EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2102, 7 June 1894, Page 35

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin Branch of the Otago Educational Institute was held in the Normal School on Saturday morning. There were present — Messrs Jeffery (chairman), Johnson (secretary), Reid, Stewart, Whetter, Davidson, Milne, Garrow, Eudoy, C. Young, and Dr Chilbon. ANNUAL nEPORT. The annual report, which was presented by the secretary, was as follows :—: — Your committee has the honour to present tho annual report for the year 1893-94. Meetings.— Seven meetings have been held on the first Saturday of each month from August 5, 1893, to May 5, 1894, inclusive. At the annual meeting Mr James Jeffery was elected president and Mr J. A. Johnson hon. secretary. The subjects discussed were :— 1893 : August s— "The Lantern as an Aid to Primary Instruction," Mr James Jeffery; September 2— "A Scheme of Spelling Arranged to Meet the Standard Requirements," Mr O. Mahoney; October 7 — "Greek Views on Education," Professor Salmond, D.D. ; November 4—" Wasted lilnergies," Mr O. J. Hodge. 1894 : March 3—" The Place of Literature in Education," Mr J. Garrow ; April 7— Discussion on the recommendations made ab the inspectors' conference, January 1894; May 6— "The State versus the Parent ; or the Limits of National Education," Dr Wm. M. Stenhouse. Membership.— The branch has a membership of 48 men and 14 women ; total 62. This shows an increase of 16 on the previous year. When asking teachers to support the efforts of the institute by their presence your committee is often met with the excuse that the members do nob represent the teachers The answer to this has always been that, if it is so, the fault lies with those who hold aloof. Your committee to meet this objection has analysed the list of members with the following result : — Headmasters 22, 'matrons 6, assistants 27, members not in public schools 7. Of the 55 teachers, 42 are in the Dunedin and suburban schools ; 13 are in country schools near Dunedin. All the Dunedin and suburban schools are represented in this list, the members being well distributed in this respect. Attendance. — The average attendance is 18. Only 36 of the members have attended the meetings, and of the 14 ladies only one has. Your committee would recommend to the attention of the members the lack of interest on the part of this section of our members. The Press. — Though comparatively few teachers attend the meetings, yet the subjects discusced meet all, to some extent, through the pre3s. The meetings are always fully reported, and in some cases the papers have been published in full. Finance — The balance sheet presented with this report shows that the debit balance has been reduced by £2 6s 3d. Mr Whetter moved that the report be adopted and the following clause added : — " That the thanks of the branch are specially due to the energetic and successful efforts of the secretary for placing the finances of the branch upon a sounder basis." The report with the addition proposed was adopted unanimously, and the balance sheet was also adopted. ATTENDAKCE. A lebber was read from the Waitati branch respecting attendance at school, and on the motion of Mr Davidson, ib was resolved — " That the letter be referred to the committee of management with an expression of opinion that every legitimate means should be used to encourage regular attendance." ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Officers of the branch were elected as follows : — President, Mr Patterson ; secretary and treasurer, Mr Johnson (re-elected). The retiring president briefly thanked tho members for the very comfortable time they had given him during his term of office. Votes of thanks were passed to the retiring president and to the secretary for their services and to the press for the reports of the proceedings of the branch.