his chose field. The
! same Is true Of the 5chemist,sth he lawyer
| and the artist. In our Industrial life
there 10 a prepondering tendency to
| form gigantic corporations and COM
bines for the more efTectual mantpula-
3tion OF the great and varied interests
| of our modern business life. Nor is this
.Iideaaof combination product OF mods.
/, : y
| moved medieval ages we read OF tho
guilds OF merchants, manufacturers
| navigators and OF all the II arts and
.Ecrafts. From the very beginning these
i guilds or corporations have had a
4 most far-reaching influence on the
! commercial world. Their long life and
sEextended sphere of influence Is most
! convincing testimony Of their value to
1.-the Industrial life OF all ages and
countries.
In the present ge there are organi-
II cations and associations for every pro-
II fessioh and calling save that of teach
Ling. From either carelessness 81 or
neglect our teaching force seems to
| have been quietly reposing IN state
of lethargy from which they are Just
now awakening to a realization of the
! great value OF cooperation, and we
are now beginning to follow In the
wake Of the other professions and
callings.
why Not Teachers!
There are at present, and have been
| for generations past well organized
associations OF lawyers. physicians
| scientists, artists. ministers and so On
| to the end of the list. These various
| associations have periodic meetings
|lfor the discussion and investigation
| of the manifold interests that pertain
| Ito these vocations Such meetings are
not without results. for in them many
| important problems are worked out
| LIT was stated by a noted surgeon OF
| German university that the Intsrna-
tional Academy of Physicians and Sur
geons had done more for the advance
| ment Of medical science than any
| other one agency" Now, the question
ewill naturally arise, If SO great good
comes to the other professions ant
i calling, then why not to the teacher
| as we'll?
| 1t is "a truth almost automatic thai
strength and power come OF uncon-
scious cooperation, Indeed, this is the
| basal principle on which our great re-
| public8of the United States is founded
! Throughout the past history Of thu
/ public school system in Virginia, ant
/ IsaVen down to the present time. thi
force of our State has beer
i following a course which may be COM
j pared to that of the individual lScolonie!
during the early period OF our nation:
j History. each one pursuing a selfsf
policy in an isolated way, which Nai
\ doomed from the very beginning t
lIresult in insurmountable difficulties
\ lhardships and finally failure. We. a:
l teachers. have been drawing our cloal
4 Of self-righteousnes about us ant
3! seeking our salvation in an isolattc
/ way
j In ignorance we have an enemy t
: face which is more difficult to over
come than any ever faced by the armies
u of the world combined. This we know
10 he true. because the armies OF Ugh
E and truth have been dashing thsi
4 cohorts against the bulwarks ofigno
"A rance for these many centuries. and !
Fl far from overcome. Every generation
brings forth fresh recruits agaips
& whom we must contend for in tn
$ words of Herbert Spencer, "a child A
born q savage and remains such unit
q brought into contact with the enlight
4 ening Influences about him., Now
.F with such an enemy to- face docs /
n not behoove us as teachers to marsha
M our forces and to unite our effort
Y In every possible way that Will b
= conduciveN to greater strength an
y lpoWer?
III ~ " 8 helnful ito other callings 70