St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-12-13
PRESS COMMENT
Those Educational Meetings

The Messenger has already taken
a small part in the recent press dis
cussions and expressed it's own opin-
ion about the value of the education
al meetings that have been held in
Vermont towns by the State Super
intendent of Education Mason S.
Stone,1 during the past few years. It
has refrained from a too intimate
or too enthusiastic commentator of
them for reasons that to most con-
temporaries and many readers may
be apparent. 1t is probable that the
editor of the Messenger, being very
human, does not view these meet
ings in most of which he has taken
part in the same light as their crit
les. So from that viewpoint The
Messenger, would not attempt to
discuss them. It will only call at
tention to the very simple exposition
of the facts presented in the editori-
of the ST. Johnsbury Caledonian
published in this issue. The Gale
donin tells the whole story, and, TO
one that knows something of the
circumstances, tells it convincingly.
Some of our friends that criticize
Superintendent Stone in this bust
ness do not appear to be informed
of all the circumstances. The kind
of educational meetings they call
for, with trained pedagogues for
speakers, was tried out long ago, and
failed. The rank and file of the peo-
pie, the taxpayers, fathers and
mothers of the children in the
schools, would not attend these
meetings just to hear discussion of
more or less technical subjects. SUI
perintendent Stone instituted pro-
mo 60 Sxo41 81
general public in matters directly or
Indirectly connected with the school
house, from the point of interest of
the adult outside the schoolhouse
but morally responsible for what
goes on inside. And he has made a
success of it.. Say what the critics
will, the simple fact remains that
not for a generation at least has so
much progressive legislation in the
field of public education been put
on the statute books of Vermont as
within the past six years.
Now, it is not fair to say that it is
all because of these meetings.; it
would simply be ridiculous to say
that. But that those meetings have
had tremendous influence in help
ing to shape a public sentiment in
the rural and out of the way dis
u ASCO Ill 1dFOI VI OSAOSO1N0A00O Ill
school legislation and radical chang
es no man that has observed them
carefully for while can deny.
In a peculiar sense, it does not
matter to The Messenger whether
these meetings are continued or not.
But their public value should not be
minimized thoughtlessly or without
basing ones opinion upon sufficient
observation Few people appreciate
i the conditions in Vermont that de-
mand more of just such meetings
in the interest of all other depart
ments of the state government I'm
til they make such tour Of the
state as the speakers with Superin-
tend Stone have made.
1t should be borne in mind, in
this connection, that the technical
discussions that some of the contem-
pories appear to desire, are had
every year just the same, only they
are conducted by expert teachers
and attended only by teachers and
members of school boards and other
officials that are the only ones that
would ever take an active interest
in them.
superintendent Stone has two |
kinds of meetings going that are
both successful in their way; not |
simply one that misses it's aim One
is for the teachers, and one is for the /
people that support the teachers.
And the teachers C uodellltat,