Page images
PDF
EPUB

Annual Report of the Directors was then read by the Secretary of the Institute, and, after some remarks from Mr. Pettes, it was unanimously accepted.

Mr. Mackintosh then offered the following Resolutions:

Resolved, That the grateful acknowledgments of this Institute be made to the Government of the City of Lowell, for the free use of the City Hall, so generously granted for the present Annual Meeting.

Resolved, That the sincere thanks of the Institute be presented to the Middlesex Mechanic Association, for their kind liberality, in granting the use of their elegant Hall, and well furnished reading room, for the present session.

Resolved, That the Recording Secretary transmit copies of the foregoing resolutions.

After some remarks from Mr. Rich, of Troy, the Resolves were unanimously passed.

Mr. Mackintosh then offered the following Resolution :

Resolved, That the American Institute of Instruction feel highly encouraged and gratified in view of the increasing interest manifested in various parts of the Union in behalf of the improvement and extension of Common School Education. After some remarks from Mr. Mann, and Mr. White, of S. C. it was passed. Mr. H. W. Carter offered the following Resolution:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Institute be presented to the Rev. Charles Brooks, for his able Introductory Address; and to Messrs. R. G. Parker, Thomas D. James, Hermann Bokum, A. B. Muzzey, S. G. Goodrich, C. Plato Castanis, Ezekiel Rich, David P. Page, Joseph Harrington, Jr. Elisha Bartlett, Joseph Lovering, Geo. W. Warren, Charles White, and Denison Olmsted, for their Lectures, which have given so much interest to the present session of the Institute.

Dr. Elisha Bartlett, of Lowell, and Hon. S. G. Goodrich, of Roxbury, were added to the list of Vice Presidents by a unani

mous vote.

The Secretary then mentioned that he had received a letter from Victor Cousin, in answer to the one written by him last year

at the direction of the Institute; and at the request of the Presi dent, he read it, and offered the following resolution :

Resolved, That the Institute receive with much satisfaction the kind and encouraging letter of Mons. Victor Cousin, and the Volumes accompanying it. Also,

Resolved, To transmit to him through the Secretary, the Lectures of the present year, with a suitable expression of our respect and regard.

Mr. Mackintosh offered the following:

Resolved, That the volumes of the Institute, be presented to the Middlesex Mechanic Association, as a small token of our gratitude for their liberality to the Institute at the present session. No more business coming up, Mr. THAYER made an interesting address, to the female teachers especially, which was listened to with deep attention.

The Institute then adjourned sine die.

THOMAS CUSHING, JR. Recording Secretary.

ANNUAL REPORT.

THE Directors of the Institute ask leave to submit the following Annual Report:

An examination of the records, and of the reports presented by the several Boards charged with the different interests of this Association, proves to the satisfaction of the Directors, that there has been great fidelity in every department.

From the Report of the Curators, it appears that the Institute's Room, No. 21, School-street, Boston, is still kept open and well furnished for the accommodation of members throughout the year. Its table is regularly supplied with several of the best periodicals in the country. The Library is becoming more and more valuable, already containing many of the latest works on Education, with numerous classical and scientific text books. For these last, we have been indebted in many cases to the liberality of booksellers and authors.

The Censors report, that the publishing of the Lectures delivered before the Institute at the annual meeting in Worcester, was effected at an earlier date than has been usual in preceding years. In regard to the expenses of publication they further state, that after negotiating with several publishers, and adopting the proposal which they deemed the most favorable, they caused three hundred copies to be printed at the expense, and as the property, of the Institute. The whole cost was $259, of which $100 have been paid from the funds previously existing, and a balance remains of $159, which must be drawn from the treasury hereafter,

unless it shall be realized from the sale of the volumes. These are in the hands of a bookseller, to be disposed of on commission. No account has yet been rendered, as the principal sales have been expected to be made during the time of the annual meeting at Lowell. The Censors express great confidence in the favorable results obtained by the annual publication of the Lectures, but they believe that even such results will not justify the incurring of any debt, which might afterwards embarrass the financial concerns of the Institute. It is their opinion, as well as that of the Directors generally, that the discontinuance of these publications would diminish the influence and usefulness of this body; and the Censors finally suggest, that these volumes should hereafter be published as far as possible by subscription; and that, for this purpose, a paper should be circulated among the members at each annual meeting.

The Committee of Finance report, that they have audited the Treasurer's accounts for the year past, and find them accurately kept and well vouched, and a balance due that officer, of thirtyone dollars and seventy-one cents; that this balance, added to that which remains due to the publisher of the Lectures, amounts to the sum of one hundred ninety-one dollars and twenty-one cents. The Committee of Finance are not apprised of any other debts due from the Institute.

Among the transactions of the Board of Directors, at their stated meetings during the year, the following is deemed the most important. At the meeting in January last, it was resolved, "That a Committee of three be appointed to propose a premium of Five Hundred Dollars, provided that sum be raised otherwise than from the funds of the Institute, for the best Essay that shall be offered upon a system of Education best adapted to the Common Schools of our country; it being understood that the premium will not be awarded, if no essay be furnished, which, in the opinion of the Directors of the Institute, is worthy of it." Such a Committee has accordingly been appointed; the requisite funds have been raised by subscription; and advertisements have been extensively circulated in the newspapers in different parts of the Union. The Directors cherish a sanguine hope that this in

vitation may elicit views and suggestions of incalculable benefit in elevating the moral and literary condition of our country.

The ninth anniversary of this Association affords a new occasion for congratulating its members upon the success which has attended their efforts for the advancement of common education and for the improvement of teachers. What though the results have come short of our own sanguine expectations, or even of the real and most urgent wants of our community? If we look back to the first organization of the Institute in 1830, we shall see that much, after all, has been accomplished. These advances are most perceptible in our cities and larger villages. Schoolhouses have been built, or remodelled, upon plans much superior to those of former years. A more judicious and enlightened discipline, is coming into use. The course of study has been extended without becoming burdensome to the pupil. Moral and physical education, so much neglected in times past, are beginning to be recognised as the legitimate province of the schoolmaster. Teachers of inferior qualifications find it less and less easy to obtain employment; while the increasing deference and larger salaries paid to those of a more skilful and more cultivated grade, are in a high degree cheering to those of us who take an honest pride in belonging to the ranks of an honored occupation. Even where the projects of the Institute appeared to have failed, we yet have cause to believe that a deep impression was made upon the public mind; an impression so favorable to our views, that the very objects which we then proposed, have since been brought about by other agents, to whom we may claim the honor of having acted as pioneers. Witness our memorial, addressed last year to the legislature of Massachusetts, recommending the establishment of Seminaries for Teachers, at the public expense. Witness also that of the year previous, praying for the appointment of a Superintendent of Common Schools. Both these petitions were unsuccessful for the time, yet we now see one of these our favorite objects almost literally accomplished, while the other is in a train of speedy fulfilment. A Board of Education has been established, whose enlightened Secretary is actively engaged in diffusing the very benefits which had been expect

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »