The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1911-03-02
BIG MEETING Of
MUCH INTEREST
Rural Teachers and Directors Met
in Joint Session Saturday.
MANY SUBJECTS DISCUSSED
Need of Better Sanitary Conditions
is Thoroughly Threshed and DC.
cupies the Greater Portion
Time-officers Elected.

The Saturday afternoon session OF
the annual meeting of rural teachers
of Mahaska county and the directors
and school officers which was held in
the assembly room at the high school
building proved to be much larger
meeting than the morning session OF
the teachers. The attendance OF
teachers was much larger than at
the morning session and several of
the city teachers were present 10
hear the topics discussed. A large
number of the directors and school
officers were present and took part
in talks.
The discussion of the subject,
Need of Better Sanitary Conditions
took up most of the afternoon and it
is doubtful if any subject ever re-
ceived such a thorough "threshing
out" Both teachers and directors
took part in the discussion of this
topic. Informal talks were had from
those who were not on the program.
The first tain on this subject was by
Director o. III. Vance. Mr.. Vance
spoke of the need of perfect ventila-
ton and also the need of perfect
heating. The health of the pupils de-
ponds upon both the ventilation and
the heating. Mr.. Vance described a
heating system that gives excellent
results and which is being establish
ed in some of the schools of the coun-
ty.
Mr.. Vance was followed by Deward
Hawley, of the Rose Hill schools. Mr..
Hawley spoke of dust, wells, ventila-
ton, out-houses, etc, as having
bearing ON the sanitary condition of
the school house. He was followed
by r. H. Williams, of the Beacon
schools. Mr.. Williams gave quite
lengthy talk on the subject and his
views seemed to meet the approval
of every one. Mr.. Williams spoke of
heating, ventilation, drinking cups,
buckets, pencils, dust. crayon and
play and the influence of each on the
sanitary condition OF the school. The
drinking cup is the most vital of any
and this part of the subject was thor.
.oughly discussed by Mr.. Williams, as
well as by the following speakers.
Where the students have individual
drinking cups and are allowed to
carry them around in their pockets,
where they collect dirt and filth, it
is doubtful if this is a satisfactory
solution of the problem. Mr.. Will
Jams also spoke of the dust from
cheap soft crayon, which is in use in
almost all of the schools fthe coun.
ty.
Margaret Lichtenheld spoke on
this subject. mentioning sweeping,
dust cloth, wells, air, light, and clean
illness, and the relation of each to
sanitary conditions Miss Lichten-
held is of the opinion that the sani-
tary conditions in the cities are bet
ter than in the country for the rea-
son that in the city filth is cleaned
by order of the board of health, while
in the rural districts cleanliness is
not compulsory and as result many
get careless.
Mr.. Mott. one of the teachers OF
the county, was called upon and gave
a solution of the drinking cup prob, !
lem. In Mr. Motifs school stone
jar of several gallons capacity, with
a proper lid, is used. A faucet is !
used TO draw the water off and where !
individual drinking cups are used
there is little chance for the spread |
ing of contagiOD. The stone jar may
be the solution of this important prob |
lem.
Miss Helen LytIc told of the heat.
ing conditions in her school. A mod
ern heating system has been Install
ed and is giving very satisfactory re-
suits, Directors and county super
intendent Young asked Miss Lyle
many questions concerning the new
system.
Mr.. Buell., of University Park, was
the last speaker on the subject of
sanitary conditions. MIR. Buell. told
of the conditions In bis home state.
New York, as compared with the con.
ditions here. He gave advice as to
improvements in this Inc.
For what length Of term should
Boards in Rural Schools Employ their
Teachers" was another question at
the meeting. Director Stafford was
called upon and in few words gave
his opinion on the subject. Mr.
Stafford thinks that a teacher should
at least be employed for full year
and IL possible keep him or her for a
period of five years. Students and
teacher become better acquainted
the longer they are together and
hence better work Is the result Mr..
Stafford Is also OF the opinion that
just as good teachers should be sc.
cured for the country schools as are
secured for the city schools Ac.
cording to Mr.. Stafford the country
Is just as able TO pay high wages for
teachers as the city.
Director Vance, who was for ten
years teacher OF this county. gave
quite talk. telling OF his experiences
as teacher in order to illustrate why
teacher should be employed for .
long term.
Howard Allgood gave a talk on the
subject. telling Of the immense
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