The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-09-12
ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY
EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

! like to tantalize some people, es,
pecially those who deserve it, and I'm
going to begin on delinquent teachers
(if there are any, school boards, and
the townspeople of Pennington who
could and wouldn't attend the Educa-
tional Conference held in their midst
August 1927, 1919. Pm going to do
it by telling some of the good and
great things that were said at the
Conference and make these people for
ever sorry they didn't attend, and
green with envy at those who did.
can't tell it all for two reasons;
there is too much to tell and | couldn't
be present during all the lectures.
To hear the Hon Fred w. Amack
tell of the incidents that came before
him in making out naturalization pa
pers was in itself treat, without con-
sidering his enightening and enter
tanning lecture on "The Americaniza-
ton Plans of the Bureau of Naturali-
zation."
One little incident, l will repeat
which throws a searchlight on Amer
lean political methods. He asked an
applicant what made him want to be a
citizen of the United States. The
terse reply came-"Two dollars"
After his lecture came the County
Superintendent with some instructive
remarks.
DR.. F. G. Pernoud, Medical Adviser,
American Red Cross, Southwestern
Division, lectured to us on "First
Aid". He told US how students of
First Aid saved the day in war times
by caring for our sick and injured
when so many of our trained nurses
had to be sent overseas.
He illustrated several efficient but
simple things to be done in case of in
juries and pleaded that First Aid be
given a place in our public school cur
riculum.
Judge R. C. Tucker, County Attend.
ance Officer, lectured on the New
Compulsory Attendance Law.
No teacher or school board can claim
ignorance Of it nor their own duties
N regard to helping enforce it now.
These things were plainly set before
them. Supt. Akers proved that he had
good foresight and discernment when
the program.
Among some of the couses of delin-
quent and orphan children that are
brought before his court, Judge Tuck
er told us, We're hasty marriages and
Legitimate children. He denounced
marriages made with no thought as
to the seriousness of wedlock and the
great responsibility of bringing chill
dren into the world As for illegiti-
macy, he said there would be less Of
it when the adulterous man was made
to suffer the same ignominy as the
adulterous woman. In scathing terms
he said that the command in the Deu-
alogue was not given to either man
or woman but to both, "Thou shalt
not" But the world has only given it
to the woman.
Miss Lillian Thomson ably presented
Mature Study in the Rural Schools.
She left US with the feeling that we
would like to leave the auditorium and
90 to the fields and woods in search of
the beauties and wonders of nature of
which she had just told us.
Mrs. o. w. Bleeck gave the femi-
nine part of the audience a glad thrill
when she appeared before US, saying,
"Mr. Superintendent and fellow-cit-
izens", and explaining that she said
"Fellow-citizens" because it was the
first time we had met together since
we could say that. Hitherto we have
been classed with criminals, idiots and
imbeciles. Among many things she
told us she said that any girl complet-
ing a high school course and desiring
a wider education could have it on
promise to pay back in installments as
soon as she gould earn a salary. The
wherewithal will be provided from
fund set aside for that purpose by the
Federation of Women's Clubs. Any
club woman will give the desired in
formation.
Supt. o. J. Matthias in giving us
"a Birds Eye View of the Teachers
job" made more than one point plain
and also completely knocked out the
idea that teachers job was the one
an invalid or shirker should seek.
Supt. w. l.. Johns gave an interest
ing talk on one of the Reading Circle
books which enthused some of the
teachers enough to say they were 60.
ing to get the book.
A special treat was to meet and
hear former State Superintendent of
Schools, Hon. VIM. P. Evans, on the
Modern Health Crusade"
Recognizing the old Baptist College
building from the windows of the
high school building, he called to
mind pleasing remembrance of be-
ing associated with Prof. E. ]. Jen-
nings in educational work there about
thirty years ago.
This may seem late in appearing but
besides other reasons, it has taken
some thought to live the Conference
over again.
| have attended several teachers
meetings but none so good in thought
food as the two Superintendent Akers
spread for us last year and this year.