St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-10-21

the purpose OF Q1SCuSSlHS the he
port of the committee to investigate
the educational system and condi-
tions of Vermont shall be called by
the state superintendent OF education
at some time prior to the first of
January. 1915, and after there has
been opportunity Afforded for be-
coming conversant with the report
And be it resolved,
That a committee of three be ap-
pointed by the president of the as
ISOLATION at this meeting to prepare
specific recommendation which, so
far as adopted by such conference,
be presented to the Legislature as
the expression Of the State Teachers
association.
Resolved, that the thanks of the
Association be extended to His Ex-
cellency, the Governor of Vermont,
for his interest in education and for
his p. essence at the meetings of the
Association.
The report of the treasurer, G. H.
White of Barre, showed that cash on
hand October 1913 was $867.23,
state appropriation $500, registra-
ton fees $3.50, a total of $2232.44,
and the balance on hand October,
1914, was S559.81. The president
appointed as a committee on the ed
ucation report the new executive
committee. Letters were read from
Barre and Montpelier asking the as
ISOLATION to meet there in 1915. A
letter was read from the National Ed
ucation Association for whose work
$50 was voted.
The New Officers.
officers were elected as follows:
President, Miss Caroline S. Woodruff
of st. Johnsbury; vice-president, Miss
Alberta Beeman of St. Adams; sec
rotary, Miss Eta Franklin of Rut-
land; treasurer, Supt. E. A. Hamil
ton of Newport; executive committee,
E. l.. ingalls, of Burlington, Prin.
Archie S. Hartman of Middlebury,
Supt. Margaret R, Kelley of Derby,
the president ex officio; directors,
term expires 1917, Supt. Clayton l..
Erwin of Barton, Supt. Merritt d.
Chittenden of Burlington, Miss M.
Lillian Edgerton of Bennington.
The Closing Papars.
Saturday morning the association
listened to a charming reading from
her own poems by Mrs. Josephine
Peabody Marks of Cambridge, Mass.
Her topic To-day" she said, had
changed in it's meaning with the
events of the last few months. We
have taken too much for granted and
supposed that Christian ideals real
ly meant more than they have seem
ed to. This gospel of blood shows
us that we must be humble. One
thing we can do is to try to give our
children an understanding heart.
One way to do this is to awaken their
4
human sympathy; two, by teaching
them the ability to think abstractly;
three, by the lesson of keeping beau
tiful that which is beautiful and holy
that which is holy; and four, by max
ing love the challenge to the untried
strength of the strong. The poems
read includedSher last one, Harvest
Moon" which is a war poem, and
some beautiful verses for children.
DIR. David Snedden.
Dr. David Snedden, commissioner
of education for Massachusetts,
spoke on "Some Current Problems in
Educa ton" He said there is a
steady movement toward getting the
children in rural schools to under
stand their social opportunity and
this knowledge is increasing their
love for their environment. We shall
soon be able to offset the allurements
Of the city with the allurements of |
country life. We can develop a love
Of country life by supplemental read |
ng on country life.
The small high school is under the |
spell of ancient tradition and Gus
.oms. They should face about and |
change their entire curriculum. No |
me has been able to explain why a |
high school girl should be compelled /
o study algebra. Teachers should |
instruct not only how to do but how /
o understand and appreciate. High
choOls are making a farce of teach
ng the power to appreciate. Nature
tudy is one of the failures in this
We do not teach the child
en- to appreciate nature.
Another educational problem is adj
In Massachusetts, we
re developing better teachers and he
vent on to explain the Massachusetts
ystem of teachers pensions.
School Peace League.
Pres. Guy Potter Benton of the
of Vermont was then in
reduced to present the cause of the
american School Peace League. He
aid that despite the European war
e believed the world is growing bet
or and cited the progress of temper
nee. This European war is chal-
enging US to organize an interna-
onal peace movement. The idea of
he school peace league is not to
ring about unsafe disarmament but
D move sanely and safely toward
ornament peace. On his motion the
Termont State Teachers Association
rganized a Vermont Branch of the
american School Peace League. A
was adopted and officers
lected, E. V. Perkins of Woodstock {
cling made the president of the or ]