A report of the exercises opening the Keene Normal School appeared later that day in the Keene Evening Sentinel.
Keene Evening Sentinel
September 28, 1909
Page 3
NORMAL SCHOOL IN KEENE
State Institution Opened with Appropriate Exercises
Many Citizens, School Officials and Others Attend
The Opening Exercises, Abstracts of Addresses and Other Features.
THE OPENING EXERCISES OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL IN KEENE TOOK PLACE THIS MORNING, BEGINNING AT 10:30, IN THE HALL OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING ON MAIN STREET. THERE WERE PRESENT A GOODLY NUMBER OF LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, INCLUDING A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BOARD OF NORMAL SCHOOL TRUSTEES, THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, THE PRINCIPAL OF THE PLYMOUTH NORMAL SCHOOL, THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS OF THE KEENE SCHOOL, HIS HONOR THE MAYOR, THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND PROMINENT CITIZENS TO THE NUMBER OF A HUNDRED OR MORE IN ALL.
Previous to the exercises the guests inspected the school building, which is now finished and nearly all furnished ready for use, Principal Rhodes being in the hall to greet all as they arrived. Simple decorations of autumn leaves and flowers were placed here and there in the different rooms, several of the fireplaces being made very pretty this way. In the upper hall, where the exercises took place, there were similar decorations upon the platform and around the piano, with jars and vases of flowers on the tables. The rooms all looked very attractive and are certainly well adapted for the work at hand. As before stated, most of the rooms are to be used by the members of the faculty for class and other work. There is also the principal’s office, a number of study rooms, the toilet rooms and the assembly hall on the third floor.
PRINCIPAL JEREMIAH M. RHODES PRESIDED AT THE DEDICATORY EXERCISES, WHICH HE OPENED BY READING FROM THE SCRIPTURES. HE THEN ASKED THE REV. EDWARD A. RENOUF, D.D., WHOM HE PRESENTED VERY FELICITOUSLY AS ONE WHOSE LIFE HAD BEEN A BENEDICTION TO THE COMMUNITY, TO OFFER PRAYER.
Mr. Rhodes said he hoped that the citizens of Keene would speedily be able to meet the various members of the faculty of the school, and presented Professor Dudley who gave a piano selection. Mrs. William Bridge Jones the sang “Should He Upbraid,” by Bishop.
HIS HONOR MAYOR CLARK WAS NEXT PRESENTED AND EXTENDED A GREETING TO THE SCHOOL ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. HE SAID IN PART THAT THE PRESENT OCCASION MARKED AN EVENT OF BOTH IMMEDIATE AND FUTURE BENEFIT TO THE CITY; THAT ALL GOOD GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE, AND TO PROMOTE THIS WORK EFFECTIVELY WE NEED TRAINED TEACHERS. A SCHOOL TO GIVE THIS TRAINING HAS BEEN LOCATED IN OUR CITY BY THE STATE. NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS FOUND THE NEED OF AT LEAST NINE TIMES AS MANY TRAINED TEACHERS AS SHE HAS AND THIS SCHOOL OUGHT TO DO MUCH TO SUPPLY THE DEFICIT. KEENE MAY WELL BE PROUD THAT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN SITUATED HERE. THE LOCATION APPEARS TO BE AN IDEAL ONE AND OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS TO AID ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN EVERY WAY THEY COULD AND WILL BE JUST AS READY TO COOPERATE HEARTILY IN ITS FUTURE PROSPERITY.
President Bertram Ellis of the board of education was next presented, having been asked to speak on “The Relations Between the Normal School and the Public Schools.” Mr. Ellis spoke of the pleasant relations and the spirit of cooperation which had thus far existed between the trustees and principal of the normal school and the board of education of Keene, and indicated how important it was that this cooperation and good feeling should continue. The school district, under its contract, is to allow the use for model and training school purposes of such of its schools as are needed in the work of the normal school. As both sides strove to be reasonable in making the first contract for this work, which is to continue for five years and is somewhat experimental, a satisfactory agreement was reached without difficulty. Its effectiveness and its renewal on its expiration will depend upon the continuance of this spirit of cooperation and of reasonable demands on either side, not allowing jealousies or entanglements to begin.
JUST NOW THE NORMAL SCHOOL TAKES A PORTION OF THE UNION DISTRICT TEACHERS. THE BOARD HAD NOT BEFORE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SPEAKER HAD SO MANY VACANCIES TO FILL IN THE TEACHING FORCE AS DURING THE PAST SUMMER. BUT IT WAS EXPECTED THAT ULTIMATELY THESE TEACHERS WOULD BE RETURNED BETTER FITTED THAN EVER BEFORE FOR THEIR WORK. COOPERATION WILL OBTAIN IF THE STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE AMBITIOUS, LARGE-MINDED AND FAR-SEEING. IT IS FOR OUR INTEREST HERE AND FOR THE INTEREST OF THE WHOLE STATE THAT THIS SCHOOL BECOME ONE OF THE BEST NORMAL SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY. QUALITY, EXCELLENCE, AND NOT SIZE, SHOULD BE THE GOAL, AND IN REACHING THIS, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY CAN BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE. IT CAN BE SYMPATHETIC AND CAN CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE THE TRUSTEES AND FACULTY. OUR CITY HAS GIVEN MATERIAL AID AND WILL WILLINGLY GIVE OTHER ASSISTANCE. IT WILL ALSO EXPECT MUCH IN RETURN. WE MAY ASK THE NORMAL SCHOOL TO AID US IN IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALREADY GOOD, UNTIL THEY ARE RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND THROUGH OPERATION MAY WE SUCCEED IN ATTAINING OUR DESIRE FOR ONE OF THE BEST NORMAL SCHOOLS AND THE BEST OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mrs. A. W. Pressler next favored the audience with two simple but very pretty songs, Mrs. Huntress accompanying her upon the piano.
H. C. Morrison, state superintendent of public instruction was next presented. Expressing his peculiar satisfaction in the culmination of the efforts which have been made in behalf of the normal school in Keene, Mr. Morrison congratulated the teachers and students on the work thus far accomplished. He thought it a rare opportunity for pupils to be members of the first class of this school. The trustees, he said, could think of nothing that had not been done to start this school right. He had been himself surprised that the board was willing and ready to do so much. The idea that teachers are born and not made is being modified by a realization that they must also have efficient training. The Plymouth normal school existed nearly thirty years before the people came to realize this, but there has been a great change. People are willing to pay for trained teachers and they demand them. It is the purpose of the trustees to establish here not an academic, but a professional school to train teachers to do the best work possible. That is all. As President Ellis has well said, quality, not quantity is to be the object sought. We do not seek to make a large, unwieldy institution but with God’s help we hope to build here the best school for the purpose for which it is intended that can be made.
MR. MORRISON CHARGED THE PUPILS ABOUT TO BEGIN THEIR WORK, NOT TO FORGET THE PAST AND WHEN THEY PASS FROM THE SCHOOL AS TRAINED TEACHERS TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MANY IN THEIR PROFESSION WHO HAVE NOT NORMAL SCHOOL TRAINING, BUT HAVE HAD THE TRAINING OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THIS IS NOT TO BE UNDERVALUED AND IS A MOST IMPORTANT QUALIFICATION. HE ALSO CHARGED THE STUDENTS TO BE MINDFUL OF THE CALLING UPON WHICH THEY HAD ENTERED. THE TEACHER’S WORK IS ONE PECULIARLY HONORED AND DISTINGUISHED AND HAS BEEN HALLOWED BY THE LORD AND MASTER OF US ALL. THERE IS A SPIRIT OF PROFESSIONAL FRIENDLINESS AMONG TEACHERS TO WHICH ALL WILL BE WELCOMED. OUR GATHERINGS AT CONCORD BRING TOGETHER MORE THAN HALF THE TEACHERS OF THE STATE. NEW HAMPSHIRE IS NOT HIDE BOUND. SHE IS READY TO SEE PROGRESS AND AS IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE YANKEE, SHE GETS IT. IN GOING TO THE MIDDLE WEST FOR SO MANY OF THE FACULTY OF THIS SCHOOL SHE IS ONLY CLAIMING AGAIN WHAT THIS STATE SENT OUT THERE YEARS AGO. THE SPEAKER ALLUDED TO THE GENERAL SATISFACTION HE FOUND IN ALL PARTS OF THE STATE THAT THE SCHOOL HAD BEEN LOCATED IN KEENE AND SPOKE IN TERMS OF APPRECIATION OF THE ATTITUDE OF OUR PEOPLE GENERALLY AND OF THE COUNCILS IN AIDING THE ENTERPRISE. NO MORE IDEAL SETTING THAN THAT WHICH THE PEOPLE OF KEENE HAVE GIVEN COULD BE DESIRED FOR THE SCHOOL.
Dr. James E. Klock, principal of the Plymouth normal school, was the last speaker, “A Message from Plymouth” being the topic assigned to him. He alluded in an amusing manner to the fortitude of the normal school trustees in braving the cyclones and burning suns of Kansas in search for the best man to preside over this institution, and believed they had no mistake in their choice. His education and training for the work had certainly been of the best. There are today good, bad and indifferent normal schools. Some are aping the colleges and giving indifferent technical instruction. A smaller number are occupying the sphere for which they are intended – and the Keene school was to be of the latter class. There is a vast difference between education and information. It is not for the normal school student to be in a receptive state alone. He or she must learn to work – for it is work that brings the crown. The speaker felt highly honored in bringing greetings from the Plymouth school and in extending to all in the Keene school the right hand of fellowship. He predicted that our school would far exceed in the future the most sanguine expectations of its friends.
PRINCIPAL RHODES RETURNED HIS THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO ALL PRESENT FOR THEIR INTEREST AND ATTENDANCE AND EXPRESSED HIS GRATIFICATION AND APPRECIATION ALSO OF THE WARM COOPERATION AND SPIRIT OF FRIENDLINESS MANIFESTED TOWARD THE SCHOOL BY THE PEOPLE OF KEENE. THE EXERCISES CLOSED WITH A VOCAL SELECTION BY MR. WM. W. NYE, “THE KING OF ETERNITY,” BY JONES.