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165 



EVENING LECTURES. \^^^\^ 



The Opening Address, delivered Dec. 11, 1890. 



The first meeting of the course of Thursday Evening Lectures, 

 arranged to take place during the winter, was held in the Normal 

 School on the above date, at the advertised time. Dr. J. A. Mac- 

 CaWe, the Principal of the Normal School, opened the meeting by 

 delivering an Address of Welcome. He stated that owing to the fact 

 that they were in the midst of the closing examinations it had been 

 quite impossible for him to prepare the address he had proposed. He 

 had two objects in view in granting the use of the Normal School 

 Lecture room for these Free Popular Lectures, which he was certain 

 could not but be of great value to the students attending the school and 

 to the citizens of Ottawa. The first object was to show, as expressed 

 ill the title, that "Science" was given on the programme for his address 

 '' an aid to general education," the second was a very easy and pleasant 

 one, namely, to extend to the members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' 

 Club and their friends a very hearty welcome. 



Speaking of the educational value of science he drew attention to 

 the fact that no one was too old to leavn — the time never came to any- 

 one when he could say he had finished his education. A person's edu- 

 cation was always progressing, and was influenced by every person or 

 object with which he came into contact. Taking this into considera- 

 tion, he said we all must appreciate that the great fountain and source 

 of knowledge lies outside the class-room, and is not found in text books 

 alone, but must be sought in the great world of Nature. Teachers are 

 frequently told to study Nature's methods ; he would go further and 

 say : Study Nature herself. 



Speaking of the good work which had been already done by the 

 club, Dr. MacCabe foresaw great advantages from the present course of 

 lectures, not only to the Normal School and the city of Ottawa, but to 

 the whole district. 



He concluded by wishing the club every success, and then intro- 

 duced Dr. Ells, the president of the club, who delivered the fol- 

 lowing ; — 



