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AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION.

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING.

JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS.

PROVIDENCE, R. I., Aug. 8, 1854.

THE Institute assembled in the Rail Road Hall, and was called to order at 10 o'clock, A. M., by Thomas Sherwin, Esq., the President.

Mr. Sherwin briefly addressed the assembly.

The Institute was cordially welcomed to Providence, by Mr. John Kingsbury, in behalf of the City; by Mr. E. R. Potter, Commissioner of Schools, in behalf of the teachers of Rhode Island; by Prof. Gammell, in behalf of the School Committee of Providence; and by Prof. Caswell, in behalf of Brown University.

The President made an appropriate response.

Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Wolcott, of Providence.

An ode was then sung by a select choir, under the direction of Mr. Clark.

On motion of Mr. Capen, of Dedham, Mr. John Kneeland, of Dorchester, was appointed Assistant Secretary. At 11 o'clock, President Wayland, of Brown University, delivered the Introductory Lecture. Subject, “A

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Review of the Progress of Education in this Country during the last twenty-five years."

Mr. George B. Emerson, of Boston, made some remarks complimentary to Dr. Wayland, and thanked him for his excellent lecture. He also responded to the welcome extended to the Institute at the opening of its present meeting. Mr. Emerson then moved that the thanks of the Institute be presented to Dr. Wayland, for his lecture; that a copy be requested for publication; and that ten thousand copies be printed for distribution.

Dr. Hooker, of New Haven, also responded to the welcome which had greeted the Institute.

Mr. J. D. Philbrick, of New Britain, Conn., seconded Mr. Emerson's motion, which then prevailed.

On motion of Mr. Jacob Batchelder, of Lynn, it was voted, that the Local Committee (consisting of Mr. John Kingsbury and Prof. S. S. Green) be authorized to act as a Business Committee.

The President announced that communications had been received, inviting the members of the Institute to visit the rooms of the Athenæum, and the library of Brown University.

On motion of Mr. Thayer, of Boston, the thanks of the Institute were returned for these invitations.

Mr. Batchelder moved that a Committee be appointed to receive applications in reference to school vacancies. The motion was carried, and the chair appointed Messrs. Batchelder, Wells, of Newburyport, and Leach, of Roxbury, as that committee.

Upon motion of Mr. Wm. D. Swan, of Boston, the Chair appointed as a Committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year, the following gentlemen, viz: Mr. Wm. D. Swan, Rev. Dr. Woods, of Providence, Prof.

Andrews, of New Britain, Conn., Dr. Hooker, of New Haven, and Mr. Nathan Metcalf, of Boston.

Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9, 10 o'clock, A. M.

The Institute was called to order by the President. Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Granger, of Providence.

The President read the Annual Report of the Board of Directors, which was laid on the table for future consideration.

The Committee on the nomination of officers reported through their Chairman, Mr. Swan. The report was accepted. It was then voted, that the election take place at the opening of the afternoon session, and that the Committee be directed to furnish printed ballots.

The Chair read a communication from the officers of the Young Men's Christian Union, inviting the Institute to visit their rooms.

On motion of Mr. Metcalf, the President appointed Messrs. Gage and Putnam, of Boston, as a Committee to aid in seating the audience.

A lecture was then delivered by Rev. E. B. Huntington, of Waterbury, Conn. Subject, “The Esthetics of Education."

The choir sang an ode.

At 11 o'clock, Mr. Nathan Hedges, of Newark, N. J., opened the discussion of the subject of arithmetic, which was continued by .Mr. D. P. Colburn, of Providence.

The President announced the reception of an invitation for the Institute to visit the rooms of the Historical Society. He also read a letter from Hon. Horace Mann, regretting his inability to attend the meeting of the In

stitute, and expressing his interest in the welfare of the association. Adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Institute was called to order at 2 o'clock, by the President.

The election of officers, which had been assigned to this hour, was postponed to Thursday morning.

At 3 o'clock, Mr. Elbridge Smith, of Cambridge, deliv ered a lecture upon "The Claims of Classical Culture upon the Teachers of American Schools."

The choir sang a song.

Mr. Thayer, of Boston, announced the death of Mr. Josiah Holbrook, and presented the following resolutions : Whereas, since the last annual meeting of the Institute, our associate and esteemed friend, Josiah Holbrook, has been removed by death, from the scene of his early labors, therefore,

Resolved, That, as lovers of science, of human progress and of man, we, the members of the American Institute of Instruction, lament the loss to ourselves and to the world, of Josiah Holbrook, one of the original members of the Institute.

Resolved, That in the example of Mr. Holbrook, the young teacher is taught, that energy, devotion to duty, and perseverance, will accomplish every reasonable object at which the mind may aim; that a resolute will and fixedness of purpose to one end, ever secure eventual success.

Resolved, That our whole community owes a debt of lasting gratitude to the deceased, as having been the father of the system of Lyceums, by which a taste for science has been excited, and the young of our cities and villages have been allured from frivolous, if not hurtful pleasures, and

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