Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-20
COUNTY SUPERINIENDENIS.
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
REcEs RESTORED TO IT'S OLD PLACE - ROOT
AND METRIC SYSTEM ELIMINATED ARlTHME.
TIC IN GRADED SCHOOLS SELECTED
FOLEY ADDRESSED TEAcHE RS.

-FoLEY ADDRESSED TEAcHE
The regular annual meeting of the
county superintendent of North Da-
kota was called to order in the senate
chamber about 2 o'clock Tuesday af-
ternoon. by State Superintendent
Stockwell. Mr.. Stockwell extended a
CHEEKY greeting to the county superin-
tendents and especially welcomed
those from the storm bound east to
the Missouri Slope, with its very
agreeable weather.
Foley Makes a Talk.
James w. Foley, who happened to
be in the room at the time the meet
ing was called to order, was called
upon to address the superintendent.
Mr.. Foley spoke of his e/I,ecial in
terest in this gathering owing to the
fact that he had at one time been at
the head of the educational depart
ment of Billings county. Mr.. Foley
was deputy superintendent, clerk Of
the school board and teacher of the
school. The speaker enlarged upon the
importance of the work of the super
intendents and their teachers and
nointed out that the civilization and
institutions, of the country depend
a great deal upon the use we make
of our boys and girls. In closing,
Mr.. Foley assured his hearers that the
people of Bismarck are possessed of
sunny hearts and warm hands," and
wished to take their guests i<to their
sunny hearts" and extend to them
their warm hands" Then in response
to the calls of his hearers, Mr.. Foley
recited a few of his original verses.
After having been so pleasantly enter
tanned by North Dakota's we'll known
poet, the superintendent were in a
very happy frame of mind for the grind
of business that was then taken up
for consideration.
Supt. B. A. Wallace of Trail coun-
ty, a member of the committee of sew
en- whose report made a few months
ago was the principal subject for dis
cussion at this meeting. was called
upon by Supt. Stockwell for large
part in the meeting. After a histori-
cal resume of the work of the COM
mittee the recommendations were TAX
en- up for discussion, topic by topic.
recess discussed.
The first topic was the recess I'M
der the head of the physical well-be-
ing of the child. It was agreed that
recesses properly supervised by the
teachers and principals are beneficial
to the pupils, but also recognized that
vicious habits may be formed and evil
tendencies develop on improperly sup
eryised school grounds.
Vocational Education.
Vocational education was the next
part of the report that was discussed.
The substance of Supt. Wallace's de-
finition of vocational education" may
cation" The committee of seven.
At this point the question of ele-
mentary agriculture came up and ev-
cry county superintendent was called
upon for a report of the work that
has been done in each c>Inty during
the last school year. Some of the sup
erintendents, particularly the Misses
Seiple and Regina and Mesdames
Lowell andTatem reported some very
satisfactory work in sewing. 1t was
finally decided to endorse the report
of the committee of seven regarding
vocational education and to urge the
incorporation of courses in elemen-
tary agriculture and sewing in the
state course Of study.
Discipline, By-Product.
The following paragraph of the rec
concentrations of the committee of
seven called forth some rigorous dis
cussions and warm rebates:
while the power that results from
discipline is of utmost value, it never
theless occupies the position of a
'by-product.' and we therefore recom-
mend that no subject or topic should
be placed in the course of study or
retained there solely, or even chiefly.
on the plea that it is good fl: disci-
pline.'"
Prof. Schmidt of Grand Forks. took
a very prominent part in the discus
sion of this topic. 1t was the feeling
of the members of the committee that
subject must be defended for it's
place in the course of study-not to
be kept in the course merely for it's
L disciplinary value. It was ,vged, by
way of illustration, that come parts
of the arithmetic are overdone in the
public schools, solely for the sake or
mental discipline" 1t was the senti-
ment that there are some things that
we should be ready to drop as soon
as we find something better - of
more practical value-to take their
places. After a warm discussion in
which Messrs. Taylor, Schmidt, Stock
we'll and Haig took leading parts, the
above quoted recommendation was
adopted.
Eliminate Cube Root.
Following the same lines of thought
somewhat, as indicated above, it was
decided to endorse the recommended
ton to reduce the amount of the sub.
ject matter allotted to arithmetic by
the elimination of cube. root and the
metric system. After the transaction
of some business in connection with
the spelling contest to be held later
In the evening, the meeting was ad-
journed until 9 o'clock this afternoon.
The county superintendents attend
ing the meeting yesterday afternoon
were:
Friedrich Davis, Hettinger.
Minnie J. Nelson, Valley City.