The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-03-06
SCHOOL OFFICERS
AND TEACHERS
OF COUNTY HOLD ANNUAL SEES
SlONS HERE ON FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY
THE ATTENDANCE IS UNUSUALLY LARGE
And Much Interest is Shown In Var
ious Meetings-Deputy Supt.
Young Of Pierre is Present.

Young OF Pierre is Present.
The school officers and school teach
ers of Brookings county held their an
nual meetings in this city on Friday
and Saturday. The attendance was
unusually good and the programs Of
the different sessions were interest
ing and profitable. 125 officers and 101
teachers were enrolled.
The Friday morning session was
held at the court house and was de-
voted to a discussion Of school mat
tiers Of the county, and Prof. Arnott
of Aurora, gave an interesting talk.
The Friday afternoon session was
held at the opera house and the lower
body Of the house, seating about four
hundred people was completely filed.
Miss Stedman called the meeting to
order and announced Deputy Superin-
tendent Young of Pierre, as the first
speaker. He gave a short and inter
esting talk, but seemed to be in a
rather p~essimistic frame of mind,
although he may have good reason
for his views. He stated that South
Dakota last year spent over five mil
lion dollars for the support Of its COM
mon schools, and that perhaps the tax
payers we're justified if they some
times wonder ed whether they were
getting their moneys worth. The
greatest need, he said was better
teachers. A great many Of the teach
ers, according to his viewpoint, are
being paid at least twice as much as
they are worth, wen though they are
only getting forty dollars a month.
This statement brought forth consider
able applause from the school officers,
but when he stated that the good
teachers we're not getting half enough
it was the school ma'ams opportunity
to show their approval and they took
immediate advantage of it. The Of.
ficers at this point were strangely
silent. We are inclined to take issue
with the gentleman on his statement
that some teachers are getting more
than they are worth. 1t seems to us
that a teacher, especially if she is
from the city, is earning forty dollars
a month when she just puts in her
time in the country, to say nothing
about her ability to teach. There are
several reasons why there is a scare
ity of good teachers in the country
The constant division of school dis.
tricts creates a demand for teachers
that is almost always a little beyond
the supply. A large number of teach
ers get married each year and others
go to better paying positions in the
city, leaving the rural districts to
take and break in the new ones just
out of school. Capitalization seems
to be the only solution of the present
problem Of poor teachers. Mr.. Young
urged the officers to provide room9
well-lighted and sanitary school build
ings, with pleasant surroundings, ant
the health of the children would bt
conserved and the work Of the teacher
made lighter. He also stated that the
school building should be the socia
center Of the community and night!
it should be the scene of social ant
educational gatherings.
The next speaker was DR.. A. N
Hume of the State College, who talket
in the interests Of the corr and poul
try contests that the county superin
tendent is now arranging for. TIL,
professor got into the good graces o
his audiences also Immediately by
stating that the farmers are the rea
people of the nation, and everyon,
present seemed to agree with him. Dr.
Hume told the object Of and the bene
fits to be derived from these contests
and made an explanation of the cor,
score card.
DR.. Hume was followed by D,
Brigham, principal of the school o
agriculture, who also talked of tn
contests. The most pleasing feature
said Dr.. Brigham, was giving the girl
an opportunity to compete in thes
contests. In the past all OF the COZ
tests have been devoted almost e,
clusively to the boys and this is nc
fair at all. The girls, under Mis-
Stedman's plan. viii compete for prize
for raising the best poultry and this l
a Geld where the young ladies shout
shine. DR.. Brigham compliments
Mias Stedman upon her enterprise I
taking up this excellent feature Of ed,