The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-18
Winooski Valley Associa-
ton Began Sessions in
Barre To-day
LARGE ATTENDANCE
AT OPENING SESSION
DR.. C. F. Dalton and Com
missioner Dempsey
Among Speakers

The Winooski Valley School Teach
ers' association opened its seventh an
nual conference in the assembly hall of
Spaulding high school in Barre at 10
o'clock this morning. AT that time
about $50 teachers had registered, but
good many more were present at the
opening session, who will register later
in the day. I
Caroline NJ. Griswold, president of
the association, duly opened the meet
ing and called upon Rev. William Men.
Kittredge, pastor of the Presbyterian
church of Barre, who pronounced the
invocation. The guests were then treat
ed to the exhibition of the progress of
music in the graded schools of Barre
with two instrumental selections
United Liberty" and "Minuet"-by
the junior six-piece orchestra, and by
two vocal selections by a chorus OF
eighth grade boys, I'VE Meet Again To-
night" all under the very able con
ducting of Miss +. Marion Dorward,
supervisor of music.
Before introducing the speakers OF
the morning, President Griswold made
announcements of appointments by the
chair and OF one or two minor changes
in the program Superintendent Reade
of Richmond. Miss Clara Gardner OF
Spaulding high school and Principal
John J. Finnessey of Northfield were
named as nominating committee;
Principal Marion Dana of Waitsfeid,
Superintendent w. B. Lance and Miss
Bertha Jocelyn were named as com
mittee to draw up resolutions in re-
spect to the recent death of Superin-
tendent Martin w. Chaffee of Water
bury, vice president of the association;
Superintendent W. +. Glover of Barre
Town, Miss Mabel Chandler of Barre
and Superintendent w A. Swafield of
Montpelier were appointed committee
on further resolutions. All committees
are to report at the business meeting
tomorrow morning
Health of the Children.
DR.. c. +. Dalton Of Burlington, secre
tary of the state board of health, next
took the platform in place OF Clarence
III. Dempsey. on account of the need of
the formers catching a train shortly
after his address. He took as a topic,
aThe Health of the School Child" and
divided il into four topics, tll the
problem, t2l the responsibility, (3) the
authority, a. the results.
In respect to the first division he ex-
plained that so out of every 100 school
children in the state of Vermont are
possessed Of some physical defect, ei-
ther of minor or more serious ma
ture. Inasmuch, he stated, as "educa-
tion without health is useless there
must be something done TO remedy the
illaIn placing the responsibility Of the
health of the school child upon the
state board of health, upon the parents,
he emphasized the part borne by the
school teacher, The teacher is defined
as sort of foster parent TO her pu-
pills, who has a charge of their develop
ment and behavior for a greater por-
tion of the day
The authority OF the medical care Of
school children is invested in a health
inspection of school children board,
which is carried out at the option Of
the legal voters Of each individual
community, and a district health Off
Ger for each of the ten health districts
of the state. The last named Office Is
created and is carried on at the ex-
pense of the state. Inasmuch as the
first Office is optional and not eompul-
sory. not all communities of the state
are benefited by such an organization;
but the growth of this movement Is
progressing rapidly until at the present
time over 10000 Vermont children 60
to school under the supervision OF such
a board
A warning was issued to all teachers
TO be particularly careful about the re-
porting of any communicable diseases
as designated by the rules and regulR
tions of the state board of health. In
describing the danger of such diseases
as measles, whooping cough, scarlet fe-
yer, etc, originating from an acute
cough or cold, he asked that particular
attention be paid the following rule
"A child who has an acute cough or
acute cold should be excluded from
school, The period of exclusion would
probably last about four days or until
such time as medical examination could
be made OF the child excluded Nurses
have taken up the work, and clinics
have been provided for in some places, !
at little or no expense TO the parents
of any such child, so that an adequate I
examination or a treatment of any de- !
feet might be taken care Of.
Commissioner Dempsey.
Clarence H. Dempsey Of Montpelier. 4
Of education. next took I
the stand and spoke on school Prob 1
lens Of Vermont" In beginning, the 4
speaker told Of the need Of four quail 4
tiles in the accomplishing Of any Just 4
% a clear vision Of what I
You are going to do. ~ a knowledge ,
Of the exact circumstances surrounding 4
the problem. 81 the u-c Of the best /,
methods and a the skillful execution
Of details Later in his address he men
tioued that this last named point
would be a topic Of much discussion
al a later time in the conference
Every attainment Is Just one step
toward something higher. il Is never
he completion. Since society Is made
up Of individuals. all Of whom were
forced to make a beginning, and since
society Is pushed upwards through the
medium of those bsys aud .iris who
have passed through schools. either pub
lic or private, the Importance q the
school teachers position in society can
not and must not b. sighted u should
BE- the vision Of every Vermont seho1i
a. ~