The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-10-22
Address BY DR.. E. Rob Earring
Completes First Session
of Northern Division
FRIDAYS SESSIONS
VERY WELL ATTENDED
DR.. Haggerty and DR.. Prosser
Were Principal Speakers on
Fridays Program

DR.. e. Rob Earring, in delivering the
closing address at the Northern d.
vision of the Minnesota Education
association convention, this morning:
thrilled his audience with most in
spring Grafton on ''The Teacher at
the Center"
He pointed out the need of the
teacher being in love with his work,
and stated that the profession was
worthy one and capable of yielding
large returns in happiness and salts
faction.
81 am persuaded" said DR.. Earring,
"that the teacher-not alone the pro-
lessor in the college-the teacher in
any public school is at the center of
thinks; and, the sooner he can be in
duced to understand this fact, the
quicker will thrill come to his work.
"Society is asking how we can be
brought back. to normally. It will be
brought back by keeping the sources
of life pure, for there is no hope for
the future so long as the childhood
of today grows up without proper
training in the essentials of char
acter."
He then showed clearly how the
school is the principal center of bring
ing this about and set forth ideals
which might be followed in securing
these results.
Musical selections by the high
school orchestra and the boys glee
club completed the forenoon session
and the first convention held by the
teachers of this northern division.
Friday evenings session opened at
8 O'Clock III the new armory, with two
excellent numbers by the Bemidji
high school orhcestra, under the d.
rection of Miss Fibigar, and another
number in response to an encore, af-
ter which President M. W. Deputy
introduced DR.. M. 2. Haggerty, dean
of the School of Education of the
University of Minnesota, whose sub
icct was "Some Children I Have
Known"
He gave some very interesting an
ecdotes about young people who had
been brought before him for mental
tests, which showed that in some
cases the delinquency was brought
about by mental deficiency, while in
others it was brought about by a
pupil losing interest because of be-
ing in a grade lower than the one
for which his mental powers fitted
him. Haggerty warned his hearers
against using the mental test for
wholesale adjustment Of school, or
of using it as the only means of de-
tcrmining in which grade the pupil
belongs, especially if the test is made
by a novice, and that should never
be substituted for personal judgment
or common sense. In the hands of the
trained specialist, the mental test is
very valuable, declared the dean. His
address was especially interesting.
DR.. G. A. Prosser of the Dunwoody
Institute was introduced as the next
speaker, his subject being "Thc Rights
Of Childhood" In very able address
he stated that every child had two
fundamental rights: "to be born
right" and Ito be properly adjusted
to life;;" that the goal of his democ-
racy should be to adjust adaptation
Of the child to every demand Of his
surroundings; there should be eco
nomic adjustment, social adjustment
and educational adjustment; and that
it should be the right of every child
to have the things Of the world prop
erly adjusted to give his life the
greatest development.
After the singing of 'America,"
Miss Theda Gildemeister Of the Vino
ma State Teachers college, delivered
an appreciated address on "Our
Leisure Hours" Although she shor-
tened her address because of the late
ness of the hour, she gave many illus.
t1ations indicating how one can use
his leisure time, not only in amusing
himself, but in improving his mind.
She made the statement that most
often ones character is tested by the
leisure hours, and betrayed or re-
vcaled by the way one makes use Of
them.
"Our leisure hours are margins we
should cultivate, and we should not
choose the recreation that tends to
lower standards instead of lift them,
nor what will tear down what the
working hours work UP. We should
make a distinction between play and
amusement. Often one gets into the
habit of seeking amusement alone
during the leisure hours and forgets
how to play. Often through leisure
hours properly spent, preparation
comes, and work itself Of different
character may, after all, refresh us,
and we ought to spend our leisure
hours proftably and happily"
President Deputy then called on
the newly elected president, H. E.
Wolfe of Deer River, who stated
that the meeting here is the keystone
of the state association, formed out
of a large territory in the central part
Continued on page G)