Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-05-01
THE TEACHERS MEETING.


Report of the Meeting of the Big Five
at West Union.
The Eleventh Annual Meeting of the
Big Five Teachers Association, which
was held at West Union on April 24th
and 18th, proved to be one of the larg-
est and best meetings ever held by the
Association. In spite of the extremely
unfavorable weather, 407 teachers
were enrolled; of these Fayette coun-
ty furnished the largest number, 21o,
and Allamakee the smallest, 81. How
ard county sent down Sc this year.
County Supt. R. H. Belknap of Fay
cite county, as Chairman of the Exec
utive Committee, must be given great
credit for the series of splendid pro-
grams which he arranged for the
teachers. In the opening program,
State Supt. John F. Riggs gave a
strong presentation of the new plan
for rural school organization. He was
followed by Supt. S. L. Heeter of st.
Paul, who spoke upon the Four-fold
Function of Education. 1t might just
ly be feared that man who deals with
great administrative problems as Supt.
Heeter constantly does, might not be
able to feel the needs of body of
teachers such as attend the Big Five
meetings. That fear was groundless
for he brought to every teacher present
simple, powerful, helpful and inspir-
ing message. After contrasting the
old district school with cts three RS,
three times day, three months and
three teachers year." with the mod
ern town school, he showed how the
school now owes to the pupils far more
than the old school was able to give.
With keen logical presentation, he
showed where the newer studies, such
as Nature Study, Drawing, Music,
Manual Training, etc., were weak, and
urged that the remedy for the present
overburdened school courses lies not
in eliminating these studies from the
schools, but in simplifying them and
teaching thoroughly only their funda-
mental principles. With masterful
presentation, Supt. Heeter showed in
closing that the school must give to the
pupils health, intelligence, efficiency
and morality.
On Friday evening, Prof. w. G. Will
cox of Iowa City, delighted very
large audience with his remarkable
lecture on 1.-THE American Woman. y
Those of US who were fortunate enough
to hear Prof. Wilcox will not soon for
get the splendid tribute he paid to the
refined, intelligent, educated American
girl, to the educated American woman,
who makes the ideal wife and mother,
and who bulwarks American liberty
with its greatest safeguard, the Amer.
lean home.
Saturday morning was given up tc
the different roundtables, and at the
closing session Saturday afternoon
Father O'Connor of Oelwein and Pres
ident Seerley of Cedar Falls gave stir.
ring addresses. Father O'Connol
{ sketched the attitude of the Catholic
church toward elementary education
and urged the systematic teaching O.
morals in all our schools. Fathel
O'Connor, Catholic priest, speaking
from Methodist pulpit, addressing al
audience of teachers representing al
denominations, and pleading for sys
tematic instruction along moral an,
religious lines, left a deep and lasting
impression upon his hearers. Presiden
Seerley closed the program with
plain, clear, helpful address on "Prac
teal Education
The musical numbers given by Mis-
Glenne Cattermale and the High Schoo
Glee Club of West Union, which sh'
has trained, are worthy of special men
ton and appreciation.
The new officers are as follows
President, Supt. H. N. johnson o
DEBORAH; Secretary, Principal M
Aida Tate of Oelwein; Treasurer, Mis-
Morga George of Colesburg; Chairma
of Executive Committee, Supt. E. c
Roberts of Cresco.
The date and place of meeting TO
next year have not yet been deter
mined.
The following Cresco teachers wer
among those in attendance: France
Simonds, Grace Buckley, Matte Liv
ingood, Mary Westby, Daisy Robert
son, Cleora Lemon, Florence Magill
Neva Fessenden, Abbie Watson, Kath
crime Pollard, Ruth Dalaba, Edna
Evans, Minnie Henry, Zina Fessenden
Dora Perry, Mathilda Dell, Miss
Brown, and E. c. Roberts.