The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1912-01-10
"REMINISCENCES OF THE
TEACHERS A SOCIA-
TION OF LEXINGT N
COUNTY.
PAPER Read Before Teachers Associ.
ton on December I6 by Miss Ma.
rye. Wingard. the Brilliant
Principal of the Primary
Department of the
P. C.,

Fellow Teachers: We have come
to our Association-"the Teachers
Association"-and are we not pleased,
nay, verify, delighted that we have
an association? And that an asaemb-
ling of the teachers has existed from
time to time for long while in this
county.
The greatest work one can do for
another is to help him, to help him
self. This is what the Teachers AS
ISOLATION has been doing for those who
have attended. The true teacher is
leader, and in any leader, be he great
or small. is inspiration. And there is
equal inspiration in the lives OF those
who realize that they are not fitted to
be leaders, but nobly toll to make pos
sible the work that the leaders are
carrying out. The knowledge that we
are not idlers, but real helpers, gives
strength in our work, and content
ment that comes only with honest
achievement.
The first conference or association OF
the teachers in this county that l
know anything about was held IN
March, 1880, in St. Stephens church,
and if I make no mistake, Mr.. John
B. Kyzer was at that time Superinten-
dent of Education in this county.
ltwas during the administration OF
Prof. W. D. Schoenberg in the High
School of this town. I was a student
in his school at that time. l DO not
remember what. arrangements were
made for this meeting, but it was
success. The residents of the town
manifested much interest. There was
an address made on this occasion oy a
teacher from an adjoining county
which had an arousing effect-he ad-
vanced the idea Of teaching the child
to read instead of teaching the alpha
bet. This was indeed u new idea to
those present.
Since that time we have had some
very enthusiastic gatherings OF the
teachers in the court house. Many Of
our best teachers participating hearth
ly in these gatherings. Prominently
among these were MISS: M. Fort,
Profs. P. T. Brodie and W. D. Scho-
enberg. >......
In 1892 the Teachers Association
for the county was organized. Who
the first officers we're I do not remep-
Der. I remember in this organized
Association Prof. L. B. Haynes and
others were prominent. Very notably
among these was Miss Nellie Chap.
man.
This Association has existed rather
constantly ever since. Former Super
intenderts J. F. and J. E. r. Kyzer
were very untiring in their efforts in
this Association. This Association
has usually heid its meetings i'll tho ?.
9. I. school building. Though some
times the Association was invited to
some eowr, OF eur county. or some rur-
nj district school, I never had tho
pleasure IT attending: one OF these
meetings; su, che teachers who at
tended nave ioid me the meetings
were very interesting. At each OF
these nlsr.li.s. the teachers were CIV
eu 4 pse-nic a.uuer, and warm vel
come oJ the people. And the two
poiaeA uosc no able on these occa-
siu.a nere: IFS, the small attendance
OF tne leach, r, and. second, the great
humber OF citizens who manifested
ke. n intecesl in the teachers and their
Ciscusa.ous.
II is a sad fact that our Association
has urvel nau great number Of in-
ISfSSC6u SGdcuCfs. but Cilc kew WIZ
are interested always gather some
strength from each meeting. And
those of as who have been interested
feel deeply grateful to those who have
lectured to US at our monthly meet
ings. From every lecture we gather
something which tits US for a higher
and more dignified development of the
children entrusted to our care.
Fellow teachers, we are living in al
age Of change and unrest. Nowhere
is this more evident than IL the edu-
cational world. Within tlla last CEN
tury dcmess production has given
place 10 factory production crcaSil (
a great change in industry.
A generation or two ago the cnil-
dren saw the wool clipped from the
sleeps back, and they themselves as
sisted in the transformation of the
wool into the family clothing. These