Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-03-02
CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION MEETS.
Attended by Good Number OF
Students--Off Eleo ted.

The eleventh annual meeting of the
Vermont section of the Classical Asso-
citation Of New England was held at
Middlebury College on Friday, February
%. The papers Of both the morning
and afternoon sessions were full of in
terest and called forth discussions OF
great profit to all present, among
whom were goodly number Of the
student body of Middlebury. Professor
Samuel h. Bassett of the University of
Vermont presided.
The first paper of the morning session
was presented by Miss Florence C..
Allen, under the title, "Vivifying
Latin" The paper presented the re-
suits of the increasingly successful work
that the author is carrying on in clas-
sica work in the Brattleboro High
school, 1t was convincing presenta-
tion of the fact that a more human
method of presenting the classical work
in the high schools would be of great
help in getting students to face cheer
fully and to master, the more difficult
but necessary phases of the subject,
She likened her method to bellows of
IIephaestus, which would assist in
forging such beautiful armor, that
pupils would be so struck with irs beauty
as to forget its weight-an armor in
which to wage the battle Of life. Some
Of these most helpful suggestions We're:
the proper use of perception cards in
learning vocabulary, study of deriva-
tions, dating daily papers by the
Roman system, original composition in
Latin, singing of Latin songs, the for
nation of Latin club for good fellow
ship, presentation Of Latin tabl aus
and plays, playing some of the old
Roman games, reading of literature
bearing on Roman life all however to
be kept by the teacher in such a place
in her work that they should serve to
lead the pupil to attain a mastery of
the real knowledge of the subject.
Miss Laura f. Walbridge of the
Pttsford High school followed with a
very clear and interesting presentation
Of the theme, "The Thought Within the
Text" The paper was a protest against
putting too much emphasis on syntaX,
and a plea for teachers to direct the at
tenton of the student to an attempt to
get the thought within the text, to
help him to free himself from tyranny
to the book, and to learn to acquire the
labit of using book and syntaX merely
as tools to get at the heart of literature.
While not belittling the syntaX, she be-
eved that it was better to find the
Iyntax though the thought than the
thought through the syntaX.
After a most helpful discussion
The meeting adjourned to a luncheon
given by the college in the new dining
'oom at Hepburn hall. All expressed
heir pleasure in the new quarters for
students and all were
equally delighted with the new Mead
Memorial chapel, where they attended
he morning service. At the business
meeting which occurred before the
of the papers in the after
loon, the officers for the coming year
we're elected as follows; President.
r. C. Walker of Vergennes;
ecretary, Prof M. B. Ogle, University
# Vermont; executive committee,
Principal j. E. Colburn, Burlington,
I. ]. Finnessy, Northfeld, Miss Laura
J. Walbridge, Pittsford High school.
he business meeting closed with the
unanimous expression of thanks for the
ospitality of the college.
The first paper of the afternoon ses-
ion was by J. j. Finnessey of North
eld High school, on the subject, "The
advantages and Disadvantages of a
'oung Classical Teacher" Among
1any points brought out were; the in
tial embarrassment due to lack of ex-
erience, the difficulty of framing ex-
minatiOn questions so that they will be
the problem of dealing with
tudents of Latin, such a large pro-
ortion of whom have a defective
nowledge of English, the problem of
moving human nature in way to en-
BILE one to get on easily with those
nth whom one comes into contact. An
specially interesting point in the paper
'as the suggestion of what can be ac-
omplished by the young teacher by
laking himself a comrade of his pupils,
most wonderful factor in solving the
roblem of dicipline.
The last paper of the season was pre-
ented by Richard H. Buffum of the
lass of 1918, Middlebury College. The
aper took the form of a series of
uestions all centered about his theme,
The Undergraduate and the Classics. "