The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-02-12
INSTITUTE A SUCCESS
Shlawassee County Teachers Profit
BY Two Days of inspiration From
Prominent Educators.

Prominent Educators.
The inidwinter Shiawassee county
teachers inspiration institute opened at
the Baptist church Monday with nearly
300 instructors and patrons of the county
schools in attendance. Prof. Walter H.
French, OF E, Lansing, head of the de.
partment of agricultural education of
the Michigan agricultural college was
conductor of the institute aud was as.
sisted by E. B. Bryan of Hamilton, N.
Y, president of Colgate University and
Fred l.. Keeler, Superintendent of Pub.
lie instruction. The first session was
opened by singing The Star Spangled
Banner" and abide With Me-" and
devotional by Rev. j. s. York, the
singing being led by Otto Voelker of
the Owosso high school.
DIR. Bryan took for the subject of his
address Monday morning Youth. "
He said in part:
"All things exist directly or indirect.
ly for the benefit of human life. The
very hope of life is founded in the per-
iod of youth. The most poverty strick
en- being in the world is the newly born
babe which, with nut the assistance of
organized agencies, would lie on its
back until death without developing.
Four or five years elapse before it be.
gins its training. Then full of hope
and aspirations, it belongs to the high.
est type God has made and it is headed
toward the greatest conceivable destiny
Youth is meaningful because it is
the period in which the most important
work of life is done. 1t is in this period
that three questions are answered.
What shall do? Whom shall | serve
and with whom shall | mate?
"All other questions of life are but
corollaries of these questions He then
pointed out that until the questions
were answered, man did not pass the
period of youth and he told how he, at
al early age, was inclined to follow the
work of a peanut vender but later. after
engaging in several pursuits, he &C.
cepted an appointment from President
William Mckinley rs the organizer Of
a normal school in the Philippine Is
lands. He said it was at that time that
he really answered the question of what
he should do.
Addressing the Younger people of his
audience he said Don't allow anyone
to stampede you into a decision. He
advised the parents not to force child
into decision, but urged them to assist
the child with counsel and advice. He
asserted that it was important to re.
main in schools and colleges as long as
possible but cited an instance when one
then went out and secured an educa.
tion "
He discussed briefly the question,
with whom shall | mater" and be
pointed out the Importance of how that
question was answered. II have seen
multitude of persons go straight to
hell because the choice of their mates
was not wisely made" he said. He
asserted youth was period of high
hope in which air castles were built.
''There is nothing to do but to bury a
man, when his dreams are dead"
Prof Frenchs address was given over
to instruction of the teachers in the
manner of teaching reading. He as.
serted that the mechanical and funda-
mental part of reading should be coll-
pleted by the pupils at the end of the
fourth school year. After that he ad-
vised eliminating the daily reading
lesson but suggested devoting in its
stead an entire day each week to read.
ing complete story or book. He ex.
pressed his approval of the teacher
parent movement in the cities. This
movement was instituted in an effort
to promote cordiality and co operation
between teachers and parents.
Monday afternoon Prof. w II. French
made the first address, followed by
Superintendent F. L. Keeler.
The greater part of Prof. French s
address was devoted to the discussion
of temperament. Temperament" he
said, relates to the dicipline of the
school but the school is responsible for
the right treatment Of temperament. "
He divided the temperamental charac.
teristics of men into four classes.
The first, he declared, was the ner
vous type, displayed by the children of
slender form. Punishment is not to
be inflicted on such pupils, he said.
They will do their utmost to measure
up to the teachers standard. These
are the pupils who often suffer nervous
breakdowns in school.
The second type is the sanguine or
impulsive child. His body is well form
ed. He is subject to moods but these
moods are not evsnescent
THE 3ilious children are those of the
third type These children generally
possess well formed bodies and coarse
hair, black OF blue eyes They have the