The National Educational 

 Association. 



NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER. 



THE letters "N. E. A." stand for the National Educational Association, 

 it is the largest and most Influential body of teachers in the whole 

 world. University presidents have presided over Its sessions; and two 

 Presidents of the United States have attended and addressed its 

 meetings. It has corresponding members in foreign countries and 

 active members in every State and Territory of the Union. Teachers 

 and all who are actively associated v/ith the management of educational 

 Institutions, including libraries and periodicals, may become active members 

 upon an application indorsed by two active members and the payment of 

 an enrollment fee of two dollars and the annual dues for the current year. 

 All others who pay the annual membership fee of two dollars may become 

 associate members. Eminent educators not residing in America may be 

 elected corresponding members, but their number shall at no time exceed 

 fifty. It was organized at Philadelphia in 1857 as the National Teachers' 

 Association. Hence it will celebrate its jubilee two years hence. In 1871 

 at the St. Louis meeting its name was changed to National Educational 

 Association. In addition to the National Council it has seventeen depart- 

 ments whose sessions are devoted to special phases of education. 



The association counts its active members by the thousand and its 

 associate members by tens of thousands. The former only have the right 

 to vote and to hold office. They regularly receive the annual volume of 

 Proceedings, as well as reports giving the results of investigations conducted 

 under the auspices of the association. Associate members receive the 

 volume of Proceedings upon application, in accordance with the coupon 

 conditions printed on the certificate of membership. The next annual 

 meeting will be held at San Francisco during the week of July 9-14, 1906. 

 Four cities v/ere rivals in the effort to secure this meeting, and San Fran- 

 cisco, backed by the railway officials of the Southern Pacific and the Santa 

 Fe systems, won In the contest. The department presidents have been 

 invited to meet the executive committee at the Auditorium Hotel in Chicago 

 on the Friday and Saturday before New Year for the purpose of arranging 

 an attractive program and of agreeing upon the speakers. The various lines 

 of railway which constitute the Trans-Continental Passenger Association 

 have agreed to offer a round-trip rate of one lowest normal first-class limited 

 fare, plus the membership fee of two dollars, for tickets going and returning 

 via regular direct routes; and it is believed that the other passenger associa- 

 tions will take similar action early in January. There will be the usual 

 addition for tickets going by one route and returning by another. The dates 

 of sale from points east of but including Colorado common points (Cheyenne 

 to Trinidad inclusive) and east of El Paso and Dalhart will be from June 25 

 to July 7, 1906. From Colorado common points (Cheyenne to Trinidad 

 inclusive) and west thereof, and from El Paso, Dalhart, and west thereof, 

 the dates of sale will be from June 26 to July 8, 1906. The final limit will 

 be September 15, 1906. 



Under the favorable rates and time limits which the Trans-Continental 

 Passenger Association has agreed to offer, teachers and tourists can arrange 

 to spend the summer on the Pacific Coast and return to their homes better 

 fitted to teach geography, geology and history, as well as thoroughly filled 

 with the enthusiasm which always characterizes the meetings of the asso- 

 ciation and which is so essential to the highest success in the schoolroom. 

 Multitudes of teachers in the Mississippi Valley and on the Atlantic Slope 

 are now planning to go to the Pacific Coast, and large excursion parties 

 from the East will cross the Rocky Mountains to attend the next meeting. 

 In 1899 the attendance at Los Angeles reached a total of 13,666 members, 

 and the San Francisco meeting in 1906 will without doubt attract still 



