The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-01-04
TEACHERS MEET
OF GREAT VALUE
Nearly 1000 Arkansas Educators at
the State Meeting-Heard Strong
Words From Noted Speakers
DIR. Wilson on Country Life

Little Rock, Dec. 2g.-The big
auditorium of the Hotel Marion
was again crowded last night when
the third general session of the
Arkansas State Teachers Associa-
ton was held. The attendance had
been increased by several hundred
over the opening day, and it was
estimated that approximately 1900
teachers were attending the con-
vention at the close Of yesterdays
registration.
There were two general sessions
yesterday, the first held at the High
school building in the morning, and
the second at the Hotel Marion last
night. The afternoon was devoted
to a number of sectional meetings
held at the high school building.
Many Noted Speakers.
There were a number of we'll
known speakers from various parts
Of the country on the program at
both general sessions yesterday. DR..
Warren H. Wilson Of New York,
superintendent of the Presbyterian
department of the Church and
Country Life Movement, spoke last
night on Cooperation and Con-
solidation in Country Life" and
Bishop f. r. Hendrix Of Kansas
City delivered a lecture on Arnold
of Rugby" At the morning gen.
eral session, DR.. Reuben Post Hal
Heck, principal of the Boys High
School of Louisville, KY, delivered
an address on moral Stimulus in
American Literature"
DR.. Wilson, in his address last
night, made a plea for cooperation
among the people of the country
districts. He declared that, while
the townsmen are learning to COM
bine all too well, there are many
signs of an unco-operative spirit
among the country people. The
city people, he said, have found the
secret of getting together at the
expense of the country people, who
are divided.
The Community Spirit"
DR.. Wilson declared that the ma
jority of country teachers, as vel
as the country preachers, fail tC
grasp to opportunity to promote the
community spirit among farmers
1.-THE country schools and the
country churches have descended
to the level Of being exploited by
those who can use them as a foot
ing for higher places" he declared
Il regret that / cannot tell better
story of the preachers when I an
speaking to you who teach, but the
same i'll condition prevails among
preachers as among the country
school teachers. The places are
sought for temporary gain, as q
partial start, while the teacher OF
preacher is looking for something
better. We have found that in IS
cases out of 40 the country preach
er refuses to live in the country
chooses those churches in the open
country which are most profitable
TO him, rather than those most
needy of his services, or lives al
his own convenience in the large
town.
Remedies Are Proposed.
DR.. Wilson proposed a number of
remedies for the present conditions,
| His first recommendation was for
cooperative farming. II am en-
PERTAINING no rosy dream" he said.
Il would not have you to be I'M
practical radicals, but study the
community in which you live. Care
fully estimate what are the market
conditions for the products unto
which that soil is best suited and
use your influence for the combi-
nation of farmers which will
either conserve the soil or increase
its total product or prepare that
product for the market, or sell it
in the open market for a better
profit. 1t is at this time the great
necessity among farmers, and we
who preach and teach in the coun-
try cannot hope for the consolida-
ton of schools or the federation of
cilurciiUs until farmers practice
cooperation in getting a living"
The consolidation of schools was
urged by DR.. Wilson. IF the
schools in the country can be CEN
tralized outside the villages in open
fields, if we can build there brick
or stone buildings with two, four
or ten rooms, in which experienced
teachers under talented supervis-
ion can teach a group of q hun
dred children, we can condense
and crystalline the whole improve
ment of country life. Without such
school, ! say 70 you frankly that
cooperative farming and fedora
ton of churches will accomplish
little"
DR.. Wilson also made a plea for
the federation Of churches in the
country.
The convention will close with a
final general meeting, which will
be held this morning at S.i5 at the
high school building.