Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-09
TEACHERS IN CONVENTION.
Big Attendance at Now London an
 WilIimantie Meetings.

The thirty eighth annual meeting of the Eastern Connecticut Teachers as- sociation was held Friday in New London and Willimantic. The same programme was given in each place by having the speakers at one place in the morning and the other place in the afternoon. The sessions in Williman- tic were attended by about 200 and were held in the assembly room of the state Normal school building. Those in New London were in the Nathan Hale grammar school and had about 800 attending.
 At the morning business meeting at New London the following officers were elected:
 President-R. K Bennett. Daniel son.
 Vice President-E. J. Graham. Nor wich.
 Secretary and Treasurer-Warren A. Hanson, New London.
 Executive Committee-W. H. Perry, Stonington: Miss NJ. A. Skidmore, Willimantic; A. l.. Young, Norwich.
 It was voted that next year meet ings be held at Norwich and Putnam following the same plan as this year.
 Pension Situation.
 In an address by Principal Charles L. Ames of the Brown school. Hart ford, upon The Pension Situation and Outlook, he stated that Connecticut anu -NSW WCic thC OhiJ New England states which have not already adopted the system, that the scale of wages is too low, and that trained teachers go out of the state to teach preferably. The method ad- vocated by MT. Ames was a direct payment by the state, and he said the prospects were bright for a pension law for teachers in this state. The Montessori System. Miss Clara E. Craig of the State Normal school at Providence. R. l. delivered the address upon The Mon- tessori Method. and her talk was exceedingly interesting, as she is g 1 student of this new and successful | method of training children at firs' | hand. having studied in Italy under
 Madame Montessori. In brief. it i: | one of natural development of eacf | separate child as an individual, witt no system of rewards and punish ments other than those which come from the pleasure of successful do | ing. The address was greatly enjoyed | Spelling Reform. | Dr. F. H. Sykes, the president of tn | new Connecticut for Women in Ney | London spoke upon the subject O | The Reform of English Spelling | characterizing our spelling as "th
 rambling. ramshacl1le old edifice O | English spelling" giving the history O | SpeiiltlS III tulS | stating that it's work shows progres | toward simplicity and reason. H | stated that it was almost entirely matter of habit which made the ney | spelling look queer. and disposed O
 those who cry out for etymology am
 keeping the old forms. by showini | that we have not done so in innumer | able instances. To begin in the low | CT grades with a simplifled spellinl would spare the child needless diff culty, despair and Encouragement Tn
 new form would also be an econom, | in printing and writing. and an aid t
 the assimilation of foreigners by mak
 ing the language easier to learn l Inspecting Trolley Lines. 1 The lines of the Connecticut com | pany are being inspected by Chic Il Engineer and Inspector c. C. Elwel | of the public utilities commissions | parlor car of the company contain | in the inspector and others was con | spicious on the lines in and abou ] Hartford Friday. In the forenoon tn | car went to Rockville and Staffor Springs and returning went to Union vile It is the annual tour of inspec ton and will continue for some tim
 until the lines in the state have bee inspected