168 THEISLAND ACADIANS 
     
    
   
   
    
     1 might say that the [convention] opened a new era in Acadian educational 
     
     matters in the Province. As this coming together of the Acadian teachers is to 
     
     be henceforth an annual occurence, I look forward with pleasure to the great 
     
     good these meetings are capable of accomplishing [...] Conventions of this 
     
     nature are necessary, as the teachers have not only to ground their pupils in 
     
     the English language but also in the French. The Acadian teachers are peculiarly 
     
     situated in this respect.'® 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Acadian Teachers’ Association met every year, usually for two 
     
     days during the month of August, until 1971. The convention was 
     
     attended by most Acadian teachers, along with priests from Acadian 
     
     parishes, Acadian public figures, and a large number of parents mainly 
     
     from the parish where it was held. 
     
    

    
     Every year several teachers or other concerned individuals were 
     
     invited to talk about teaching and the French language. The audience 
     
     was encouraged to comment on the content of these presentations 
     
     which formed the basis of the meetings. For example, at the eighteenth 
     
     convention held in Tignish in 1910 seven people gave presentations 
     
     on the following topics: 
     
    
   
   
    
     —The Role of Religion in Public Education, J.-H. Blanchard 
     
     —Corporal Punishment, Denis D. Arsenault 
     
    

    
     —The Noél Method, Jean O. Arsenault 
     
    

    
     —Our Duties as Teachers, Théodore Gallant 
     
    

    
     —The Language Spoken in the Home, Arséne Arsenault 
     
     —Our Language, Adrien Arsenault 
     
    

    
     — Advice to Young Teachers, Marin Gallant (TR) 
     
    
   
   
    
     For several years, a session was reserved for answering questions 
     
     submitted by the participants on various subjects ranging from gram- 
     
     matical difficulties to proper ways of “stimulating the pupils’ ambition 
     
     and curiosity” (TR). The agenda also included religious services, a 
     
     variety concert and guest speakers. The conventions would close with 
     
     the adoption ofa series of motions proposing ways to increase teachers’ 
     
     salaries or obtain more French schoolbooks or make Acadian history 
     
     better known, and expressing thanks to all the people who had sup- 
     
     ported the Association in one way or another. The following example 
     
     gives the text of a resolution adopted in 1930: