The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-11-21
DoNALDsoNyILLE. La SATURDAY, NOVEMBER q 1905
institute Notes.

I pafISn corps on the evening OF Nov. =
to which the public was invited. TIE
program consisted of recitations
songs and dialogues by pupils of the
| Dona1dsonville High School, all oI
which were extremely well rendered
and enthusiastically received.
Supt. Brown made his initial ap.
pearauce before an Ascension au-
dience in his Introduction of the chiei
speaker of the evening. Mr.. Brown
spoke in an appreeiative manner OF
the splendid work of his predecessor,
Supt. Showalter, as showing the latter S
worth and. ability He declared that
his mission as superintendent of this
parish was not to tear down any of the
| many great things already accom-.
| plished, but rather to use them as a
stepping stone or a foundation for
continuing the process of improve
ment which eharaeterizes Ascension
as one Of the most progressive par
ishes, edueationally, in the state, and
he expressed the desire of having the
same hearty support and assistance
that had enabled Supt. Show wa1ter to
do such good work.
The speaker of the evening, DIR. D.
T. Powers, associate professor in the
teachers college OF the Louisiana
State University. gave an able adj
dress on the subject of The Com.
manity and the School,. Il was
brilliant ia it's rhetoric, full of SQUAD
sense and good humor, and charae.
terizes DR.. Powers as one Of the abIest
school men of the state. The speaker
maintained that the school exists for
the purpose Of assisting in adjusting
the child to the many and varied
phases of bis environment, materially,
socially and politically. and should
help to fit him for a broader under
standing Of the problems of life in the
community and develop an ability in
dealing with them successfully for
himself and to the good of the com
munity that in order for the school to
do this well, the community must be
responsible for the best educational
facilities in the way OF buildings,
equipment aud particularly teachers.
The evenings program was con
eluded with light refreshments served
during social mingling OF the teach
ers and citizens which proved to be
delightful feature.
On Thursday night there assembled
quite large audience to enjoy an ad-
dress from DR.. A. B. Coffey, dean of
the teachers college OF the State Uni
versity. He was introduced by Supt
Brown, who took occasion to com
pliment the parish school board,
whose members have refused for four
years to collect either the per diem or
mileage allowed them by law and paid |
in other parishes, thereby saving TO |
the schools OF Ascension more than a |
thousand dollars, the equivalent Of a
direct contribution. He also predicted
that the name of Geo. B. Reuss would
20 down in the educational history Of
lhe state for his liberal benefactions to
he cause of enlightenment of the
DR.. Coffey spoke on THE Influence
of Environment in the Education Of
he Child, !" asserting that the organ
zed agencies of education. the home.
he church and the school, contributed
out one-tenth to that end, the remain
ng nine tenths being purely matter
)f chance gained by contact with the
thousands of influences continually
working on the child; the street, the
people with whom he is thrown in
contact, and nature in her many and
,arious methods. His address was
orceful, suggestive and filed with
brilliant wit and humor DR.. Cofey
.asily stands as the most entertaining
If the educational speakers who tour
he state.
Much credit is due the committee
of Prof. Rusca, Misses Led a
landry, Ora Dalferes and Maude
4eche, for providing for the local en-
and perfectiug the details
which counted so much towards the
uecess of the week S work. The
moothness with which everything ran
N these occasions is largely due to
heir careful preparations.
Thursday evening S program in
luded a vocal solo by Mrs. Paul
4eche, VINO was vigorously applauded
nd who responded with an encore;
piano solo by DR.. John s. Thibaut,
'hieh called forth such applause that
e also was forced to respond to the
Moore, and violin solo by Charles
siee which captured the listeners and
ecessitated another number.
LIST OF LETTERS
emaining in the postofice at Donaidsonville,
La. Saturday. November 21, 1908.