Washington County Colorado Family History and Genealogy

From the Akron Weekly Pioneer Press

November 9, 1923

WASHINGTON COUNTY TEACHERS' CONVENTION

The Washington County Teachers' Association for 1923 will long be remembered as a great educational meeting for the teachers of the county. The attendance, despite bad roads, was a record breaker, nearly every teacher in the county being present.

The teachers' convention opened Thursday evening with a delicious banquet at the Burlington Hotel. One hundred were expected; one hundred twenty-four attended. The place simply overflowed with school teachers.

With the banquet well started, Mrs. Emma R. Vance, president of the association introduced the toastmaster, Prof. C.E. Stewart, who took charge of the evening's program, which consisted of musical numbers by the W.C.H.S. Glee Club, and solos by their director Miss Sibyl M. Reeter, together with numerous short speeches as follows: Parent-Teachers Association, Mrs. Ben Bitterman; Where Angels Fear to Tread, Supt. John L. Cochran, Yuma; As You Like It, Supt. I.E. Stutsman, Fort Morgan, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dr. Harry M. Barrett, of the University of Colorado. Resident (sic) Cooley of the Akron Chamber of Commerce talked on the Corn Show.

The crowd was a happy one. With Mr. Cochran, noted community sing leader in charge and County Superintendent Phoebe A. Palmer at the piano, the banqueters sang many a jolly song. Many declared this a fine way to open the convention.

On Friday at 9:00 a.m., the auditorium of the Grade school was filled with the teachers of the elementary and rural schools. The program started with our famous Eastern Colorado community sing leader, Supt. John I. Cochran, leading us in singing a group of inspirational songs. After which Supt. I. E. Stutsman of Ft. Morgan talked on "Rural School Problems" expressing the importance of the strong teacher in rural school and stating a few of the responsibilities a successful rural teacher has to her community. Supt. J.I. Cochran delightfully entertained the crowd at this time with three of his Whitcomb Riley readings. Mrs. Wuna Girault, normal training teacher of Sterling with the assistance of eight little folks from the third grade demonstrated the teaching of phonics in the lower grades.

The high school section, with a full half day program, is something new for Washington county, but proved to be very popular with the teachers.

Supt. C.E. Stewart ..... a complementary luncheon Friday noon. The high school faculty and the members of the high school committee and special guests at the association were present, to the number of forty in all. Miss Suone Miller (Possible Simone, or Susan, 15-year-old daughter of Worth Mark Miller, general store proprietor) favored the crowd with a solo.

Friday afternoon session opened at 1:30 with Miss Sibyl Keeler as music director in community singing after which Mrs. Girault gave an exceptional talk on why we should teach art in rural school, concluding with a beautiful story expressing the fulfillment of God's plan in making your life work solely for the benefit of the child. Mrs. F.P. Cooley, president of the county P.T.A. also president of Akron local chapter, gave a commendable talk on the importance of the P.T.A. to the community.

The afternoon session was closed by three inspirational talks by Supt. C.E Steward, W.B. Mooney, and Dr. Harry M. Barrett.