The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-12-05

"e nave SaCgMHlly been looking Tor
ward with antieipations to this meet
ing and weStrust your hospitality
may be twiced blcssed-blessing
those who give as we'll rs those who
receive. &&a ....
There ore teachers aud teachers.
We owe it YOU to say that we are not
Of those who conhne their activities
and their interests strictly to the
school room and whose sense of per-
spective is narrowed to particular
lessons and specific problems. We
believe that the sphere OF the teach
er is the whole community and that
the school house is the point of
, leverage for, fitting the people up to
the plane OF exemplary citizenship,
We are teachers who believe in con-
tact not only with tn pulpit but with
each other. Among ourselves, the
contact of minds from different
parts of the state with new ideas and
high Ideals will not only rekindle
the fire Of enthusiasm in our breasts
but contribute to our greater useful
ness in our various fields Of service.
Never before have the times called
$50 loudly for teachers of this type.
For the tragedy Of today is not the
tragedy of the criminal but the
tragedy of the incompetent and not
of the absolutely incompetent but of
the relatively incompetent. To my
mind this is an important distinction
between the educator and the mere
teacher. -.
take pardQnable pride in telling
YOU that We have here real educat-
ors-men and women Of broad inter-
ests Otherwise this association could
never have been organized nor could
never have been organized nor could
it have been kept in tact these sew
enteen years. 1t is these educators
who are worthy to be called charac-
ter builders, community lifters, state
builders, nation builders. They come
AS thoughtful men and women deep
~ interested in all that which makes
life higher and better and richer.
They believe the school exist that the
community may have life and that
abundantly-fife regulated by intel
ligence, respect for law, and the
bowman. They believe with the
strong faith of the Germans that
whatever you would have appear in
d nations life put into it's schools.
They realize how important it Is
That every community be alive to
education. Since the teacher is the
highest factor in the school room
problem I believe that a community
neglects its best interest when it sat-
isles itself with anything less than
an educator. ,,..4
AS Negro EDUCATORS We want to
cut the bali and7ehain OF ignorance
from the feet OF, our race. We want
to tear down the .wallsGof prejudice
whether of lodge. or church origin
for fractional strife Is the bane of ed
vocational progress, We want to con-
struct life on basis of character.
We want to reward life on a basis
OF merit. We want to see men rise
by the upward gravity of fitness rath-
or than "pull''t we want to see
the combined interests of the COM
munity concentrated about the
school without regard to denomina-
tlonal or other differences. We want
the rights OF the children faithfully
guarded as sacred trust
For the character that the boys
and girls are making today are the
quarries out Of which future genera
tons must get the building material
for life. We owe it to the rising
generation as we'll as to the future
10 see to it that this material shall
be granite and not shale.
As Negro educators the so-called
race problem rests heavily on our
shoulders for | believe that in re-
publican form Of government like
ours the solution Of every national
question is in the last analysis a
question Of education of the people
If our people have the services Of
educators they need not fear the out
| come Of the socalled race problem.
could-be leaders for followers how
ever. These half-baked leaders who
are found among the white and the
black thieve on race antagonism es-
pecially when they are dressed in a
little brief authority, They have got
a great many Of us worrying about
the future outlook. But to me a
greater question than the outlook is
the iniook. If We be not true to our
selves the outlook so far as exter-
nal power could affect it might be as
| roseate as a thousand blushing
lmorns but it would not avail. Ask
the oak out there that far above the
surrounding tree tops pierces the
serene air what is the secret Of
| strength and it's answer would be.