The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-31
More Than 400 Attended the
Opening Session of the
Winooski Valley Asso.
INSTRT FIVE SESSION
HIS FORENOON
sSla E. Townshend Of
columbia University the
Chief Speaker

With an attendance fully as large as
at any previous conference of the asso-
citation, the Winoosk Valley Teachers
association began its fifth annual confer
ence in the Spaulding high school assem-
bly, hall on Washington street this morn
ing. 1t was estimated that there were
more than 400 teachers present, the num-
Der coming from towns in Washington,
Orange and Chittenden counties.
The first session was considered very
successful in spite of the fact that one
Of the speakers, Prin. Alfred g. Stearns
Of Phillips academy, Andover, Mass, was
unable to be present because of illness
The chief speaker Of the forenoon was
Mary L, Townshend of teachers college,
Columbia university, New York. who
took for her subject, "The Teacher and
His Contribution to the New Democ-
racy.'
After the teachers had assembled near,
ly filling the large assembly hall, Supt
q. H. White of Barre, chairman of the
executive committee, called the gathering
to order and suggested the election of
chairman for the conference. Supt. G. j.
Seager OF Barre Town was elected to that
position, after which Ralph Mayo of
Cabot was elected secretary of the con
ference and Miss Rose Lucia of Mont
pelier treasurer during the two days.
The opening session. which was a gen.
eral meeting, was opened by the invoca-
tion by Rev. 4. L. Goodspeed, D. d., pas
tor of the Barre Congregational church,
after which there was music by the
eighth grade chorus of the Barre schools
under the direction Of Miss May L. Wal
lace, supervisor of music in the Barre
schools.
Announcement was made that Prin-
cipal Stearns of Phillips Andover was
unable to be present and Mary f. Town
shend was introduced. The speaker gave
a most interesting discourse and held the
attention of the audience throughout
She defined democracy and spoke Of its
various phases, after which she men
toned the new ideas concerning democ
racy as brought out by the present war
She referred to previous peace confer
ences, mentioning in particular those at
Vienna and Berlin, and contrasted them
with the present conference being held in
Paris She emphasized that the former
conferences paid much attention to forms
and ceremonies, spending much time in
determining which nation or which ma
tion's representatives should have preced
ence In the conferences; whereas the
present conference is more a gathering
OF intellects. She mentioned, too, that
the present conference in Paris is for the
benefit of people rather than of govern
ments.
Turning, then, to the position of the
teacher in relation to the war, the speak
err told how the teacher could present the
new ideas of democracy by comparing the
present league of nations and the league
of states under our federal government
She said that teachers might show that
wars do not always bring about the re-
suits which were expected. She called
attention to the fact that Napoleon
crushed the Prlssians at Jena and was
himself crushed by the Prussians at Leip-
sic. In the present war, she declared, the
Germans have not been humbled as much
as Napoleon humbled the Prussians.
During the remainder of the formal
session this forenoon Prof George j.
Strayer, also of teachers college, Colum
bia university, spoke for about 20 min
utes of classroom projects.
On the conclusion of Prof Strayer's re-
marks committee was chosen to bring
in nominations for officers for the ensu
ing year. the committee to report Satur
day forenoon. The members Of this com
mittee are Supt. ]. w. Butterfeld Of
Cabot, Miss Emma j. Lewis of Mont
peier and Miss Elizabeth Jenkins Of
Goddard seminary, Barre. Adjournment
was then taken for dinner.
The conference resumed its work
shortly after 2 o'clock this afternoon,
with a long list of speakers who were
assigned to widely differing subjects in
order to bring out the special methods
for particular branches of study.
This evening the main conference will
assemble at s o'clock and win be ad-
dressed by Prof. Strayer on the subject,
'The Emergency in Education" As al
ready stated, the business of election viii
be held Saturday, and the speakers at
the closing session of the conference viii
be State Commissioner Milo b. Hillegas
and Prin. John G. Thompson of the Fitch
burg, Mass, Normal school.