Bridgeton pioneer., 1913-12-11
KENDALL TALKS TO
CO. EDUCATORS
Important Meeting Was Held
Yesterday.
COMMISSIONER HERE,
The State School Commissioner Ad.
dresses Boards of Education
and Officers.

The meeting of the Boards of Edu-
cation, Medical Inspectors and Attend
ance Officers of Cumberland County
was held in Commercial League rooms
yesterday afternoon. 1t was well at
tended, the representation of the vari-
Gus township boards and their attend
ance officers and Medical Inspectors
responding quite generally to the re-
quest of County Superintendent ]. ].
Unger for their attendance.
The meeting convened at 1.30 o'clock
and was presided over by Mr.. Nick
erson, of Millville.
Superintendent H. L. Reber, of Vine
land, was secretary.
This program had been prepared
and was partially carried out.
1.30 Organization.
LAO Roll Call
1.45 Various Phases of School Work
Mr. L. c. Ogden, President of Board
of Education, Cape May City.
2.9O Medical Inspection in Rural
Schools-Mr R. Faulkner, MD, Medi-
cal Inspector of Landis, Buena Vista
and Franklin townships
800 Discussion-J. G. Loper, Md,
Medical Inspector, Bridgeton
3.15 Address-Hon. c. N. Kendall.
Commissioner of Education, Trenton.
Ais Compulsory Education; Its VAL
ue and How to Enforce the Law-Supt
H. L. Reber, Vineland.
DR.. Loper was not present, but the
address of Commissioner Kendall was
the main feature of the meeting, and
those present seemed more desirous to
listen to the Commissioner than for
anything else.
Mr.. Ogden's remarks were practical
reflections on the various phases of
school work, as he seemed to view it,
and this was the opening of the meet
ing, and he was Immediately followed
by the introduction of Mr.. Kendall,
the State Commissioner of Education.
Mr.. Kendall begun by paying tribute
to the value of the country school, his
beginning remarks being largely rem
iniscent of his experiences both as
scholar and teacher in county
schools in Central New York, where
the Schoolmaster" boarded around
among the families of the patrons of
the school. He characterized this sys-
tenn of boarding around as having its
advantages. He advocated the impor-
tance of parents visiting the schools
and making themselves acquainted
with the characteristics of the teacher,
and of the teacher keeping in touch
with the home life of the scholars, and
in this respect the old style system of
boarding around had its advantages.
This obsolete system, he thought,
would be supplemented by inducing
parents to visit the schools more. He
advocated school exhibits-exehibits
of the scholars fancy work, their ac-
complishments in domestic science
and the like, for this purpose.
He also advocated a revival of the
old-fashioned spelling contests; these,
he said, served double purpose-im-
proving their spelling and at the same
time cultivating sociality among par
ents, pupils and teachers.
The trend of the Commissioner
talk was the advocacy of the best good
for the children-not for the grown up
people.
The character of the school house
and its surroundings was vigorously
discussed, and he thought the older
scholars-the boys, and the girls as
we'll, should be taught to take pride in
cleaning up" the grounds about the
school house; they should be taught 10
do this of their own accord; in this he
referred to rural schools. Such things
as this augmented character develop
ment.
The characteristics of the teacher
were brought to view. A sloppy and
slovenly teacher would not make a
good instructor.
He went into quite a discussion OF
the waste to be found in school con-
duct, and in( school equipment, while
he did not advocate elaborate extrava-
gance, he did think that schools
should be provided with reasonable
equipment.
School boards. he thought, should al