benville's Public Schools will be safely guarded by his faithful and efficient service. -Supt. O. M. Soule, of Franklin, has issued some rules and suggestions for the teachers which show that he has a clear head, a warm heart, and a comprehensive grasp of the whole school situation. -The Greene county teachers, on February 9th, held an excellent meeting at Xenia. The speakers were Supt. E. B. Cox, Prof. R. S. Parsons, Ralph W. Buck, and President S. D. Fess. George F. Siegler, of Cedarville, led the music. -The Hamilton county teachers held a good meeting at Cincinnati, Feb. 9th, when Supt. V. W. Henderson spoke on "Practical Education" and Dr. E. M. Craig gave his inspiring lecture on "An Hour with Whittier." The high school chorus of Norwood added greatly to the pleasure of the meeting. -Supt. A. B. Stutzman gave the address at the McKinley memorial exercises and received words of hearty praise from the local press. Teachers and pupils united in a chorus of praise for the address which bristled with eloquent periods from first to last. -The teachers of Fulton and Williams Co., held a joint institute at Wauseon, Feb 26th, at which Prof. Fess was the star attraction. The meeting was well attended by the fraternity from both counties and an exceptional interest. was manifested in his address. -The officers of the Fulton Co. Association for this year are: C. O. Castle, President; J. L. Mattern, Vice-President; Dolly Boon, Secretary-Treasurer; Charles Knapp, Secretary of the County Reading Circle. The annual institute this year will be held at Wauseon. -Supt. W. L. Bruhlman, of the Fulton township centralized schools, at Ai, is doing noble work for the cause of centralization. He has an enrollment of 190 pupils under four teachers. Eight wagons are employed to convey the pupils to and from school. Under the old regime, ten teachers were employed in the township, with an enrollment of 170 pupils, and an average attendance of 125, now the average attendance is over 175. This, with the excellent work done by Supt. Bruhlman, and his corps of teachers, has practically eliminated, from this section, the one time strenuous opposition to centralization. -M. J. Linehan, formerly Supt. at Tedrow, Ohio, and now cashier in the Bank of Swanton, contemplates a vacant trip through Oklahoma and Texas during the month of March.. -The general executive committee of the Allied Educational Association, met at the Southern Hotel, Columbus, Saturday, January 26. Officers were elected as follows: Chairman of Executive Committee, Supt. S. K. Mardis; Secretary, Supt. L. E. York, Barnesville; Treasurer, Prof. Frank S. Fox, Columbus ; Auditor, Prof. J. A. Culler, Oxford; Transportation Manager, Prof. George W. Tooill, Columbus. It was voted that the session of the next meeting begin Thursday afternoon, December 26, and close Saturday noon, December 28, with evening meetings on Thursday and Friday. The Southern Hotel was again selected as headquarters in the city. Arrangements will be made for the use of the Gymnasium of the State University as headquarters on the grounds during the session. For the convenience of those who attend the meetings, a noon-day lunch will be served at one of the University buildings. Upon request, the Ohio Library Association was admitted to membership in the organization. -The Union county teachers held their Bi-monthly meeting, at Marysville, February 9th. President C. C. Miller, of Lima College, was the principal speaker. He spoke on "Africa" in the forenoon and in the afternoon gave a most excellent talk on the "Spirit of the Teacher." This talk was overflowing with suggestions and inspiration for the teacher. Supt. L. B. Demorest, who followed Dr. Miller on the program, took most of his time in simply pointing out and emphasizing the many good things said by Dr. Miller. Miss Lillian Bicknell, of the Art Department of the Columbus Public Schools, was also on the program with a very interesting talk. Supt. R. O. Robbins, of Paris and Allen township schools, conducted an interesting round table. Supt. J. B. Hughes, of Raymond, is president of the county association and Miss Mary Sahe, of Richwood, secretary. -Prin. J. L. Shrader, of the Richwood High School, is serving his second year as principal and is certainly the right man for the place. The boys and girls know he means business, and after all, that is what boys and girls appreciate. -Richwood is having a most excellent school year. This is due largely to the habit the Richwood teachers have of attending summer school each vacation and to the Board of Education who believe in training teachers. -Raymond and Liberty are beginning the feel the effect in their schools of Supt. J. B. Hughes. He is an energetic young man and is doing much toward the improvement of their schools. -Supt. H. R. McVay, of Sidney, will give instruction in United States history at the summer term of Miami University and it is well known that he is well equipped for this work. -Supt. R. E. Offenhauer, of Mendon, has been elected to the principalship of the Mt. Vernon high school. -Supt. F. F. Cole, of Linden, has 207 pupils enrolled in his schools with five teachers to do the work. -Prin. C. W. Jackson, of Plain City high school, has been elected to a like position in Uhrichsville. It -Supt. S. A. Gillett, of Bridgeport, has recently issued a manual which is one of the most complete and artistic that we have seen. shows that there are twenty-five teachers in the corps. The first class graduated in 1875 and the first superintendent was J. C. Castle, who began his work in 1867. -Attention is called to the advertisement of the School Garden Association, of Boston, Mass., which Teachers appears in this number. will do well to write for catalogue, in order to be ready for the planting which must be done in a few weeks. -Supt. D. H. Barnes, of Osborn, and Supt. J. A. Runyan, of Fairfield, will both teach in the summer term of Antioch College and do advanced college work at the same time. -Supt. H. D. Kellison, of Springboro, chairman of the executive committee, is arranging for a rousing meeting of the Warren Co. teachers, at Lebanon, March 23. -Supt. W. McK. Vance, of Delaware, and Supt. J. D. Simkins, of Newark, were the speakers at the Mercer county meeting, at Celina, February 16th, and created no end of enthusiasm by their excellent addresses. Good music by local talent helped to make the meeting a notable one. -Miss Cora Roberts led the music given by the Girls' Chorus, of Worthington, at the Columbus meeting, February 16th, and won the hearts of the hundreds of teachers present. -Supt. W. C. Merritt, of Dublin, is having many calls for his Review Lists, which are designed to assist pupils in their preparation for the Patterson examinations. A full set is sent for twenty-five cents or six sets for one dollar. - The Executive Committee of the Central Ohio Association met in Columbus Feb. 16 and decided to accept the invitation issued by Supt. J. A. Shawan to hold the next meeting in that city. The date will be November 8 and 9. Supt. F. B. Bryant of Richwood recently bought a fine stereopticon for the schools and is making a collection of slides in various subjects. The initial entertainment "An Evening with Paul Laurence Dunbar" was a complete success and elicited hearty praise from the press. - Dr. Guy Botter Benton of Miami University aroused great enthusiasm among the teachers of Pickaway County at Williamsport Feb. 16 by his noble address. It was one of the best meetings ever held in the county. The other speakers were Miss Elizabeth Atkinson, Circleville, Supt. E. L. Daley, Commercial, Supt. Otis Games, and Miss Minnie Lee Shannon, Ashville. There was good music and plenty of it. Supt. H. B. Williams of Sandusky shone with unusual splendor in his address on "The Compensations of Teaching" before the Jefferson County teachers at Steubenville Feb. 16. The other speakers were Miss Ida Odell, Supt. J. H. George, Supt. A. R. Parker, D. H. Buchanan, and Prin. H. P. Carpenter. They all acquitted themselves well and did much to make the meeting excellent. -The teachers of Paulding Co., Ohio, held their Third Quarterly Institute in Payne, O., Feb. 9. The day was ideal and the school room was crowded to overflowing. Supt. W. A. Sellers and his corps of teachers had done everything to make it a day to be long remembered by the educators that were present. W. G. Smythe, Principal of Antwerp High School and Fred. S. Beard of Paulding High School discussed subjects of vital importance. Supt. James T. Begg of Columbus Grove was present and his talk on "The Future of our Public Schools" was one of the best that we have had the privilege of listening to. Everyone went home infused with enthusiasm and eager to make more of their opportunities for the betterment of our public schools. Morrison Van Cleve, son of Supt. C. L. Van Cleve of Mansfield, has finished his course in the University of Pennsylvania, and is now in the Pueblo High School teaching English. Supt. Ed. A. Evans, Chicago, Ohio, is at home any place along the line of his work. A recent call at his schools found him teaching a sixth grade, the teacher being absent for the day. All the schools in the town, from the primary to the high school, show the results of his careful planning and supervision. His unanimous reelection, - Dr. H. S. Lehr, in sending in his renewal subscription to the MONTHLY, writes that he first subscribed in 1858, stopped awhile from 1861 to 1866, several things stopped in those years subscribed again in April, 1866, and continued all the time since. His references to the MONTHLY are too kind and complimentary to publish, but they are greatly appreciated, coming from one who has been such a potent factor in the educational affairs of Ohio for more than half a century. Dr. A. D. Beechy of Norwalk is getting old in experience, having served as superintendent of the schools of that city for fifteen years, following two years as principal of the high school. In openness of mind to see the best things in education he is still young and in the generous impulses of a warm heart to sympathize with both pupils and teachers in their work, he is getting younger all the time. The editor had a delightful little visit with him recently and is under renewed obligations for his courtesy and kind ness. Hon. Henry Sabin whose long experience in all grades of school work and rare common sense in dealing with all sorts of school problems admirably fit him to express opinions of positive value, sends the following in a recent letter to the editor, from Des Moines, Iowa: Considering the answers to the questions "Did you break the window?" "No, sir." "Do you know who broke them?" "Yes, sir." "Will you tell me who broke them?" "No, sir." "But," continued the teacher, "if you don't tell me I shall whip you." "All right," says the boy, "dad says if I do tell he'll lick the stuffing out of me, and I had rather take two of your lickings than one of his." I once knew just such a case as that. To put it ethically, "Is it better for the boy to disobey his "dad" and obey his teacher, or to obey his "dad" and disobey his teacher? Who will give us a formula that will solve my problem? — I was in school 57 years, and nearly always I made trouble for myself when I attempted to settle a case of discipline before I came face to face with it. Supt. Ward H. Nye of Oberlin holds the reins with a tight grasp and directs the schools of that city with a determination to solve its public school problems wisely and well. Under his administration, the high school course has been increased to four years and the work of the last term has been very successful as indicated by the unusually large number of pupils with an excellent standing in their daily recitations. The editor surprised Supt. Nye and pleased himself by visiting the schools of that educational center in January. Lorain's rapidly increasing school population comes from all countries and is composed of many tongues. Supt. Eldredge informed the writer, on a recent visit with him, that last year the children of the schools of that city spoke twentyeight different dialects. To make American citizens out of these is a problem whose successful solution requires thoughtful study and inexhaustive patience. All agree that Supt. Eldridge is well equipped to direct his teachers in their difficult task and the success of his administration fully proves the correctness of the estimate. -The Elyria Teachers' Club is composed of more than fifty of the best teachers of that beautiful little city so long and so well known as one of the centers of school sentiment which makes good schools. In the past this club has met twice a month and engaged in the discussion of school problems, led by one or more members appointed for the purpose. This year monthly meetings are held and outside speakers are secured. The editor had the good fortune to be the "outsider" at the meeting on January 24. No better audience can be found anywhere and the home feature of these meetings is delightful. There is an entire absence of all formality and all who attend are "at home" in the full meaning of that phrase. Supt. W. R. Comings and the officers of the club are to be congratulated on the splendid spirit which prevails. A visit in the schools the day following evinced the same spirit of good will and hearty cooperation as is found in the club. The high school, which has been under the direction of Principal H. M. Ebert for so many years, now enrolls 414 of whom 43 per cent. are boys. A large number of these are foreign pupils, special interurban cars being run to accommodate them. One of the many features of the high school work indicative of its success is the large number of graduates who enter college, the average for the past seven years being more than 38 per cent. It is interesting, also, to note-other cities in Ohio will find the statement of value in making comparisonsthat, while the report of the United States Commissioner of Education shows that but one in 24 of those who enter the first grade, and but one in four of those who enter the high school, graduates, in Elyria one in every four of those entering the first grade and one in every three of those entering the high school, graduates. Manual training is already on a firm footing in the schools and has proved its right to a place in a public school system. It is no exaggeration to state that Supt. Comings and his board of education are conducting the schools with rare judgment and skill and that the children of Elyria are enjoying school opportunities second to none in the state. The editor was "called down" from his room in the Hotel Euclid, Cleveland, on the evening of January 25, and compelled to face as good a lot of "boys" as can be found in the schools of Ohio. Superintendents Frederick of Lakewood, Kirk of East Cleveland, Tilden of Cleveland Heights, Rankin of Euclid, and Principals Axline and Cully of the Forest City made up the party which called to hold a sort of preparatory service to the County Association the following day. The "round table" discussions were not altogether of a purely pedagogical nature but the cordial friendship manifested by the call and the kindly reception which followed at the Association were heartily appreciated. The many Ohio friends of Supt. D. A. Lambright of Kendalville, Indiana, who remember with pleasure. his work as a teacher and member of the Ohio Legislature, will be glad to learn that he is now in the institute field for which his training and successful experience admirably fit him. The Milwaukee Board of Education gave evidence of its good judgment on February 5 by unanimously reelecting Supt. Carroll G. Pearse for another term of three |