The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-07-01
State EDUCATORS TELL
INC Of THEIR WORK
Maryland Teachers Hold Their Annual
Convention at Mt. Lake Park.

ton opened Tuesday night at Mountain
Lake Park under pleasant auspices and
much enthusiasm. For the first AZ
hours the educators of the public schools
of Maryland had been arriving by every
westbOund train that labored UP the II
mile grade between Piedmont and Ala
mont.
The Loeb Lynn AMI Mountain Lake
Park Hotels are the joint headquarters
OF the convention, the Loeb Lynn being
the headquarters for the State and the
Mountain Lakeof the executive officers.
Governor Crothers was expected YES
terday as the guest of the former,
while Mr.. George Biddle. of Elkton,
chairman of the executive committed
Mr.. Hugh Caldwell, of Chesapeake
City, recording secretary of the asso-
citation, and Prof. S. Simpson of West
minister, are at the Mountain Lake
Hotel.
Carriages and coaches are kept busy
carrying guests between the two hotels
for gay interchange of calls.
Already 3l3 members of the associa-
ton are registered as arrived or coming
and the committee anticipates that the
attendance this yaer will exceed that
OF previous seasons. Mrs. James H.
Van Sickle is one of the guests of honor.
The convention VS. opened by a
warm address of welcome by Mr.. Clay
ton Purnell, of the State Board Of Edu-
cation. To this State Superintendent
NJ. Bates Stephens responded, He ex-
pressed the appreciation of the teachers
at the delightful reception given them,
and then discussed the high school prob
lem. He suggested that the Legisla-
ture would do well to define at least
two classes of high schools frst-class
with four-year course, in which all
the work of the high school curriculum
is completed, and a minimum number
Of teachers to be employed in the
high school department, and second
class high schools, with a course cover
ing the first three years work of the
for secondary schools with
minimum number of teachers.
He deplored the practice of high
schools initiating the custom of colleges
and said also that the commencement
exercises were strung out too much.
I'VE do not need one entire week for
our commencement exercises, 3" he said.
ut is too long, and at least one-half of
this time could be spent more profitably
in some other direction. -
THE graduating exercises" he con-
tmued, ARE becoming too much of a
dress parade. Our school patrons are
not Harrimans and Rockefelers, and
we should not expect our students to
dress like their daughters. A tax of So
or 81 on each graduate for commence
ment invitations, a different dress to
wear on each of the two or three even
ngs of exercises and other growing
expenses to be paid by parents who al
ready have sacrificed to the limit to
graduation possible become burden,
and the common sense of the high
school teacher must take hold of these
eXtravagances with a firm hand and
control them. Some weeks ago class
IF girl graduates took much pleasure in
showing me, as a product of their own
their graduating dresses.
Each girl was required to make her
'wn dress, and there was a modest
INIT to the amount to be spent for ma
erial
There is much practical education in
he plan. The cultivation of simple
astes is at least part of our instruc-
ion and If the teachers of past genera
ions had done their full duty in this
we would not have witnessed
he Merry Widow and basket hats
md other ultra styles which are an
domination both in sight of the Lord
md man.
1--WE have always been taught that
high character and the development of
honest and independent manhood and
vomanhood are rather the offspring of
rial, hardship and denial than of ease
md indulgence. But the spirit of the
If the present in all departments of life
toward indulgence, and if it is not
hecked it will leave its blight on indi-
'idual character and finally undermine
he citadel of our national life. The
chool teacher must take stand against
he demoralizing tendencies and strangle
hese extravagant school Innovations, "
The address of Miss Sarah Z. Rich !
nond, president of the association, fol-
owed that of DR.. Stephens. 1t was a
review of the years
work and contained number of recon-
nendations looking to the increased eff I
iciency of the schools through out the
State.