The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-03
Moorhead Department
THE new DUTY
OF The SCHOOL
PRESIDENT DELIVERED ONE OF
MOST ABLE ADDRESSES EVER
HEARD IN MooRHEAD AT THE
SESSION or EDUCATORS LAST
NIGHT.

Pretacing his address to the teach
ers at the session of the educational
association at the normal school, last
night, President Vincent of the state
university, Interestingly reviewed the
many changes in the of living
during the last two centuries and the
speakers message to the teachers was
that they keep pace in the work or
preserving an ideal Of genuine SIM
plicity.
The New Duty OF the School was
the subject chosen by DR.. Vincent for
his address which was listened to by
an immense audience which crowded
into the large auditorium of the state
normal school. The distinguished
head of the university was preceded by
the rendition of a short programme,
contributed by Bertrand Allan Orr Of
the Fargo College Conservatory or
Music, who sang a group OF three
songs, and Mrs. G.. A. Nye, who read
The Kingdom Of the Future, a scene
from The Blueoird, by Maeterlinck.
Proceeding with his address, DR..
Vincent said that some surprise may
have been created at the title Of his
subject, but he deemed it a note of
paramount Importance In the problem
of education today.
Life is a continual transition, new
duties are constantly forced upon US.
They pursue us. The school and the.
church are conservative and need to
be aw akened to new efforts. During
the past 200 years changes have come
about which necessitate according
changes in the school system. These
changes have been changes in the
family life, the development of courses
in the schools and the spread Of urban
ideals.
when we used to make all OF h
products in the home, instead OF in
the factory, the entire family was
trained, the girls got domestic science
and the boys manual training. Now
we have to teach these things in the
schools. I remember well my first suit
of long pants; 1t was made at home
and put together with a chain stitch.
1t had an embarrassing habit of dis
migrating. One time ! remember
well it did and 1t vas the most em-
barassing moment Of my life."
Continuing, Or. Vincent said the de-
velopment of classes was noticeable
in this country. Tn England it has
always been strong and it Mas almost
impossible to rise from out Of one to
enother except by a little Mario
staircase in the In this
try there are huge, fast running ele-
vators which raise one from out Of
class to another, although / regret to
say there are some passengers being
taken down in the elevators. Develop
ment of CLASSES in the schools is very
noticeable.
THE changes in the manner of ltv-
ing have necessitated the Introduction
Of manual training, domestic sciencs,
dramatic courses, music and deba1e
into the schools. Those changes are
here and they will keep coming. It is
up to us to recognize their presence
and to keep apace with the times.
t'The new era Of things is working
way from pure democracy in our
scheme Of life. 1t is a thing to be
guarded against. The thing to be
cry teacher should feel it a duty TO
do is to preserve the American demo-
cracy and hold up an ideal Of genuine
simplicity.