lessen competition and thereby enhance the pecuniary value of the services of teachers, and at the same time to render their positions more permanent; to accomplish all this, and much more now in process of development, must the principal efforts of this society be at first directed. What it has done towards effecting its purposes may be best shown by a brief exhibit of

ITS HISTORY.

Until about six years ago the professional standing of teachers depended upon the capricious, incongruous, generally inefficient and too often unjust action of lawyers, physicians, divines and business men. Teachers of both sexes, of the highest order of education and of undoubted ability, teachers who had undergone examination after examination, and regularly destroyed accumulating and useless certificates, were subjected year after year to nonsensical and humiliating examinations by those who had no reason to be, and very frequently were not, in sympathy with them. At that time, a certain headstrong little man declared that teachers have as good a right to be examined and pronounced upon by teachers as lawyers by lawyers, physicians by physicians, or divines by divines. He ridiculed the idea of yearly and biennial examinations, and declared that a teacher, like a lawyer, once competent, remains competent while sane. He did not have the hearty co-operation of the class he was serving, but through his characteristic energy and tomahawk logic the key of the professional gate was wrenched from the hand of the outsider and placed within that of the teacher. Examinations by teachers became the order of the day and life diplomas an institution.

That headstrong little man was John Swett.

In an Institute circular, issued by State Superintendent Swett, in Feb. ruary, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, he says, among many other good things that every teacher ought to be familiar with, that "educational conventions in every part of our country express a general desire for a distinct and definite recognition of the occupation of teaching, by forms equivalent to those now existing in law, medicine and theology. Why should not the pioneer teachers of this State, in the next Institute, take measures of self-organization, self-recognition and self-examination, and raise themselves above the humiliating necessity of submitting to an examination by members of other professions or of no profession at all? A State Educational Society could be organized by those who pass the next examination by the State Board, those who hold diplomas of graduation from Normal Schools and the professors of the various colleges and collegiate schools of the State. This society could become legally incorporated by the next Legislature. Some such steps we are called upon to take by the large number of accomplished men and women who are entering upon our vocation. We are called upon to act, not only in justice to scholarship and talent, but in self-defence against impostors and pretenders; and we may honestly avow a desire to exclude all who unworthily or unfitly intrude themselves into the noble office of teaching. A State Society would unite the teachers of our State in the bonds of fraternal sympathy; a certificate of membership would entitle the holder to the aid of members in all parts of the State; it would be a passport of employment when he should change his residence; it would entitle him to the substantial benefit of an honorable reception among all teachers; and a small annual membership fee would soon constitute a fund for the establishment of a teachers' journal as the organ of the society."

And he quotes that eminent man, Professor William Russell, as saying to the teachers of Massachusetts that "it is unreasonable to expect that any revolution will take place in favor of those who do not stir in favor of their own interests. Neither the community around us, nor the State Legislature, nor that of the Union, can constitute our existing corps of teachers a properly organized professional body. Teachers themselves must make the move; they only can do it. Nothing is needed but that every one of our existing state or county associations should of its own motion, as the law phrases it, resolve itself from its present condition of an open to that of a close body, self-constituting, self-perpetuating, selfexamining, self-licensing. To constitute the occupation of teaching a regularly organized profession, any existing body of teachers has but to adopt the same course of voluntary procedure which is exemplified in the practice of those professional bodies which have already taken their appropriate vantage ground and are respected accordingly."

"It is merely the fact that other associated bodies do act on this civic privilege, which constitutes medicine, law and theology, professions, strictly and properly so called, as distinguished from other callings or pursuits. The three are sometimes denominated liberal professions, as implying a liberal preparatory course, although the fact does not in all cases or necessarily verify the application of the term. Still they are professions, because those who practise them profess, previous to entering upon their duties, to be qualified to perform them, are examined to that effect by professional men, and if found worthy are admitted accordingly as members of the given professional body. In all such cases the procedure is that of a self-examining, self-licensing, self-perpetuating body, giving a right to the individual admitted to membership to receive the countenance and co-operation of his professional brethren, and affording to the community in general the satisfactory assurance that the candidate for professional employment is duly qualified to perform his duties. Whatever social, professional or personal advantage, therefore, is derived from such arrangements by the members of the liberal professions, may reasonably be expected to be reaped by individuals who follow any other vocation requiring peculiar intellectual qualifications, when these individuals associate themselves for corresponding purposes of interest and general benefit."

It is worthy of note that even in this first foreshadowing of the California Educational Society, the prominent view was broad enough to design the publication of a professional organ; to admit to honorary membership members of other professions whose studies have some bearing, however remote, upon education, and to admit to full membership, with all attendant rights and honors, the women teachers of our State. It is true that at the first organization the society neither attempted the publication of a journal nor admitted women to membership, but in both cases expediency alone, and not ultimate design, was allowed to govern for the time. Means were found to establish a journal under other and more practicable auspices, and at the right moment the society assumed its publication. As to the admission of women, the way was not so clear. At the first formation of the society, a large majority of the members were decidedly in favor of the immediate admission of women, if any chose to enter. It was argued in opposition, that although the necessarily moderate standard of admission might admit some men undesirably low in the educational scale, yet they would be likely to regard themselves as permanent members of this profession, and would be incited to devote their lives to study its theory and prac

tice, while the same class of women would, from the nature of their surroundings, be not at all likely to make desirable material for a professional society; that this society could not for a few years be independent of the favorable opinion and good will of the three professions, and that to secure these it would be desirable to organize as nearly as possible on the same basis and in the same manner; and that to organize with women would be to give this association an appearance altogether too unlike other professions-would provoke unfavorable comment and detract from its appearance of stability. That although the time might come when women would desire to enter in numbers, yet it was not worth while to depart violently from the custom of the older professions for the sake of the very few who would be likely to apply for admission at the beginning.

On the other hand, it was claimed that this profession differs from every other, in the fact that it already has a majority of its members of that sex which is slowly finding its may into two of those other professions. That although it might be true that only a very few women regard themselves as permanent members of this profession, yet we have no moral right to exclude them because they are few. That the indifference of the many ought not to affect the right of the few who might desire to become members. Other arguments were used on both sides, but I cannot now call them to mind. Finally, on the suggestion that the matter of admitting women was merely a matter of theory, and bad no practical significance, inasmuch as not a single woman teacher had so far spoken about it to those who were engaged in the organization of the society, and that the Constitution could be amended whenever the time should seem to be ripe, that clause of the first Constitution which restricted membership to men was passed.

This first Constitution was adopted in June, eighteen hundred and sixty-three. In April, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, the Constitution was amended to admit women, although not one had so far applied for admission, and the entrance fee was reduced from ten dollars to five. It was afterwards proposed to remit the fee altogether in the case of the women members, but this was objected to by some of the first women admitted. This new Constitution was hurried up and published in the California Teacher, in the same number which announced the meeting of the State Institute in May. At that Institute, the several meetings of the society were announced to the whole body of teachers, the change in the Constitution adverted to and the usual invitation for applications for membership extended, but not one woman teacher applied, although many were eligible.

THE LADIES PARTICIPATE.

In June, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, a State Institute convened, and the society held several meetings, which were duly announced with the customary invitations, but still, although many men teachers joined the society, the women teachers held coquettishly aloof, and not one applied to be admitted.

In May, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, at the meeting of the last State Institute, our persistent courting was rewarded with a fair measure of success. Ten of our fair sisters fell into our arms. In the enthusiasm of the honeymoon, we immediately elected nearly half of them to office. They have done their duty like men, and we love them and are proud of them.

In accordance with the suggestions of the Institute circular, the Institute of May, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, appointed a committee, with Theodore Bradley, Esq., as Chairman, to consider the matter of the formation of a State Society. The preliminary report of this committee resulted in a meeting immediately after the formal adjournment of the Institute, on Saturday, May ninth, eighteen hundred and sixty-three.

At this first meeting, Mr. Bradley was appointed Chairman, and Professor Swezey, Secretary. A committee, consisting of Messrs. Bradley, Holmes, Swezey, Pelton and Marks, was appointed to draw up a Constitution for the proposed society, and certain instructions were given for their guidance.

At the second meeting, on Saturday evening, May sixteenth, Mr. Ellis Holmes was appointed Chairman, and Bernhard Marks, Secretary. Mr. Bradley, from the Committee on Constitution, presented a well considered instrument, which was received and the committee discharged. The proposed Constitution was then taken up, article by article, and received a very thorough discussion through this and three succeeding weekly meetings.

At the fifth meeting, June sixth, the first Constitution was adopted. The first officers elected under the Constitution were: President, Hon. John Swett; Recording Secretary, Bernhard Marks; Corresponding Secretary, T. C. Leonard; Treasurer, J. C. Pelton. June eighteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, the society assumed the publication of the California Teacher, and elected, as a Board of Editors: Hon. John Swett, Superintendent of Public Instruction; George Tait, Esq., Superintendent of the San Francisco schools, and Prof. Samuel I. C. Swezey. In June, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, George. W. Minns was elected President.

In August, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, Theodore Bradley, Esq., became President of the society. The present Constitution was adopted in April, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven. At this time there were only twenty-six members. James Denman was elected President in May of this year, and was succeeded by D. C. Stone, Esq., June, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight. At this time the Constitution was again amended so as to make the State Superintendent ex officio a member of the society. The first women elected as members, August, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, were Mrs. A. E. Dubois, Mrs. C. L. Atwood, Mrs. Aurelia Griffith, Misses Helen M. Thompson, Laura T. Fowler, Mary Pascoe, Jessie Smith, Agnes M. Manning, Jennie Smith and Mary J. Bragg. The present officers are-President, Bernhard Marks; Vice Presidents, E. J. Schellhous and Isaac Upham; Recording Secretary, Mrs. C. L. Atwood; Corresponding Secretary, Miss L. T. Fowler; Treasurer, Professor E. Knowlton; Managing Editor of the California Teacher, Professor A. L. Fitzgerald, and Assistant Editors, Professor H. P. Carlton, Professor E. Knowlton, Miss L. T. Fowler and Miss Clara G. Dolliver. The society now numbers seventy male and ten female members. So much for the past and present; and now a few suggestions and prognostications as to the

FUTURE OF THE SOCIETY.

The time is certainly approaching when the California Educational Society will not only be recognized by the law, but when the law will confide to it all the material interests of the education of the State. It

must be perfectly plain that in consequence of the nature of this organization its members must necessarily be the State's truest and most efficient friends of education; and therefore, that all State Boards, now existing or hereafter to be created, ought to be leavened by delegations from it. The first necessary step to be taken, then, is its incorporation by the Legislature of the State. We have among us plenty of members who are thoroughly familiar with all the particulars pertaining to professional charters; the forms, legal and other, necessary to be complied with, and the means to be adopted, to secure all the advantages that flow from a legal recognition of a professional body. At the proper moment I hope some member will enlighten the society on these topics. The society being recognized by the law, it will not be difficult to see the eminent propriety of requiring it to furnish the State with a State Board of Examiners; to furnish the State Board of Education with its elective members; to be represented in the Board of Regents of the University of California; to take a controlling interest in the professional school, the State Normal School; to have, under the leadership of the State Superintendent, the direction of the State Institutes, and to have imposed upon it, generally, the responsibilities attendant upon educating the people of our State. And it will not be difficult to do all this. Former Legislatures have shown a disposition to treat the educational interests of the State in a liberal mood. With our zealous State Superintendent at our head, we shall be able to so instruct the next Legislature, concerning matters educational, that all our great professional interests will be made to depend upon those whose life-business it is to bring them to perfection. From what we know of Superintendent Fitzgerald's zeal in the cause, and power in the State, we may feel assured that he will do all that any man can do to secure for this society all the powers and privileges to which it is entitled.

And now, in behalf of the California Educational Society, I greet, with cordial welcome, the teachers of our State. I invite to knock at the portals of our house all who claim to be worthy of being admitted. In addition to the obvious requirements, we demand that applicants shall be holders of State life diplomas, or of State educational diplomas. Those teachers who receive monthly copies of their professional journal, the California Teacher, and boast that they seldom read it, are not expected to apply for admission. Those teachers who never read, think or write for their profession, are not expected to apply for admission. Those teachers who never take part in County Institutes are not expected to apply for admission. Those teachers who are teaching only while they are seeking some other employment more congenial or profitable, and who take no interest in any teacher but themselves, are not expected to apply for admission. But those men and women teachers who are not making the teacher's desk a stepping-stone to some avocation higher up in the money market and lower down in moral and intellectual worth, who take an interest in every worthy man and woman in the profession, who read professional works, who read professional journals and write for them, who attend professional meetings and do not consider them bores-those men and women are expected to enroll their names upon what, at no distant day, will surely be the Great Educational Register of California. To all such we extend a most cordial welcome. All who desire to become members may apply to the Examining Committee, through the Recording Secretary, Mrs. Atwood.