Penman's Art Journal (Volume 2) - Iampeth

puUe ; on this depended his saccess.
Hoping that penmen, &c., will feel interested
in this matter, and resort to imme-
diate action,
I am, very respectfnlly,
Oeorob R, Rathdun.
Omaha, March 18. 1878.
Colorado Academy and Business |
OOLLSOK, Denver, Col.,
J-
MarcU 16, 1878. )
Prof, D. T. Ames:
The articles by Professors Packard nod
Spragae, together with the editorial comments
in the December aud March num-
bers of tlie Art Journal, udvocatiuR a
Business College Convention, have enlist-
gd my attention, and the movement should,
I believe, enlist the hearty co-operntion of
every progressive aud broad minded teach-
er of book-keeping and penmanship in
America.
discussion :
First, I would suggest that a circular
letter be issued calling for a convention
setting forth its objects, and the same sent
to every teacher of book-keeping and penmanship
in the United States, whose name
could be secured ; and second, that there
Bliould be enclosed with the call a blank,
tu be tilled up by the recipient, and which
would be an agreement to attend the convention
either in person or by proxy, aud
also to contribute the eum of, say ten dol-
lars, tor meeting ihe current expenses of
holding the convention.
In regard to the place of holding the
conveution I would suggest that it be
taken to the city which would offer the
most liberal inducements, and in this connection
I will add that should Denver,
Colorado, be deemed a suitable point, I
will propose to furnish a hall as fine as is
found in almost any city, with seating capacity
for nine hundred free for as many
days aud nights as may be wanted, aud, in
addition thereto, will contribute the sum
of one hundred dollars towards defraying
THE PENMAN'S ART JOURNAL.
personal communications asking my views
and I have responded as I have bad the
leisure, and I have been no less delighted
than astonished to know how deep a hold
the idea is taking of the very persons who
are best fitted to make of such a meeting a
real success. No doubt you are overwhelmed
with communications on the sub-
ject, and I have httle hope that yon will
find space for the few hints which are
herein submitted.
In the first place, I am sure there has
never been a time in the history of com-
mercial education when a convention of
the workers was more needed; never a
lime when good results were so sure to flow
from a comparison of views and methods-
What is much needed by the individual
teachers of our specialty is a personal acquaintance
with each other, and such a
knowledge of the ideas and processes iu
vogue as can be gained only by actual con-
corps of teachers, there is little or no opportunity
of knowing what others do, and
the teacher is thrown, as it were, upon his
inner consciousness for the spur to development,
and in this regard no class of
proper persons appointed to prepare theses
and practical methods for the consideration
of the body. This, of course, would
involve a large amount of labor for somebody,
and if it is to be done, not a moment
should be lost. The time or place of
holding the convention should be settled
without delay, and the proper committees
set at work. As to the time and place, I may
have my preferences, but I don't feel like
urging them against any one's better convictions.
If the majority should prefer New
York as the place, and the month of August
as the time, I could not find one word
to say against it. and if any other conclu-
sion should prevail, I most gladly acquiesce.
I will only say that so far as room
and incidental expenses are concerned, I
should be most happy to relieve the convention
if it is decided to be held in this
city. There are also more potent arguments
which I could present, but they will
doubtless present themselves to all who in-
the matter to the fraternity, in a tangible,
tact
I for one am one with the other. Of all people in
cordially in favor of the
ond practical form and to enable each
cline to the enterprise.
the
idea, and
world teachers are most apt to work in
will gladly render full share of
member to have a fair and equal voice in
worn grooves, nnd to grow narrow, exclu- My main wish in the matter is that the
pecuniary assiutauce for orgaoiziug and
deciding upon the preliminaries we prosive,
bigoted,
holding suoh a convention, and
and self-sufScient. And the convention will be held sometohere, and
what appose
the following
pears to me to be mostly wanted
reason is obvious, confined as they are to that I may have the happiness of being
for per-
Plan:
set, unvarying duties, holding communion present.
fectiug the arrangements is earnest co-oporatioD,
backed by funds,
only with books and the adolescent minds In order to crystalize the matter I pro- Let each person who deems himself
to meet the
of those
usual expenses of such
whose function it is to receive pose that Mr. Ames should at once prepare eligible (from being either a teacher or
undertakings.
In order to secure these two much and give little in return, the teacher, a circular covering such points as may author of writing or book-keeping) and
essential requirements
I desire to offer the following
whether he would or not, becomes a sort seem to him likely to elicit the wishes of who desires to take part in such conven-
of
suggestions, which, althoagh they may not
treadmill worker, and after a while gets teachers, giving to each the privilege of tion, at once, on the receipt of the present
be thought to be into ruts
at all expedient,
that grow deeper and deeper as voting upon the important questions in- number of the Joitrnal, answer briefly by
will
perhaps bring out further comment and
he becomes more earnest in his labors. volved card or letter, addressed to the Journal,
:
Except in larger institutions employing 1. As to place and time of meeting, each of the following questions, viz :
*— ^^S^o
2. As to the order of exercises,
3. As to the preliminary working com-
mittees, and within a reasonable time let
him embody the sentiment in a circular
which shall be conclusive as to the call
^o^