ART. ] PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 85

97. For the purpose of organizing teachers' associations and
deciding upon the places of assembling, the president of the
board shall convene the teachers of contiguous districts, embra-
cing at least twenty-five schools, who may select a president
and secretary, and adopt such by-laws as may be deemed ex-
pedient; the president shall arrange the time of meeting of the
several associations, that he may attend all or as many as
practicable.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

98. A Teachers' Institute shall be held once in each year, to
continue at least six days in every county that contains fifty
teachers; whenever a county has less than fifty teachers, it may
then unite with an adjacent county; provided, the joint number
of teachers does not exceed one hundred.

99. It shall be the duty of every teacher, under the penalty
of not less than five and not more than twenty-five dollars, to
attend the institute and remain throughout its entire session,
unless excused by the president of the county school board.

100. It shall be the duty of the president of the boards of
county school commissioners, to notify each teacher of the time
and place of meeting of the institute.

101. These institutes being designed as temporary Normal
Schools, shall be presided over by the State Superintendent, or
a Professor of the State Normal School, assisted by such mem-
bers of the board of school commissioners who may elect to
attend.

102. During the session of the institute, there shall be a
vacation of the schools, and an appropriation shall be made by
the board of school commissioners of the county, to pay the
traveling expenses of the teachers; the president of the county
boards shall select the place of assembling, and make such
arrangements as will secure to the teachers a hospitable recep-
tion, and as far as practicable, freedom from expense for board
during the session.