Norwich bulletin., 1911-05-13

written Specially for The Bulletin.)
Moved by MEMORIES of the dim past,
when for brief number Of years /,
too. was school ma m, drifted into
the Teachers Congestion, held in
this city last week Friday. and though
avery accurate report of the doings
was given in the papers, that report
does not contain the thoughts that
came to me at that time One OF our
noted New England writers says it, is
the exception to fipd a genuine New
England family in which one or both
parents did not teach school in early
life. and witt. many the interest never
fails, though their lives may be filled
to the brfm with other demands. In
deed. Jonathan tells me I, even now.
prefer a teachers convention to- any
other sort of entertainments That is
not quite true, but there is always en-
tertainment and instruction. to be
found in such a gathering, and Friday
was no exception, and / greatly enjoy
ed thinking over former experiences of
the same kind. and drawing mental
comparisons and contrasts.
The weather was delightful; in fact,
school conventions in the spring sell
dom fail to be favored with fine wealth
er. There was noticeable the same dis
play, of spring millinery, which we al
ways expected to see on such occa-
sions. Poor in purse and sadly press
ed for time, as she often was and is,
very rarely is the young teacher to he
found without new outfit of that
sort for convention The same array
of animated earnest faces was to Sbe
seen in the wearers Of those hats.
Full of confiden are they in their
success in teaching career and at
at the same lime equally confident
that career will be brief, ending
in a HON amaking for ones self and
n
! me from the car to the church, where
the meetings were held, and for all the
attractions displayed in the shop win
dows they had only a passing glance,
for fear the Opening session would
find them missing. Time enough for
shopping later ON in the day.
We always had ORR conventions in a
church. New. England has from early
times associated its educational sys-
tenn with its worship And expected its
teachers to feel that Ia training fhe
youth of the land they were doing
God service. Consequently some one
Of the commodious churches hospita-
bly, opened its doors to receive us.
The same committees al of old were
appointed to dispose of the routine
business of the day, and, as I listened
to their reports. I could almost fancy
myself set hack to the time when
| was tOlQ 10 close SCHOOL LOT the Gay
and go to convention in the neighbor-
| ing town. The committee felt it to
be the proper thing for their school
! district to send its teacher, the chill
| dren welcomed the holiday. and iona.
than was sure to find some important
business in town that day, and would
| be very glad to take me to and from
nv destination. Perhaps that last item
adds grain to my pleasant memories
| of such occasions
| Nowadays, however, the groups Of
/ eager-faced girls were without any
masculine attendant, or if in attend
ance, they were not in evidence. The
| trolleys seemed to have superseded
shining harness and polished top-bug
gy of olden time. Another difference
l noticed was the almost entire aFbsenc;
| o. the general public. who, though in
| vited, did not respond in very grea
| numbers That is easily accounted
| for. There are SO many organization.
that a, convention of considerable sizs
| creates little more than a passing com
ment. A group similar in charactel
to that I have described might NEAR
Christian E.ndeavor work, temperance
| work. Sunday school conference, Of
what not One cannot expect the gen