The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1917-04-05
ABERDEEN GETS NEXT CONVEN-
TON IN 1918-HARRIET CAR e
PENTER, ABERDEEN, NEW
PRESIDENT
SOME GREAT LECTURES
Governor Ferris of Michigan Gives
Teachers Something to Think
About in His Talks

Beyond a doubt one of the most sue
cessful of the II conventions of the
Northern South Dakota Educational
association was that concluded here last
week when $50 teachers from 19 coun-
ties in the northern part of the state
gathered here in their annual meeting.
1t was stated that the city could not
house and feed the teachers who would
be here for the gathering, but this was
done without any difficulty, and the
committee in charge reported that more
teachers could have been accommodate
ed had train service and road condi-
tions been such that they could have
reached here.
Two of the principal speakers on the
program, State Superintendent G. H.
Lugg of Pierre and President Elwood
c. Perisho of State college, Brookings,
were unable to keep their speaking en-.
gagements owing to train service Fri.
day, although spending few minutes
in the city to show their good faith.
Election Of Officers
At the business meeting Friday, Alb
erdeen was almost unanimously chosen
as the next meeting place of the con-
vention, and the following officers were
selected for the ensuing year:
Observation-Disclosures Carpenter, Aber-
deem.
Secretary-Rudolph Kraushaar, Tim
ber Lake.
Treasurer-W. K. Bishop, Leola.
Right From the Shoulder
Former Governor Woodbridge N.
Ferris of Big Rapids, Mich, the prin-
cipal speaker on the program, was all
and more than had been expected. 1t
= is seldom that public speaker can hold
the interest of the same crowd of peo-
pie for four successive lectures on tech
nical subjects without recourse to that
subterfuge Of platform orators-the
funny story-but this was not needed
with Mr.. Ferris, and not until his last
lecture did he bring humor into his
talks, although there were laughs at
many Of the comparisons the speaker
drew on the Righteousness Of teaching
Of the past and present in many branch
es Of the school work.
The theme of Mr.. Ferris lectures
was that all subjects taught in the pub
lie schools of today should be based up
on practical every day life, and should
not be based purely on theory or the
supposition that it was good training
for the mind and memory to drill pu-
pill on something difficult and some
thing for which he would never have
any use for in practical life.
In his last lecture on "Arithmetic, 4"
the speaker tore to shreds many Of the
text books and methods of the present
day, and showed that much of the sub
ject matter in many text books along
that line was absolute rot and rubbish
and Of no practical value. He advo-
Gated confning this subject to the
teaching Of practical modern business
arithmetic, and the elimination Of all
branches Of this subject Of no practical
value only to those who intend to take
up the higher branches Of mathematical
sciences.
The worth Of the suggestions made
by Governor Ferris took root in the
convention, and in the resolutions
adopted by the convention it was
unanimously endorsed that the conven
tion should go on record to eliminate
the useless parts Of the school curricu-
lum and to teach practical courses
which would be benefit to the pupils
in their contact with the business
world.
Other Speakers
Another strong lecture and one
which will doubtless work much to.
wards building up the teaching stand
ard of efficiency in this part of the
state, was that delivered by President
Willis E. johnson Of the Northern
Normal & Industrial school Of Aber-
deem on the subject, 'The Progressive
Teacher" The speakers standard Of
efficiency was high, but NO higher than
the Northern Normal at all times en-
deavors to maintain not only in its
teaching star but also In the standard