Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-12-02
COUNTY CONVENTION
OF SCHOOL BOARDS
Held In Lancaster High School
Room Last Friday.
Fair Attendance in Spite of Bad Roads
and Much Interest Shown-Supt.
Brockert Honored.

The annual county school board !
convention was held IN the high |
school room in this city last Friday,
beginning at 10 o'clock, and con-
sideriug the bad condition of the
roads, was very we'll attended,
about 100 being present. The at
tendance of district clerks from all
parts. of the county was especially
good,
The address Of welcome was given
by Mr.. Richard Meyer, of Lancas
ter, school board. In his address,
Mr., Meyer took occasion to discuss
a number OF matters of vital i'm
portance to the best interests of the
schools. He talked of the relation
of the common schools TO the high
schools In speaking of the free
tuition law he SAID that while some
had expressed a doubt as to the
wisdom Of the law that there were
many instances wherein worthy
BOYS and girls would never have
been able to attend high school
had it not been possible through
the free tuition law. Mr.. Meyer
showed that the SIS 90 per year
paid by the towns as tuition for
each pupil IN the high schools
does not much more than half pay
the cost of teaching alone, yet he
said that Lancaster was pleased to
welcome these country young peo-
pie because they help to make
! better school. He also talked of
the need of making the courses in
the high schools more nearly In
conformity with the needs of young
people who are not going to college.
The principal address at the
meeting was given by Rural School
Inspector L. w. Wood, of Neils-
VILE. Mr.. Wood spoke Of school at
tendance. He said that there are
two kinds of Influences which draw
children into the schools. These
are: First, attractive influences in
| the way of pleasant, healthfu4
school premises presided over by
suitable teachers, and second, con-
pulsory educational laws to force
those who are negligent in the edu-
cation of their children to send
them to school.
Mr.. Wood called attention to the
pleasant room of the Lancaster II.
S. in which the meeting was being
held. He said that those present
were getting more out of the meet
ing because of the attractiveness
and congeniality of the surround
ings. He said that splendid pro
gress had been made in Wisconsin
rural schools during the past year
in the way of securing better venti-
lation, better apparatus, and more
attractive school premises.
In speaking of the compulsory
educational law, Mr.. Wood said
that it had been framed after a care
full consideration of all school in
terests both public and parochial
ind that all interests approve the
law. He showed that Wisconsin is
badly in need of such law. He
compared the efficiency of German
schools with those Of our own state
and showed that the superior
efficiency of the German schools is
due to the attention which they give
to regular schuol attendance.
M. Woods address made an
excellent impression upon the board
members present. he is an at
tractive speaker. The thought of
what ne has to say is characterized
by broad common sense, and eX-
pressed in such clean fOrceful
language that there is no doubt as
to his meaning. What he said
showed that he has made a careful
study of the needs of the schools
and that his best energies are de-
voted to securing their needed i'm
provement.
At the close of the meeting a
resolution was presented by Mr..
Brainerd of Boscobel urging Mr..
Wood to become candidate for
State Superintendent. The resolu-
ton was unanimously adopted.
Mr.. Brockert spoke of the desira-
bllity of holding the convention
earlier in the year. He called at
tention to the fact that weather
conditions at this time of the year
are very unfavorable for those who
must necessarily drive long dis
tances to attend the meeting. He
said that he is disposed to arrange
for a meeting some time early in
October next year.
In speaking of the compulsory
attendance law, he said that he be-
lieved the law to be good and that
it was his purpose to enfore the
law to the letter.
He spoke of the difficulty of
securing trained teachers for the
country schools. He said that not
wlthstanding the fact that Wiscon-
sin has seven normal schools, it re-
mains for the high schools TO pre-
pare the country school teachers.
He said that he is in favor of plac-
ing a competent teacher in some of
the high schools whose special duty