The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-06-26
OPEN LETTER TO ALUMNI,
Normal School Bulletin.

| Normal School Bulletin.
With the departure of President
Kelley, the friends Of the Colorado
State Normal knew that the institu-
tion had lost strong. capable
leader, whose place it would be i'm
possible to fill. They knew that
there was to be not only q change Of
we'll; for it is impossible to duplicate
the individuality of real personal
ity. President Kelley was nothing
if not himself. He had put much Of
himself into the school, and he had
attracted the constituency of the
Normal School by his strong person
atty and sterling character, until its
friends had come to think of the man
and the school as identical and in
segarable.
This was only partly right; for DR..
Kelley has builded better than this.
The school is well established 1t
has traditions; it has standards which
it must maintain and perfect; it has
ideals and policies which it must
cherish and develop. The school has
outgrown the pioneer stage in many
respects and may be looked upon as
having received the impress of the
high qualities of its first great
leader. 1t did not die when he left,
because he had built up an institu-
ton, not merely his own reputation.
There are reasons for confidence
that the Colorado State Normal
School will not decline. 1t has never
had better faculty than at present,
and the policy of paying and retain
ing the best possible teachers has
been definitely adopted. The last
vestige of laxity in standards disap
pears now as the school adopts the
four-quarter plan, placing the sum-
mer work on the same plane as that
for other quarters. Persons not
qualified to teach are not recon-
mended BY the school, and our grad
yates are thus protected against
many of the incapables who would
otherwise misuse the life diploma.
You teachers out in the field have
been proving yourselves and bring
ing great credit to your school. Com
mendation of you keeps coming from
every quarter of the state and
through the most reliable sources.
Several of the departments are
stronger than ever before, and the
Board will retain the teaching per-
sonnet that has made this improve.
ment possible. The faculty is still
ing conditions of the students, until
it is fair to say that, in spite of in
conveniences, it is not probable that
any student body anywhere receives
much better care.
The building program for the Nor.
NAL and the County High School will
begin very soon. Physical facilities
of the right kind will soon be avail
able. The need just now is that the
friends of the school make good their
claims of friendship by urging desir-
able students, who expect to teach,
to consider the C. S. N. S. seriously
as a possible place for preparation.
Increase your own professional assets
by helping the school to make good
with it's reasonable share of student
material. The State pays for in
struction at this school; therefore
ordinary economy and common sense
demand the use of the institution for
it's intended purposes. What have you
done to help? Certainly you have not
been half-hearted in your loyalty!
The writer of this letter makes no
claim as to special fitness to con-
duct your school. and there is no
certainty as to his adaptability for
the difficult position left vacant by
the retiring president. One thing,
however, is certain: his chief interest
is a deep personal one in the welfare
of the school and its graduates and
in the great service for which a
school of this kind stands. To these
ends. he bespeaks the willing COOP
Grafton of every lover Of the C. s. N.
S. SAMUEL QU1GLEY.