NCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 COUNCIL HELD AT ST. HELENA 
 CALIFORNIA, JUNE 4 to 14, 1915 
 
Council Proceedings 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Joint Council of the Educational and 
 Missionary Volunteer Departments 
 of the North American Division 
 Conference of Seventh-day 
 Adventists, 
 
 Held at 
 
 Pacific Union College 
 St. Helena, California 
 June 4 to 14 , 1915 
 
 Published by 
 
 Review and Herald Publishing Association 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2019 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/councilproceedinOOgene 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 We are glad to present to those interested in our educational and 
 young people’s work, the report of the proceedings of the Educational 
 and Missionary Volunteer Council, held at St. Helena, Cal., June 
 4 to 14, 1915. This report includes not only the Council pro¬ 
 ceedings, but certain results growing out of the work of the six con¬ 
 ventions held in our various college districts after the Council. These 
 conventions were held at Pacific Union College, St. Helena, Cal.; 
 Walla Walla College, College Place,'Wash.; Union College, College 
 View, Nebr.; Emmanuel Missionary College, Berrien Springs, Mich.; 
 Washington Missionary College, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.; 
 the Southern Training School, Graysville, Tenn. 
 
 Without question, this Council and the series of conventions con¬ 
 stituted the strongest Educational and Missionary Volunteer effort 
 we have ever made. The Council was made up of a representative 
 delegation from every part of the North American Division. The 
 great majority of the educational superintendents and secretaries, 
 the Missionary Volunteer secretaries, and the teachers of our schools 
 were in attendance at the conventions. The plans adopted were 
 progressive and comprehensive, and will influence the work of these 
 Departments for a long time to come. 
 
 The sessions of the two Departments were held alternately, but 
 as the proceedings could not be arranged to advantage in that way, 
 they are grouped separately in two parts, with those of certain joint 
 sessions appearing in the first part. 
 
 At each of the conventions the actions taken by the Council 
 were presented, and the general interests of the work of the two De¬ 
 partments were considered. It was understood at the Council that 
 requests for any changes or additions to actions pertaining to education 
 could be introduced at any of the conventions, and after consideration 
 by the subsequent conventions, would be acted upon by ballot through 
 the mail. This plan was carried out, and a considerable number of 
 questions were voted upon in writing by all the delegates to the Council 
 and all the Department members. The results of these ballots have 
 been incorporated in the proceedings of the Council as an integral 
 part of it. 
 
 This report is an effort to make more permanent the results of 
 these meetings, and to bring to all who are interested in the salvation 
 and training of our children and young people, something of the in¬ 
 spiration and help which were received by those who attended. 
 
 Frederick Griggs, Sec'y Ed. Dept. 
 
 M. E. Kern, Sec'y Mis. Vol. Dept. 
 
6 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 We pray thee, dear Father, to remove everything from us that 
 would hinder the free working of thy Spirit. The work which thou 
 hast committed to our charge for the young people is so great that 
 no one can do it but thee. We are weak, we feel our weakness; we 
 know that we cannot do it. Therefore we pray thee to help us to 
 consecrate ourselves to thee right at the beginning of this service, to 
 confess our sins, and to let thy Spirit cleanse us from everything that 
 might mar thy work here, so that thou canst work mightily in us all 
 and instruct us freely. May we remove every obstacle so that thou 
 mayest work, and that the imprint of heaven may be stamped upon 
 this meeting, upon this Council, and upon what shall be decided. 
 
 So, dear Father, we put ourselves into thy hands. We pray thee 
 to work among us and in us and through us as only an infinite God 
 can work, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. 
 
 F. Griggs: Let us sing No. 664. This is a good song. The sen¬ 
 timent is appropriate for the beginning of this Council. 
 
 Words of Welcome 
 
 C. W. Irwin: We have looked forward with great pleasure to the 
 time when we should have the privilege of seeing once more those 
 who are associated with us in this great work of educating and train¬ 
 ing our youth; and we are pleased that this time has come tonight, 
 and that under such favorable auspices and circumstances we can 
 meet together in the very opening of this Council. 
 
 We wish to tell you, at the very beginning, that all we have is 
 yours,— our climatic conditions, which we hope will be favorable, 
 though we cannot promise, they are yours; our nice spring water is 
 yours, all you want to drink; the bounties of our table are yours; 
 and our musicians will do all that they can for you. So tonight we 
 wish to tell you that whatever we can do for your pleasure we shall 
 be only too pleased to do. 
 
 We have met here as a company of fellow workers in a great cause. 
 As I look over this audience tonight, I see a large number of those 
 with whom I have been associated in the past. I see schoolmates 
 with whom I have attended college; I see also those who have been 
 my teachers in times past; and I see those who have been my students. 
 I take personal pleasure in extending a hearty welcome to you all. 
 Above all, I am sure that the Spirit of God is present tonight, and 
 he welcomes us. 
 
 As I have thought over this occasion, and its opportunities and 
 privileges, it has seemed to me that it may mark a very great step 
 in our work. We are living, as we all know, in the very closing mo- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 7 
 
 ments of this world’s history. The time is ripe for us to lay the very 
 wisest plans for the propagation of the work that is before us. 
 
 I wish to say this, that as we meet here on this occasion, I trust 
 that we are all praying that God will guide us in the deliberations of 
 the Council. As Brother Evans read to us tonight, the Spirit of God 
 is willing and anxious to teach all of his children; and I believe that he 
 is endeavoring to fit us up for a much greater work than we have 
 yet done. 
 
 Now, Professor Griggs and Professor Kern, we turn over to you 
 the keys of this institution, and we trust that the Spirit of the Great 
 Teacher will guide you both in carrying forward the work of the 
 Council. 
 
 Response 
 
 M. E. Kern: It is a great privilege, I feel, to be here. We who 
 live on the other side of the continent have also looked forward with 
 great anticipation and great pleasure to this night. Personally I 
 have always felt that the Council ought to be held here, and I was 
 very glad when the turn of affairs came that made it possible for us 
 to hold the meeting here. It seems to me that this place that has 
 been so generously turned over to us is an ideal one for holding a 
 meeting of this kind. I have thought since coming here a few hours 
 ago of the contrast between this place and some other places that I 
 have visited recently as suitable for such a meeting. Here in the 
 mountains that God has piled up, under his trees, in this beautiful 
 situation, is an ideal place for men and women who are seeking for 
 wisdom to know how to guide the youth of the denomination, to meet 
 and ask God to give it. 
 
 Then, too, the surroundings otherwise — the people who live here 
 being in perfect accord and sympathy with the objects of this meet¬ 
 ing — make it an ideal place to hold the meeting. These very walls 
 and buildings, built with the sacrifice of people who believe in this 
 advent message, who believe that Jesus is coming soon, help to make 
 an atmosphere which ought to bring out the best there is in us, and 
 bring down from heaven the best that God has for us, in this blessed 
 meeting. 
 
 There is one statement, given many years ago by the servant of 
 God, that has made a deep impression upon my mind. It is the first 
 sentence in the old book "Christian Education:” "It is the nicest 
 work ever assumed by men and women to deal with youthful minds.” 
 As I have thought of this delicate work, and feared lest my clumsy 
 hand should mar the part that I have had to do in it, I have ear¬ 
 nestly longed for wisdom that I might know how to do my part right. 
 
8 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 It seems to me tonight that if I had the choice that was given to 
 Solomon, to ask the thing that my heart desires most, with the assur¬ 
 ance that God would give it to me, it would be that I might know 
 how to direct and guide the minds of our developing young people 
 into those channels that will make their lives a success and make them 
 workers in the cause of God. 
 
 I feel, dear brethren and sisters, that we have a great problem. 
 I do not believe there is a company assembled anywhere in the earth 
 today, or ever will be assembled, with more important problems, more 
 important themes to discuss, than we have here. 
 
 I am thankful for this hearty welcome that has been given us since 
 we arrived, and even before we arrived; and I believe that we shall all 
 together earnestly seek God and study that we may know how to do 
 the work that God has given us to do. This meeting is being held 
 at a great cost in money and time; and for my part I am exceedingly 
 anxious that this shall be no ordinary meeting, but that it shall be 
 an extraordinary meeting; that we shall, as Professor Irwin has sug¬ 
 gested, see this Council mark a new epoch in our work. It should 
 be so; it must be so. 
 
 In behalf of the Missionary Volunteer Department, we accept the 
 welcome you have extended to us, and we unite with you who are 
 located here, in the study of the great problem of the salvation and 
 training of our young people. 
 
 F. Griggs: I am certain that no more hearty welcome could be 
 extended to us than you have extended, in turning over to us the keys 
 to the institution. And I am very glad that the keys have been 
 turned over, for I believe there is stored up here a wealth of good will 
 and kindness, and I am glad to get at such stores for myself, and I am 
 sure that we all are. We do most heartily appreciate the kindly 
 welcome which has been accorded us. 
 
 Ever since it was decided that our Council should be held here, I 
 have been glad, because I think it will be a great help to our work 
 as a whole,— to the young people’s work and the educational work, 
 thus bringing together all these workers in the North American Di¬ 
 vision, from the East to the West, and the West to the East, all en¬ 
 gaged in the one great work. 
 
 Our brethren from the West have again and again come to the 
 East to attend councils; but this is the first time that we have held a 
 general educational council on the Coast. I am glad that so many 
 of us can have the privilege of seeing this beautiful land, for it is a 
 privilege; and I wish it were possible for all the teachers in the North 
 American Division to be with us tonight. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 9 
 
 Now, as has been indicated, it is very important that at the very 
 beginning of this meeting we should sense its meaning, its relation to 
 this great second advent movement. We believe that we have the 
 largest work in all the earth, and as Professor Kern has said, there 
 is no meeting being held in the world today that is really, in truth, 
 fraught with greater interests, greater possibilities, in which heaven 
 itself is more deeply interested, than in our meeting here tonight. 
 
 At the very heart of this great movement lies the work for our 
 young people. We have come here to better understand our work, 
 and to get a glimpse of what it means to the work of God, this great 
 finishing work of God. We have a noble heritage: Christ was a 
 teacher. We have a wonderful calling,— the imparting of knowledge, 
 the imparting of character, the imparting of life. We need to sense 
 the sacredness of our calling. 
 
 I am glad that our meeting is beginning on the Sabbath. We have 
 these hours in which, at the very commencement of our Council, we 
 can consecrate ourselves to God. Consecration is a personal matter; 
 so let us take time during these hours for holy contemplation, time 
 for prayer, time for special consecration, for we are very anxious that 
 from this meeting there shall go an impulse that may be felt not only 
 in the North American Division Conference, but in the remotest cor¬ 
 ners of the earth. 
 
 EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS AND POLICIES 
 
 FREDERICK GRIGGS 
 
 The circumstances under which we meet in this Council demand 
 an expression of gratitude for the message in whose proclamation we 
 are engaged, and for the means which God has provided for its an¬ 
 nouncement.— the printing press, the telegraph, the telephone, and 
 rapid conveyance for the printed page and the messenger of truth, 
 — gratitude that while fierce hatred fills the hearts of nearly all the 
 nations of Christendom, comparative peace reigns in our own land. 
 Our people are not in poverty. It is ours to help rather than to be 
 helped. We are grateful to God for the liberty of our homeland, 
 the land in which this last glorious message of salvation had its birth. 
 We are glad for peace and abundance. But we must know that for 
 all these mercies God will bring us to account, and lay on us a debt, 
 not only to the people of our own land, but to those of all climes. 
 And may God still preserve to us our liberties, that we may the more 
 effectively advance his cause of eternal peace. 
 
10 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 At the beginning of our Council it is well for us to recognize its 
 importance. The men who have wrought great service for God and 
 their fellow men have been those who have felt the greatness of their 
 mission. John the Baptist knew that he was the voice of God; Jesus 
 Christ knew that he was the Sent of God; Paul continually felt the 
 constraint of his charge to the world; and Jeremiah felt his burden 
 of reproof as a fire burning within his bones, from which he vainly 
 sought to escape. It is only when men feel the weight of the commis¬ 
 sion of heaven that they can perform its work. It is only as we realize 
 the awfully solemn import of this last message of salvation to a 
 perishing world that we can ever be anointed of God to preach it. 
 
 Education in its true sense is identical with the gospel of salvation. 
 Its purpose is the restoration of the image of God in the soul, the 
 harmonious development of all the powers of being, physical, mental, 
 and spiritual, into a perfect personality. No educative effort is strong 
 unless it be inspired by a strong motive; and no motive could be 
 greater, stronger, or more inspiring than that presented to us in the 
 education of the children and youth, namely, that of becoming co¬ 
 workers with Christ, and being fitted to reign with him as kings and 
 priests. And this is not rhetoric, but reality. 
 
 We are met in a council of two departments whose united work 
 lies at the very heart of this great second advent movement. It is 
 the first time since the organization of the Missionary Volunteer and 
 Educational Departments that we have thus met for mutual confer¬ 
 ence concerning our common cause. The work of these departments 
 is one; they differ only in the field of their activities. Our one interest 
 is the salvation of every child in every Adventist home; but this can 
 be accomplished only as we educate and train our noble army for serv¬ 
 ice. This united study of our mutual problems, which we shall make 
 in this Council, must inevitably result in a great increase in the effi¬ 
 ciency and strength of each department, and in the more rapid ad¬ 
 vancement of this last glorious message of salvation to a world fast 
 hastening to its doom. 
 
 Organization and Finance 
 
 The problems of organization and finance are many, varied, and 
 pressing. An interesting and perhaps profitable hour might be spent 
 in tracing the growth and development of our educational work; but 
 with this, most of us are more or less familiar. The growth of our 
 schools during the last seven years has been truly phenomenal. The 
 average annual increase in the enrollment of our church schools has 
 been nearly one thousand pupils. This has been accomplished only 
 because of the spirit of unity and cooperation, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 11 
 
 Notwithstanding all this, there has been a looseness in the man¬ 
 agement of our work which has resulted in waste of money and effort. 
 More than one school has been established and heavy obligations in¬ 
 curred, and losses, educational as well as financial, have been sus¬ 
 tained for want of thorough, careful, practical supervision. In a 
 way, our churches and conferences have been “a law unto themselves.” 
 But now, while we must sacredly preserve this right of local control, 
 — a right in itself, but made more necessary because of financial 
 responsibility,— we must yet seek for greater cooperation between 
 the different grades of our schools, and for a more effective organ¬ 
 ization. 
 
 In the past the actions taken in General Conference session and 
 by the Department looking to this more perfect organization and unity, 
 have at times either been forgotten or ignored. It is but natural 
 that the people of a church or conference, or even of a union confer¬ 
 ence, should see in their peculiar circumstances, conditions which 
 seem to them to demand a different treatment from that agreed upon 
 by the general body. Or perhaps they feel their needs so strongly 
 that they forget the action of the general body. It is necessary 
 in any organization, that individual benefits be surrendered for the 
 greater common good of all. This has been the problem of all or¬ 
 ganization, from the Federal and State governments to the simplest 
 form of township organization. It enters into every society and into 
 every home. It is the one problem running all the way from our 
 General Conference to our church organizations. And it is a funda¬ 
 mental question which confronts us today in the strengthening of 
 our organization. 
 
 Every school of every grade, and every teacher working in any 
 class of certification, may have representation either direct or indi¬ 
 rect in the council or conference that passes upon the work which 
 relates to them. This thought has been kept in mind in the organi¬ 
 zation of this present Council. We have sought to have the proper 
 representation from all grades of our schools and all classes of our 
 teaching force; and while it can only be naturally expected that the 
 legislation enacted here in this Council will not meet the ideas of 
 all, and may in some instances seem to work a hardship to some, 
 yet for the common good of all, we most earnestly bespeak a spirit 
 of loyalty to the actions of this Council, here and hereafter. I do 
 not go too far when I say that the work of this Council will be the 
 more easily performed if the members enter into the spirit of the ma¬ 
 jority rule — the spirit of concession. 
 
 In this connection I recall our Educational Convention of 1906, 
 held at College View. It was at this convention that we sought for 
 
12 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 an establishment of curricula for our schools. Some of our schools 
 were running without a curriculum, and a few of them felt strongly 
 opposed to the plan. Over and again during that convention the 
 chairman stated that there was nothing binding upon any school to 
 adopt the curricula being worked out; that we were seeking only for 
 some basis of general uniformity; and that any school might adopt or 
 in any way modify the courses of study suggested by the convention, 
 or might continue to run as some were, without any advanced course. 
 It was interesting to note that within the next two or three years 
 these suggested courses outlined by the convention had very ma¬ 
 terially influenced and changed the courses in the various schools. 
 But there is yet quite a diversity in our courses of study, units 
 of credit, length of recitation, and school term — differences which 
 weaken our work as a whole. 
 
 Has not the time fully arrived when we should determine that we 
 will conform to the actions of this Council in all matters of courses, 
 as well as in all other matters, except where it may be found neces¬ 
 sary to do otherwise because of unavoidable lack of facilities either 
 in teaching force or equipment; and that we shall seek to adjust our 
 teaching force and equipment at the earliest possible moment to bring 
 them into perfect line and unity with the whole body? Adaptation 
 is one of the laws of growth. 
 
 We have thirteen standing committees that are to report to this 
 Council. Some of these committees will make reports that, if adopted, 
 will demand important changes, and will hold us to standards that 
 mean strong effort on our part. Now I most earnestly bespeak each 
 delegate to pledge himself to this spirit of loyal cooperation. I am 
 not asking for this because the officers of the Department have any 
 legislation that we want to force through. We do have measures that 
 we desire to see passed, but we ourselves pledge to abide by the ma¬ 
 jority rule. The remark attributed to Ben Franklin at the time of 
 the signing of the Declaration of Independence, has equal applica¬ 
 tion here at this Council: “We must all hang together, or we shall 
 hang separately.” 
 
 I do not, by what I have said on this point of unity, intend to 
 convey the idea that the majority are always right, nor to intimate 
 that in matters of conscience we are bound to do as they may legis¬ 
 late; but in matters of policy such as we will have before us here, 
 we who may be in the minority on any question may well, for the 
 sake of unity and for the greater good of one cause, work in the har¬ 
 ness of the majority, while cheerfully biding our time until the ma¬ 
 jority shall discover the righteousness of our contention and acclaim 
 us men of wisdom. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 13 
 
 I speak thus at length upon this question of unity and suggest it 
 so strongly because I regard it as vital to the rapid, healthy growth 
 of our work. I have visited all our colleges, nearly all our academies, 
 and have conferred much with those in charge of our elementary 
 schools during the past year, and I find throughout and on the part 
 of each educator an earnest desire to meet the mind of God and the 
 needs of our message in our educational undertakings. And I most 
 earnestly inquire of you, my fellow teachers, has not the time now 
 fully come — and indeed has it not always been with us — when we of 
 one school should no longer decry the efforts of its struggling neigh¬ 
 bors? There are too many imperfections in each of our schools and 
 in each of us as workers to make it fitting for us to speak of the im¬ 
 perfections of others. So from now on we will unitedly seek in our 
 work to eradicate the evil and implant the good. 
 
 Efficiency in Supervision a Means of Growth 
 
 Among the many problems of our schools grouping themselves 
 under the larger one of organization and finance, lies that of greater 
 efficiency in our teaching force and school supervision. And this is 
 particularly evident in our elementary schools, many of which are in 
 woeful need of competent and thorough supervision. This is brought 
 about by two main causes: First, the majority of our superintendents 
 are loaded up with other duties so that they do not have time for 
 this work; and second, some persons are chosen to act as superintend¬ 
 ents who are unqualified from lack of education and experience. 
 
 It is here that the financial problem enters. It would seem that 
 these problems are incapable of solution, and that our work will con¬ 
 tinue to be inefficient until our people are more thoroughly aroused 
 to the importance of their duty in the education of their children. 
 
 But the problem now turns back upon itself, for it takes time and 
 effort to arouse our people to the importance of our church schools, 
 and this in part is the work of the superintendent whose services we 
 lack. “How can we hear without a preacher?” Further, the term 
 of service of our whole force, superintendence and lay, is altogether 
 too short and variable for successful work; we must earnestly seek for 
 more competent and continuous service. 
 
 We have come to the place in the development of our school work 
 where in general it may be said that there is a church school in the 
 majority of churches where one can be established and conducted 
 with reasonable ease. And now if new schools are established, time 
 must be spent and earnest work done by the superintendent in public 
 meetings, in fireside talks, and in providing ways and means for the 
 
14 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 school. This Council should give careful consideration to this mat¬ 
 ter, and express itself strongly on the duty of our conferences to pro¬ 
 vide efficient supervision, and then we must work most earnestly to 
 make such action effective. The growth of our advanced schools 
 will be measured most largely by the increase of our elementary schools. 
 
 It is not a good financial policy on the part of our conferences, to 
 allow the children of our churches to attend worldly schools. If they 
 had proper supervision, such a condition would not exist. I re¬ 
 cently heard a conference president say that in one of the oldest 
 churches in his conference, by actual count, sixty-two young people 
 had drifted out of the truth, into the world, and were lost to the 
 cause. He said: — 
 
 “We had no school there, and the people felt that they could not 
 afford the high rate at our union school. The Presbyterian Church 
 established a very creditable school in their midst, with education 
 practically free. Some of our people sent their children there rather 
 than let them grow up in ignorance, as this school was better than 
 the free school. As a result, in one family all the young people are 
 members of that church, and one young man has become a Presby¬ 
 terian minister.” 
 
 The conference is now employing an educational secretary, and 
 their churches are arousing to the situation and are maintaining 
 church schools at a great financial sacrifice. 
 
 The president further said: “We have come to the conclusion that 
 the salvation of our churches in this State is in the training of the 
 children and youth in our schools.” This same condition is doubtless 
 duplicated in scores and perhaps hundreds of instances. 
 
 We must enter upon a campaign of publicity. We should have 
 reliable information concerning each of our children and youth. There 
 should be the closest cooperation between the Missionary Volunteer 
 and the Educational workers in securing this information. And we 
 should at this time lay plans to this end. Every young man and 
 woman in our ranks should be enrolled in our schools, either in the 
 correspondence school or in one of the resident schools. 
 
 Efficiency in the Spiritual and Social Work of Our School Life 
 
 It is the personal touch of the Christian teacher that most strongly 
 influences the growth of noble characters in the students. While 
 every teacher is responsible for securing this cordially helpful relation 
 between himself and every one of his pupils, yet upon those in charge 
 of students away from their homes this responsibility rests most 
 heavily. The president and his wife, the preceptor and his wife, and 
 
COUNCIL PEOCEEDINGS 
 
 15 
 
 the preceptress and matron are those most heavily charged with this 
 matter. I wish it noted that I have mentioned the wives of the head 
 of the school and the preceptor, for I regard these women as occu¬ 
 pying a place of large consequence in the spiritual and social atmos¬ 
 phere of a school. And I believe that our preceptors should be mar¬ 
 ried men whose wives have the faculty of securing to the young men 
 a charming, refined home atmosphere. 
 
 This work on the part of the president and those in charge of the 
 school homes requires an amount of time far beyond what in general 
 has been allowed. In nearly all our schools the president is business 
 manager, and the preceptor and preceptress are carrying heavy and 
 perhaps full teaching work. Has not the time come when “it is not 
 reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables”? 
 There is a great loss to us in our failure to give these workers time to 
 enter into and influence the lives of the young people who are away 
 from their homes in a special sense, and of all students in a general 
 sense. Speaking generally, and perhaps not so generally after all, 
 we need a culture, social and spiritual, in our school homes and in 
 the whole school, which we do not and will not have until time is 
 given those who alone most influence such standards of culture, and 
 until such work is demanded of them. 
 
 Financial Budgets 
 
 The financial feature of our schools needs most careful attention. 
 Strict economy should be exercised in all details of management, and 
 plans should be laid for a broad, strong growth. Ample provision 
 should be made for such a teaching force as will enable teachers to do 
 a spiritual and cultural work for their students which is now left 
 undone. Proper facilities in the way of buildings, laboratories, and 
 libraries should be provided.' The rooms should be well lighted and 
 ventilated, the floors and walls and furniture kept clean and in good 
 repair, and the whole culinary and dining-room service should be a 
 model as to healthfulness and proper etiquette. 
 
 All this can be brought about with reasonable expenditure of 
 money, and we must in a sensible way set ourselves to its accomplish¬ 
 ment. There should be prepared each year a careful budget of ex¬ 
 penditures and receipts, in which provision is made for necessary im¬ 
 provements and development. It may be necessary to secure funds 
 in addition to those of the regular income, but the amount being 
 known and provided for, there will be no deficit. We have been con¬ 
 ducting our school work on altogether too narrow and parsimo¬ 
 nious a basis, and we need to educate ourselves to a rationally progres- 
 
16 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 sive standard. Money carefully invested in the education of our 
 youth yields the largest returns of any expenditure we can make. 
 
 Our Correspondence and Medical Schools 
 
 We need to address ourselves in a vigorous way to the develop¬ 
 ment of our Correspondence School. We should have thousands of 
 pupils enrolled where now we have hundreds; and it should be in 
 fact one of the largest features of our educational system, as it cer¬ 
 tainly is in principle. 
 
 Proper credit for the work done in the Correspondence School 
 should be allowed by our resident schools. This is one of the most 
 effective ways of increasing their enrollment. While the growth of 
 the Correspondence School has been an encouraging one, having a 
 total enrolment for the five years of its existence of 906, yet this is 
 pitiably small when we consider the demands of our cause for this 
 school. 
 
 The time is here when this school should be given a different stand¬ 
 ing than it has had. Instead of having one man devoting a portion 
 of his time to its interests, together with a little assistance in the prep¬ 
 aration and examination of lessons, there should be a regular staff of 
 teachers, each a specialist in the field of study in which he instructs, 
 devoting their entire time to the work of the school. 
 
 We must put more of our heart into the upbuilding of this school. 
 To him who gives there shall be given. The energy which we expend 
 in placing this school on a proper foundation and causing it to grow, 
 will result in a harvest for each of our resident schools. We must 
 be more unselfish in our work. 
 
 During the last five or six years medical education has received a 
 great deal of attention by us. The medical college at Loma Linda is 
 just sending out its second graduating class. There are many per¬ 
 plexities confronting the work of this school, both scholastic and 
 financial, to which this Council may most properly address itself. 
 
 Department Sections 
 
 The Berrien Springs Convention outlined and established the fol¬ 
 lowing sections of the Educational Department: Administrative, 
 Bible, History, Science, Language, English, Normal, Industrial, 
 Music, Homes, Medical, Mathematics, Public Speaking, and Com¬ 
 mercial. This plan of organization provided for a secretary as sole 
 officer of each section. It is the duty of the secretary to act as a me¬ 
 dium of communication for all the members of the section, to appoint 
 committees when necessary to carry forward the work of the section, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 17 
 
 to give attention to problems concerning the teachers of his depart¬ 
 ment, and to recommend books and helps to be used by the teachers 
 in their work. 
 
 As a matter of fact, not very much has been accomplished by these 
 sections, and yet they were organized to meet a great need, which 
 still exists. The teachers of our various departments, such for in¬ 
 stance as history and mathematics, do not have the opportunity of 
 mutual conference, and there needs to be a medium of communica¬ 
 tion to assist them in strengthening their work by mutual suggestions 
 and cooperation. This cannot be carried out to the best advantage 
 by one not connected with the departments in which help is sought. 
 The reason for the inefficiency of these sections is due undoubtedly 
 to the press of work upon the secretaries. 
 
 This Council should give consideration to the work of these sec¬ 
 tions. Either they should be discontinued, or steps should be taken to 
 make them effective. In the nature of the case it would seem to be 
 wise to take the latter course. 
 
 Our Schools and the Ministry 
 
 The greatest purpose of our schools, if indeed not the only purpose, 
 is to develop evangelistic workers. The ministry of the word is in¬ 
 deed God’s highest calling to man. No class of workers sent forth 
 from our schools should have higher standards of intellectual and spir¬ 
 itual attainment than those entering the ministry. Our ministerial 
 courses should require the full sixteen grades, and to this end our 
 academies should be discouraged from giving special ministerial 
 courses. This is not saying that no one should enter the ministry 
 until he has completed such courses of instruction, nor is it saying 
 that men may not take special studies for the ministry without taking 
 a full course; but it is saying that the intellectual standard established 
 by the school for the ministry should be as high as that for any other 
 calling. 
 
 Business Education 
 
 In the development of our work there is a growing need for compe¬ 
 tent business men and office help. It is painfully apparent that the 
 efficiency of the office force of our institutions and conferences is 
 greatly impaired by the lack of properly trained workers, and this 
 lack harks back to the prerequisites for the business courses. Our 
 accountants and stenographers should have a good general educa¬ 
 tion. There has come to the Department of Education from our 
 offices a demand that the prerequisites for graduation from our busi¬ 
 ness courses should be twelve grades of work. 
 
18 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Our Relation to the Book Work 
 
 The phenomenal development of our publishing work has made it 
 one of the most important features of our cause. There has been a 
 growing spirit of cooperation between the schools and the publishing 
 workers, which has been mutually beneficial. The growth of this 
 work seems to demand a special preparation for it,— the education 
 of men and women who will devote their lives to this line of effort. 
 To this end it may be necessary to introduce into our curricula courses 
 specially adapted for the training of such workers. 
 
 Higher Spiritual and Intellectual Standards 
 
 I have mentioned a few of the most apparent problems in our 
 educational work, which confront us at the opening of this Council, 
 and to which we should most earnestly address ourselves. I have 
 now to call your attention to what I consider the most serious and the 
 most intricate problem, the one hardest of solution, and the one whose 
 solution is fundamental to that of all other problems,— the develop¬ 
 ment of a force of great teachers in the Christian meaning of the term. 
 
 To meet the demands of this message we must have a corps of 
 teachers of the highest training. They must be men and women of 
 vision, strong of body, sound of intellect, and exalted in character. 
 Teaching is a great art. It has a great history and a great mission. 
 Our Lord took unto himself the name of Teacher, and he did his work 
 as a teacher. He spake with great authority because he was that 
 which he taught. And here lies the hiding of the Christian teacher’s 
 power: He must be all he wishes his pupils to be. He must live the 
 religion of Jesus Christ which he teaches. The Great Teacher said, 
 ‘‘I am the way, the truth, and the life;” and the words that he spoke 
 were spirit and life and power, because they came from one in whom 
 the living God did dwell. 
 
 We here assembled in this Council are leaders of this teaching force, 
 and this standard of life and power will never be erected in the hearts 
 of the teaching body unless we as leaders have it erected in our own 
 hearts. Look at this a moment! We are training our children and 
 youth not simply that they may be saved, but that they also, under 
 God, may be the saviors of others. We are training them for service; 
 but they can never receive this education for service unless their 
 teachers have so much of the spirit of service in themselves that the 
 hearts of the students burn within them as they walk with their 
 teachers along the road of education. And again, these teachers will 
 not have this spiritual power unless we ourselves have it. May God 
 anoint us here in this Council with his heavenly eyesalve, that we 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 19 
 
 may see clearly the greatness of this responsibility, and may he give 
 us hearts to accept it. 
 
 We need teachers of the highest intellectual attainment. There 
 has been a steady growth in our standard of requirements for our 
 teachers. The teachers of our elementary schools are required to 
 meet standards of knowledge and professional training much beyond 
 those of a few years ago. Our intermediate schools and academies 
 are being manned very largely' by those who hold academic degrees. 
 Professors and instructors in our colleges have been encouraged to 
 take postgraduate study, specializing in their different fields of work. 
 A standard for entrance into the ministry is being established; and 
 a spirit of research, critical analysis, and investigation is being en¬ 
 couraged. 
 
 Now this line of intellectual advance is filled with large possibili¬ 
 ties both of good and of evil. Said the prophet of old, “Knowledge 
 shall be increased.” Movements of any importance today are world 
 movements. The telegraph, the telephone, the wireless, and modes 
 of travel have made the world one, and hourly we may know the hap¬ 
 penings of any importance in all the world. All this has increased 
 the possibilities of research and stimulated its spirit. Education is 
 made, not only free, but practically compulsory throughout all Chris¬ 
 tendom. We live in an intellectual age; even the heathen are being 
 awakened. But it is an age of skepticism, doubt, and unbelief. 
 With the increase of knowledge, men have lost faith in the Author 
 of all true knowledge. They have studied his works, but have not 
 recognized his hand in them. 
 
 The hour in which we live demands a high standard of intellect 
 as no previous time has ever demanded it. The messenger of truth 
 must be accurate, logical, and forceful in the presentation of his mes¬ 
 sage. This is the absolute demand which this day makes upon him 
 who heralds truth. And herein lies the need and benefit of the higher 
 educational standards which we are seeking. But herein also lies 
 our danger,— danger that these standards of intellectual attainment 
 shall be simply those required by the world, and that there shall be 
 found in our schools the wisdom of words rather than the words of 
 wisdom. Let us not deceive ourselves. We are in imminent danger 
 of an insidious intermingling of error with truth in our teachings. 
 
 The effort which has been put forth by our medical school to meet 
 State requirements, has called for a corresponding effort on the part 
 of our entire school system. And this in itself is certainly to be 
 commended, for we do not want educational standards in our schools 
 which are in quality and quantity beneath those which the world 
 demands. 
 
20 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 But while we gladly meet the world’s standards in quantity and 
 quality, we cannot meet them in kind, for it is by the world’s wisdom 
 and knowledge that it knows not God. In this matter we contin¬ 
 ually stand at the parting of the ways. We must have strong intel¬ 
 lectual standards, but these standards must be measured by the re¬ 
 quirements of spiritual life and power, rather than by those of temporal 
 life and power. 
 
 Our various courses of study must be selected and our curricula 
 formed with the one thought only of preparing men and women for 
 Christian service. Let me not be misunderstood in this matter: 
 While we may have courses of study in the arts and sciences in name 
 like those of the average courses of schools in general, and while in 
 quality and thoroughness of work we must be below none, yet in the 
 philosophy underlying the study and teaching of these courses we must 
 be absolutely different from the schools of the world. It is only as 
 our teachers have a vision of this great message, and as the spirit of 
 it burns within their bones as a fire, that they will be enabled to steer 
 clear of the shoals and tides of skepticism and the rocks of unbelief. 
 
 I think that in the elevation of the standards of our work which 
 we are making, and which we must still further make, there is creep¬ 
 ing in the world’s idea of higher education; and the young men and 
 women of our advanced schools are fastening their eyes upon the 
 degree rather than upon the thing that the degree stands for. We 
 have had the plainest instruction for years from the servant of the 
 Lord concerning this danger. 
 
 A Graduate School 
 
 Strong standards of teaching and scholarship can be maintained 
 only when those who teach have pursued advanced courses in the 
 fields in which they teach. In a general way we may say that the 
 teacher of eight grades should have had ten, or better still, twelve, 
 grades of work; the teacher in a twelve-grade school should have com¬ 
 pleted fourteen grades; and likewise college teachers eighteen grades 
 of work leading to the master’s degree. It is this last step which, 
 to my mind, is presenting a particular danger and a problem to whose 
 solution we should address ourselves. To secure this advanced work 
 which our colleges are rightfully demanding, our young men and 
 women are attending, because they are obliged to do so, the schools 
 of the world, and this in example and effect is deleteriously influencing 
 our entire school work. Now we must make provision for this 
 graduate work to be done in our own schools, that it may bear the 
 stamp of the message. The safety of our whole educational structure 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 21 
 
 depends upon having at the head of our college departments those 
 who not only value and possess high scholarship, but who are grounded 
 and rooted in the Christian faith,— the distinct message for this 
 hour,— esteeming it dearer than all else besides. 
 
 This question of graduate work has already received considera¬ 
 tion at the hands of some of our college faculties, but as no college is 
 in a situation to introduce and successfully conduct such courses, 
 nothing of consequence has been accomplished. We should now 
 unitedly and unselfishly enter into a move to qualify one of our col¬ 
 leges to do in a most thorough manner this graduate work. 
 
 In making this recommendation to the Council, I wish it under¬ 
 stood that I have no school in mind as the one to do this work. I am 
 simply emphasizing the fact that we should unite in asking the divi¬ 
 sion conference to select and qualify one of our colleges to make ample 
 provision by means of which it may do this advanced work. 
 
 Keep the Purity of the Faith 
 
 Our work demands high standards of intellectual attainment, but 
 for the sake of the truth of God, for the sake of our dear young people, 
 and for the sake of a perishing world, let us as educational leaders 
 here assembled in this Council, solemnly consecrate ourselves, band 
 ourselves together, pledging to each other and to God that we will 
 keep the purity of the faith of Jesus Christ, and not remove the 
 landmarks of this message. 
 
 In my address before our last educational convention held at 
 Berrien Springs in 1910, I quoted these words from the spirit of 
 prophecy: — 
 
 “We are standing upon the threshold of great and solemn events. 
 The whole earth is to be lightened with the glory of the Lord as the 
 waters cover the channels of the great deep. Prophecies are being 
 fulfilled, and stormy times are before us. Old controversies, which 
 have apparently been hushed for a long time, will be revived, and 
 new controversies will spring up; new and old will commingle, and 
 this will take place right early. . . . All heaven is represented to me 
 as watching the unfolding of events. . . . The only rock that is sure 
 and steadfast is the Rock of Ages. Those only who build on this 
 Rock are secure.” 
 
 I then said: “These words are descriptive of our times. The 
 mutterings of the oncoming storm are plainly to be heard, and its 
 clouds are darkening the skies.” The storm of which we then heard 
 but the mutterings, is now upon us; the skies are now dark; the time 
 of trouble has come,—“a time of trouble such as never was since 
 
22 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 there was a nation.” Practically all of Christendom is at war; the 
 heathen are awakened; the foundations of civilization are giving way; 
 men’s hearts are failing them for fear. But in the midst of all this 
 clamor and confusion and strife, this clashing of arms and the din 
 of battles, God will have sounded in clear and certain tones his word 
 of peace; and in this, the greatest hour of earth’s darkness, will the 
 lamp of faith in God shine out the clearest. 
 
 To us and to our beloved fellow workers God has given the inex¬ 
 pressible privilege of being the voice that speaks the word of peace, 
 and of holding aloft the bright light of faith that guides men to 
 heaven. Let us be the truth, that we may teach the truth; for those 
 whom we teach today will be the teachers of tomorrow. And to the 
 end that we may teach them well and truly, let us give greater heed 
 to the study of the Word, to the counsels which God has especially 
 sent to us through his beloved servant, and to that whole-hearted 
 consecration which alone can insure to us success in our holy calling. 
 
 THE CALL TO TEACHING 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily 
 prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, 
 helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 
 
 From this scripture we learn that teaching is a gift from God as 
 truly as is apostleship or prophecy. And those who have received 
 the gift are responsible to God for the use they make of it. 
 
 There are many scriptures which teach that God gives to man the 
 gifts or talents he possesses. For example, i Cor. 7: 17 speaks as 
 if God gives to every man all the talents he has. “As God hath 
 distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every man, so let 
 him walk.” So in the gifts that we possess, differing one from another, 
 we are not superior to one another, except it may be in the sense that 
 we properly use, according to the purpose of God, the gift that he 
 gives, the talent that we possess. If we use it to the glory of God, 
 we have met God’s will; if we in any other way use this talent, we 
 have misused the gift of God, and consequently the blessing of the 
 Lord will not be with us as it would be otherwise. 
 
 So it is when a man has the gift for making money; it is not a 
 thing to be proud of; it is a gift of God, that must be used to the glory 
 of God. See Deut. 8: 17, 18. And so also with mechanical skill. 
 Ex. 31: 1-6. In all these matters of personal talent none of us has 
 anything of which he should boast. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 23 
 
 In the past, in Bible times, God always called men to do the work 
 that he wanted done. He did not leave it to men to select, but God 
 himself did the calling Let us take the history of the flood as an 
 example. God was about to destroy the world. From among all 
 the nations of the world he called one man, Noah, to build the ark; 
 and he gave him a message, together with all the instruction that was 
 needed, to prepare the ark for the salvation of his family and all 
 the things that God had created. 
 
 Four hundred years later we find God calling Abraham out of a 
 heathen country, to be the forefather of all the family of faith. 
 
 Another case of God’s having a work to do, and needing a man, 
 and picking that man out himself, is seen in the case of Moses. God 
 had a care over this man from his birth, in spite of the laws of Egypt, 
 and brought him through that slavery and bondage out into the wilder¬ 
 ness. Here he revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush, and 
 said to him, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon 
 thou standest is holy.” In this interview God gave Moses his call, 
 and Moses never departed from that call. 
 
 I like to dwell on that fact of the call of God, because there is some¬ 
 thing in it that appeals to me wonderfully — that God calls men to do 
 a work. When God wanted a king over Israel, he did not say to 
 Israel, There are many good men in Israel, and you can have your 
 choice. No, God picked out a man. He said to Samuel, Take your 
 horn of oil, and go down to Bethlehem, and find the man Jesse. He 
 has a son that I want you to anoint and declare him to be king in 
 place of Saul, who has rejected the Lord. 
 
 When Samuel reached the place, he was divinely directed past all 
 the noble-looking, mature sons of Jesse until he finally poured his holy 
 oil upon the head of that little ruddy-faced boy David. God made a 
 great king out of that man, and he was a mighty man for God in later 
 life. Though he sinned, yet of him God said, He is “a man after mine 
 own heart,” because he repented. 
 
 So God has chosen men, selected them, called them for his work, 
 to do something for him in a definite way. I turn to Jer. 25: 8, 9, and 
 find that God selected Nebuchadnezzar to do a special work for him. 
 He also called Cyrus to do his work. When the Babylonian kingdom 
 had finished his work, and had gone into rebellion and defied the Lord, 
 God called Cyrus, took him out of the hills of Media, gave his armies 
 great victories, and finally sent him against Babylon. See Isaiah 45. 
 God called this man Cyrus when he was a heathen. He did not know 
 God, nor anything about the call, yet he was God’s man, chosen 
 by him. God did not call him because he was good, but he called him 
 to do a definite work, he called him to accomplish his will; and yet, 
 
24 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 after Cyrus had accomplished God’s will, unless he believed in God and 
 had faith in Christ for salvation, he would only be a cast-away, like 
 other men. But at the time he was on the stage of action, he was 
 God’s chosen man to do a definite work. 
 
 God called his prophets. I turn to Jer. i: i-io, and read the call 
 which came to Jeremiah. That was certainly a wonderful call of God. 
 Before Jeremiah was born, God ordained and appointed that he 
 should be a prophet. 
 
 I think there is a good deal of importance attached to believing 
 that God has called one to his work. If a man can be rooted and 
 grounded in that definite call of God, there is nothing but apostasy 
 that can ever swing him away from the work. If a man believes that 
 God has called him to the work he is doing, that man will set himself 
 with all diligence as the chosen vessel of God to do his best. He will 
 have endurance and faith under trial. In proportion as he believes 
 that God has called him to do his work, he will have a true conception 
 of the greatness of that work. 
 
 There are many workers connected with the cause of God today 
 who do not know that God has called them to do anything. You will 
 always find these people just as willing and ready to shift as the wind. 
 They have no plan, nothing definite, no mission from God. 
 
 I believe that God is calling men to do a definite work, and that 
 every Christian ought to get his call from God. When he has it, 
 there is something in his soul that lives through trial and hardship 
 and difficulties, that leads him to honor God. 
 
 I might read many instances in this good book about the calling 
 of men, but I must not take too much time. I might refer to John 
 the Baptist, how God called that man before he was born, at his birth, 
 through his early life, in his ministry in a public way. John believed 
 and knew of a certainty that God had called him. 
 
 I might speak of how Christ himself gathered a faithful few whom 
 he could trust: he called his own men. He called James and John, 
 and Peter and Andrew, and said to them, “Come ye after me, and I 
 will make you to become fishers of men.” That is the way Christ 
 gathered his disciples around him. All the way through, Christ was 
 doing the selecting; he was making the choice, calling the men and 
 setting them to work, to do the very work that he wanted done. 
 
 I believe it is the privilege of every child of God to have a call from 
 God and to receive from God a definite work, that he may be settled 
 and grounded in the work that he believes God wants him to do. 
 
 We have met here this morning in the capacity of teachers and 
 leaders and trainers of men, and I believe, dear friends, that if the 
 Holy Ghost puts this gift of teaching into the hearts of some of God’s 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 25 
 
 people, those who accept the appointment to be trainers of men ought 
 to be sure that God has given them the gift of teaching and called 
 them to that work. It is not wise for men to be drifting and shift¬ 
 ing, as ready to do one thing as another. I believe in unity, in co¬ 
 operation, in loyalty to our denominational work and our organiza¬ 
 tion; but I still believe it is the privilege of every man who works in 
 the organization to know that he is doing God’s work. When a man 
 knows that, his work is a hundred per cent better in quality and quan¬ 
 tity than if he believes he has been set to work by a committee, but 
 does not know whether God wants him to do what he is doing. 
 
 I have seen men go to a mission field, and when they got there it 
 looked so gloomy that they were as ready to return as they were to go. 
 They had no burden for poor lost souls. They hated everything 
 they saw about them. They would not touch a poor heathen, be¬ 
 cause he displeased them. I do not believe God ever sent such men 
 to the mission field. 
 
 There are men in the .schoolroom who do not love children, do not 
 love youth, do not care much for the work; but they accept the posi¬ 
 tion in order to get a livelihood. With such teachers you will have a"* 
 cheap school, you will have many a wrecked life. I do not believe 
 that any man ought to go into the schoolroom to teach who does not 
 know in his heart that he loves the children and youth he is to teach. 
 
 A man cannot have a call from God to teach without having a 
 burning love for .the young, and a great, consuming desire to train 
 them for God. If he teaches for hire, because he wants to get some 
 money or to be busy, or simply to engage in the work, then, my friends, 
 he has not any great inspiring motive in his life. A man can go out 
 on the street and shovel dirt for money; he can sell his talent and make 
 gain in the commercial world; but I do not believe a man ought to 
 enter the schoolroom and sell his time for money when he has no love 
 in his heart for the children who come to him for instruction. 
 
 And so I believe, my friends, that our teaching force ought to con¬ 
 sist of those who have been called by God to the work. A man ought 
 to know, he ought to be assured, that God has called him to the school¬ 
 room. before he enters there to teach the youth. God has given the 
 gift of teaching to men; it is a definite gift; it is one of the gifts of the 
 Holy Spirit. I read in my text that He has set some apostles, some 
 one thing, and some another, and some teachers. It is the gift of the 
 Holy Spirit just as truly as the gift to preach the gospel,— the gift of 
 the Holy Spirit as truly as that of apostleship, as truly as any gift there 
 is in all the catalogue of gifts. You and I ought to look upon it with 
 all sincerity, so that if we enter the schoolroom to be trainers of men, 
 we may go in there because God has called us. 
 
26 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 I believe that when a man has that inspiration in his life, the con¬ 
 sciousness that God has called him to his work, he will shape and mold 
 the lives of those young people differently from what he would do if 
 he went as a hireling for salary or to make a livelihood for his family. 
 
 But you say, “How can I know whether I am called or not? How 
 may I have the assurance that I am called to teach?” Some say, 
 “I would just as soon be a preacher or a business man as a teacher; 
 I would just as soon do one thing as another. It does not make any 
 difference to me. How can I know what God has called me to?” 
 
 It is not always easy to know. It is not always, my friends, an 
 easy thing for a man to determine just exactly what God wants him 
 to do. You may be a man that is well balanced, and can succeed 
 equally well in many lines, and you might be just as much inclined to 
 be a minister as a teacher, or you might just as easily be inclined to en¬ 
 gage in some other line of work as to preach. Now, you say to me, 
 “How can I know?” 
 
 I am not sure that I can tell you just exactly how. I think it is 
 a matter that needs a good deal of prayer and a good deal of counsel. 
 'A man ought not to set himself to a task in this great work without 
 having free counsel, a large amount of counsel, with his brethren, 
 to learn where he can serve God best, and where his talents can be 
 used to the best advantage. I have jotted down a few things that 
 I think will help us somewhat to come to a right conclusion: — 
 
 1. A man ought to have a conviction in his soul about what God 
 wants him to do. Yet I would not dare trust that conviction alone, 
 because I have known men who were determined, and said they knew 
 for a certainty that God wanted them to preach, yet they could not 
 preach at all. So I do not dare to rest only on conviction, but I think 
 that should be one element in helping us to determine what God wants 
 us to do. A man has a burden on his heart, morning, noon, and night, 
 that God has work for him to do. Nothing gives him such joy as to 
 think of doing that work. Everything else seems as nothing. I think 
 such a conviction ought to be one element. 
 
 2. A man ought to be certain to some degree that God has given 
 him ability to do that thing. It would be preposterous for me to try 
 to lead the choir in singing. My consciousness of my inability to do 
 that thing should lead me never to undertake it. Why? — Because 
 I know that I could not do it. The man who leads the choir must be 
 conscious that he can do it. Therefore, a man ought to be conscious 
 that God has given him the ability to teach before he enters that line 
 of work. He ought to know that he can take a proposition that is 
 perhaps a bit obscure, and make it clear to a person who does not 
 understand it. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 27 
 
 3. In order to be teachers, men ought to be lovers of young people. 
 Not a sentimental love, nor a foolish love, nor a love that does not 
 endure, but what I mean is, that a person ought to like to be with 
 them, to love their association, and love to see them growing and their 
 lives being molded and shaped. There ought to be a love for that 
 thing that will give you satisfaction as you work, something that sat¬ 
 isfies the soul. I think it is a great pity for a man to be doing some¬ 
 thing that he doesn’t like to do. I do not see how a man can do that 
 well. But if a man likes young people, if he really loves them, loves 
 to talk with them and visit with them and help them, and build them 
 up and set them in right channels, it seems to me that is one splendid 
 reason why he might think he was called of God to teach. 
 
 4. Then I think a man ought to examine himself and see how much 
 selfishness there is in his desires; for a good many times we have a 
 burden to do something in which we think there is some honor, or 
 some glory, or some profit. I think we should examine our hearts 
 very carefully, to see that we have not a selfish motive in what we are 
 doing; for Christ does not lead us along selfish lines. He leads us to 
 give ourselves to God without reserve, as a living sacrifice, regardless 
 of rewards of glory or honor, but to give ourselves to that work because 
 we love God. We ought to examine our hearts closely, to see whether 
 there is selfishness that leads us to take this work. 
 
 5. I think a man should watch carefully for providential leadings; 
 for God does surely lead the man whom he calls. He hedges up his 
 way. When a man starts in one direction, he finds a wall there; and 
 he starts in another direction, and he finds a wall there. It seems as 
 if all the providences in his life lead him to go a certain way, to enter 
 a certain line of work. It is the call of God. It is God’s providences 
 shaping and fashioning him. 
 
 6. Then I think a man should be guided a good deal by the judg¬ 
 ment of his brethren. I have seen man}' people that had unbounded 
 faith in their own judgment, while their brethren did not see any light 
 at all in what they were doing. But if a church that knows the man, 
 and if the conference and the brethren that know the man, all agree 
 that that man is efficient and qualified to do that work, then it seems 
 to me that with all these evidences a man might safely enter upon it, 
 and believe that he is called of God to do that kind of work. 
 
 Brethren, I believe our .schools will be a blessing in proportion as 
 we are able to man them with teachers who know that they have been 
 called of God to train our young people. 
 
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR SCHOOLS IN RE¬ 
 LATION TO MISSIONARY ADVANCE 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 The idea of missionary advance means the giving of our message 
 to the heathen world in territory outside of this country and Europe. 
 When you think that there are a billion people yet unwarned, and then 
 think how many years we have been in giving the message to this 
 country, with its relatively small population,— a Christian country, 
 with churches in every town and village, Bibles everywhere, and no 
 man ignorant of God in a general way,— when you think of the years 
 we have occupied in trying to warn this country, and then think of 
 giving our message to the heathen world, it is almost appalling. 
 
 In many of these countries there are difficult languages to learn. 
 That is a more severe task to master than any course in any school 
 in America. And not only do we have a multitude of languages to 
 study and learn, but the people are absolutely ignorant of God, with¬ 
 out any knowledge whatever of the Deity. Take the great Chinese 
 nation, with four hundred millions of people. When the missionary 
 first went there, they had in their language no word for God. They 
 had no conception of the Deity whatever. The missionary has to 
 go there and learn the language, and then finds that when he talks 
 about God, the people do not know what he means; thus a name 
 must be invented. So we have not only the population with which 
 to become thoroughly acquainted, but we have the difficult task of 
 mastering the various dialects and languages which these millions and 
 millions of people speak. 
 
 Then again we have the most dense ignorance to combat, for the 
 great mass of people in all these countries are untrained and unedu¬ 
 cated. It is said that there is not one woman in forty thousand in 
 China who can read and write her own name. 
 
 So we have to take these people in their ignorance, without any 
 knowledge of religion, with no conception of God or what worship 
 toward God means, and train and educate them to believe in God, 
 to believe his Word, and to know how to worship such a God. It 
 taxes the skill of the very best men. They have sent the best-trained 
 men from our colleges and universities in America for a half century 
 to the East, and still the great mass of the people are untouched with 
 Christianity. 
 
 Yet the way is being made favorable for the entrance of the mis¬ 
 sionary. All the barriers blocking the way of progress and growth, 
 as far as the native is concerned, are practically broken down, and 
 28 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 29 
 
 the whole heathen world is crying to Christians today, “Come over 
 and help us. You have the light, and we want it; you have knowledge, 
 and we want you to teach us.” There is not a nation in the heathen 
 world today but will welcome the Christian teacher. You can go 
 into every town and hamlet in China, Japan, Korea, and Manchuria, 
 and preach the third angel’s message with less difficulty and objec¬ 
 tion than in Chicago or New York. So far as opportunities are 
 concerned, so far as the demands and the Macedonian cry are con¬ 
 cerned, everything is favorable for the missionary to enter and preach 
 the kingdom of God and win souls to Christ. 
 
 The Purpose of Our Schools 
 
 Now what is the object, or purpose, of our denominational schools 
 toward this great end? What is the ideal that should be impressed 
 upon our young men and women? First, of course, we must educate 
 and train all who come to us. I do not believe that every boy or 
 girl who comes to a school is fitted or ever could be fitted to go into the 
 foreign mission field. There are many who are not qualified to go 
 into a mission field. It may be something in their mental make-up, 
 or in their personality, or in their physical being, that in some way 
 disqualifies them for this personal work that has to be done in these 
 heathen lands. But I do believe that every boy and girl who comes 
 to our schools should be trained for God and for heaven. 
 
 A man is not better because he is qualified to go to a mission field, 
 than if he were one adapted for the home field. I believe the one 
 great object of our schools should be to educate our young people 
 and train them for life work, train them to live in society, to live in 
 this present evil world a Christian life and win men to Christ. 
 
 But I think the second purpose of our schools should be to train 
 workers for God with a definite consciousness all the time that we 
 are putting them through their class work that they may be fitted 
 to go out into any part of the great world and preach the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, to teach, or do other necessary work for which their 
 training qualifies them. I believe that when a young man or a young 
 woman comes to a college or to one of our training schools, we ought 
 to have a faculty in that school that is capable of entering into the 
 life of that individual and sizing him up, and of deciding what he 
 is best adapted for. 
 
 Now I know that some people do not believe that doctrine, but 
 if I were to say to you, “Here is a horse, here is a Dan Patch 
 horse, such as I saw down here in the fair the other day; I want 
 you to take this horse and use him,” for what purpose would you use 
 
30 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 him? Surely not on your truck hauling logs to the sawmill. You 
 would have too much sense for that. You would say, “This horse is 
 good for only one thing, the race track.” You would never think of 
 using him as a draft horse. You would not hitch a fine thoroughbred 
 to a big truck. Yet, my friends, oftentimes we do not form any 
 opinion at all of what a young man can do. We look at a horse, and 
 we can tell what he is good for,— he is for the race track, for the road, 
 a draft horse, or for the plow. But boys, we say, are all alike; we 
 put them into the regular grind, and that is all we think about it. 
 Tf men can use so much keenness and sharpness in regard to animals, 
 why should they not be keen and sharp in appraising human nature? 
 When a boy comes to them for a training, why not give him a training 
 for something definite in God’s work, and inspire him with the idea 
 that he can and must do something, that God has called him to do 
 something definite for him in this great work? 
 
 I believe that our schools are also to change the purposes and ideals 
 of the young people who come to them for training. Most of our 
 boys and girls do not have very great ambitions. I remember that 
 one of the best-trained men in our denomination told me last winter 
 that the only idea he ever had in his younger days was to teach a 
 country school. He thought if he could ever be qualified to teach a 
 country school, that was all he would ever want to do. 
 
 Boys must have their ideals changed. This lad went to college, 
 his mind began to expand, and one idea after another came to him, 
 and by and by he became one of the very best-educated men that 
 we have today in the denomination. 
 
 Thousands of our children have their ideals raised by coming to 
 our schools. That is what the school is for. The ideal place to mould 
 and shape character is in the home, but now we are carrying our 
 boys and girls out of their homes, and putting them in training schools, 
 and we are fencing the grounds so high that Adventists cannot get 
 in there with their families. You say, We do not want the families, 
 we want the boys just by themselves; we do not want the fathers 
 and mothers. I hold that if that be the policy, our schools must be 
 manned with men who know human nature, and who love these boys 
 and girls. They must set themselves to the purpose of training them 
 and making them more efficient than they could be made by attending 
 other schools or by remaining under their home influences. 
 
 But raising the ideals can never be done in the classroom alone. 
 It never can be accomplished when you group boys and girls together 
 and simply hear their recitations. There must be the personal touch. 
 You must sit down with the boy, look him in the face, and put the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 31 
 
 question to him, "Young man, what are you going to do when you 
 get through with this school? What is your purpose and ambition 
 in life?” Multitudes of boys have had their ideals changed by the 
 friendly teacher who has opened their vision and stretched out the 
 horizon and given them an idea that they never had before,— that 
 they can really do something in this work. 
 
 So I believe that when our children come to these schools, the 
 teachers are under obligation to form high ideals for them, to enter 
 into their lives and set before them patterns, and to inspire them 
 with the confidence that they can do something. 
 
 I remember the teacher who had a greater influence on me than 
 any other man who ever came into my life. That man helped me, 
 made me believe that I could do something, and although he was not 
 a Christian, I have always held him in grateful memory, because he 
 gave me a desire to do something that I would not have desired to 
 do had I not come under his influence. 
 
 I believe that our schools should provide for the training of the 
 spiritual faculties of the student. There is nothing that a young man 
 needs who is going out into the great darkened, heathen lands, more 
 than to have his spiritual faculties trained under God-fearing, con¬ 
 scientious men. 
 
 Sometimes we say it will never do to take a boy from college and 
 send him to the mission field; that he should be put out into the home 
 field, and allowed to work out an experience. But I believe that our 
 schools should so train the young men that when they come out of 
 college, having been there from four to ten years, they will have such 
 a spiritual experience that it can never be wrested from them; but 
 this can never be until our teachers are spiritual giants, men of faith, 
 men of prayer, men who have met God and prevailed with him. 
 
 I tell you, there is no greater blessing that can come into the ex¬ 
 perience of a young man than to be trained by some one who knows 
 God. He will never forget it. In the darkest hours, in the hours 
 of greatest trial, he will grasp the arm of God. Why, my friends, 
 that young man can never get away from that experience. 
 
 The men and women in our schools need a higher spiritual train¬ 
 ing. We need as teachers those who know God, who believe his Word, 
 and who have tried God out, as it were, so that when they speak 
 they speak with authority. Young men will sit at the feet of such 
 men and listen, and their whole life will be shaped and moulded and 
 fashioned by the inspiration and the lessons that are given by such 
 teachers. 
 
 I think our schools should train not only in the line of books, so 
 that when a young man comes out of college he gets his degree (I 
 
32 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 do not oppose that at all, I am in favor of giving degrees; but we 
 shall make a great mistake if we think that because a man has a 
 degree he is qualified to do good work. The degree is not a passport 
 to success); but in the line of enlargement of vision; the student 
 must know how to deal with men before he can be a leader. 
 
 Leaders Needed 
 
 We must have leaders, my friends, in these great needy mission 
 fields. You can go into almost any of these countries, and bring 
 thousands of people into the truth, yet among the thousands you will 
 not find one leader. You may go into the Far East, and out of that 
 eight hundred million people from India to Korea you will find 
 scarcely a leader among them. Leaders must be trained in this coun¬ 
 try and sent to those fields, men who will set the pace to guide and 
 shape and mold and fashion. 
 
 Where shall these leaders get their training? Oh, we will educate 
 them in our colleges, and then train them in the field in this country. 
 But when they come out of college at from twenty-three to twenty- 
 eight years of age, they do not like to spend another three or four 
 years in some conference, trying to work out an experience. I believe 
 that the school should help to give the’ young men an experience. 
 You should have leaders in the schools that have had experience, who 
 can take these young men, and talk with them heart to heart, and 
 set before them in detail the duties of leadership. Then give them 
 work, guide them and direct them in the performance of these tasks, 
 and show them how they can do better what they are doing. These 
 are the kind of men that we must send to the foreign fields. 
 
 We cannot take a man out of school because he is a graduate, 
 and send him abroad. He must be trained as a leader before he can 
 go into these countries and head these mission fields, where there are 
 a hundred million people in one small territory. We must have teach¬ 
 ers from our colleges to go into these countries, not only evangelists 
 and leaders, but real teachers. We do not want teachers who can 
 simply teach a lesson in mathematics or language or some of the sci¬ 
 ences; we want teachers who will be trainers of men, who can take a 
 class of Chinese boys and train them for the work, or who can go 
 into that Korean school, where there will be a hundred as bright 
 and sharp minds as you can think of, and train those boys to be 
 workers in that country. 
 
 Today we have a call for a teacher in Korea, where there are a hun¬ 
 dred young men and women. We have received petition after peti¬ 
 tion to send a teacher to take charge of their training school; but we 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 33 
 
 dare not send even a man who can run an academy here, we must 
 have some one that can train workers, a man who can be a father, 
 and more than a father, to those boys. He must teach them the way 
 to be Christians, and not only to be Christians, but to go out and 
 preach the gospel. The man who goes to Korea to take charge of 
 that training school must be able to train teachers, colporteurs, and 
 evangelists. He must be able to make men out of those boys. 
 
 So I say that our schools here should continually be searching out 
 and taking note of the lives of the boys who are sent to them for 
 training, so that when the Mission Board needs a man for China, or 
 India, or Japan, or some important school work, they can say, “Here 
 is a man we know will fill the place, by the grace of God.” That is 
 what our schools are for. They are not simply to say, “We have put 
 them through the grind, and we have graduated twenty or thirty.’’ 
 Every teacher should know just what every boy and girl is good for, 
 who goes through school. If you were dealing with horses, you would 
 know all about each one, whether it was a runner or a trotter or a 
 draft horse. Why can we not understand each other, and train our 
 boys and girls for something definite in this work? We must enlarge 
 the vision of these boys. We must give them a wider range. They 
 must be able to look out upon life with a broader view, and with 
 a consciousness that they are responsible for doing something definite 
 for God. 
 
 I should like to say a word further,— that we must look out for 
 the spiritual life of our boys. Many, a boy comes into school and 
 loses out spiritually. I have seen hundreds of them. Brethren, it 
 is a great pity. I do not say that the school can hold every boy, but 
 I do believe that the purpose of every school should be to hold these 
 young men solid in their faith in God. We should train them in the 
 message so that when they come out of the school, from the soles of 
 their feet to the crown of their head they are Seventh-day Adventists, 
 and believe every principle of this message, and will stand for it 
 wherever you may send them to work for God. 
 
 “Thou must to thine own self be true, 
 If thou the truth wouldst teach; 
 
 Thy soul must overflow, 
 
 If thou a soul wouldst reach. 
 
 It takes the heart’s overflow 
 To give the lips full speech.'’ 
 
THE QUESTION OF TEACHER EFFICIENCY 
 
 FREDERICK GRIGGS 
 
 There is a very old saying that teachers are born, not made, 
 and Holy Writ bears out the truth of this adage, for to some is given 
 the gift of teaching; but the gift of heaven in the art of teaching is 
 to be treated the same as all of heaven’s gifts. It is to be traded 
 upon, and the gift or talent, be it in measure of one or ten, is to be 
 continually increased. 
 
 The responsibility of the teacher to improve his natural aptitude 
 is the foundation upon which is built a strong pedagogical structure. 
 The teacher who feels that he is held accountable by God and men to 
 develop to the very highest the measure of talent given him in the 
 art of instructing, is he who grows in his profession, and growth is 
 the law of life. 
 
 I believe I can say, without successful contradiction, that there is 
 no teaching force today more conscientious in their work, or that 
 have a greater realization of the responsibilities of their calling, than 
 have the teachers in our schools of all grades. Of course, in saying 
 this I speak in a general sense. 
 
 In mechanics the efficiency of the machine is spoken of as the ratio 
 of useful work resultant to the total energy expended in operating the 
 machine. There is in all machines a loss of energy — waste, and it 
 is the problem of the machinist to make this waste as small as possible. 
 Thus the efficiency of a machine is measured by the ratio between the 
 energy expended and the useful work performed. 
 
 The law of efficiency in mechanics is not far removed from the law 
 of efficiency in teaching or in any other work. A machine will give an 
 equal number of units of work with that which it receives or generates, 
 less the number lost in resistance. It is the work of the machinist 
 to remove or overcome these elements of resistance. If this could 
 be fully accomplished, we could easily have perpetual motion. 
 
 Obstacles 
 
 Now correspondingly, to increase the efficiency of the teacher or 
 of a whole teaching force, we must remove the resistances which are 
 met in their work. These resistances are of three kinds: those in the 
 teacher himself, those in the pupil, and those in the system which he 
 is employing or under which he is working. Some of the chief resist¬ 
 ances in the teacher are: the spirit of indolence, lack of physical 
 
 power, insufficient educational qualifications, and lack of love for his 
 34 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 35 
 
 work. Among the elements of resistance in the pupil are: lack of 
 natural interest in the subject taught, physical defects, and improper 
 home environment. Among the resistances extraneous to the teacher 
 and his pupils may be mentioned: the physical conditions under which 
 teacher and pupil work,— lack of sufficient ventilation, imperfect 
 light, insufficient blackboard, improper .seating, unsanitary and slov¬ 
 enly conditions in and about the school buildings; the want of proper 
 texts, maps, globes, library and laboratory facilities; lack of provision 
 for manumental work; imperfect supervision; and lack of cooperation 
 between parents and teachers. 
 
 The teacher bent on increasing his efficiency will regularly examine 
 his educational machine, carefully catalogue the resistances which he 
 discovers therein, and then proceed in the most deliberate, deter¬ 
 mined way either to remove or to overcome these resistances. 
 
 Now I mean this suggestion to be taken in a literal sense. It is 
 a most excellent thing for an educator to write an inventory of these 
 various resistances which he is meeting in his work, both from within 
 and from without, and after making a careful study of the list, which 
 will generally be found to be a very formidable one, set over against 
 each item a suggestion as to how it may be eradicated; then, one by 
 one, in the most deliberate manner, set about the elimination of these 
 resistances. This is one way in which the teacher may trade upon 
 the talent given him of heaven. 
 
 One thing which appears to me to hinder the efficiency of our teach¬ 
 ing force as a whole, is the lack of appreciation, on the part of our 
 best-educated young men and women coming from our schools, of the 
 importance of the educational work of our elementary schools and the 
 value to their future teaching of an experience in them. I do not 
 wish to convey the idea by this that all who teach are equally compe¬ 
 tent in elementary work, but I do wish to make it clear that the teach¬ 
 ing in our colleges would be stronger, and in our elementary schools 
 not appreciably weaker, and perhaps it would be stronger, if the 
 graduates from our colleges who are looking toward teaching in our 
 advanced schools, should arrive at their final post through a system 
 of promotion. The efficiency of our whole educational work cannot 
 but be weakened by taking our college graduates, in many instances 
 those who have had no work in pedagogical lines in their college 
 curriculum, and have had little or no previous teaching experience, 
 and placing them in the department work of our colleges. 
 
 We should give heed to the development of a system of promotion 
 for our teachers both as to grade of work and salary. This is for the 
 advantage of the teacher as well as of our work as a unit. Given 
 
36 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 thorough preparation,— the broad foundation study, and the study 
 of the special courses to be taught, together with a broad foundation 
 in general teaching, which has progressed in the special department 
 work,— and the result will be a strong teaching force in our ad¬ 
 vanced schools, a force which will vitalize all phases of our school 
 work. 
 
 In this connection it should be noted that pedagogical studies are 
 important for the teacher in the college as well as in the primary 
 school. Unpedagogical work in college teaching is reflected in all 
 grades of our schools. Our courses should be so arranged that the 
 student may pursue the complete normal course, receiving full credit 
 therefor on his degree course. 
 
 I cannot omit saying in this connection that while much progress 
 has been made in lifting higher the standard of work in our elementary 
 schools, both in requirements from the teacher and in remuneration 
 financially and otherwise to him, there yet remains much to be done 
 to place the teaching in this most important class of schools upon a 
 more permanent and enduring basis. The remuneration and general 
 conditions of the elementary teacher should be such as to make it 
 desirable and enjoyable to him to remain in this line of work as long 
 as his services may be demanded. 
 
 Lack of continuity in service is one of the greatest resistances 
 which we are meeting today in the efficiency of our whole school or¬ 
 ganization, and upon this point the Council should express itself in 
 no uncertain terms, and seek most determinedly for a revolution in 
 this matter. 
 
 Another resistance which our organization as a whole is meeting 
 is lack of proper field supervision. We cannot develop the efficiency 
 of our teaching force as a whole until greater care is given to the se¬ 
 lection of our superintendents, as to their fitness in experience and 
 education, and until provision shall be made for them to devote 
 sufficient time to their work of supervision. 
 
 Another general hindrance to efficiency has been in the fact that 
 educators have not looked at the importance of results as they should. 
 To illustrate what I mean: Some fifteen years ago, in one of the meet¬ 
 ings of the Department of Superintendence of the National Educa¬ 
 tional Association, one of the members presented an array of sta¬ 
 tistics which he had compiled from the schools over which he had 
 supervision, to show that there was a* great waste of energy in the 
 methods used in teaching spelling, for the children did not learn to 
 spell. He was almost hooted down by his fellow members, who 
 declared that such material results, as such, were not the greatest 
 goal of teaching, but that mental ability in the development of mem- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 37 
 
 ory, powers of concentration, formation of habit, which the pupil 
 would acquire in his study of spelling, were, after all, more important 
 for his life work than that he should learn to spell. Yet in a little 
 over a decade this same Department of Superintendence gave the 
 most careful attention to this very question of teaching spelling, 
 looking to the results in the way of the pupil’s learning to spell first, 
 and regarding the questions of the development of concentration, 
 habit, memory, etc., as incidental. 
 
 Results 
 
 In the great movement for efficiency in manufacturing enterprises 
 there is a steady effort put forth to enable the men to accomplish 
 the same amount of work with fewer movements of the hand or body. 
 To this end in some establishments moving pictures are taken of the 
 men at work, and the number of movements they make in performing 
 a certain amount of work is definitely recorded; and then every effort 
 is made to save a waste motion, to have the men perform the same 
 amount of work with the expenditure of less energy. A brick mason 
 may make a dozen motions in laying a brick where half that number 
 might accomplish the same work if his bricks are properly placed on 
 the scaffold, his mortar properly mixed, and his mind on his work. 
 Germany, holding all her neighbors at bay, is giving the world an 
 example of the value of efficiency in large affairs. Every piece of 
 mechanism throughout the empire, from the railroad to a shovel, every 
 man, woman, and child, seems to be but a part of a great fighting 
 machine who.se motto is the highest efficiency and the lowest waste. 
 
 In accordance with the great laws of efficiency operating in suc¬ 
 cessful manufacture, results should be sought in the schoolroom from 
 the daily program and the class recitation to the janitor’s work. 
 There should be a steady purpose to accomplish the same amount 
 of work with half the effort; to make two blades of grass grow where 
 one grew before; to implant two ideas in the same length of time and 
 with the same amount of effort required to plant one before. This is 
 the ideal which must be held by our educational organization as a 
 whole and our teachers as individuals. 
 
 The end of classroom education is straight thinking; and every 
 individual thinks best when he thinks intensely and under pressure. 
 It is true that character, the ultimate end of all teaching, cannot be 
 measured in terms of scholastic units; and yet it is to be observed 
 that the teacher who is best informed and most thorough in his work; 
 who is accurate, progressive, inspiring; who gets the most units of 
 results from the least units of energy expended, is the one, after all, 
 
38 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 who has the greatest influence on the character and lives of his 
 students. 
 
 There is need for an efficiency program to be entered upon, run¬ 
 ning all the way from the teacher of the little country church school 
 through our local, union, division, and General Conference organi¬ 
 zations, up to the strongest college we conduct. 
 
 In conclusion I wish to direct your attention to that greatest of 
 all hindrances,— a lack of love for the work in which we are engaged. 
 Love finds the way. The feet of love run most swiftly, and its hands 
 perform most skillfully. It is this, the greatest of all forces,— a force 
 that vitalizes all other forces,— that alone can make the teacher 
 most efficient. We need the spirit of Froebel, Pestalozzi, Thomas 
 Arnold of Rugby, and above all — far above all — the spirit of the 
 greatest Teacher of all ages. This spirit of love can be cultivated. 
 Our pupils are worthy of it. The teachers in our elementary schools 
 need it, and the teachers in our colleges need it. 
 
 We need to see developed among us a system of intermediate 
 schools manned by men and women whose hearts God has touched 
 with a love for the child in the adolescent age. Altogether too much 
 do we look beyond the elementary and intermediate school to our 
 academies and colleges as the field of our highest educational possi¬ 
 bilities and undertakings. We need to develop on a much stronger 
 basis our ten-grade schools, where may be placed in well-regulated 
 dormitories our growing boys and girls — boys and girls who need 
 a very careful training. We can develop these schools only by hav¬ 
 ing a force of teachers who are glad to devote their lives to the work 
 of saving these adolescent youth. These teachers must be men and 
 women whose hearts God has touched with a love for the restless 
 youth, and who have given to them by the school management suffi¬ 
 cient time in which to perform this important teacher-parent work. 
 This class of schools, rightly conducted, will save thousands of our 
 young people. 
 
 In a word, the efficiency of the individual and of our force as a 
 whole is increased as we eliminate all items of resistance and strengthen 
 those of production. A love for our work is of chief importance in 
 giving us a clear vision of our own needs. Our pupils are not bone of 
 our bone and flesh of our flesh, but they are mind of our mind and 
 heart of our heart. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 39 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 W. E. Howell: Elder Evans in his stirring talk anticipated to 
 some degree the theme on which my mind was drawn out on this 
 question of teacher efficiency. I am strongly in favor of one feature 
 of teacher efficiency on which he touched effectively, and that is 
 the demand for properly fathering and mothering the young people 
 who come to our schools. I am speaking now principally about the 
 college. 
 
 The school had its origin in the need of the home, and if we could 
 name it with one proper term, we might call it the home annex. 
 If all our homes were what they ought to be, we should have far less 
 need of so many schools and so much school work. ’ We might be 
 able to start in with the tenth or eleventh grade, and concentrate 
 our efforts on the higher training which could not well be given in 
 the home for lack of equipment and other public opportunities. 
 
 Recognizing the fact that the school is intended to take up the 
 work of the home and carry it forward, I want to emphasize the im¬ 
 portance of our carrying the parent element into the school to as large 
 a degree as we can. That is especially important in our work in con¬ 
 sideration of the fact that so large a proportion of our students are in 
 boarding schools. Our constituency is scattered, and it is necessary 
 for j^s to take young men and women away from their homes earlier 
 and to a greater degree than do many other schools. 
 
 The thing that impresses my heart on this question is the number 
 of boys and girls who have gone astray, made a failure of their school 
 work and a failure of life, perhaps for lack of the one little fatherly 
 touch that might have been given when they were away at school. 
 We call the man or the woman, or both, whom we put over our stu¬ 
 dents, preceptor or preceptress. It is rather a formal term, and we 
 feel sometimes that it is a little chilly, but what we need is a pre¬ 
 ceptor and a preceptress in whose work we can see the true father- 
 and-mother interest in the work of the boys and girls. 
 
 The first thing I wish to emphasize is that a teacher sense keenly 
 his responsibilities from the viewpoint of taking the work from the 
 hands of the parent, and becoming to this boy and this girl both 
 parent and teacher. Now the preceptor or preceptress, or the teacher 
 who is himself a parent, has the natural advantage in his work of 
 knowing by experience what it is to father and mother a boy or girl. 
 This is not the only qualification, by any means. We sometimes 
 see those who -are not parents, but who so love their work, and who 
 have so studied its interests and have so devoted themselves to boys 
 and girls, that their work is very superior to that of some who are 
 
40 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 natural fathers and mothers. But the father-and-mother elements 
 must be in our schools if we would save our students. 
 
 The first thing a teacher ought to do, whether he is a preceptor 
 or not, is to become acquainted with the young men and women who 
 are placed under his instruction. Study the students. Until we do 
 that, we cannot touch them in the right place. Think of it; a young 
 man has grown up to sixteen or eighteen years of age, and then enters 
 school and comes under our care. We know not anything about his 
 past life, about his environment, or what his inside thoughts are, 
 what his feelings and aspirations are. It is that inner life that we 
 want to get into, for it will help us greatly in giving what is ordinarily 
 called the school work. 
 
 I received my greatest blessing as a teacher, not in the first three 
 or four years of my experience, when I went directly as a college 
 graduate to the head of a school department, but when I was called 
 from the headship of that department down to Honolulu to become 
 the principal of a Chinese school. That is where I got my experience, 
 the best element in my teaching experience, of all the twenty-five 
 years it has been my privilege to teach. There I found boys aged all 
 the way from five to twenty-five. The reason I appreciate that ex¬ 
 perience is because it drew me out on the father side. I had not 
 only to teach them in the classroom, but when Friday evening came, 
 Sabbath afternoon, or any other time out of school, I had to go*out 
 with those boys, be one among them, live with them. The only 
 time I could be away from them safely any length of time was while 
 they were asleep. 
 
 Second: Take notice of students outside of the formal work. How 
 much there is to the little touch outside of the routine work of the 
 school! If there is one thing I admired in a normal director I recently 
 met, it was the interest he took in the pupils when he met them any¬ 
 where on the street, and inquired what they were doing. It was 
 on my way here that I visited the Gary schools, and was conducted 
 through by the physician, a great-hearted man. There were a few 
 incidents in that visit that impressed me. We were passing a boy in 
 the manual training school, molding and shaping something out ol 
 sand, and the doctor stopped to inquire what he was doing there at 
 play hour. He found out the boy was making something that he had 
 an interest in, and he made a little comment on it. I observed that 
 the doctor always gave that personal touch to boys and girls as he 
 passed them. And how their eyes sparkled when he took an interest 
 in them! 
 
 Another thought is association with students in responsibilities 
 outside the schoolroom. If we can go out and bear with the boys 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 41 
 
 and girls responsibilities that they have to bear, it opens their hearts. 
 I know by experience. We had one of our Chinese boys with us in 
 this country. He was a grandson of the vice-consul of Honolulu. 
 The little boy had been raised amid plenty. At the time he came 
 to our industrial school and was assigned his part in the work, I had 
 charge of part of the small fruits. One day I said to him, “Mr. 
 Wong, wouldn’t you like to go out and hoe strawberries today?” 
 He said, “ I don’t know how, but I am willing to try.” While we were 
 working together and talking of the wonders of plant life, his heart 
 opened up. He later became a worker, went back to China, and 
 worked several years in the cause. 
 
 The directing work of the school work of students, I cannot stop 
 to notice, but the last point I shall mention is to follow up boys and 
 girls after they get through with their school work. I want to lay 
 strong emphasis upon this. Know where they are going, and what 
 they are going to do. Remember them after they have gone. Keep 
 in touch with them, especially if they have not finished their regular 
 course in the school. Let them know that your interest in them is 
 something greater than merely the routine work of the schoolroom, 
 that you are interested in their success, in their future career. 
 
 I hope that the time has come, and I believe it has, when the 
 preceptor and preceptress in our colleges and academies will be the 
 best educators and the best qualified teachers in the school. 
 
 W. C. White: I believe that our brethren have been speaking in 
 a very kind way about the weakest and saddest feature of our college 
 work, that is the lack of a home influence, especially in our boys’ 
 dormitories. We have tried to make it up by favoring our girls. I 
 do not regret one thing that we do for our girls; we do not do enough 
 for them; but I believe that we sadly neglect our boys by the absence 
 of the father-and-mother interest, an individual interest, loving, pa¬ 
 tient, tender, an interest which loves them so well that it will not 
 rest with conditions existing in our boys’ homes, which we all know 
 to be wrong. 
 
 I pray God to help us to be willing to spend more in the matter 
 of selecting fathers and mothers. It may take men of large experi¬ 
 ence out of the field to stand in our boys’ homes, but let us give them 
 encouragement, and give them such a program to work to, and such 
 support in carrying out that program, that they can make our boys’ 
 homes truly homes, and that the boys will feel that the preceptor 
 and preceptress are father and mother. 
 
THE RELATION OF OUR SCHOOLS TO THEIR 
 
 CONSTITUENCY 
 
 B. G. WILKINSON 
 
 I. What Our Schools Should Give to Their Constituents 
 
 We must never forget the word of Paul that man was called to 
 "glory and honor and immortality.” He was designed to achieve no 
 mean attainment. Man owes it to his high calling to provide barriers 
 against the descent to a lower level. 
 
 At the earliest possible moment the child should have set before 
 it the best ideals, and be furnished the most rapid method of attain¬ 
 ing them. For the bringing about of these purposes, constituents, 
 united in a common purpose, create the school. The school is the 
 assembly of masters, all influencing the child for the release of his im¬ 
 prisoned faculties. 
 
 As it is the money of the patrons which furnishes the students, 
 erects the buildings, pays the faculty, and provides a cooperating 
 board, so the school owes it to the children to give them as quickly 
 as possible the fundamental principles which underlie and control all 
 knowledge. Or, as one university graduate writes, while relating to 
 the monthly journal of his Alma Mater his rapid rise in promotion, 
 "I gained in four short years a wealth of knowledge and informa¬ 
 tion which I could not have acquired in a lifetime through the mill¬ 
 ing grind of experience.” The school owes to its constituents,— 
 
 i. Leadership in Opinion .— It is said of some men that their 
 fellows feared them as much as they did public opinion, that in fact 
 those leaders were public opinion. They lived in an atmosphere one 
 step in advance of their generation. Give me a good school located 
 in the midst of a conference and doing its duty, and I will show you 
 an uplifting factor in the midst of that conference. I will show you 
 a conference steadily coming up in tithes and increasing each year 
 its gifts to missions. A conference with a good school ought to be 
 the leading conference in the union. And a union blessed with a 
 good school or good schools is bound to be a leading union. 
 
 Our school system should hold the first place among us as a peo¬ 
 ple. It must be the big flywheel which speeds up the smaller wheels. 
 It is the source of speed for them all. This denomination has lost 
 a great deal of precious time by not hitching more of its work to the 
 school. 
 
 As a center, the school has a work of great importance. If we 
 strike a blow at the center, it is a serious thing. Strike a blow at some 
 bank in Kansas, and nothing is affected; but strike a blow at the 
 
 42 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 43 
 
 Bank of England, and the financial fabric of empires reels and tot¬ 
 ters. The worst blows struck at this denomination have been either 
 the closing of a good school or the premature creation of an uncalled- 
 for school. Derange slightly this nervous system of the church, and 
 all members feel the shock. For. it is a leader in fertilizing thought, 
 the center from which something better than the commonplace is 
 always expected. 
 
 2 . Spiritual Leaders .— The schools owe the field spiritual leaders. 
 Create within the school a high spiritual atmosphere, and its influ¬ 
 ence radiates to the utmost borders of its territory. The boys and 
 girls write letters home, telling of their latest experience with Jesus. 
 The parents are stirred, and that stirs the church. Life is aroused, 
 new enterprises are launched, and money flows in. The school should 
 ever stand ready to open its doors and release something good. 
 
 When the death of Esta Miller occurred in China, Mount Vernon 
 College, from which he had gone forth only a year previously, felt 
 the shock. A memorial service was held in the chapel. As resolu¬ 
 tions of loving sympathy were drawn up for the bereaved, the presi¬ 
 dent asked the assembled student body how many would refuse if 
 the call were made for some one of them to go to China to fill the place 
 made vacant by the death of their fellow and past associate. No 
 answer. Then the question was put this way, “How many young 
 men are there here who would respond if the call came for you to go 
 to China to take the place made vacant by the death of Brother 
 Miller?” Immediately fifty young men arose to their feet, signify¬ 
 ing their willingness to go, and if need be, to lay down their lives amid 
 the fevers of China as witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Our schools must, if they fill their mission, give spiritual leaders 
 both to their constituencies and to other climes. 
 
 II. What Our Constituents Should Give the School 
 
 i. The field owes the school organization and management. Im¬ 
 portant as is the school, it is impossible for it to run the field. The 
 field should control all the schools. And the larger coordinating 
 unit you can have, the better. In this case we could not go farther 
 than the union as the largest organization among us which should 
 exercise a control, more or less direct, over all the schools within its 
 border. 
 
 Since her defeat in 1870, France has so thoroughly sensed the need 
 of this, that all the schools, even the University of Paris, are under the 
 supervision of a national board, called the Superior Council. Own¬ 
 ership vests in the different corporations, municipal, provincial, or 
 
44 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 private, as the case may be, but the board is represented or affiliated, 
 directly or indirectly, with the Superior Council. 
 
 Oui unions ought, through union committees, to have controlling 
 supervision of all the educational work done within their limits. In 
 the case of fourteen- and sixteen-grade schools, the union committee 
 should have ownership and constitute the board. As to the twelve- 
 grade schools, members of the union committee should be on the 
 board, having a proportion to other members of the board not less 
 than one fourth. Ten-grade schools should also receive from the 
 union as direct control as possible. Questions concerning the own¬ 
 ership, constituency composition, and chairmanship of the board, 
 should be arranged according to the circumstances of each union. 
 Church schools should receive affiliation through the Educational 
 Department. Of course final authorization with respect to these 
 changes should come from the North American Division Council. 
 
 The union committee ought to be father to all the schools within 
 the union. Yet it cannot be so effectively without both responsibil¬ 
 ity and authority: responsibility enough so that upon its initiative 
 and constant aid would depend the success of the schools; authority 
 enough so that the committee could always, in behalf of the progress 
 of the schools, step in, not by invitation, but by right. 
 
 2. The field owes it to the school to see that competent leaders 
 are within reach to supply the faculty. Is it too much to demand 
 that a teacher should come to his class with an experience or educa¬ 
 tion four years in advance of the class he teaches? Often have our 
 schools suffered through teachers whose preparation was merely what 
 they learned by studying a few hours in advance of the class they 
 taught. How many of us would like to have our children experi¬ 
 mented on in that way? 
 
 Especially for our higher grade schools ought the field to awaken 
 and* cooperate in providing well-trained faculties. If study abroad 
 is needed, the teacher or prospective teacher should have the oppor¬ 
 tunity. If a summer vacation under time and pay, if one year’s 
 absence with pay or part pay, spent in special study, is necessary 
 to give us the properly trained forces, it would be money well spent 
 for the denomination so to arrange, and thus keep her leading schools 
 equipped with a properly trained force. For education begins at 
 the top; it does not begin at the bottom. You cannot have good 
 church-school teachers unless you have good normal schools; you 
 cannot have good normal schools unless you have a normal faculty 
 whose members have an education the equivalent of a college educa¬ 
 tion, if not more. And you cannot have a good college without men 
 at its head who are masters and leaders. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 45 
 
 We must educate our constituency to this need. Much blame 
 lies at the door of our educators themselves if they do not place before 
 the field the necessity of paying attention to this serious problem. 
 Some one has said that the sentence, “That will do,” has done more 
 harm than any other sentence in the English language. A vacancy 
 occurs in one of our faculties. We make haste to pick somebody to 
 fill it, and we say, “That will do.” Much more care should be re¬ 
 quired than simply to fill important vacancies with forced selections. 
 The field should take this in hand, to see that ample provision is made 
 to arrange in advance a supply of educated and trained men. 
 
 The denomination must not be left bare and empty handed. 
 The burden for these important centers must be carried on the heart 
 of some efficient committee, either field or department. It is the 
 duty of this Council to start something going toward working out 
 this problem. The very program of education will inspire confidence 
 in the ranks, and call forth young men and women who will feel it 
 a privilege to give their life to such a call. But some will say, “How 
 shall we get these funds?” Let us see further down. 
 
 3. Again, the field should bear a responsible part in the problem 
 of getting students into the schools, and of sending the graduates of 
 our schools into the field. We feel thankful for the work Mount 
 Vernon College has done during the past five years, while lifting the 
 institution out of debt and putting it in a better condition of repair. 
 We look at the Ohio Conference, and see three of Mount Vernon’s re¬ 
 cent students filling positions of responsibility; at the West Virginia 
 Conference, where the two ordained ministers are her graduates; at 
 the East Pennsylvania Conference, where she has just supplied the field 
 agent and a minister: while the president of the Virginia Conference 
 is a recent graduate. And this is to say nothing of the numbers 
 gone to fields abroad. In fact, with the educational problems rightly 
 adjusted in the Columbia Pinion Conference, this union could easily 
 be self-supplying. Here is a.mine of gold. 
 
 A fund should be provided in order to get students into the schools 
 and workers into the field. For the want of a better name just now, 
 let us call it an Educational Fund. Why should not the field ar¬ 
 range at once for this? Sometimes our conferences are led by a hesi¬ 
 tating president or by a hesitating executive committee. They fear 
 to spend any money on developing a graduate because it seems to 
 carry the risk of loss. Yet our experience in this union has been, 
 that where we have been able to get the conference by some induce¬ 
 ment to take on a graduate, the young person has always made good. 
 I know of some now in whose behalf, at first, we met great opposition, 
 
46 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 but who the conference would not now let go for any inducement. 
 Now, if it lay within the possibility of the college or of the union com¬ 
 mittee to say, “Here, take on this young graduate and give him a 
 trial for a year, and we will bear part salary,” it would not be long 
 before we could give the field many better men, and raise the standard 
 of the ministry. 
 
 Another problem, as great, if not greater, is that of assisting worthy 
 students into school. Many times these students are of such good 
 caliber that all they need is to be assisted enough to get them there. 
 Then they are able quickly to find ways and means of helping them¬ 
 selves. Others again, as they largely do in the European Division, 
 notably in Friedensau, will draw heavily on this fund, obligating 
 themselves to return their advance after graduation and entrance 
 into the work. Certainly some steps should be taken to raise from 
 the field an educational fund. 
 
 4. The field owes a distinct financial obligation to the school. 
 Men are always of more worth than means. To develop men is a 
 sounder policy than to emphasize the development of means. It is 
 also more economical. Men can produce means in greater propor¬ 
 tion than means can produce men. Not to throw plenty of means 
 into developing men is like using the wrong end of the lever. The 
 field should raise the school finances for three distinct purposes: (1) 
 To furnish the necessary material equipment, such as buildings, lab¬ 
 oratories, libraries, gymnasia; (2) To provide an educational fund 
 capable of assisting to the school worthy poor students and of help¬ 
 ing graduates from the institution to get a start in the field; (3) To 
 make possible the development of a larger and stronger teaching force. 
 
 To provide these means I propose that this Council pass reso¬ 
 lutions asking for the indorsement of the North American Division 
 to a proposition to set aside certain revenues from the field as a re¬ 
 source for the carrying out of the above projects. To begin with, 
 such revenues as legacies, annuities, and specific gifts for these edu¬ 
 cational purposes, could go to lay the foundations of such a fund or 
 funds for the above endeavors. It has been suggested,— though at 
 present the carrying out of suggestions looks a long way off,— when 
 the extra five cents of the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund has aided to 
 liquidate the institutional indebtedness of this country, that it be 
 continued, and thereafter devoted to the furnishing of an educational 
 endowment fund. This may not be practicable, but it contains the 
 germ of an excellent idea. Other plans could be worked out by a 
 committee who felt the need of the situation. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 47 
 
 I am certainly of the opinion that the time has arrived to take 
 up this proposition, and to seek for the proper ways and means to bring 
 into existence adequate revenues to meet the great pressure which 
 is now, and soon will be in greater measure, upon our schools, to sup¬ 
 ply the workers demanded by the rapidly increasing growth of the 
 message. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 E. E. Andross: It seems to me that the school is truly an annex 
 to the home, and that the same relations that exist in the home, be¬ 
 tween the various members of the family, should exist in the local or 
 union conference, and that these should be maintained in the school. 
 The relation between the constituents and the faculty and members 
 of the school ought to be fraternal in its nature. 
 
 I agree with the speakers on the other theme, that the more that 
 can be done to bring this spirit into the school, the more you will 
 see the right relation existing between the school and the patrons of 
 the school. I believe that that will mean the growth of the school 
 more than you have seen in the past. If we can make our schools 
 more like a home, then the young people, when they go away from 
 their homes and into the school, will feel more at home; And when 
 they return to their homes, they will be anxious to get back again. 
 If that could be done, it would constitute a very strong tie between 
 the homes out in the field and the home in the school. The good 
 words going back from the young people to their homes would cer¬ 
 tainly tie the two together. I think we should labor to this end. 
 
 Some of the thoughts that have been introduced into the paper 
 are worthy of further consideration. We have been endeavoring 
 here in this union to bring about a condition of affiliation between our 
 various schools, and this leads us clear back to the home, through 
 the church schools. It has seemed to us that we ought to estab¬ 
 lish uniformity in our school work, from the college and academies 
 down to the intermediate and elementary schools; so we started 
 an affiliated calendar, in which we have represented not only the col¬ 
 lege, but also the academies, intermediate schools, and elementary 
 schools. While we have not yet accomplished all that we hoped to 
 do, I believe that we have accomplished much along this line, and we 
 have brought at least a better state of affairs into existence in the 
 union, between the college and the academies. The academy now 
 feels that it is a part of the college, and we even thought it might be 
 that when a child enters church school, he would feel that he was in 
 the first grade of the college, just as much as those who are in the 
 normal department. When pupils enter on the first grade of work, 
 
48 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 they have started toward the sixteenth grade. In this way our chil¬ 
 dren everywhere would feel that they were climbing up toward the 
 sixteenth grade and toward their degree, and the parents would have 
 an interest in every grade of work in our educational system. 
 
 We have accomplished something along this line, but in order to 
 make it even better, we ought to have in our elementary and inter¬ 
 mediate schools and in our academies, teachers from the college. If 
 they go on up through the grades in the college, and then begin to 
 teach in the lowest, they will turn the tide toward our schools in a 
 way that we have not seen before. We are working in that direc¬ 
 tion in this union. 
 
 I will not try to tell you what we are trying to accomplish in 
 every particular, but the writer of the paper speaks about the con¬ 
 trol and ownership that should exist. I believe that much could be 
 worked out along this line. It does seem to me as if a sort of chaotic 
 state does exist to a large degree, in our educational work. The work 
 has not become thoroughly organized as yet. I hope we shall see it so 
 organized just a little later on. 
 
 I do believe, as was stated in this paper, that more ought to be 
 done looking toward the employment of our graduates in conference 
 work. Here in this union, while we do not want you to think that 
 we are setting ourselves up as an example, we have been fortunate 
 enough to place twenty-one or twenty-two graduates of our schools 
 in the various conferences in this union. As a union,— and 1 think 
 this extends down to our conferences everywhere,— we believe that 
 we get the most effective laborers from our schools. 
 
 We are not seeking to bring men and women into the truth, and 
 then put them right out into the field before they have a training. 
 We do not believe that is safe. I would not ask for a fund to help 
 place graduates in the work. I do not think we need to create a fund 
 for that. I do not believe the college needs to extend any induce¬ 
 ment to the conferences to encourage them to accept the services of 
 its graduates. I think the conferences ought to be waiting at the 
 doors of the college for its graduates. I think the conferences would 
 be greatly benefited if they would look to the college rather than to 
 any other source. 
 
 When our children have gone through the schools and are fitted 
 for efficient service in the field, how can it be otherwise than that 
 the parents will have the closest feelings of affiliation with the schools? 
 
HOW SHALL WE INCREASE THE ATTENDANCE 
 IN OUR SCHOOLS OF ALL GRADES? 
 
 W. W. RUBLE 
 
 The question of securing a large attendance in all our schools is 
 a very important one from the standpoint of the student, as well as 
 from the standpoint of a great work to be done, and the short time 
 allotted for that purpose. Any school that is dependent largely 
 upon the loyalty of its patrons for support, and does not give in re¬ 
 turn as much or more than can be secured from another school of 
 equal educational facilities, can never hope to increase its attendance. 
 
 I am free to say that I believe that up to the present time the 
 success of our school system has depended largely upon the loyalty 
 of our people. Likewise, the number attending, especially in our ele¬ 
 mentary schools, has been due to this spirit of loyalty rather than to 
 any additional virtue our schools have had over the public schools. 
 
 I do not wish to be misunderstood when I say this. It is no 
 lack of faith in the plan God has given us that has forced me to 
 this conclusion, but there is no royal road to reform. We must face 
 the situation fairly before we can hope to improve conditions. 
 
 The Church School 
 
 At present the only advantage the average church school has over 
 the public school is that the teacher has the privilege of teaching 
 Bible principles to the students. 
 
 The public school may have the advantage in the teaching of the 
 common branches and in the teaching of music, drawing, manual 
 training, good form, etc. This is not as it should be, but these are 
 the facts; and now is the time for us to face the situation, and bring 
 about such changes as will place our church schools upon vantage 
 ground, in the lead, and not leave them dependent wholly upon the 
 loyalty of a loyal people for their support. 
 
 The Remedy 
 
 Before we can hope to change the present conditions, we must 
 have teachers who are trained for the work before them, those who 
 have actually met the real difficulties of the classroom before they 
 leave the place of training. 
 
 In the past we have been giving our teachers a training that has 
 fitted them to teach in a school where three or four teachers are em¬ 
 ployed to teach the first eight grades. We have only a very few 
 4 49 
 
50 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 such schools. Almost every church-school teacher must teach at 
 least six or seven grades; and when a young teacher who has been 
 trained to teach two or three grades and has done her practice-teaching 
 under those conditions, has been given her normal training for such 
 a school, and then enters a schoolroom where she must teach six or 
 seven grades, including Bible and normal training, she is unable to 
 meet the situation successfully unless she has greater adaptability 
 than the majority of people possess. The result is, she gives up in 
 despair, or returns to rural-school methods of teaching. 
 
 If the teacher were trained under different conditions, this need 
 not be true. Each normal training school professing to train church- 
 school teachers should have a room containing at least five or six 
 grades under the direct management of a competent critic-teacher, 
 where the prospective teachers can do their practice-teaching and see 
 the application of the principles of normal training under the same 
 conditions they will meet in the ordinary church school. 
 
 The simple methods of teaching cooking, sewing, woodwork, and 
 agriculture should be worked out here by securing the cooperation 
 of the home with the school, the same as will be necessary when the 
 teacher reaches the church school. These plans should be included 
 in the program as a suggestive guide to the teacher when she reaches 
 the school. 
 
 The right methods of imparting religious instruction also should 
 be given here, so that the teacher need not be left without any aid 
 when she leaves her place of training. 
 
 When teachers thus trained reach the church schools, and try 
 the simple principles of manual training and proper religious instruc¬ 
 tion which bind the home and school together, the common branches 
 will be better taught, the school will second the effort of the home, 
 and the church school will fill the place the Lord designed it should 
 fill. This will prepare the children to become real home missionaries, 
 before receiving the training to become foreign missionaries, and 
 there will be no difficulty about securing the attendance of every 
 Seventh-day Adventist child, as well as bidding for the attendance of 
 other children. 
 
 Intermediate Schools and Colleges 
 
 The object of our more advanced schools is, first, to give the 
 training to students who are so frequently neglected at home; second, 
 to give a Christian training for more efficient usefulness in the specific 
 duties of life, that the student called to the home, the farm, or the 
 shop, may be a leader in his community, a laborer together with God, 
 and a worker in the message; third, to thoroughly equip those called 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 51 
 
 directly to the different lines of activity in connection with the giving 
 of the last message of warning to the world, and train them for the 
 specific duties of ministers, physicians, nurses, Bible workers, mission¬ 
 aries, teachers, colporteurs, office workers, etc. 
 
 A school neglecting any one of these features is not living up to 
 the principles given us by the Great Teacher, and cannot hope to 
 receive the patronage, even from a loyal people, that it should have. 
 Enthusiasm and appeal may bolster up the school for a time, but that 
 which will warrant a steady increase in patronage is the production 
 of the goods, honestly labeled. 
 
 Plans 
 
 When the schools reach the standard, it becomes necessary to 
 make known to the parents and students the work that is being done 
 and the value of the training that is offered, before a desire will be 
 created in the minds of students to avail themselves of the advantages 
 to be gained. The responsibility of making known the advantages 
 of Christian education rests primarily upon the educational superin¬ 
 tendent, the educational secretary, and the teachers in the schools; 
 and secondarily, upon every minister and worker. 
 
 In order to increase the interest and attendance in the church 
 schools, the conference educational superintendent should be free to 
 devote his entire time to the educational work. In addition to the 
 care of the schools organized, there are churches to visit, new schools 
 to organize, school buildings to plan for, the salary of teachers 
 and expense of schools to provide for, etc. In these things the 
 church needs the direct help of the superintendent, and this work 
 should be prosecuted until every child born to Seventh-day Advent¬ 
 ists is found under the care of a Christian teacher. 
 
 The conference president and other workers should have this 
 important matter upon their hearts, and while visiting the churches 
 they should give at least one meeting to the consideration of Chris¬ 
 tian education. 
 
 Any agitation which contributes to the upbuilding of the church 
 school will tend to increase the attendance in the advanced schools. 
 Each missionary secretary should have a list which includes the name, 
 age, nationality, grade, and ambition of every child and young per¬ 
 son in the conference, and he should supply the educational super¬ 
 intendent with a list of the children of church-school age, the principal 
 of the academy with a list of those who should attend the academy, 
 and the president of the college with a list of those who should attend 
 the college. When these lists are in the hands of the heads of the 
 
52 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 schools, a regular system of correspondence can be entered upon, and 
 a card file kept which will place every Seventh-day Adventist young 
 person in direct touch with the school by regular correspondence. 
 
 Then there must be the personal touch. So many of our schools 
 fail in this. The teachers are not employed during the vacation, 
 and the principal enters tent work or takes a vacation. 
 
 Each school should make provision during vacation for its teach¬ 
 ers, or a portion of them, to visit the churches, enter the homes of 
 the people, get acquainted with the young people, and attach the 
 school to the home. 
 
 I have sometimes labored several years with young people before 
 I succeeded in getting them interested in securing an education; but 
 after the start was made, I have had the satisfaction of seeing them 
 develop into noble workers in the cause of God. 
 
 Our people wish to know the teachers to whom they are to intrust 
 the training of their sons and daughters. They should have the priv¬ 
 ilege of meeting them, not only at the camp meetings, but as far as 
 consistent, they should have the privilege of entertaining some mem¬ 
 ber of the faculty in their own homes. 
 
 After all the plans and schemes have been tried out, the only 
 thing that will guarantee a regular increase in attendance in our 
 schools is for the school to meet the expectations of God’s chosen peo¬ 
 ple by complying with the conditions outlined by the spirit of proph¬ 
 ecy. This means that they should include in the course of study 
 the practical features that have so long been neglected by us. 
 
 We should not move rashly, yet we must before the end make a 
 more earnest effort to reach the standard, if we ever hope to continue 
 to hold the support of our loyal people, and reach our ideal of “every 
 Seventh-day Adventist child under the care of a Christian teacher in 
 a Christian school.” 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 C. L. Stone: I know that many of our young people would be in 
 school if their faces were turned that way, if their hearts were turned 
 that way. Many of them must be converted before they feel the 
 need of a Christian education.. However, there is a large per cent 
 who might be induced to attend if a friendly interest were shown in 
 them, through our young people’s work, or by direct representatives 
 from the school. 
 
 I should like to emphasize one thought noticed in the paper. It 
 was that of delivering the goods, honestly labeled. I have known 
 of cases where schools would send out in the announcement some 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 5.1 
 
 feature which it was hardly probable would be given, and if it were 
 given, sometimes very inefficiently. I am sure this is very detrimental 
 to the building up of an attendance in any school. 
 
 Many apt expressions have come into the English ,ands ome of 
 them are good. This “delivering the goods” is one, perhaps a 
 little hackneyed; another is “efficiency;” another is “making good.” 
 It seems to me if a school turns out a graduate who says, as a young 
 man did to me about a week ago, “ I am a graduate of a certain school, 
 but I could not recommend young men to go there to school,”—I 
 say if many such representatives go out into the field, it will not 
 do very much for the building up of attendance in that school. 
 
 F. Griggs: That young man had probably been disciplined just 
 before graduation. 
 
 C. L. Stone: I did not hear anything about that; he may have 
 been. 
 
 There are a great many devices that are used to increase attend¬ 
 ance, some of them very good and effective. In the first place, I 
 believe that the representatives of the .school ought to be able to 
 impress the parents and young people they meet at camp meetings, 
 in their homes or churches, or wherever they may be, with the fact 
 that they are sincere, efficient teachers. 
 
 I like to remember what Dr. Paulson said once regarding the first 
 time he saw Professor Prescott. “I was all wrapped up in raising 
 chickens,” he said, “and I went to camp meeting with my head full 
 of chickens; but when I saw that man walk across the ground, he put 
 a hunger in my life for something that I did not have, and I never 
 could get rid of that hunger till I went to school.” We may not all 
 be able to walk in a way to raise such an ambition, but there ought 
 to be something about the representatives of our schools that will 
 appeal to the young people whom they meet. 
 
 I should like to refer just a minute to the cooperation of the 
 young people’s workers with the members of the faculty, those who 
 are interested in building up the school. Many times the field man 
 has a knowledge of home conditions that would be of great benefit 
 to those who are in the school, and who find it impossible to get in 
 close touch with the young people in their homes. It seems to me 
 that there ought to be a closer fellowship, a more united, unselfish 
 effort, between these classes of workers, so that all may unitedly 
 work to get these young people in training. 
 
 I sometimes think we ought to write a book of “Don’ts” too. 
 One thing we ought to say is, “Don’t let one school unlawfully in¬ 
 crease its attendance to the detriment of another.” That has been 
 
54 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 done, and it doesn’t create a very friendly feeling somehow in the 
 other school. I have heard the principals of such schools express 
 themselves about it. 
 
 Many times a representative will be sent out from a school to in¬ 
 crease the attendance. He comes in contact with young people in 
 various parts of the field, and becomes acquainted with their home 
 conditions, learns how much money they have, how much encourage¬ 
 ment they receive in their homes, and their real situation. Sometimes 
 if just a little financial help, a little educational encouragement, could 
 be given at the right time, either by the conference or by the local 
 church or by the school itself, many young people might be in school 
 who hitherto have not been there. I believe very firmly that the 
 instruction in Volume VI, that there should be a fund created to 
 assist worthy poor students, is an excellent way of getting these 
 students in school. When our schools are just right and the cooper¬ 
 ation between the field and the school is just right, we shall secure 
 many of these young people who have not been in our schools before, 
 and they will have the privilege of Christian training. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: I wish to emphasize one thing, and that is that the 
 school itself must be efficient in order to draw students. I believe 
 that a properly conducted school is like a magnet. You know a 
 magnet draws everything that will affiliate with it. If a school is 
 not right, you cannot drive students into it. You can try to drum 
 up the students. You may fill it up one year, but the next they will 
 be gone. You may write an article in the union conference paper 
 every week, but it will not draw students unless there is something 
 in the school itself. The school must be efficient, the teaching must be 
 sound, it must be good, it must be high grade, in harmony with the 
 light God has given us in reference to the conducting of our schools. 
 
 Students are not afraid of discipline, they are not afraid of work; 
 but if there is something about the school that does not harmonize 
 with these principles, it will keep students away. They will flock 
 into a school and fill it, even though they have strict discipline, sim¬ 
 ply because they believe that there they can get a training that per¬ 
 haps they cannot get elsewhere. So I think the primary requisite 
 in building up a school is that its training shall be right, that it shall 
 be sound, and that it shall make for the building of men, and then 
 the students will be directed to it. 
 
 C. C. Lewis: Let us add to that, the cooperation of the students 
 themselves. Get them to cooperate, get them interested, lay the 
 burden upon them, let them lay their own plans to get students, and 
 they will help a great deal. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 55 
 
 W. L. Adams: At Keene there is a prominent organization of stu¬ 
 dents to do this work. We believe that it will work satisfactorily. 
 They have also a magazine. The spirit of loyalty among the students 
 is a very fine thing, especially when they go from the school to their 
 home conferences to mingle with the young people in the camp meet¬ 
 ings and elsewhere. 
 
 B. F. Machlan: I should like to add one word concerning the 
 value of a systematic card index kept for this purpose of getting in 
 touch with the young people in the union conference or the confer¬ 
 ences, as the school may be either a union or a conference school. 
 I have felt that it was a great advantage to me to be able to get in 
 touch with all the young people, to write to them once in a while, to 
 be sure that they got a catalogue, and to be sure that the young 
 people who went from the homes or into the neighborhood, were doing 
 a good work where they were. I have great faith in the living 
 advertisement. 
 
 J. J. Reiswig: I think you could add to that the cooperation of 
 the parents. We have had an experience in our academy. It seemed 
 to have run down, and one year we questioned, on the school board, 
 whether we ought to open at all or not. It seemed that we could 
 not get the students to want to come to school. We heard young 
 people talking about some other State academy, and I knew they 
 would go to other schools. It was because the parents did not like 
 the school. At camp meeting time, when we talked about the rais¬ 
 ing of money, they would get up and leave, and perhaps we would 
 have only a handful left. If we talked about missions, we would 
 have them all. There were liberal donations for missions, but little 
 for the school. 
 
 Our president said we must work that thing out differently. He 
 said, “We will call large committees, and let the brethren come in 
 and see the situation, and make them feel that they are a part of 
 the school.” Of course it was a financial expense to get some of 
 these brethren there, but it has aided greatly. Our school is now more 
 than full. The students are loyal to the school now, because the par¬ 
 ents believe in it. 
 
 A year ago one of our brethren said, “Why don’t you come to¬ 
 gether and get that little debt out of the way? We could raise that 
 in fifteen minutes at camp meeting.” We told him we would give 
 him a chance, and now the thing is cleared up, and the spirit of the 
 parents is with the school, and so is the spirit of the pupils. If we 
 find that a parent is talking about some other school, we now plan 
 to put him on as a member of the large committee. 
 
56 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 W. E. Howell: I believe in every principle that has been empha¬ 
 sized. I just wanted to add to the idea of a card-index system, that 
 I think there are great possibilities in having that worked up from both 
 ends. I do not think there ought to be a boy or a girl whose name 
 is not on that index at the school. But I want to emphasize the idea 
 that we use that index in writing to these people. Some people who 
 cannot talk so attractively, can write a good letter, and it helps much. 
 
 WORKING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COLLEGE 
 AND ITS AFFILIATED ACADEMIES: THE 
 LAKE UNION PLAN. ITS MERITS 
 AND DEMERITS 
 
 O. J. GRAF 
 
 To the question, Should there be cooperation between the college 
 and its affiliated academies? there can be only one correct answer, 
 for “united we stand, divided we fall.” Both are sure to profit from 
 a thorough plan of working relations, and both are sure to suffer 
 when competition and a working at cross-purposes exist. Just how 
 far we should expect to go in cooperation, and how far each school 
 should maintain its individuality and independence, may be a ques¬ 
 tion. Some union conferences may find it possible to carry this co¬ 
 operation farther than others, but I believe that experience has taught 
 us that there should, in all cases, be cooperation in the matter of (i) 
 uniform courses, (2) inspection of the work done by the academies, 
 and (3) the number of grades to be offered by the academies. To 
 these might be added such minor items as cooperative advertising 
 and uniformity of tuition rates. 
 
 It is quite self-evident that, even if we cannot hold the whole 
 denomination in line with respect to uniform studies, the educational 
 unit which we find quite complete in each union conference certainly 
 ought to be held to a strict uniformity in studies offered in the differ¬ 
 ent grades. If both college and academy are offering ninth and tenth 
 grades, these grades should be uniform in subject matter, textbooks, 
 and in the ground covered, so that there will be no difficulty in pass¬ 
 ing a student from one school to another. Our people have had abun¬ 
 dant reason for protesting against our lack of uniformity in the past. 
 It is true that we have improved much in this respect, but we have 
 not yet attained perfection. 
 
 By inspection of the work done by the academies, I refer to the 
 responsibility which quite naturally rests upon the college, of seeing 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 57 
 
 that the standard of work done in the academies is equal to that 
 which has been adopted by the denomination. This may be done by 
 visiting the academies, and making investigation of the work done; 
 or by heads of departments in the college passing on the work done 
 by the students from these academies, as they enter the college; or 
 by gathering information concerning the work of the lower schools by 
 correspondence. To some extent, we have used all three methods. 
 
 But I suppose the most important question in the working relation 
 between the two classes of schools, and that which the committee 
 had in mind when this subject was assigned me, is the question of 
 the number of grades to be offered by the academies. And since the 
 subject, as it was originally assigned, included the “Lake Union Con¬ 
 ference plan, its merits and demerits,” I will state briefly the history 
 of the case in our union conference. 
 
 During the past seven years it has been quite clearly understood in 
 our union that the academies should carry the first ten grades, and 
 the college the higher grades. This plan, for several reasons that I 
 will state later, has not been altogether satisfactory to the academies. 
 
 Three possible means of solution are offered: First, that the acad¬ 
 emies offer only ten grades, and in return the college do not receive 
 non-resident students in these grades unless recommended by the 
 local conference president. This is the plan on which we have been 
 operating. Second, that the academies offer twelve grades, and the 
 college receive non-resident students only above these grades. Third, 
 that the academies offer twelve grades, and the college receive all 
 students who wish to come, in any and all grades. 
 
 The objection to the last plan is the fact that this would develop 
 a sharp competition and rivalry between the two schools, since both 
 would be bidding for the same students. To make this plan really 
 work out justly, the college should have the privilege of sending its 
 representatives to visit the churches and camp meetings. Yet this 
 would be quite sure to result in misunderstandings and suspicions. 
 It would probably result in discouragement to the young people, for 
 con'radictory advice would be given them by the educational workers 
 from the different schools. There would be a strong tendency, also, 
 for the students from the different schools to speak disparagingly of 
 the rival school, and thus result in tearing down our educational work, 
 rather than building it up. In some cases the representative of the 
 college might even be unwelcome at the camp meetings and in visiting 
 the academies. Much better a mutual understanding with respect 
 to where the work of one school begins and that of the other ends, 
 even though that understanding be not altogether ideal or satisfac¬ 
 tory, than to have rivalry and working at cross-purposes. 
 
58 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 So the question resolves itself into whether the academies are to 
 conduct ten grades, and be protected by the college in doing so; or 
 to conduct twelve grades, without competition by the college. 
 
 The principal reasons urged by the academy men for a change 
 from ten to twelve grades were these: — 
 
 1. We, the academies, are now better manned and equipped to 
 do eleventh- and twelfth-grade work than before. 
 
 2. Our students are so young that it is almost impossible for us 
 to conduct our schools satisfactorily. If we can have two addi¬ 
 tional grades, this condition can be remedied, because we will have 
 older students. 
 
 3. More students would have the benefit of a twelfth-grade edu¬ 
 cation than can get it now, because of the additional expense of going 
 to the college for the last two grades. 
 
 It is only fair that we should admit that there is truth in these 
 contentions. Our academies are better manned and equipped than 
 they were eight or ten years ago, and they are much better able to 
 carry on advanced work now than they were then; yet I am inclined 
 to think that we should find it quite a problem to equip our acade¬ 
 mies and find competent teachers to do good work, for instance, in 
 such subjects as physics, German, and Latin. Real skill is necessary 
 in teaching a student who is just beginning the study of a foreign 
 language, and successful science teachers certainly are not plentiful. 
 I question whether we would have a sufficient number of strong 
 teachers to go around. Our language teachers have complained bit¬ 
 terly of the inefficiency in the work previously done. 
 
 Perhaps it is true that younger students are admitted to our acad¬ 
 emies than formerly, yet I believe that the experience of the past 
 school year has convinced many of our academy teachers that they 
 had been unduly alarmed concerning this problem. As I visited our 
 academies this year, I saw very little, if any, difference in the average 
 age of the student bodies. I am inclined to think that for some 
 years to come there will always be older students coming in to the 
 academies to take eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-grade work. 
 
 To my mind, the strongest argument presented by our academy 
 men, is the contention that, if each of the academies conducted the 
 eleventh and twelfth grades, more students would be securing the 
 training in these grades than do now. We must concede that this is 
 true. While five or six schools in different parts of the union confer¬ 
 ence offer these grades, there are sure to be more students enrolled 
 in them than when only one school conducts these grades. How¬ 
 ever, if all our academies should offer these two grades, it would cer¬ 
 tainly increase the financial problems of both our academies and the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 59 
 
 college; for, instead of equipping one school to do this work, we would 
 have to equip six; instead of paying the salaries of teachers in one 
 school, we would have to pay the salaries of teachers in six schools. 
 And, furthermore, it would cause the college to lose a large number 
 of students, for I think that it is still true that in most, if not all, 
 of our colleges the eleventh and twelfth grades are the financial back¬ 
 bone of the school. These are our large grades. These are the 
 grades in which the minimum of expense produces the maximum of 
 financial support. And if the attendance in these grades should be 
 weakened, our colleges would be seriously crippled. In fact, we 
 estimate that at Emmanuel Missionary College it would mean a loss 
 of from three to four thousand dollars a year, and to a school that 
 is barely paying its running expenses, this would be a staggering loss. 
 
 At best, it seems that in this question there is a conflict of interest 
 between the two schools. The gain of one would seem to mean a 
 loss to the other. In other words, our constituency seems neither 
 large enough nor strong enough to conduct, successfully, a number 
 of twelve-grade academies, and at the same time support a college. 
 Hence, in the Lake Union Conference, it became apparent that we 
 must choose between having ten-grade academies and a college, or 
 twelve-grade academies and either a weak college or none at all. 
 The plan finally adopted by the Lake Union Conference Committee, 
 in counsel with representatives of the North American Division, is 
 given in the following resolution, which was passed at the council 
 held at Berrien Springs last summer: — 
 
 “ Whereas, Our educational work in this union conference needs 
 strengthening and support, that the schools we already have may be 
 filled, and the conferences not become further involved financially; 
 therefore, we recommend the following: — 
 
 “That the academies confine their work to ten grades, with the 
 privilege of giving three electives from the eleventh grade to those 
 students not having completed the tenth grade.” 
 
 This resolution was adopted with the understanding that non¬ 
 resident students who had not completed the tenth grade be expected 
 to attend the academies, and should not come to the college without 
 a recommendation from the local conference president. 
 
 This is where we now stand, but we are all looking forward to the 
 time when our financial burdens will have been lightened, and when our 
 constituency will have become sufficiently strong in numbers and in 
 interest in Christian education to make it possible for us to reach 
 the ideal of the academies conducting twelve grades, and the college 
 giving its attention largely if not wholly to college work. That this 
 day may hasten, is the earnest hope and prayer of the representatives 
 of both the college and the academies. 
 
GO 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 C. W. Irwin: I believe that the problem is different in each union 
 conference. In the Pacific Union Conference we have two twelve- 
 grade academies, one ten-grade school in Arizona, and another in 
 prospect for the State of Nevada. Then we have various ten-grade 
 day schools. But we have only two twelve-grade and two ten-grade 
 academies. In this discussion we need to consider only the two twelve- 
 grade academies,— one in San Fernando, the other in Lodi. 
 
 We have six conferences in California. The San Fernando Acad¬ 
 emy is the twelve-grade academy for the Southwestern and Southern 
 Conferences; the Lodi Academy draws students in the Central and 
 Northern California Conferences; and the Academic Department of 
 the Pacific Union College is .supposed to solicit students in the Cali¬ 
 fornia Conference, which is the Coast conference below San Francisco, 
 and the Northwestern California Conference, the one in which the 
 college is situated. 
 
 If we had enough college students, and could get to the point 
 where we were soliciting only college students throughout the field, 
 we should be glad; but we are not in that position as yet. The Lodi 
 Academy has the right to solicit any tenth-grade students in this 
 conference, and also in the California Conference. 
 
 We have various plans in view. We have been trying to affiliate 
 to the best of our ability, and we seem to be getting nearer to it all 
 the time. We have had a number of hitches over this matter, but 
 we have all tried to keep sweet, and we hope to arrive at a plan that 
 will be entirely satisfactory to all parties concerned. 
 
 We have been making the experiment, in this union conference, 
 of having what we called the affiliated calendar. The Lodi Academy 
 was affiliated with the Pacific Union College last year, and both were 
 represented in the same calendar. This year we decided, as far as 
 the college was concerned, that it was willing to continue the plan, 
 provided San Fernando Academy would join us; but if they did not 
 see fit to do so, we would discontinue the plan with Lodi, and each put 
 out its own calendar. But San Fernando has decided to come in on 
 the proposition. 
 
 In this calendar we shall first set forth some general principles, 
 general rules and regulations, which we believe will be applicable in 
 all the academies. That will be the first thing in the calendar. 
 After that we shall take up the description of the courses of study 
 in the college, in San Fernando Academy, and in Lodi Academy. 
 
 Now, we are not going to give our oath that we will continue this 
 policy, but we will try it out completely this year, and see how it 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 61 
 
 works. There may be two sides to the question. I do not know but 
 the academies have felt that the calendar going out in this way would 
 advertise the college as much as it does the academies, or a little 
 more. On the other hand, when we send out a college calendar, we 
 are advertising the academies. It remains to be seen whether the 
 situation is not about as long as it is broad. 
 
 Now, in reference to financial management and policy: Last year 
 the Pacific Union College Association — the legal association which 
 owns this institution — took over the Lodi Academy, and the college 
 board is the board of that academy. I am not sure but the con¬ 
 stituency of the San Fernando Academy has voted to do the same; 
 hasn’t it, Brother Andross? 
 
 E. E. Andross: They have expressed their willingness to do that 
 on condition that the name of the association be changed. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: If that is carried out, then the academies will be 
 owned by the same corporation or management, and each will have 
 a local board to attend to local conditions. 
 
 I think that this coming year we shall publish practically the same 
 course of study; so we feel that we are making progress toward the 
 solution of this problem. But I do not believe that any absolute, 
 iron-clad rule can be laid down regarding this matter of attendance 
 at the various schools. There are conditions sometimes where a 
 student desires to attend a certain school. I remember we had a 
 student who had been attending our school, but for a certain reason 
 he wanted to attend the Lodi Academy, and went over there. When 
 I found it out, I did not say anything to him. We had a student with 
 us last year who took a notion he would attend San Fernando Acad¬ 
 emy, and he went away down to Southern California to attend that 
 academy. 
 
 There are sometimes reasons why a student wishes to attend a 
 certain school. He may be acquainted with some members of the 
 faculty, or he may have relatives in the place. It seems to me there 
 must be a certain amount of latitude given in this matter. We have 
 felt that we have never lost anything by allowing that. 
 
 When we go out to the camp meetings, we try not to urge a stu¬ 
 dent unduly to come to this school, or to attend any particular school. 
 Sometimes we meet a student who says, “I am going to such-and- 
 such a college next year.” “Very well, that is all right. *Go ahead, 
 and the Lord be with you. I hope you will have a profitable year.” 
 We have found that we have better results in following that policy. 
 What could we say? We could not tell him he ought to attend our 
 college without saying something against that other school, and we 
 have thought it a better policy not to do that. If I bring undue pres- 
 
62 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 sure upon a student who has already set his mind on another school, 
 he comes here with his eyes open to see everything that is wrong; 
 while if he comes voluntarily, and knows that he can go elsewhere if 
 he wishes, he is apt to affiliate with the school in spirit, and will be 
 a help. 
 
 This is the policy that we are endeavoring to follow in the affilia¬ 
 tion of our schools, in regard to the matter of soliciting students. 
 As I stated this afternoon, I believe that each school ought to be mag¬ 
 netic in its influence. If it cannot draw students, it would be better 
 for them to go elsewhere. I mean by that, it should build up a strong 
 teaching force, should offer good board and good facilities, and should 
 exert a strong spiritual influence. 
 
 Our difficulty of late in this union conference, owing to some con¬ 
 ditions, has been this: The union conference has put up the bars against 
 the college for the last year or so; and I approve of that plan. Some 
 of our students have reasoned like this: The rates are about the same 
 in the college as they are in the academy, and I might as well go to 
 the college, as it will cost no more. So of late we have had to put 
 up a barrier on the other side in this union conference. The academies 
 ought to draw the academic students, and I think they are doing that. 
 I look for this coming year to be the most ideal year that we have 
 ever had in the matter of attraction of students to the proper places. 
 
 When we go out to a camp meeting, at the present time, the rep¬ 
 resentatives of all the schools unite, perhaps all together in one tent, 
 and have our calendars there. When we find students who ought 
 to go to the academy, w r e turn them over to the academy; and vice 
 versa. This is productive of a good spirit. 
 
 F. Griggs: Professor Howell wants an explanation of the barrier. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: Last year the rule was passed by the union confer¬ 
 ence that this school should draw all the students from the eleventh 
 and twelfth grades, or from the eleventh grade up, in what is now 
 the California, the Northwestern and Northern, and the Central 
 Conferences. Now we have only two of those conferences, that is, 
 the other two have been turned over to Lodi Academy, so that cuts 
 down our constituency. 
 
 Another thought: I rerpember a few years ago, when I was at home 
 in Mount Vernon, Ohio (I am a graduate of the Mount Vernon high 
 school), I went in to see the high school, and I noticed in the main 
 entrance of the corridor the pictures of various colleges. Represent¬ 
 atives of leading Eastern colleges had evidently visited that hall and 
 put up pictures of their colleges. It seems to me it would be a good 
 thing for our academies to have the pictures of our colleges hanging 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 63 
 
 up in their buildings. Then the students will understand that when 
 they have finished there is a place where they may go and continue 
 their studies. 
 
 It has been demonstrated in this union conference that it does 
 not pay to have friction. The school that starts to find fault with 
 the other schools has in the end come out the worse for it; therefore 
 we have tried to inculcate the spirit of amicable relationship 
 throughout. 
 
 I may say in line with what Professor Graf has said, that our 
 heaviest grade is the eleventh grade. I suppose it would take four 
 or five thousand dollars out of the school if we had to lose that grade. 
 We are glad it is that way, it shows that the ninth and tenth grades 
 are being accommodated elsewhere. We do not wish to draw them 
 any more than we are obliged to. 
 
 E. E. Andross: I might make one suggestion further with refer¬ 
 ence to the solicitation of students. Our plan here is that in each of 
 the camp meetings all those who desire to attend our schools hand 
 their names to the educational secretary of the union; then those 
 who should go to the local school are turned over to the principal 
 of the academy, and those who should attend the college are turned 
 over to the college. The secretary is supposed to be impartial in 
 the distribution of these names, and in that way we have a fairly 
 equitable plan. No friction that I know of has come up. We have 
 only one tent representing our school work in each camp meeting. 
 The affiliated calendars are there, and the students may be seen by 
 any of the school men. And yet the students are supposed to see the 
 educational secretary before they go to the college president, when 
 they are in the territory of the academies. 
 
 C. A. Russell: I admit that Professor Graf has given a-very fair 
 presentation of the situation as we have it in that union conference. 
 We have problems,— there is no question about that. There is al¬ 
 ways more than one side to a question. I should have been very 
 much pleased to have some of the tenth-grade principals present, for I 
 think the discussion here would have brought a better understanding. 
 
 One argument that has been used quite often in our conference 
 in reference to these tenth-grade schools, has by the actual condition 
 of affairs this year proved to be no argument at all. That is this: — 
 
 It has been contended that it was impossible for tenth-grade 
 schools to be operated on that policy. But I believe that the mat¬ 
 ter depends on the way the field is worked. One of our fields, and 
 that with not a large constituency, has been worked so thoroughly 
 that the school is filled to its capacity. They enrolled more than one 
 
64 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 hundred students, and they have a balance on the right side of their 
 operating expenses. Another school, with a constituency practically 
 the same, has struggled along with less than half as many students. 
 I can see no reason, except that they have not used personal solici¬ 
 tation or the card system or correspondence to the extent that they 
 have in the other place. “Nothing succeeds like success.” It is the 
 big thing over there. Everybody is talking up the school there, from 
 the conference president down to the laity. The ministers are told 
 not to leave a single church that they visit, without presenting some¬ 
 thing with reference to Christian education, and they are all working 
 for the school. I believe that should be the case everywhere. We 
 have enough students over there to fill every academy. 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS EFFICIENCY AND 
 THE PROPER FINANCING OF 
 OUR SCHOOLS 
 
 h. A. morrison, President of Union College 
 
 I desire to call attention to a few of the lessons we can gain from 
 the experience of men in the business world. Some fifty years ago 
 there were very few business houses that were really organized to do 
 the most service at the least cost and effort. Gradually the business 
 world has been convinced of the need of very systematic work, in 
 order to give a critical public satisfaction and at the same time to 
 earn a pleasing dividend for the stockholder. 
 
 Many of the business firms of today have their system down to a 
 science, and others are rapidly bringing in experts to study their con¬ 
 ditions and their needs, in order that their work may produce the 
 best possible results for the time, money, and effort put into it. 
 
 True Economy 
 
 Refusing to spend money for that which is useful and needful, 
 and for that which will play an important part in increasing the effi¬ 
 ciency of the school, is not economy; on the other hand, the expend¬ 
 iture of money in a loose and unsystematic manner, even for improve¬ 
 ments which appear very necessary, is waste and extravagance. 
 
 In the great majority of cases the difference between the business 
 house which fails and the one which succeeds is very, very small on 
 each particular item. The reduction, or its lack, of even a small 
 fraction of a cent on each article, is the element that will make or break 
 any business firm. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 65 
 
 The world has learned that it cannot get the greatest amount or 
 best quality of work from employees who are not surrounded with 
 comfortable and inviting places in which to work, and who are not 
 able to furnish themselves with comfortable homes. Neither does 
 it pay to so overload a man with work that he is under constant 
 strain and perplexity. Any of these things will hinder a man from 
 doing his best and most efficient work. 
 
 Lift the Reproach of Debt 
 
 As a denomination, I feel that we have erred in this latter mat¬ 
 ter, and if there is a department in which this mistake has occurred 
 more frequently than in another, it is in our educational system. 
 Our publishing houses have been organized according to business 
 principles. They have given great care to the efficiency of their 
 employees and their plants. They are also giving considerable con¬ 
 sideration to the principles stated above. I feel that in these re¬ 
 spects our publishing houses are far in advance of our educational in¬ 
 stitutions, that in fact we are at the very bottom of the ladder in this 
 particular. 
 
 Perhaps this is because the school is not looked upon as a business 
 concern. We seem to forget that though the college or academy 
 cannot be a money maker, it can very easily become a money sinker. 
 But even this is not the greatest consideration; for the lack of proper 
 and systematic and efficient management not only shows in the col¬ 
 umns of dollars and cents, but also has a great deal to do with the 
 salvation of our young men and women and their preparation for 
 work on the frontier. 
 
 If men of the world can spend time and effort in organizing and 
 systematizing their business in order that they may accumulate dol¬ 
 lars for themselves and for others, certainly we ought to be willing 
 to spend the proper time and effort in organizing and equipping our 
 schools in such a manner that their financial problems will not be a 
 hindrance to the development of the great work for which they were 
 established. 
 
 The annual income to these institutions totals more than $400,000. 
 To carry forward the work in them necessitates the employment ol 
 from six hundred to seven hundred men and women, aside from 
 student employees. 
 
 As a denomination, we are undertaking to operate and manage 
 a school system entirely self-supporting, a task that has never been 
 accomplished to the satisfaction of all concerned, by any man or 
 group of men. In the first place, our schools, as a whole, are under a 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 heavy burden of debt. There seems to be no hope of relieving the 
 congestion and the circumscribed conditions until all the hampering 
 influence of this enemy of progress has been removed. Therefore, 
 the movements on foot to rid our colleges and academies from this 
 evil, have not been started too soon. 
 
 Every conference, every member of the constituency in any school 
 district, should at this time put forth every possible effort to lift this 
 reproach of debt from every educational institution not later than 
 Jan. i, 1917. This being done, if every one does his duty and senses 
 the great responsibility that our schools have in training our young 
 people for life and service, we shall be able to look into the future 
 with encouragement, and with the assurance that we are in a posi¬ 
 tion to do the work that God has designed we should do. 
 
 More Liberal Efforts for the Young 
 
 Our people should be led to understand that the possibilities of 
 advancing our message and spreading the gospel of the kingdom 
 into all the world in this generation lie in our college halls. God has 
 recognized this principle and fact, in giving us continued instruction 
 in regard to the building up of our school system. Note the follow¬ 
 ing in particular: — 
 
 “As a church, as individuals, if we would stand clear in the judg¬ 
 ment, we must make more liberal efforts for the training of our young 
 people, that they may be better fitted for the various branches of the 
 great work committed to our hands. We should lay wise plans, in 
 order that the ingenious minds of those who have talent may be 
 strengthened and disciplined, and polished after the highest order, 
 that the work of Christ may not be hindered for lack of skillful labor¬ 
 ers, who will do their work with earnestness and fidelity.”— “Coun¬ 
 sels to Teachers ,” page 43. 
 
 “There is no work more important than the education of our 
 youth. . . . Our brethren and sisters should be thankful that in the 
 providence of God our colleges have been established, and should 
 stand ready to sustain them by their means.”— Id., page 46. 
 
 As school men, we must so conduct our schools that they them¬ 
 selves will be a convincing power to the conferences and to the laity, 
 that they will prepare men and women efficiently for evangelistic 
 and mission work. It is of the highest importance that we conduct 
 our schools in harmony with the instruction given us through the 
 spirit of prophecy. It is only by giving careful heed to the princi¬ 
 ples there laid down that we can expect to finance our school system 
 adequately with the means available among Seventh-day Adventists. 
 
COUNCIL PEOCEEDINGS 
 
 67 
 
 Educate for Evangelistic Work 
 
 For years it has been necessary for the men and women trained in 
 our colleges to be used in manning our institutions and offices. We 
 have just passed a period of tremendous institutional growth, the 
 building up of much machinery; and now, since it is felt that our 
 needs in this direction are fully met, we can give our time and effort 
 to turning out the real product, instead of to the manufacturing of 
 new machines. In other words, I believe that the day and hour has 
 come when the chief work of all our colleges should be to prepare 
 men and women for evangelistic work. I believe that this spirit is 
 rapidly coming into our institutions, that the great majority of our 
 college men are preparing for the ministry, and that the young women 
 are planning for church school, Bible, and mission work. Our acad¬ 
 emies also have a great responsibility in this direction. While it is 
 not their place to complete the training of young men and women for 
 this work, they should use all their influence to direct the youth to 
 prepare for these lines of missionary effort. 
 
 If therefore our schools are the home end of the foreign mission 
 work, it does not seem to me out of the way to suggest that we continue 
 raising the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund for missions, even after all debts 
 are paid; and that we use the five cents that has been going to pay 
 the debt, for the better equipping of our educational institutions and 
 for doing all that is necessary to increase their efficiency, and in 
 addition, if possible, to assist worthy young people in obtaining a col¬ 
 lege education. 
 
 The average cost of a high school education in the State of Nebraska 
 .is $85 a year per student. College education is necessarily more 
 expensive than academic or high school. But even using the figures 
 of the high school, we would face a deficit of $30 or $40 a year for 
 each student on tuition alone. The conduct of a dormitory on the 
 basis of charge we make, is an even more difficult problem. Accord¬ 
 ing to the above figures, a college with 300 students would have a 
 deficit of from $10,000 to $12,000 each year on tuition. 
 
 Strengthen Our Base of Supply 
 
 We cannot afford to hamper and cheapen the training of the men 
 and women who are preparing for the important work of dissemi¬ 
 nating this message. We cannot expect to wither and stunt the germ 
 in the seed, and still reap a bountiful harvest. A little of the wither¬ 
 ing and stunting at the base of supply means disastrous results to the 
 product, and to efficiency at the frontier. A few dollars spent in 
 increasing the efficiency of the training will show larger and larger 
 
68 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 as we radiate from the center. On the other hand, a hampered, in¬ 
 efficient preparation shows more and more as the days and years go 
 by, in lack of ability to meet the needs. 
 
 I feel that it is indeed a very conservative request to ask for five 
 cents out of the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund, after our debts are paid, 
 for the development of our schools. The money thus divided would 
 be more wisely spent, and the work would advance much more rap¬ 
 idly, than if the full twenty cents were sent to the foreign field, and 
 our training facilities allowed to become impoverished. 
 
 Our schools in general have been in dire need of equipment, im¬ 
 provements, and repairs. This has caused many to attempt to meet 
 the situation by borrowing money and adding what seemed to the 
 managers to be an absolute necessity. While I hold that this is an 
 entirely wrong policy, yet many of the conditions of our schools have 
 been exceedingly perplexing and trying. As managers or officers, we 
 should plan ahead as to needed equipment, improvement, or repairs, 
 then go to the people and raise the money before any new equipment 
 is arranged for or purchased. Also, we should keep a close watch on 
 our expenses during the year, and in case it appears we are going to 
 have a deficit in our operating account, we should at once put forth 
 every effort to meet the situation without incurring debt, either by 
 operating more economically for the remainder of the year, or by going 
 to the people or conferences for assistance. It is only under very 
 extreme cases that such a circumstance would arise, if proper foresigh 
 and care were used in making the plans for the year. 
 
 Make Out a Budget 
 
 Above everything else, shun debt and operate our schools on a cash 
 basis. In order to do this, it will be necessary in laying plans for the 
 next year to make out a budget, which should include all the regular 
 expenses and whatever improvements are considered necessary. A 
 conservative estimate of the income for the year should be made, 
 and in case it appears that a deficit will exist, definite plans should 
 be made at that time to raise this money before the deficit is actually 
 incurred. Keeping a clean slate in this manner will do a great deal 
 toward filling our people with courage instead of weighing them down 
 with a heavy burden of debt. 
 
 Increase the Attendance 
 
 Another very vital point to consider in connection with the financ¬ 
 ing of our schools is the attendance. No group of men can carry on 
 an efficient school and pay its bills unless the school has an attendance 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 (59 
 
 commensurate with its capacity. While it may be that the majority 
 of our schools are filled to their convenient capacity, yet here is a 
 great opportunity for the field worker and also the laity to assist in 
 the financing of the school. This matter of attendance is in reality 
 first in importance. While a full attendance is of prime necessity as 
 far as the finances of the school are concerned, yet the attendance 
 depends largely upon several of the elements already suggested. 
 
 We all recognize that we do not need to hold out the financial side 
 in urging our young people to attend the denominational school. 
 The reasons for doing so are abundant, and far above this in impor¬ 
 tance. We are, however, in great need of working with the young 
 people, that all may realize their need of an education, and that 
 those who have no conception of the possibilities before them may 
 get a vision of the important work that would be theirs if only they 
 were prepared for service. There are large numbers of young men 
 and women whose eyes should be opened to the fact that they them¬ 
 selves can make a way to obtain this education. 
 
 The lack of permanency in the make-up of the faculties and offi¬ 
 cers of our schools has been greatly to our detriment in the past. I 
 feel that we have made some improvement in this respect the last few 
 years, and I anticipate seeing a continuation of this improvement in 
 the next few years. This continual change of management, together 
 with the change of plans that goes with it, has been one of the most 
 disastrous features in the financing of our schools. 
 
 The Alumni Can Help 
 
 In the colleges that are old enough or large enough, there are 
 great possibilities of receiving much help from the alumni. An 
 alumni association which has the spirit that should prevail in our 
 schools and which is dominated with the idea of assisting the alma 
 mater in efficiency, is a great asset to an institution. Through for¬ 
 mer students and alumni a great work can be accomplished, not only 
 for the better equipment of the school, but also by bringing young 
 people into touch with the possibilities that are theirs. 
 
 I believe that much might be done to save in our expenses if our 
 schools were more closely associated together. One institution is 
 often a producer of a product of which another institution is a con¬ 
 sumer. One is selling on the open market that which another must 
 go to the market and purchase. It might possibly be well to cooper¬ 
 ate for our purchases, something as the sanitariums have done; or 
 possibly each institution could reap these benefits by associating itself 
 with the sanitarium in its respective district. 
 
70 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Last but not least, it is of the greatest importance that those who 
 have the financing of our institutions should live very near to God. 
 As we have had our minds directed to the work of George Muller, 
 and recall the great work that he accomplished through prayer, even 
 to the establishing and financing of his institutions, it ought to in¬ 
 spire us with greater faith, and lead us to take, through prayer, a 
 stronger hold on him who is the possessor of the gold and silver and 
 the cattle on a thousand hills. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 B. F. Machlan: I shall not undertake to add anything to this 
 most excellent paper. There have been many ways and means de¬ 
 vised, but it seems to me that in the first place there can be only one 
 successful way of conducting an institution, and that is to keep it 
 above debt, to make it safe, as it were; and when you cannot do this, 
 the Lord says that we ought to act like sensible business men, and 
 close up such an institution. 
 
 In order that we may conduct an institution without debt, it is 
 necessary that we have the cooperation of the constituency. There 
 is nothing that brings so much courage and so much interest into the 
 minds of the constituency, as to know that the institution is not run¬ 
 ning behind. Not only the constituency should be interested and their 
 cooperation sought, but teachers and students may well be inter¬ 
 ested in their institution. 
 
 We have had some experiences in South Lancaster Academy the 
 last two or three years, that have proved that it is the proper thing 
 to interest our teachers in the financial management of the school. 
 As a result, our teachers and students have in the last two years 
 fitted up three recitation rooms with beautiful furniture, maps, and 
 other necessaries that have proved a great blessing to the institution. 
 Not only have they done this, but they have bought a balopticon for 
 the use of the science department and one for the history depart¬ 
 ment, they have raised a part of the money to buy an adding ma¬ 
 chine for the commercial department, and they have begun to furnish 
 another room in the institution. I believe that the experience they 
 have had in this way will be useful to them when they go out into 
 the work. One of the teachers told me, after they were through 
 fitting up his room with furniture, maps, and balopticon, "I would 
 not take anything for the experience I have had in this work.” He 
 said, ”1 expect to go out in the ministry the coming year, and I know 
 the experience I have had here will be useful to me in whatever line 
 of work I may be engaged.” 
 
-COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 71 
 
 It seems to me that we all ought to take a definite interest in the 
 twenty-cent-a-week plan that has been mentioned. The world has 
 accepted the installment plan, and a large per cent of the business 
 of the world today is done on that plan. That proves that it is an 
 efficient, a successful way to do business. We have not the install¬ 
 ment plan, but we have a systematic giving plan which is very much 
 the same, and it has proved a great blessing to those who have taken 
 part in it. More than fifteen thousand dollars was returned to us 
 this year, and there has been started a campaign in our union that we 
 believe will meet the demand that our brethren who preceded myself 
 made upon us, that we ought to be free from debt by 1917. 
 
 Permanency in management has been touched upon. Certainly 
 a man who becomes acquainted with the business men in a certain 
 section, is able to do business on a better basis than the one who is 
 unacquainted. He learns where he can get his best bargains in 
 every line, and as he undertakes the work of furnishing his school, 
 not only with equipment, but with the necessary food and furniture, 
 he has many advantages over the one who comes in as a stranger. 
 So it seems to me that this is a matter that our school boards might 
 well take into consideration. 
 
 I trust that it will not be longer than 1917 until our schools shall 
 be free from debt; when we can see our money spent, not for interest, 
 but for equipment; when our teachers can be paid the year around; 
 when they can spend their vacations in research work instead of 
 hunting here and there for a place to do a few weeks’ work until the 
 coming year opens. I trust the Lord will remove from us the reproach 
 of debt. 
 
 I. H. Evans: I am in sympathy with the paper, and in sympathy 
 with the discussion. I believe both the paper and the discussion 
 have struck solid bottom on which we ought to build up the Lord’s 
 work. I cannot conceive of the Lord himself approving the plan of 
 people running in debt and borrowing money to carry on his work. 
 He who has declared that he owns the gold and silver and . that all 
 the cattle of the earth are his, surely cannot want his people to be 
 borrowing money to carry on educational work. 
 
 From what has been done the past year I am thoroughly convinced 
 that we can swing all our institutions out of debt by the time these 
 brethren have said. The Pacific Union is doing splendidly, for a long 
 time ago it had passed the one-hundred-thousand-dollar mark in do¬ 
 nations raised in cash and pledges for educational indebtedness. 
 The Central Union Conference is striving to pull itself out, and I am 
 sure it will. It has already paid about thirty thousand dollars during 
 the last year. The president of the Lake Union Conference told me 
 
72 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 a week ago that if he could have until the first day of July, 1916, he 
 would guarantee that every debt in that union conference would be 
 paid, outside of what is owing by the sanitarium. Professor Machlan 
 has spoken of the effort being put forth by the Atlantic Union Confer¬ 
 ence, and I am sure that they will succeed in wiping out the indebted¬ 
 ness on South Lancaster Academy. Our Northern Union Confer¬ 
 ence will be entirely out of debt this fall. The Western Canadian 
 Union is already out of debt. 
 
 So, brethren, the whole field looks hopeful to me. I believe our 
 school men have hold of the true principle, and are standing on the 
 firm foundation,— that they will not run their schools into debt. I 
 can assure them of my hearty sympathy, and I shall stand by every 
 man who will try to wipe this curse off from the people of God, and 
 remove this reproach; for I believe that just as soon as we can liqui¬ 
 date our indebtedness, great life and hope and good cheer will come 
 to this people, and the work will bound upward and forward with such 
 an impetus as we have never known before. So, brethren, I believe 
 in this great enterprise, and I am glad to hear these splendid papers 
 and discussions. I know that the blessing of God will follow the effort 
 we are putting forth. 
 
 Dr. M. E. Olsen: I am very much interested in the suggestion 
 that after the debts are paid off, the five cents a week still be con¬ 
 tinued, to provide a fund for the equipment of our schools. I do think 
 the schools need better equipment. We ought so to equip our colleges 
 that our boys and girls can do thorough, excellent work. 
 
 Furthermore, it seems to me, in asking the constituency to pay 
 all our debt, we ought to remind them, perhaps, that the reason why 
 we have these debts is because we have not been charging enough for 
 delivering the goods. If a grocer should sell sugar at half price, he 
 would soon be in debt. Other private colleges have been charging 
 $100 a year for tuition. It seems to me a very fair rate for a college to 
 charge. We are charging about $50 a year tuition, and I am only 
 surprised that our schools have not gone worse in debt. 
 
 Then there are our boarding schools. We charge $150 or $160 
 for board, room, washing, etc. Boarding schools conducted by other 
 denominations, without one bit better equipment or accommodations, 
 charge at least $300 a year. It seems to me that we ought to remind 
 our patrons that it is not the schools that are at fault, but that they 
 have not charged enough. 
 
 If the parents and students will continue to pay five cents a week 
 to help us equip the schools, we shall all be satisfied, and I believe 
 we shall be getting good value for our money. We do not expect 
 the schools in India and China to be fully self-supporting. Like- 
 
COUNCIL PKOCEEDINGS 
 
 73 
 
 wise in this country, as long as we do not have endowments, we must 
 somehow have money year by year besides the money that comes 
 in from tuitions, if we are going to have good schools and high 
 standards. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: I suppose we ought to make an apology for what 
 we have done in our work here. A year ago this last fall, when we 
 opened with from fifty to seventy-five more students than the year 
 before,— should we send about seventy-five students down the hill 
 and back home, or what should we do? 
 
 Professor Paap: Send them to Lodi. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: We had to spend two thousand dollars for furniture. 
 Last year we opened with the same condition, and we had to spend 
 another thousand dollars for furniture. We had between sixty and 
 seventy taking chemistry this year. We spent about twelve hundred 
 dollars in chemical apparatus. Yet we do not like to go in debt. 
 
 Now I believe that as managers we ought to be held responsible 
 for any debt that comes from running behind in operating, but I do 
 not see how we could be held responsible for the liabilities caused by 
 increase in attendance. We could not ask the students to lie on the 
 floor, and get along in that way for lack of furniture, and so we have 
 had to do some of these things. We have only seventeen hundred 
 volumes in our library, and we ought to have five thousand, according 
 to the report. 
 
 We have not run behind as far as our operating is concerned. 
 Every dollar of increase in liability is offset by a good inventory. 
 That is the situation, and how to meet it has been the question with 
 us. Of course, we have hoped that we could raise the Hundred and 
 Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund, and thus wipe out the indebtedness. 
 
 We have furnished students labor to the extent of $82,000 in the 
 six years that we have been here. We have saved that amount of 
 cash, and it represents 410 students for a year at $200 each. We 
 have tried to do our best to manage these things conservatively, and 
 yet here is the situation. We have no more facilities than we need. 
 If every student had been in this room at the close of the year, we 
 should have had a line of chairs clear around the room. 
 
 E. W. Farnsworth: During this time of which you speak, how 
 much has the college run ahead on its operating expenses? 
 
 C. W. Irwin: For the first five years it was a little over seven thou¬ 
 sand dollars. One year we ran behind four thousand dollars. This 
 year I suppose we shall be ahead about three thousand dollars. I 
 suppose it would be approximately ten thousand dollars in the six 
 years. 
 
74 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Now if there is any light on this, we want it. Professor Morrison 
 has referred to some peculiar experiences. In our work here there 
 have been times when we needed money very much. The only thing 
 we could do would be to wake up at night and say to the Lord, “This 
 school is yours, and you will simply have to take hold of this situation.” 
 At one of these times, the next day after I had prayed in that way, I 
 opened a letter, and there was four thousand dollars in it. In an¬ 
 other case a young man put five thousand dollars in my hand. I have 
 had several experiences like that, where money came to us in that 
 peculiar way. 
 
 There is just one other thing I wish to say before I sit down. I 
 have found that it pays to provide good equipment. A few years 
 ago I tried to cut down as fine as I could on board, but I found there 
 was quite a little complaint that the board was not good enough. 
 Then we changed our plan, and provided the best board that money 
 could purchase, and added one cent a dish. I find that our constit¬ 
 uency does not complain about paying more money if they are get¬ 
 ting more for their money. If they pay a higher rate, but get value 
 for it, they do not complain. We have found it pays to provide good 
 board, and to try to build up our facilities. Students do not mind 
 paying a good round sum for laboratory fees, if the facilities are there 
 so they can get the work. We have raised our fees, and I have not 
 heard any complaint, because the work is there. Professor Morri¬ 
 son touched that very point. Sometimes it does not pay to save 
 money. I have had fifteen years’ experience, and I know that that 
 is true. 
 
 F. Griggs: It occurs to me that after two or three influxes of stu¬ 
 dents in this way, you would expect them, and would be prepared 
 for that kind of increase right along. 
 
 E. W. Farnsworth: I should like to know how you would prepare 
 for them. 
 
 » 
 
 E. E. Andross: We are raising the Hundred and Fifty Thousand 
 Dollar Fund. 
 
 O. J. Graf: Wouldn’t the increased revenue from the additional 
 students pay for the increased facilities? Fifty students, after the 
 overhead expenses are met, would bring in a large amount of money. 
 
 F. Griggs: There is a scripture that comes to my mind, “A pru¬ 
 dent man foreseeth the evil, and hidetb himself.” I am certainly 
 glad for these excellent papers, and the good spirit we have had here 
 today. It has been a good day for us. 
 
THE SACREDNESS OF TEACHING 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 
 
 With the impartation of one of God’s gifts there comes a respon¬ 
 sibility that no man can escape. He may say that he did not ask 
 for that responsibility, and that he does not feel like doing what 
 that gift would call him to do. But there is a responsibility, and no 
 man can throw it off. A steward is a man who does not own the prop¬ 
 erty, but who cares for it in the place of the master. A steward in 
 a home is the man who provides food and looks after the household 
 affairs. 
 
 God has placed teachers in the church. In I Cor. 12: 28 we find 
 this statement: “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, 
 secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers.” Of course 1 should not 
 like to argue that the position of teacher, as we understand it, is 
 exactly what the word “teacher” means in this Scripture. In the 
 days of Christ but very little was known about the kind of schools 
 that we operate. Our modern methods of running schools are not 
 the same as those back in the days of Christ. Nevertheless, they did 
 have teachers, and the gift of teaching was one of the gifts of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 Therefore when a man has been given the talent of teaching, 
 he must never forget that he has a holy gift, and it is as truly a 
 gift as that of prophecy. A great many times we think if we could 
 only be one of God’s prophets, and he could speak through us in the 
 way that he has spoken through them, then we should have a great 
 gift. But the Lord says, “God hath set some in the church, first apos¬ 
 tles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then 
 gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” Then 
 surely, he puts the gift of teaching among the very first gifts of his 
 Holy Spirit, and a man who has that gift has something sacred. 
 It is one of the divine gifts to the church, and when God has given 
 that to you as a teacher, you are under bonds before God to use that 
 gift to glorify his name as a faithful steward. 
 
 In 1 Tim. 3: 1-3 is a scripture that we read many times to 
 the elders of churches; but I wish you to notice one expression here. 
 In speaking of the qualifications of an elder or a bishop, Paul uses 
 this language: — 
 
 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he 
 desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband 
 
7 6 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, 
 apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; 
 but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.” 
 
 Here again the gift of teaching is mentioned as a qualification 
 for the man who is to be a bishop, a leader, a teacher among the 
 people of God. It is a gift that is of great importance, and of great 
 value, though the Bible itself, as I said before, perhaps does not 
 deal with teachers as we are dealing with them here. Yet we cannot 
 dismiss the idea that the gift of teaching and of training young men 
 in the service of God is one of the most sacred and holy callings God 
 has ever given to men. 
 
 I want to dwell upon the sacredness of this phase, the holiness of 
 this position, that you may not think that your work is common and 
 cheap, that you may not drift along, thinking, “Well, I am only a 
 teacher, I do not amount to much in this great work.” If I could make 
 you believe that this work of teaching is a holy calling, that the gift 
 of teaching is a gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift that God recognizes 
 again and again in his Word, then, it seems to me, you would more 
 appreciate the high calling when you are placed in the school to 
 train young men and women for their life work. 
 
 I wish to read another text to emphasize this power of knowledge 
 in teaching as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Here again the gift of teaching 
 is classed among the high gifts that God has placed in the church. 
 Paul starts out with prophecy:—- 
 
 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given 
 to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy.” Now if you could have 
 the gift of prophecy, you would think that was a wonderful thing. You 
 would walk very humbly. You would wrestle with God in prayer. 
 And you would say, “I must do nothing that will drive this gift 
 from my heart.” Yet it is not one whit more a gift of the Holy Spirit 
 than the gift of teaching. 
 
 Then again, “Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering.” Surely, 
 we say, the ministry is one of God’s high callings, but he also classi¬ 
 fies teaching right along in the same category with prophesying and 
 ministry. 
 
 Then he says, “Or he that teacheth, on teaching.” So if you are 
 a teacher in the church of Christ, then you must be one of those men 
 to whom God has given gifts directly through the influence of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 You must never lose sight of the fact that the work you are doing 
 is holy, that it is God’s work. Let us read i Cor. 12: 1-10: — 
 
 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you 
 ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 77 
 
 dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to under¬ 
 stand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus ac¬ 
 cursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And 
 there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And 
 there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which 
 worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to 
 every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word 
 of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to 
 another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by 
 the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another proph¬ 
 ecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; 
 to another the interpretation of tongues.” 
 
 I should like to emphasize this so strongly that you might never 
 forget it, but it would live with you in all the years of hard work, of 
 perplexity and trouble, that will come to you as teachers,— that this 
 great calling is of God, and that this gift is right in line with the 
 direct influences of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of men. 
 
 The Lord puts this ability of teaching, this talent of knowledge, 
 this gift of wisdom, in the church as a direct gift from him; and there¬ 
 fore when a man is qualified to teach, and accepts the calling of a 
 teacher, I hold that he has accepted one of the most holy professions 
 that there are in this work. 
 
 Let us see how it appears to a layman when he places his children 
 in your charge. It is one of the hardest things a man does, to 
 separate from his family. You teachers who live with your children 
 and have educational advantages for them at home all your life, 
 can hardly appreciate the feelings of a father and mother when they 
 are.called to separate from the children they love. For nine'months 
 in the year they see their faces not once, nor hear their voices, nor 
 are able to speak to them heart to heart. They place them under 
 the care and supervision of men whom they know little about. I say 
 it is one of the hardest things that can come into the home. Many a 
 father has sent his boy, many a mother has sent her girl to you, their 
 hearts breaking with sorrow and tears running down their cheeks; 
 and they never forget-a single morning or night, in secret prayer, 
 to ask that the blessing of God may be with that child, and that the 
 teacher may be wise to understand how to deal with that boy or girl. 
 
 Parents make this great sacrifice because they love God. They 
 do not send their boys and girls to be taught by you simply to get 
 rid of them. The majority of parents make tremendous sacrifices. 
 
78 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Many a father and mother have gone without sufficient clothing and 
 without proper conditions in the home, that they might pay the ex¬ 
 penses of their children in these schools, that the children might be 
 under Christian influences. They could have put them in the high 
 school in their own village without cost, but they made this great sac¬ 
 rifice for the purpose of putting their sons and daughters under the in¬ 
 struction of men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit, 
 men and women in whom they have supreme confidence, in whom 
 they believe is the Spirit of the living God. 
 
 I hold that when our teachers receive from a home like that, a 
 p-upil to be trained, they are under bonds before God to do their 
 best to shape the life and mold the character for usefulness, that 
 a man or woman saved in the kingdom of God may result. 
 
 There is no calling more sacred or more holy than teaching, and 
 no one whom God will hold to a greater degree responsible for the 
 souls of men and women than our teachers. I do not say that God 
 will not hold the minister equally responsible; he must. But, brethren, 
 you have a still closer touch than ever a minister had with these 
 boys and girls. As ministers we travel about from place to place. 
 We stand before a congregation to speak or pray, but we can stay 
 only a little time. But here these boys and girls are placed under 
 your supervision, not for one hour, not for a day, nor for two or three 
 days in the week, but for a year, or years, to mold and fashion day 
 after day. We snatch them away from their father’s and mother’s 
 care, as it were, and place them under your tutelage, your instruction, 
 and in some cases under your parentage, for at least eight hours in 
 the day, eight or nine months in the year, and for nearly sixteen years. 
 
 Must there not be a responsibility somewhere? If God holds 
 parents responsible for their children, and we, according to the teach¬ 
 ing of the church, instruct these parents to put these children under 
 Christian teachers, then I hold that every teacher must give an ac¬ 
 count before God for the souls of these boys and girls. It is not 
 merely hearing recitations, it is not receiving and dispatching busi¬ 
 ness; friends, you are dealing with something more sacred than busi¬ 
 ness; you are dealing with souls that are of more value to God than 
 all the gold and silver on earth. I want to read another statement 
 in regard to this: — 
 
 “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who 
 is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little 
 child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Except 
 ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter 
 into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble 
 
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 70 
 
 himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of 
 heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name 
 receiveth me.” 
 
 Oh, how gladly would you throw open the doors of your school 
 to Jesus Christ! Wouldn’t you be glad to see the Saviour as a little 
 boy walking into your schoolroom? You couldn’t help being thank¬ 
 ful, and you would love him. But “whoso shall receive one such 
 little child in my name receiveth me.” Then in the person of these 
 children that come to you for training, you have Jesus Christ, you 
 have the Saviour. Now the next verse: — 
 
 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in 
 me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his 
 neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” 
 
 “Oh, but,” you say, “I do not like this one. He is disagreeable.” 
 O my friends, you must not cherish such feelings. You must not 
 pick these boys out and say, “ I like this one because he is agreeable, 
 but I do not like that one, he is no good, he is not after my style.” 
 It is your duty to take these rough boys and girls, and fashion them 
 into the character of Jesus Christ. You must not have preferences. 
 It is not your privilege to have favorites, to like this one and dislike 
 that one. 
 
 I do not believe that any teacher who has favorites is fit to go 
 into a schoolroom to teach. It does not matter who the child is, 
 whether he is the son of the president of the General Conference 
 or the child of the poorest family among us, it is our duty to treat 
 both alike, to watch them with the same jealous care, to minister to 
 them in the same kind way, and never to forget that if by example 
 or word we drive a soul from Christ, the Master will say, It were 
 better that a millstone were hanged about your neck, and you were 
 drowned in the depths of the sea. 
 
 Then the ioth verse: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these 
 little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always 
 behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Isn’t that a close 
 connection with heaven? He is speaking of children, too, the hum¬ 
 blest, the weakest, those who cannot protect themselves, those who 
 do not have a word to say in their own behalf. I never read that 
 scripture but that I say, “Lord, help me to treat each and every 
 one as I should, to have no favorites, to love these poor lost souls 
 for Christ’s sake, and to lead them to look up in faith, making them 
 strong for the Lord.” 
 
 Teachers, God will hold you accountable for every soul placed 
 under your care. Yours is not a light work. You are not in a boy’s 
 game. You are not playing something that is easy. When you enter 
 
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 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 the profession of teaching, you take upon yourself vows of respon¬ 
 sibility that you will be God’s stewards, Christ’s representatives, 
 and that there shall be done on your part everything that you know 
 how to do to lead these youth to Christ. If that is not in your heart 
 as the great, the chief aim, you have failed of being a teacher accord¬ 
 ing to the Bible ideal. If you do not belong to that class, you ought 
 not to accept a position as teacher in one of our schools. 
 
 Here are a few familiar statements from the book, “Counsels to 
 Teachers.” I want you to note what is said respecting the sacred ness 
 of this work of teaching: — 
 
 “When every teacher shall forget self, and feel a deep interest 
 in the success and prosperity of his pupils, realizing that they are 
 Cod’s property, and that he must render an account for his influence 
 upon their minds and characters, then we shall have a school in which 
 angels will love to linger. Jesus will look approvingly upon the work 
 of the teachers, and will send his grace into the hearts of the students.” 
 — Page 94. 
 
 We are working upon these children as God’s property. You 
 may say that many of them are rough and uncouth, and you cannot 
 bear them. Then how can you help them? It is a fact that every 
 boy knows whether a teacher likes him or not. He does not have to 
 have it written out in flaming letters. I remember one time I was 
 talking with a colored man who came to my house to see me about 
 some troubles in the church. I said to him (I thought it would 
 encourage him): “I do not think I have any color line in my heart. 
 As far as I know, I like all colored people just as well as I like the 
 white people.” He said to me, “Oh, you need not tell me that. 
 A white man never comes into our church door but every colored man 
 in that church knows instantly whether that man likes the colored 
 people or not.” 
 
 I have often thought that every student knows just as soon as 
 he comes in touch with his teacher, whether that teacher likes him 
 or not. How does he know? — By intuition. He knows it by an 
 atmosphere, a magnetism, a something that speaks to him. He 
 knows what he thinks of the teacher, and he thinks he knows what 
 the teacher thinks of him. Of course they do not know hearts, 
 always, but they know them better than we think they do. 
 
 I want to read another statement: — 
 
 “I speak to the workers in our college. You must not only pro¬ 
 fess to be Christians, but you must exemplify the character of Christ. 
 Let the wisdom from above pervade all your instruction. In a world 
 of moral darkness and corruption, let it be seen that the spirit by 
 which you are moved to action is from above, not from beneath. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 81 
 
 While you rely wholly upon your own strength and wisdom, your 
 best efforts will accomplish little. If you are prompted by love to 
 God, his law being your foundation, your work will be enduring. 
 While the hay, wood, and stubble are consumed, your work will 
 stand the test. The youth placed under your care you must meet 
 again around the great white throne.” That is a solemn statement, 
 isn’t it? “If you permit your uncultivated manners or uncontrolled 
 tempers to bear sway, and thus fail to influence these youth for their 
 eternal good, you must, at that day, meet the grave consequences 
 of your work.”— Id ., page 95. 
 
 What will a man say before the throne of God when God holds 
 him to account for a lost soul,— a soul of such great value that Jesus 
 Christ would gladly have given his life especially for that one; a soul 
 that is so important in God’s sight that if you should measure out to 
 the Lord all the gold and silver that this earth contains, there would 
 not be enough to even tempt God to accept it instead of the child? 
 You must stand and look into the face of God, and give an account 
 for these boys and girls,— for your actions, your influence, or what¬ 
 ever has driven them from faith to unbelief, and driven them out of 
 the family of God. 
 
 Again we read: “By a knowledge of the divine law and obedi¬ 
 ence to its precepts, men may become the sons of God. By violation 
 of that law, they become servants of Satan. On the one hand, they 
 may rise to any height of moral excellence; or on the other hand 
 they may descend to any depth of iniquity and degradation. The 
 workers in our colleges should manifest a zeal and earnestness pro¬ 
 portionate to the value of the prize at stake,— the souls of their 
 students, the approval of God, eternal life, and the joys of the re¬ 
 deemed. 
 
 “As colaborers with Christ, with so favorable opportunities to 
 impart the knowledge of God, our teachers should labor as if inspired 
 from above. The hearts of the youth are not hardened, nor their 
 ideas and opinions stereotyped, as are those of older persons. They 
 may be won to Christ by your holy demeanor, your devotion, your 
 Christlike walk. It would be much better to crowd them less in 
 the study of the sciences, and give them more time for religious 
 privileges. Here a grave mistake has been made.”— Id., pages 95, q 6 . 
 
 I think, my friends, we do sometimes run things too hard and 
 fast. The child is put through the grind and required to measure 
 up to every standard. 1 believe in that, and yet it is an awful thing 
 to have no time to speak to the soul. A teacher should not be 
 so tired and exhausted with routine work that as soon as school is 
 out, he will want to get away and lock himself from his pupils, not 
 
 6 
 
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 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 even having time to pray with them. He should have time to take 
 a wayward boy and ask him why he does not do right, and talk with 
 him about a better plan. How many a time a boy’s heart has ached 
 for a little help. I remember I went a whole year to college, and 
 never a human being spoke to me about my soul,— never a word 
 in all the year that intimated that I had a soul to save; yet I was 
 present in every class and every recitation. 
 
 I believe that as teachers we must realize that there is something 
 of more value than class work. That is all right; we want our chil¬ 
 dren drilled and educated, not that they may be a dictionary or an 
 encyclopedia, but that they may be able to use all their talents as a 
 trained man can use them. But the highest training of all, dear 
 friends, is that which fits them to be children of God. I think one of 
 the saddest things that ever comes to a home in this world, when the 
 parents love God, is to have a child come from a school having lost 
 his Christian experience. You cannot measure the heartache, you 
 cannot fathom it, until you have a son of your own with this experience. 
 Rather than have this happen, we ought to exhaust our resources, 
 exhaust all endeavor, and prayer, and every ability we have under 
 God, to save those children and bring them to Christ. 
 
 I will read one or two more statements from page 229, “Counsels 
 to Teachers:”— 
 
 “To the teacher is committed a most important work,— a work 
 upon which he should not enter without careful and thorough prep¬ 
 aration. He should feel the sacredness of his calling, and give him¬ 
 self to it with zeal and devotion. . . . 
 
 “ But it is not enough that the teacher possess natural ability 
 and intellectual culture. These are indispensable, but without a 
 spiritual fitness for the work he is not prepared to engage in it. He 
 should see in every pupil the handiwork of God,— a candidate for 
 immortal honors. He should seek so to educate, train, and discipline 
 the youth that each may reach the high standard of excellence to 
 which God calls him.” 
 
 My friends, we must never forget that degrees do not qualify 
 a man to be a teacher of our children. I do not care how many degrees 
 or honors a man may have, he is not fitted to teach young boys and 
 girls that belong to our denomination, until he has a spiritual ex¬ 
 perience that makes his heart tender and filled with love for these 
 children. He should see in every pupil the handiwork of God, a 
 candidate for immortal honors. He should seek so to educate, 
 train, and discipline the youth that each may reach the high stand¬ 
 ard of excellence to which God calls him. However high his intel¬ 
 lectual attainment, no matter what he may have done himself, no 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 83 
 
 teacher is fitted to teach our boys and girls until he looks at them as 
 the handiwork of God, and sees in them candidates for immortal life. 
 I would ten thousand times rather have my child led to Christ 
 and saved in the kingdom of God, than to have him covered with all 
 the honors and glories that all the schools on earth could give. 
 
 My friends, keep before your minds continually the sacredness 
 of this calling, the holiness of the work of teaching. Never put it 
 on a common, cheap level, nor think that our schools can be run 
 according to worldly patterns. Ours is an entirely different work 
 from that of the world. We are trying to win our children from 
 this world. We are trying to have them trained to be Christians, 
 to love God, to be assured that they are saved by faith in Jesus Christ 
 to live with God in glory. 
 
 So I hope and trust that, as teachers, you will never forget the 
 sacredness of this great work of training 27,000 boys and girls of our 
 people for heaven. Think of it, friends,— the mightiest work that 
 is going on in the world, and you are at the head of it! You are not 
 simply training these youth, you are molding all the influences with 
 which they will come in contact. It is a work mighty and expanding, 
 and you need the Holy Spirit to help you do it. I am glad that this 
 gift of teaching is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 OUR SCHOOLS HOLD THE KEY 
 
 A. G. DANIELLS 
 
 Our schools and our school-teachers, the men and women who are 
 training the youth for the finishing of this work, hold the key to 
 this great foreign missionary problem. My dear friends, we must be 
 thorough in this work, not only giving the minds of our youth good 
 training and good discipline, but we must also see that they are 
 made thorough missionaries in the school. We cannot make per¬ 
 sons missionaries out in the field. Crossing the ocean does not 
 change a person’s heart; it does not change the disposition; and it 
 does not change the outlook of a great many. The transformation 
 must be made here in the homeland; and the place to make it is in 
 the schools, where the students are drilled and trained day after 
 day, week after week, and year after year. 
 
 One needs to get into the field and see the area, the masses of 
 people, and the pressure which is brought upon the workers day by 
 day, to realize the need of efficiency in our missionaries; and that is 
 why I believe our schools are the most important factor we have in 
 our denomination for the preparation of workers .—From a Talk to 
 the Council. 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG MINISTRY 
 
 J. L. SHAW 
 
 Since the entrance of sin into the world, God has used men as 
 ministers and priests through whom he has spoken to the people and 
 by means of whom he has sent the word of reconciliation. In the 
 earliest times every man was the priest of his own household. There 
 rested upon the head of the household the responsibility of directing 
 the family in the way of righteousness. Some of these men stand 
 out as holy men, ennobled by communion with God. Of them we 
 read that they were men of massive intellect, of wonderful attain¬ 
 ments. Enoch, we are told, had a strong and highly cultivated mind 
 and extensive knowledge. He bears the honor of being the first 
 Bible character spoken of as a “preacher of righteousness.” He re¬ 
 proved sin, proclaimed the love of God in Christ, and preached the 
 advent of Christ, and may therefore be regarded as a type of the people 
 to be developed in the last days, when the near coming of Christ is 
 to be preached in all the world. 
 
 In the days of Abraham the priesthood was regarded as the divine 
 right of the eldest son. The sin of Esau was his failure to regard the 
 high calling of God when he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. 
 Later, instead of the first-born of all Israel, the Lord accepted the 
 tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary, and Aaron was chosen as 
 the mouthpiece of God to minister unto the people. A study of the 
 Levitical priesthood reveals the fact that the priests were chosen to 
 be the intellectual and spiritual leaders of Israel. They were sup¬ 
 ported from the tithe, and their time was given them to study, teach, 
 and minister in all that pertained to the development of the mind and 
 morals of the people. 
 
 Commentators have endeavored to show the efficient training of 
 the Levitical priesthood. One writer asserts they must have studied 
 astronomy, in order to appoint the festivals; mathematics, to attend 
 to the business affairs of the sacrificial service; geometry, to divide 
 the land. They studied poetry and sacred song. Certain it is they 
 knew the laws of hygiene and sanitation. The book of Leviticus 
 makes it very evident that they were required to know the symptoms 
 and development of disease sufficiently to carry into effect the laws 
 of health and hygiene given to Israel. It does not require elabora¬ 
 tion of the idea to believe that the Levites were required to be the 
 intellectual as well as the spiritual leaders of Israel, and undoubtedly 
 many of them reached a high degree of efficiency. 
 
 In the Christian dispensation we find also that God set apart men 
 to the ministry. Christ ordained the twelve that he might send them 
 
 84 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 85 
 
 forth to preach, and for this appointed work they were given special 
 preparation in a school under his guidance and control. They were 
 not chosen because of their ignorance. In “Counsels to Teachers,” 
 pages 511, 512, we read: — 
 
 “Many speak against education because Jesus chose uneducated 
 fishermen to preach the gospel. They assert that he showed pref¬ 
 erence for the uneducated. But there were many learned and hon¬ 
 orable men who believed the teaching of Christ. Had these fearlessly 
 obeyed the convictions of their consciences, they would have followed 
 him. Their abilities would have been accepted, and employed in 
 the service of Christ, had they offered them. But they had not moral 
 power, in face of the frowning priests and jealous rulers, to confess 
 Christ, and venture their reputation in connection with the humble 
 Galilean. . . . 
 
 “God will accept the youth with their talent and their wealth of 
 affection, if they will consecrate themselves to him. They may reach 
 to the highest point of intellectual greatness; and if balanced by reli¬ 
 gious principle , they can carry forward the work which Christ came 
 from heaven to accomplish.” 
 
 The disciples were picked men, chosen for a definite work, and 
 trained for service in the school of Christ. They became strong 
 spiritual leaders because they were specially trained for their work 
 and gave themselves wholly to it. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, 
 sat at the feet of Gamaliel, and who can doubt, from the study of his 
 writings, that he received a liberal education? John Wycliffe, the 
 morning star of the Reformation, was called from Oxford. He “re¬ 
 ceived a liberal education, and with him the fear of the Lord was the 
 beginning of wisdom. He was noted at college for his fervent piety 
 as well as for his remarkable talents and sound scholarship.” Huss 
 received his education in the University of Prague. Luther at the 
 age of eighteen entered the University of Erfurt, and applied himself 
 to the best authors, diligently treasuring their most weighty thoughts 
 and making the wisdom of the wise his own. 
 
 The Reformation had its beginnings in the universities. Zwingli, 
 Melanchthon, Le Fevre, Calvin, were men of learning and piety 
 who were moved of God to teach his Word. 
 
 The work of the third angel’s message had its beginnings among 
 men who did not have great advantages from the standpoint of col¬ 
 lege and university training. They were nevertheless students of 
 earnest application, who improved their opportunities, and through 
 study and research became able exponents of the faith they espoused. 
 
 In 1874, as the growing demands made necessary the extension 
 of the work among other nationalities and in other lands, it seemed 
 
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 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 necessary to them to found a college, that men entering the ministry 
 might have opportunity to gain the right kind of education. The 
 training of men for the ministry was the primary object in the estab¬ 
 lishment of Battle Creek College. In after years our brethren were 
 admonished by the Lord’s servant that sufficient attention had not 
 been given to this special feature of its work: “Too little attention 
 has been given to the education of young men for the ministry. This 
 was the primary object to be secured in the establishment of the col¬ 
 lege. In no case should this be ignored or regarded as a matter of 
 secondary importance.” 
 
 From this brief historical survey of the ministry of the past, we 
 may therefore come to the following conclusions: — 
 
 1. That throughout the Old and the New Testament dispensations, 
 and since that time, God has chosen men for the gospel ministry. 
 
 2. That these men were especially set apart for the work to which 
 they were called,— in the Levitical priesthood by the anointing with 
 oil, and in this dispensation by ordination, or the laying on of hands. 
 
 3. That they have been not only men of marked piety and zeal, 
 but intellectual leaders, and in many instances foremost in study and 
 research, having a thirst for knowledge and truth in different branches 
 of learning. 
 
 4. That in the development of our own work, though education 
 for the ministry has been recognized, yet our educators and leaders 
 have been reproved for not having given sufficient attention to the 
 training of men for the ministry. 
 
 It is true that since the time this was said about Battle Creek Col¬ 
 lege and its failure to carry out the primary object of its establish¬ 
 ment, our educational work has grown, under the leading hand of 
 God. Academies and colleges have been multiplied, and more at¬ 
 tention to some lines of special training have been emphasized. 
 
 In medical lines progress has been made. Twenty-five years ago, 
 bright, intelligent young men and women were selected and encour¬ 
 aged to take a medical course, and were assisted financially while do¬ 
 ing so. Later, at much expense, a medical college was provided, and 
 the pick of our young people were given the opportunity of attending. 
 Later on, at still greater expense, another medical college has been 
 opened, providing larger facilities for the training of medical workers. 
 Our sanitariums have reached a commendable proficiency in training 
 nurses. For years it has been possible for young people to take a 
 nurses’ course of three years without any cost for board, room, or 
 tuition, beyond their own labor. 
 
 The past few years our educators have been led to realize the im¬ 
 portance of training teachers. Normal departments are now con 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 87 
 
 nected with all our colleges and some academies, and encouraging 
 growth has been made. While much remains to be done in perfect¬ 
 ing the training of church-school teachers, we have now reached the 
 place where students taking a normal course are well assured of making 
 a success as teachers. We have also developed commercial depart¬ 
 ments, and a large number of young people yearly avail themselves 
 of the courses of instruction provided. 
 
 We rejoice in the facilities for training physicians, nurses, and 
 teachers, and in the definite and practical courses of instruction, 
 and the* financial assistance which has been provided for our young 
 people. But the question arises, Are we making the same prog¬ 
 ress in training men for the ministry and women for Bible work? 
 I believe we shall have to acknowledge that we have not given the 
 careful consideration to training for the ministry that we have to edu¬ 
 cating physicians, nurses, and teachers. This, among other reasons, 
 makes our greatest need that of a well-educated ministry. 
 
 It is true that ministerial courses have been arranged, but are we 
 giving the close thought and study to these courses and to the prepar¬ 
 ing of men for the appointed work of the ministry, that is being given 
 to other lines of special training? In most of our schools the min¬ 
 isterial course is two years less than the college course, and for some 
 reason the number taking this course is not large. The statistics 
 gathered for the year of the last General Conference gave five grad¬ 
 uates from ministerial courses in eight leading schools. The number 
 has increased since then, but not greatly. 
 
 The calls for ministers come from various conferences in the home¬ 
 land and from mission fields. These calls are continuous and in¬ 
 sistent. Men from the plow are not prepared to enter places where 
 the powerful influences of talent and education combat the truths 
 of God’s Word. As consecrated men with a college training are placed 
 in the field to develop, these calls can be answered. Should we not 
 therefore give larger consideration to the preparation of men for the 
 ministry? The chief purpose of our schools is to meet the demands 
 of the field. In a very large measure the selection and effectual 
 training of men for the sacred calling of the ministry will mark the 
 measure of extension of the work at home and abroad. 
 
 With this thought in view, we come to the practical question, 
 What can be done by our colleges and conferences to build up the 
 ministry more effectually? In answer we place before you the follow¬ 
 ing suggestions: — 
 
 i. That the need of well-educated men be kept before our people. 
 Old and young should be taught to recognize the sacredness, dignity, 
 and importance of the gospel ministry. The ministers are the lead- 
 
88 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ers of this movement, and their education and fitness for the work 
 is a matter of vital concern; no other calling should be more highly 
 or sacredly regarded. Let young men be encouraged to seek God 
 earnestly, that those who might make a success in this line of work 
 be not diverted from it. 
 
 2. That young men be encouraged to seek God earnestly as to 
 their calling in the Lord’s work, keeping before them the need of a 
 well-educated ministry, and advising those who undertake this work 
 to obtain, if possible, the equivalent of a college course. 
 
 3. That conference officers and college men plan definitely Together 
 for the recruiting of our ministry with young men who have made a 
 thorough preparation, (a) By providing ministerial scholarships for 
 those who give promise of success, (b) by proving them in conference 
 work, with reasonable wages, during the summer, that they may be 
 able financially to attend college until they have finished the equiv¬ 
 alent of a college course. 
 
 4. That the ministerial course be a college course, and that the 
 fourteenth-grade ministerial course in our training schools be re¬ 
 garded as an elementary, or junior, ministerial course. 
 
 5. That in order to strengthen the Bible teaching in our colleges, 
 the following instructions in “Counsels to Teachers” be carefully 
 considered: — 
 
 “In our schools the work of teaching the Scriptures to the youth 
 is not to be left wholly with one teacher for a long series of years. 
 The Bible teacher may be well able to present the truth, and yet it 
 is not the best experience for the students, that their study of the 
 Word of God should be directed by one man only, term after term 
 and year after year. Different teachers should have a part in the 
 work, even though they may not all have so full an understand¬ 
 ing of the Scriptures. If several in our larger schools unite in the 
 work of teaching the Scriptures, the students may thus have the 
 benefit of the talents of several .”—Page 432. 
 
 6. That in the training of the ministry we emphasize the impor¬ 
 tance of Greek and Hebrew, in order that the student may better 
 understand the life and thought, the manners and customs, of people 
 living in Bible times and the writers of the Bible, to the end that 
 candidates for the ministry may better understand the teaching of 
 the Sacred Scriptures. 
 
 7. That in the ijiinisterial course a definite assigned amount of 
 field work be required of each student; and that where this work is 
 carried on under the direction of a teacher who has time to supervise 
 it critically, credit be given in the college course in the same way as 
 laboratory work in science is credited. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 89 
 
 This gospel of the kingdom is to be “preached in all the world 
 for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Our 
 message is to go to the rich and the poor, the high as well as the low. 
 Great cities scarcely vet entered need ministers able to carry on sus¬ 
 tained efforts. Evangelists are in demand in the mission fields. 
 The rapid finishing of the work depends in a very large measure upon 
 the growth and development of our ministry. Where shall we get 
 recruits if it be not from our schools? 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 E. J. Hibbard: I am sure that all present heartily concur in all 
 that has been presented in this paper. We have all seen, especially 
 those who have been in the field, the need of an educated ministry. 
 
 I believe that our ministerial course is too short, as intimated. 
 In the theological seminaries of the world they rather laugh at our 
 ministerial course being only fourteen grades, two years short of the 
 college course, whereas they have the college course and three years 
 in addition. But I know that we have a quick work to perform, 
 that we have to present this truth to this generation, and I do not 
 expect that every person can go through even a fourteen-grade course, 
 but I should think the majority ought to do that. 
 
 Professor Shaw has emphasized the need of the Greek and Hebrew 
 languages, in which all of us must concur. Some of the older minis¬ 
 ters did not have that opportunity, but I believe that all should have 
 it. I also believe that the field work is very essential, and that the 
 Bible teacher could not himself spend enough time in the field during 
 the school year, with those who are in the ministerial course, to give 
 them the training they should have. They should have the oppor¬ 
 tunity of going with successful evangelists into the field during the 
 summer. You know how Timothy was trained. I believe that is 
 the right way. He was in the field with his teacher Paul, and thus 
 he became a strong worker. 
 
 A ministerial department in the school has been mentioned. I 
 had not thought of that before; it may develop in time. 
 
 I believe in the “call” to the ministry. When all the education 
 is acquired that is needed in both our mother tongue and in Greek 
 and Hebrew, and some other modern language perhaps, as well as 
 the knowledge of history, science, and psychology,— we may have 
 all that, and still be fit for nothing in the ministry. Paul put it this 
 way: “When it pleased God, who . . . called me by his grace, to reveal 
 his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immedi¬ 
 ately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” With a more limited 
 
90 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 education a person may be successful, while with all the education 
 in the world, without that call, he would be unsuccessful. 
 
 I. H. Evans: I believe in the theories advanced in the paper. I 
 have for some years thought we ought to endeavor to strengthen our 
 ministry by getting our very brightest and strongest young men into 
 it. But we have never been able to persuade some of the strongest 
 men to enter the ministry. The work does not appeal to them, 
 sometimes because they think it is a cheap work. 
 
 I do not believe it will debar consecrated young men to ask that 
 they finish sixteen grades. While this may not apply to men who are 
 somewhat advanced in years, yet it could apply to young men who 
 have quick minds. 
 
 We must build our work on the instructions we have received 
 from the spirit of prophecy. We shall make a fatal mistake if we 
 think that because a man has a degree or high literary attainments, 
 he has the power that those have who cherish the Holy Spirit in 
 their hearts. 
 
 Education can never take the place of consecration and faith in 
 God. But I do not think any man in the ministry could have too 
 much education, provided he is of a humble mind, and does not de¬ 
 pend upon his education for ability to accomplish results. I think 
 a man should train his mind to the highest possible degree, not that 
 he may depend upon it to accomplish work, but that he may better 
 honor and glorify God. 
 
 But after we have said it all, and placed the standard high, we 
 must never depart from the simplicity of the faith, nor from the idea 
 that it is the Holy Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the children of 
 men that works results. Education can never do it. You can give 
 a man the highest training in the world, but that does not give him 
 the power to win souls to Christ. This must come from living in close 
 connection with God, with the Word of God, and with the Holy 
 Spirit. So I believe that we ought to train our young people in har¬ 
 mony with the instructions we have received in the spirit of proph¬ 
 ecy, train them to use their mind and all their powers to the best 
 advantage; and yet teach them that there is no power in education 
 alone, but rather in the operation of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 E. Griggs: I wish to speak of the influence of strong Bible teach¬ 
 ers in our schools in leading young men into the ministry. Those 
 of us who have had the opportunity to observe students while choos¬ 
 ing their profession or their calling in life, know that they are greatly 
 influenced by the teacher' from whom they receive strong instruction. 
 I have seen students over and over again decide to take up the teach¬ 
 ing of English, or mathematics, or science, or any other subject, sim- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 91 
 
 ply because they were under the influence of a strong science, Eng¬ 
 lish, or mathematics teacher. 
 
 It seems to me we must make this one great point, to bring into 
 our schools men who can preach. I like the idea suggested that we 
 have some one to conduct “laboratory” work in connection with 
 our ministerial course. That person must be a preacher. He must 
 be one of strong personality, one who loves God, one who is very 
 spiritual, and he must be one of good scholarship. Now you put 
 young men under a person of strong personality, a good speaker, 
 with high scholarship, and above all of good Christian character, 
 and you will make preachers, and you won’t make preachers without 
 this. It does not make much difference how you legislate upon the 
 matter, men must be brought into our schools who can influence the 
 students; for the majority of our boys and girls have but little idea 
 what they are going to do in life. They come here to get their idea, 
 and we must emphasize this point, and work to it. We must look 
 the country over to obtain the very strongest men, men who have 
 had field experience, men who are practical in their teaching as well 
 as strong in their scholarship. Such teachers will lead scores of our 
 young men into the ministry where we are now getting only a very- 
 few. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I want to second what Brother Shaw has said about 
 the Bible work. I do not believe that we can ever meet the mind of 
 the Spirit of God, as revealed in the.se urgent testimonies in regard 
 to the city work, unless we have a stronger and better equipped corps 
 of Bible workers. And I believe they ought to receive a good edu¬ 
 cation. 
 
 I would rather preach a sermon to an audience which has little 
 opportunity' to talk back than to sit down in the home of an intel¬ 
 ligent family and try to teach the truth to them, if I felt weak on 
 the subject. Yet I have known of cases in which girls who had just 
 accepted the truth were encouraged by the minister to go directly 
 into the Bible work. I believe our Bible workers ought to have a 
 good education. 
 
 I believe we ought to have “laboratory” work also. I never ar¬ 
 ranged anything that has given me more satisfaction than the plan 
 we had in the Washington Seminary in our Bible workers’ course. 
 I entered upon it with fear and trembling, because I felt that that 
 Monday would be blue Monday,— that after the week’s work they 
 would not want to start out the first day of the new week in that 
 practical work. It would be something like a canvasser starting out 
 on Monday morning. But I found the opposite to be true. When some 
 of those girls left as missionaries, one of the things they felt saddest 
 
92 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 about leaving was their Bible work in the city. I believe if we 
 would take hold of this problem and arrange a good strong Bible 
 workers’ course with this field work, and give our young women a 
 thorough education, we should be able to reach the people in the 
 cities, and not until then. You can plant your tent in the midst of 
 fine houses, but the people will not come to the tent. Yet the Bible 
 workers can enter these homes, and find people just as hungry for 
 God as those who live in the poor houses. 
 
 M. E. Olsen: The English teacher comes as close to the hearts 
 of the pupils perhaps as any other teacher, and has many oppor¬ 
 tunities to turn a young man toward the ministry. We study the work 
 of great writers who have written on religion, we study their ser¬ 
 mons, and it leads our minds out toward these deeper things of life. 
 In rhetoric one makes outlines of sermons, both for Bible-reading 
 work and for the actual work of the ministry. The English teacher, 
 if he is practical and wise, can very often direct the minds of his bright¬ 
 est and best pupils, holding up before them the gospel ministry as 
 their life work. I do believe that as teachers every one of us should 
 pick out the brightest and best men in our schools, and direct their 
 attention toward the gospel ministry. 
 
 W. E. Howell: Our discussion so far has laid emphasis generally 
 upon what the college can do by way of strengthening our ministry. 
 I am in sympathy with all the sentiments that have been expressed 
 here this morning. But I would not have anybody given the impres¬ 
 sion that our academies have not a very important part in giving 
 students a preparation for the ministry. 
 
 A flour mill is a very practical thing. It turns out an important 
 product, and one which we can all use. But what could the flour 
 mill do without a good grist in its hoppers, without the wheat? What 
 could the miller do without the farmer? Our academies have a chance 
 to produce the grist, and I look upon them as among the most im¬ 
 portant elements in contributing strong young men for the ministry, 
 and women for the Bible work. I believe much can be done toward 
 directing the minds of young people to this work, in creating an at¬ 
 mosphere in the academy that will set them to thinking seriously in 
 this direction. A most indispensable part of the preparation can be 
 done in our academies. 
 
 O. J. Graf: I appreciate very much the ideals and instruction 
 given in the paper, and I wish we could have a little time to talk on 
 how to make our work still more practical. I am very thankful for 
 the splendid progress that has been made in the last few years along 
 this line. I remember ten or twelve years ago, when I entered one 
 of our schools, there was just one young man in the whole school 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 93 
 
 that was headed toward the ministerial course, and lie was expelled 
 before the end of the year. 
 
 When we see the situation as it is today, we are constrained to 
 say, Behold what God hath wrought! In every one of our colleges 
 there is a large company of young men and women looking forward 
 definitely to this line of work. I am thankful to be able to report 
 from our school that every one of our college graduates is headed for 
 the ministry, and there are several who finish the fourteenth-grade 
 course, pointing to the ministry also. 
 
 The young people have spontaneously organized a Bible workers’ 
 band and a ministerial band. This year they went out a few miles 
 from the college, one company engaging a church and another a school- 
 house, and there the Bible workers conducted a Sunday school and 
 the ministerial band conducted Sunday evening meetings. As the 
 result of that effort once a week, for only a short time, seven are keep¬ 
 ing the Sabbath. Some of them were baptized the last day of school. 
 
 THE HIGH CALLING OF EDUCATING OUR BOYS 
 
 AND GIRLS 
 
 W. E. HOWELL 
 
 In consenting to offer to this Council some thoughts on the high 
 calling of the teacher, I do so with the feeling that I am incapable 
 of doing the subject the justice it richly deserves. This is not be 
 cause I fail to have ideals for the teacher, but because in my 
 own experience those ideals are still too largely in an ideal state. 
 On the other hand, if I had no vision of this sacred vocation which 
 had not been translated into reality, then, as a member of the profes¬ 
 sion for nearly a quarter of a century, I should count myself of all men 
 most miserable. 
 
 I have ventured to speak of teaching as a high calling. I regard 
 it as one of the highest of human callings. Christianity itself is said 
 in the Holy Book to be “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 
 I accept it as such, with all that it means in its fullest realization, 
 and I want to know more of what it does really mean. But within 
 the sacred precinct of applied Christianity, the same Holy Book 
 makes it clear that there are distinct gifts, and if gifts, then distinct 
 fields in which to exercise them. Yet, though distinct, these gifts 
 are all ministered by the same Spirit. For this reason I do not want 
 to draw any invidious comparisons between the gifts. On the other 
 hand, it is customary, and I think justifiable, for a man to speak most 
 strongly of those things that lie within the range of personal experi¬ 
 ence and observation. In dealing with teaching, therefore, I feel that 
 I am in good company when I say with Paul, “I magnify mine office.” 
 
94 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 In the enumeration of the gifts in i Corinthians 12, the first three 
 are mentioned thus: “First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly 
 teachers.” I do not infer from this arrangement that teaching is 
 necessarily third in importance. These are the only three mentioned 
 by number, and I am inclined to regard them as a trinity of callings, 
 a trinity of gospel forces, all animated by the same Spirit, all stand¬ 
 ing upon holy ground, all operating to one common, beneficent end. 
 If I do not take this view, then I am compelled to assign teaching the 
 place of first importance in that other trinity of callings repeatedly 
 attributed to the Saviour,—“teaching, . . . and preaching, . .-. and 
 healing.” The thing I wish to emphasize here is that teaching 
 is at least the third person of a trinity of callings which together 
 form a triune force for the propagation of the gospel. It is therefore 
 a spiritual calling, it is therefore a high calling, it is therefore one of 
 the three highest of callings to which men are eligible through the 
 Spirit. 
 
 Let us look into it more closely. Teaching gains its standing as 
 a high calling from the nature of its origin as a gift, not from the nature 
 or grade of the persons upon whom the gift is exercised. No one, 
 then, who has the true view of this gift,— God’s view, as I believe,— 
 will draw any disparaging comparison between him who teaches the 
 Kafir or Hottentot his A B C’s, and him who acts as tutor to the 
 king’s son. Indeed, if the highness of the teacher’s calling bears any 
 relation to the need of the ones taught, the teacher of the Hottentot 
 fills the higher place of the two. Does any one suppose for a moment 
 that Jesus, the world’s master teacher, marred the sacredness of his 
 calling when he laid his hand upon the wretched, repulsive leper out¬ 
 cast, and spoke words of life and comfort to his soul, any more than he 
 did in the moonlight hour he spent in teaching that honorable member 
 of the Sanhedrin those wonderful lessons on the spiritual birth? Does 
 any one think that he lapsed to any degree from his dignity or rank 
 as a teacher when he laid his hands upon the little children and blessed 
 them, and said to us all, “Except ye . . . become as little children, 
 ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”?— I trow not. God 
 confers no gift that is unworthy the Giver. It is only the blindness 
 and ignorance of men that fail to estimate his gifts at their true value. 
 
 But perhaps my thoughts are of scenes and events too far away, 
 and if they have any enchantment, it may, forsooth, be the enchant¬ 
 ment of distance. Let us call them closer home, for we have some 
 real problems right by us to be solved. We are working earnestly 
 to build up an efficient system of schools. In the limitation of human 
 terms, we speak of one phase of it as higher education, of another as 
 the lower grades. Humanlike, we incline to regard the college teacher 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 95 
 
 as filling a higher calling than the schoolmistress with a room full of 
 little tots — dear, sweet bundles of innocence that they are! It is 
 this idol that has been set up in the groves of Canaan which I desire, 
 with all the tools of iconoclasm I can muster, to smash into millions 
 of atoms, grind it to powder, and strew it upon the waters of the 
 swollen Tiber, that the Tiber may bear it away into the sea of oblivion. 
 
 What are some of the echoes we hear reverberating through the 
 land? “I should like to take the normal course and be a teacher if 
 I didn’t have to teach children 
 
 Why! dear soul, were you never a child? Did you never gaze 
 with inquiring eyes into your mother’s face as you asked her how the 
 fly can walk upside down on the ceiling, and did you not hang upon 
 her lips with astonishment as she explained the curious structure of 
 its feet? Did you never ask your mother to spell world for you, 
 then look at her with open-mouthed wonder that so big a thing could 
 have so small a name? Do you not remember when you believed 
 with all your credulous little soul that Santa Claus actually came 
 down the chimney on Christmas Eve and left a package larger 
 than the chimney opening itself? Have you never read of these little 
 ones in Holy Writ that “in heaven their angels do always behold the 
 face of my Father”? Yet, with all their sweet innocence, their won¬ 
 dering amazement at common facts, their simple, unfeigned faith, 
 and their guardian angels, you do not want to teach children! 
 
 But I hear another echo: “I expect to complete the normal course 
 this year. I prefer to teach in an academy, but if there is no opening, 
 I might teach a church school for the time being.” 
 
 Do you not know, dear aspirant, that we have nearly five hundred 
 church schools in the North American Division, but only forty-six 
 academies and intermediate schools; and that the church-school en¬ 
 rollment is nearly 10,000, while that of our secondary schools approx¬ 
 imates only 3,100? 
 
 If you want a wide field, you will find it in the church school, 
 especially when you bear in mind that only about half of our children 
 are yet enrolled in a church school. The other half are waiting for 
 qualified teachers. If you are looking for a needy field, here it cer¬ 
 tainly is, especially if you stop to think that from one half to three 
 quarters of the teachers already engaged in the church school are not 
 normal-trained teachers. If you want a field commensurate to the 
 full proportions of your ability as a teacher, natural and cultivated, 
 I invite your attention to the waiting multitude of our boys and girls 
 of church-school age. If you want a hard field, I am frank enough 
 to say that you will find the path of the church-school teacher beset 
 with thorns. 
 
96 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONABY VOLUNTEEK 
 
 On the other hand, I hasten to remind you that the most beau¬ 
 tiful rose that blows is found upon a thorn bush. If you want a work 
 that will develop your ability to teach at a more rapid rate per hour 
 than any other line, and that will tax all your resources, native or 
 acquired, to the utmost limit every day, take up teaching in a church 
 school; for it is only by such taxation that you will grow. 
 
 One more echo I hear: “I have just finished my college course, 
 receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Do you know of any open¬ 
 ing in one of our colleges where I can teach next year?” 
 
 No, dear Bachelor, I am happy to say that our colleges have ad¬ 
 vanced so far in practical wisdom that they have largely discontinued 
 the annual custom of making openings on their faculty. They have 
 caught the idea that continuous tenure of position is one of the highest 
 requisites to efficiency in teaching. But I would call your attention 
 to the fact that our intermediate schools and academies are still 
 wrestling on the experimental stage, not for exhibition, but for expe¬ 
 rience. They are striving toward the ideal of building up their fac¬ 
 ulties with college-trained men and women, but they are still working 
 on something like a fifty-per-cent margin. In truth, if you aspire 
 to college teaching, five to ten years of secondary teaching is the best 
 possible preparation for it: because our colleges may make no opening 
 for you on their faculties of seasoned men short of that length of 
 time; because boys and girls of the academy age will either confirm 
 your calling as a teacher, or will demolish your ambitions in that di¬ 
 rection before you take a higher seat and have farther to fall; be¬ 
 cause the enrollment in our secondary schools is about six times that 
 in the college proper and always will be; because we have yet fallen 
 considerably short of demonstrating what the possibilities of a well- 
 conducted ten- or twelve-grade school are; because one of the great¬ 
 est needs of these same schools is to recognize that their sphere of use¬ 
 fulness is sufficiently large and sufficiently honorable to forego the 
 necessity of attempting to imitate the college in methods and aims; 
 because when we have raised the efficiency of our intermediate schools 
 and academies to where the honor of our cause demands, we shall 
 draw from the high school and other secular institutions a multitude 
 of the intellectual flower of our adolescent flock. 
 
 But the secondary school is not the only institution, my dear 
 Bachelor, that is beckoning you to a high and honorable calling. 
 The church school is already stretching her pleading hands across 
 the gulf to the college, and bidding for the best that is to be had; for 
 the best is none too good for her purposes. Did you ever stop to 
 think that some of the brightest stars in the world’s galaxy of educators 
 reached their zenith via the orbit of the elementary school? Is child 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 97 
 
 education worthy of a Froebel or a Pestalozzi, of a Horace Mann or 
 a Colonel Parker? Is the education of Seventh-day Adventist chil¬ 
 dren and adolescent youth worthy the heart throbs and soul travail 
 found in enough pages to make a volume in the writings of Mrs. E. G. 
 White? What do we find in many an elementary schoolroom in the 
 secular system? — University graduates, some with advantages of 
 study abroad, making child study and elementary teaching a life 
 work. In the secondary school also we find plenty of teachers and 
 principals with an M. A. or Ph. D., devoting their lives to the welfare 
 of boys and girls in their teens. Are our own children any less worthy 
 the very best we can give them? 
 
 In closing, I have only to iterate what I said at the beginning: 
 The highness of the teacher’s calling does not take its measure from 
 the age, race, or rank of the pupils taught, but from the exalted 
 Source of this eminently spiritual gift. The sooner we can remove 
 from our minds the sense of discrimination we almost habitually 
 make in the teaching profession between the relative rank of the church- 
 school teacher, the academy teacher, and the college teacher, the sooner 
 shall we get a new vision of the highness of one of the highest and most 
 honorable of divine-human callings. Peter was twice bidden to feed 
 the lambs, once to feed the sheep. Without wresting the meaning 
 of this divine commission, may we not see in it an agreement with 
 the fact that in the entire scope of education from the kindergarten 
 to the doctorate, at least twice as much time is spent in the childhood 
 and adolescent period as in the adult; that far more than twice as 
 many are to be taught during the former ages as during the latter; 
 and that possibly the teachers in our church schools and academies 
 should be twice as efficient in their line as those who teach in the 
 college? Can such a standard ever be reached so long as we look 
 upon church-school or academy teaching as in any sense inferior to 
 that of the so-called “higher” institution, or so long as we allow our¬ 
 selves to regard elementary or secondary teaching as a temporary 
 calling — just to fill in the time till something better turns up? 
 
 Who, then, is ready to champion the education of our noble boys 
 and girls in the so-called “lower grades” as a calling worthy of the 
 best that is in us, and to champion it for life? 
 
 7 
 
MAGNIFYING THE OFFICE OF 
 SUPERINTENDENT 
 
 ALMETTA GARRETT 
 
 It has been but a few years since our elementary school work 
 began to be conducted on a systematized plan. The schools were 
 taught under the supervision of no one besides the teacher and the 
 patrons. Each patron had his own ideas about the work of the teacher 
 and the school. It was like a flock without a shepherd, or rather 
 like a flock with many shepherds, each considering his pasture the 
 best food for the sustenance of the flock. 
 
 If there is any one agency of the third angel’s message that needs 
 a head, an organization, more than another, it is the conference 
 church schools. I am happy to* state that we have come to the time 
 when this need has been recognized, and to a great extent material 
 has been furnished which is bringing these schools up to the stand¬ 
 ard where their work is accredited by the schools in the union confer¬ 
 ence and by the public schools. 
 
 Magnifying the office of superintendent means more than sitting 
 in an office at a desk writing letters. It is the superintendent’s busi¬ 
 ness to be engaged in the Master’s work. His work was successful 
 because he went among the people. He made their interest his in¬ 
 terest, and in this way they became interested in his work, and many 
 received his wonderful teaching. So it is to the interest of the work 
 that the one who has supervision go out among the churches, among 
 the people, and meet them in their different walks of life. The ne¬ 
 cessity of having our own schools should be brought before the people 
 in such a manner that they will sense the importance of placing their 
 children in them. 
 
 A superintendent must be informed as to the actual work of the 
 church schools. But the information must not stop here. The 
 work of the public schools, what they are doing, what they are teach¬ 
 ing, should be known, not imagined. Statements about these educa¬ 
 tional lines must be based on known facts. A comparison of the work 
 of the public school and of the church should never fail to show the 
 difference between them,— the one educating for this world, the other 
 for the world to come. 
 
 No doubt the question of poverty will meet one face to face when 
 the necessity of a church school is mentioned, but by using tact one 
 may gain a hearing and rouse an interest. There is such a thing as 
 being brave enough to show a real interest in the fine cattle and horses 
 that you saw in the pasture when you were on the way to the home. 
 
 98 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 99 
 
 The money for the sale of one cow would educate two of the children 
 for one year in the church school. Lead on, and by a little praise 
 of John’s or Mary’s ability to do something, you may work wonders. 
 In fact, the anticipation may be so great that the father and mother 
 will see John across the waters in the foreign field and Mary teaching 
 music in one of our colleges. Then they will be ready to sacrifice 
 something, a horse perhaps, that their children may be among those 
 who are helping to carry the message to the world in this generation. 
 These little side notes count in the work of the superintendent. 
 
 But the work needs still more magnifying. There must be a place 
 for holding the school. Perhaps one of the rooms in the home can 
 be spared for this purpose, or in some way a building erected. The 
 whole church is interested, at least while you are with them, and the 
 good work is begun. The next step is to get in touch with a teacher 
 who is willing to make the sacrifice and accept an elementary school 
 salary. 
 
 By this time a return to the office is necessary. With renewed 
 effort the click of the typewriter indicates that letters are being 
 written to every church in the conference on the importance of es¬ 
 tablishing schools and giving our children and youth a Christian 
 education. 
 
 But there is something more than just getting the school started. 
 Our denominational books must be introduced. To secure a uni¬ 
 formity of textbooks throughout the State is indeed a never-ending 
 task. It is a progressive announcement to each newly organized 
 school. This takes persuasion, tact, interest, determination, and 
 everlasting stick-to-it-iveness. And even then days grow into weeks, 
 and weeks into months, and months into years, before the goal is 
 reached. But it can be done. It has been done. 
 
 In my work I felt the need of a State calendar, and prepared one. 
 This has proved helpful to the teachers, and has saved the writing of 
 numerous letters about the grades. 
 
 Besides this there was need of a special course of study. The 
 course was prepared in such a way that every teacher knew at the end 
 of the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth months just the page on which 
 each grade should be at that time. I not only sent this outline to 
 the teachers, but I inserted some special reminders in different let¬ 
 ters, stating that I should like them to compare the work of the pupils 
 with the course of study, and write me whether they were able to 
 meet the requirements or not. If not, I must know the reason. 
 This disclosed some doubts and misgivings on the part of the teachers, 
 and I found that one has to use a little determination and firmness, 
 even with teachers, sometimes. 
 
100 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The plan met with splendid success. It gave no opportunity for 
 either pupil or teacher to lag. The work must be accomplished. In 
 this way the graded system is not a burden but rather a help and 
 pleasure to the teacher. It is a strong tie that binds the work of the 
 teachers and the superintendent together. 
 
 Magnifying the work of the superintendent,— the title stands out 
 in bold-faced type when one takes up the consideration of the Teach¬ 
 ers’ Reading Course. It has been such a mere speck in the distance 
 that it takes more than a magnifying glass to bring it into close range. 
 
 There is certainly no time for idle waiting when this is placed 
 before the teachers. Excuses real and imaginary must be cast aside, 
 and the prevailing cry of “too busy” is completely obsolete. Even 
 now I cannot look back with full satisfaction, and say that all my 
 teachers have completed these courses. It is a hard problem, but 
 I am not ready to retreat. 
 
 Final examinations should be a special feature in the superintend¬ 
 ent’s work. This is no small amount of work for the superintendent. 
 It may mean the grading and re-grading and approval of something 
 over two hundred papers every year, but it is well worth the trouble, 
 — for trouble it often does bring in various ways, especially when 
 some fond mother “knows” her son is capable of being promoted, and 
 the papers and class standing convince the superintendent otherwise. 
 
 Then comes the crucial test of the magnifying of the office,— for 
 true principle or for policy’s sake. 
 
 The circulation of the Christian Educator is a feature of the work 
 that belongs to the superintendent. This magazine should not only 
 be found in the hands of the teachers, but also in the home of every 
 Seventh-day Adventist. It is the superintendent’s duty to do all 
 he can to bring this about. This magazine is for the home and the 
 school. Its aim is to help both, for their interests are one. Not 
 enough has been accomplished for this magazine. 
 
 “Despise not the day of small things.” The live superintendent 
 does more than visit the school and write letters while he is there; 
 he sees the need of libraries, maps, globes, dictionaries, and general 
 equipment in our schools. He sees the general surroundings inside 
 and outside of the schoolroom. All these are to be carefully considered. 
 
 Questions outside of the schoolroom, such as that of the teacher’s 
 boarding place, are perhaps at times the most perplexing of school 
 problems. Nevertheless, patrons can be convinced that they must 
 be taken into consideration. The superintendent who recommends 
 a teacher for a school, and does not inquire about the boarding place 
 of the teacher and help arrange for the same, ought to be asked to 
 resign. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 101 
 
 The school board and the superintendent should counsel with each 
 other in meetings together. To counsel with the president and the 
 union conference secretary will do much for the advancement of the 
 work. The patrons may be called together and a general talk given 
 on education. The actual need and demand for our youth and chil¬ 
 dren to receive a Christian education, is a topic well worth con¬ 
 sidering. 
 
 New methods in teaching any subject should be introduced into 
 the schools, if they are for the betterment of the work. Credit for 
 home industrial work, helps for teachers, all require an unceasing 
 effort on the part of the superintendent. 
 
 I know of nothing that makes one who holds the office feel a mag¬ 
 nifying effect more than a letter from the secretary of this Depart¬ 
 ment at Washington. Sometimes it is just a word of commendation 
 about some feature of the work, or the expression of interest in some 
 special line, that causes the wearied superintendent to renew his 
 efforts and go forth amid storm and sunshine, for not only figuratively 
 speaking are these things to be met, but real rain and snow, mud, 
 wind, storm, and sunshine are encountered. And a gentle zephyr 
 from the south acts as a soothing balm when one is in the heart of 
 the battle. 
 
 We would not fail to mention the reporting of the work of differ¬ 
 ent schools in the union conference paper. It helps in a great meas¬ 
 ure. It provokes others to good works. Conventions will help to 
 build up many of the old waste places, and a new impetus will be put 
 into the work. The superintendent’s record books will contain the 
 grades of the students from the eighth to the tenth grade inclusive. 
 
 The letter of the superintendent to teachers should be full of good 
 courage; and when asked how to manage some perplexing things 
 that teachers are meeting from time to time, the superintendent 
 should never respond with, “Just go ahead, you will come out all 
 right,” but tell them some way to meet the difficulty. They need 
 advice, and it is a privilege to be able to help. Paul knew this when 
 he wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God upon every remem¬ 
 brance of you, always in every prayer of mine, . . . for your fellow¬ 
 ship in the gospel, . . . being confident of this very thing, that he 
 which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day 
 of Jesus Christ.” Mentioning these things in connection with the 
 junior work of the church schools, which should be the means of many 
 conversions, will surely perform the good work until the end, by the 
 faithful church-school teacher, whose crown will bear more stars 
 than those of some of us who are holding what are considered higher 
 positions. 
 
102 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 C. A. Russell: The magnifying glass does not make the object 
 scrutinized any larger; it simply enlarges the vision of the one who 
 is scrutinizing. I can conceive of no more important work in a con¬ 
 ference than that of the educational superintendent. I am so glad 
 that emphasis was placed on the preparation of the individual to 
 take up this work. Sometimes persons have been chosen to the office 
 who have had no previous experience. They are unable to go into 
 the schoolroom, and sitting down by the side of the teacher, point 
 out the right and the wrong ways of doing things. 
 
 I was glad also for the emphasis which was placed on the matter 
 of field work. No superintendent can get the results that should be 
 secured by simply sitting in his office and magnifying the office check. 
 I believe that at least three fourths of his time should be spent in field 
 work; and I believe also that three fourths of the time of the educa¬ 
 tional secretary should be spent in actual field work. In the end 
 much better results will be achieved. I am not by this seeking to 
 minimize the office end of the work, but I do want to magnify the 
 importance of getting into close, active contact with those whom 
 we seek to help. 
 
 I like the idea of the Manual, and the definite dividing of the course 
 of study. In our union conference we have for a number of years 
 had a similar plan. We have divided our year’s work into semesters, 
 and each teacher knows when he has completed the semester’s work. 
 At the end of the semester we give the examination. While this 
 makes more work for the teachers and the superintendent, it pays 
 abundantly. 
 
 The matter of conventions was just barely touched upon. I am 
 sure that much can be done in the way of arousing an interest in our 
 educational work, by arranging for conventions in which the young 
 people’s work can be united with the educational. My experience 
 has been that this is one of the best ways to arouse an interest in the 
 educational work. The educational secretary in the union conference 
 and the secretary of the local conference should unite in these efforts. 
 They should work shoulder to shoulder to build up schools wherever 
 they are needed. 
 
 Another .matter that was not mentioned: The magnifying glass 
 brings out the hidden things, you know. I believe it is the duty of 
 the educational superintendent, the one who comes in closest personal 
 touch with all the teachers in their work, to attend summer school, 
 and assist in the training of teachers in that school. I believe that 
 those who are right out in the field, knowing the field problems, un- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 103 
 
 derstanding just what the teachers have to meet, should he the ones 
 who should be present, largely, and assist in the training of these 
 teachers, rather than to have it done by college men who do not know 
 these problems. 
 
 One other matter,— that of parents’ meetings: I think here is a 
 duty which devolves upon the educational superintendent,— the 
 planning for and conducting of parents’ meetings. We should not 
 wait until there is a great impending crisis, but these meetings should 
 be held regularly, perhaps once a month, and the educational secre¬ 
 tary should provide regular programs. I know of no way in which 
 the parents and the teacher can come together and cooperate more 
 closely than in the parents’ meetings. 
 
 Whenever the superintendent visits a school, I think it is his 
 privilege, and his duty, to have the chairman of the board call a meet¬ 
 ing of the board, and then sit down and talk over school and board 
 problems. 
 
 THE PURPOSE IN TEACHING 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 This morning I wish to study the purpose of teaching, the real 
 objective that should be in every teacher’s mind and heart as he 
 tries to teach and conduct his classes. 
 
 I will read a scripture in Romans 9: 1-2: “I say the truth in Christ, 
 I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 
 that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.” 
 
 When Paul wrote that, he wrote a wonderful experience, an ex¬ 
 perience which can never be understood by you or me until we realize 
 the value of a soul as judged by God’s standard. When you and I 
 have such a feeling in our hearts for the lost and rebellious, the wicked 
 and incorrigible, that we would willingly lay down our lives for them, 
 if we could only save them, we are in a condition where we can render 
 them help, if any help can reach them through us by the influence of 
 the Holy Ghost. It is said that over Andersonville prison were 
 written the words, “None who enter here ever live to return.” 
 
 I believe that there ought to be written over every college threshold 
 and over the entrance to every classroom, “None who enter here 
 shall by the grace of God depart from this school till they have found 
 salvation in Jesus Christ.” And every teacher who crosses that thresh¬ 
 old should make a covenant with God that, so far as he is concerned, 
 nothing shall be left undone in the effort to win these boys and girls to 
 Jesus Christ. Really, I think we have no other object in conducting 
 
104 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 a school. The world has good schools. Our public schools are 
 splendid so far as acquiring knowledge is concerned; we can hardly 
 equal them. But they do not attempt to deal with the soul and the 
 character; or if they deal with the character, they do not deal with 
 religious views, and they never think of bringing the individual soul 
 in touch with Christ. 
 
 Our work is different. There is just as much difference between 
 worldly schools and ours, if we have the true ideal, as there is between 
 the religion of Jesus Christ and wickedness, sin, the natural heart. 
 
 I turn to Ephesians and read in the 5th chapter a statement 
 that I think we should all aim to fulfil in our classrooms. Paul speaks 
 thus of the purpose of Christ: “That he might sanctify and cleanse 
 it [the church] with the washing of water by the word, that he might 
 present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, 
 or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” 
 
 To meet the requirement of that scripture is the highest education 
 any man in this world can ever possess. I would rather have the 
 experience presented in these two verses than to have all the knowledge 
 that all the universities on earth ever could give me. Why? — 
 Because if I had all this knowledge, it would perish in a little while, 
 but if I had perfection of character and was clothed with the right¬ 
 eousness that is here described, I could live on throughout eternity. 
 And the knowledge that I could get out of an earthly school in a few 
 years would be nothing compared to the knowledge I could obtain 
 throughout the endless ages of eternity. Here we spend twenty-five 
 or thirty years, maybe, trying to get a training, and almost as soon 
 as we have reached the acme of knowledge we begin to go down, and 
 pretty soon it is all gone, and our powers are paralyzed, for we are 
 dead. 
 
 O my friends, what a wonderful thing it is to fit a person for the 
 great university of heaven: to take a boy and so teach and educate him 
 as to fit him for heaven. Then the education really begins. He 
 does not stay in that school merely a few short years, but he goes 
 on through all the endless ages, year upon year, age upon age, mil¬ 
 lennium upon millennium. Then, my friends, will be the time when 
 we shall really know the value of true education. 
 
 Therefore, I believe that every man, every teacher should have 
 but one great and high purpose in his teaching, and that is to lead 
 to Jesus Christ every soul that comes to him. This does not mean 
 that a man will be indifferent to the teaching of science, or of mathe¬ 
 matics, or of language. I cannot see why that will paralyze or make 
 non-effective the teaching of language or other branches of education, 
 but I believe it will stimulate every one, and give the student a true 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 105 
 
 appreciation of its real value. If he has not this knowledge of Jesus 
 Christ, but gets the training without it, he is liable to become puffed 
 up, and many times he loses his faith in God. 
 
 True education does not consist in merely the amount of book 
 knowledge a man has. A man is useful and powerful and mighty 
 to the accomplishment of results in proportion as he believes in God. 
 Strip a man of his faith, and you make him a Samson with his locks 
 shorn. You paralyze him. 
 
 And this is not simply our view alone. I remember when I was 
 in China, I attended a reception. We were having some speeches 
 after luncheon, and various persons were speaking. There were 
 some visitors in our meeting, and among them a little Scotchman by 
 the name of Evans, a well-known character in Shanghai. He has been 
 there over thirty years, and keeps a boarding house. He was sent as 
 a Baptist missionary, but having become involved in speculation, 
 he gave up his missionary work. So he said he would entertain 
 missionaries. Among others this man made a speech, and he said, 
 not in words but in substance: — 
 
 “I want to give you people some advice. You are new in China, 
 you do not have very large experience. I have been here for more than 
 thirty-two years, and know practically every missionary of every 
 denomination in this country. Now if I were to give you advice from 
 my heart, I would say to you, Never send over to China a college 
 graduate. Take your men out of the high school. My experience 
 is that as soon as you send a man out from college, he is practically 
 good for nothing as a missionary. He is an infidel. He does not 
 believe the Bible. But if you have to send college men over here, 
 I certainly would advise you not to send any university men; for it'is 
 my observation that a man cannot be found in China, a graduate of a 
 university, that believes in the inspiration of the Word of God. But 
 of all the universities in America that you should not send a man 
 from, I beg of you to send none from the university of Chicago. I 
 have never seen a preacher that was ever any good in winning souls 
 to Christ or who believed the Word of God, to come from that uni¬ 
 versity.” 
 
 That man was telling us out of his heart what he believed was for 
 our best good. And the reason he described the university graduates 
 as being “no good” was simply because they did not believe the 
 Word of God. He said they had all kinds of ways of fixing the Bible 
 up, but they could not preach it to the Chinese to win them to Christ. 
 
 I believe that our educational system is the highest, best, and 
 most ideal of any that have been used by any denomination since 
 the days of the early church. We come nearer to holding to the 
 
106 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Word of God and relying less upon knowledge and scholarship; we 
 pay more attention to the simplicity of the truth as revealed in the 
 Word of God than any people since the early days when the power of 
 the gospel was so mighty in breaking down heathen objections to the 
 Christian religion. 
 
 Really, the purpose of education is to fit men lor heaven. I 
 read this in “Counsels to Teachers,” page 96. Here we have a 
 volume of splendid advice and counsel, and, brethren, I entreat you, 
 now that the voice which has spoken to this people for fifty years 
 is practically hushed, not to depart from what God has seen fit to 
 give us through the spirit of prophecy. There will come to you 
 great temptations to say that it is no good, it might have been for 
 those brethren back there, but we have advanced beyond it. As 
 educators, let us hold to the spirit of prophecy, and let us teach our 
 boys and girls to have faith in it. You teachers can do much to over¬ 
 come this doubt and unbelief on the spirit of prophecy. You can 
 take these boys and girls into your classrooms and tell them, “Once 
 there was in our midst a voice that spoke to us, and when we deviated 
 from the right, we were told of our wrong and were set right. That 
 voice is silent, but here we have volumes upon volumes written to 
 us, showing us the right way; and if a teacher believes in the spirit 
 of prophecy, and will talk about it and show it to the boys and girls, 
 that will keep and strengthen their confidence in it. But oh, friends, 
 if we do not hold to this instruction that God has given us, what will 
 become of us as a people? Our name will go out in oblivion, and 
 our work' will utterly fail to accomplish the purpose of God. So, 
 as teachers, I entreat you, never let unbelief come into your heart 
 concerning what God has given to his church and his people at this 
 time through the spirit of prophecy. 
 
 Again I read: “No limit can be set to our influence. One thought¬ 
 less act may prove the ruin of many souls. The course of every worker 
 in our college is making impressions upon the minds of the young, 
 and these are borne away to be reproduced in others .”—Page q6. 
 
 Let us remember that when a boy or girl receives instruction in 
 the classroom, its influence doesn’t end there. You are planting 
 seeds that will grow, and multipy, and will keep on multiplying in 
 the lives of others. Only God can tell what will be the effect of 
 every lesson learned in that classroom. Every time you stand before 
 your class you are there as God’s messenger, and you should remember 
 that whatever seed you plant in the young hearts will be multiplied 
 in the lives of others, on and on as in a geometrical progression. 
 It is a fearful responsibility. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 107 
 
 “It should be the teacher’s aim to prepare every youth under 
 his care to be a blessing to the world. This object should never be 
 lost sight of. There are some who profess to be working for Christ., 
 yet who occasionally go over to the side of Satan and do his work. 
 Can the Saviour pronounce these good and faithful servants? Are 
 they, as watchmen, giving the trumpet a certain sound? . . . 
 
 “There is a great work to be done in our college, a work which 
 demands the cooperation of every teacher; and it is displeasing to 
 God for one to discourage another. But nearly all seem to forget 
 that Satan is an accuser of the brethren, and they unite with the 
 enemy in his work. While professed Christians are contending, 
 Satan is laying his snares for the inexperienced feet of children and 
 youth. Those who have had a religious experience should seek to 
 shield the young from his devices. They should never forget that 
 they themselves were once enchanted with the pleasures of sin. We 
 need the mercy and forbearance of God every hour, and how un¬ 
 becoming for us to be impatient with the errors of the inexperienced 
 youth! So long as God bears with them, dare we, fellow sinners, 
 cast them off? We should ever look upon the youth as the purchase 
 of the blood of Christ .”—Pages 96, 97. 
 
 We must take that nervous boy who needs help, who needs wise 
 counsel, as well as the good boys. We must take that mischievous 
 girl that causes so much anxiety and trouble, and do our best to train 
 her for the Master’s service, as well as those model girls who cause 
 no perplexity. God loves all. It is the duty of the school to take 
 them and fashion them into the similitude of Christ Jesus. That 
 is the purpose of true education. It is not simply to teach grammar' 
 rhetoric, and the sciences. Of course you will have to teach those 
 subjects, but the great thing is to take the characters of these chil¬ 
 dren and train them for eternity; and you can never do that if you 
 feel irritated and cross, as though you wanted to scold and punish. 
 
 I do not see how anybody can fashion souls in the right way 
 until he has loved them as Paul said he loved his brethren,— ready 
 to give his life for them. That has a wonderful influence upon a boy,— 
 to know that he is ugly and contrary, and yet the teacher looks into 
 his face with his lips quivering and his heart melted. He becomes 
 conscious that his teacher loves him in that way. There are very 
 few boys who can resist such pleadings. They can resist floggings 
 and punishments of all kinds; but when a teacher takes a boy and 
 sits down with him in that way, and with a heart full of love says, 
 “ John, see here, this thing is wrong; you ought to change,” he cannot 
 resist. There are very few boys who can resist such a fatherly in¬ 
 fluence, such a Christian atmosphere as that. 
 
108 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “We should ever look upon the youth as the purchase of the 
 blood of Christ. As such they have demands upon our love, our 
 patience, our sympathy. If we would follow Jesus, we cannot re¬ 
 strict our inteiest and affection to ourselves and our own families; 
 we cannot give our time and attention to temporal matters, and 
 forget the eternal interests of those around us. . . . ‘Love one an¬ 
 other, as I have loved you,’ is the command of Jesus. Look at his 
 self-denial; behold the manner of love he has bestowed upon us; and 
 then seek to imitate the Pattern .”—“Counsels to Teachers," page 97. 
 
 Paul said, as he wrote that letter to his brethren in Rome, “ I 
 could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren.” 
 That is love, isn’t it? And it belongs to every teacher. It is yours, 
 my friends, but it can never come until you are in close touch with 
 God and know how he values souls. 
 
 Here are some statements from other men in regard to education. 
 We may say that the world does not look at education as we do; but 
 I have jotted down a few statements, and I want you to see how much 
 in harmony they are with the ideals that we hold, as far as character 
 building is concerned. They do not use the means that we do; they 
 leave out God and Christ and the Holy Spirit. They try to accom¬ 
 plish by education and training what we undertake to do by the 
 influences and agencies from heaven, plus the education that we give. 
 
 Spencer says: “How to live? — that is the essential question for 
 us. Not how to live in the mere material sense only, but in the 
 widest sense. The general problem which comprehends every social 
 problem is — the right ruling of conduct in all directions, under all 
 circumstances. In what way to treat the body; ... in what way to 
 bring up a family; in what way to behave as a citizen; in what way 
 to utilize all these resources of happiness which nature supplies — 
 how to use all our faculties to the greatest advantage of ourselves and 
 others; how to live completely? And this, being the great thing need¬ 
 ful for us to learn, is, by consequence, the great thing which education 
 has to teach. To prepare us for complete living is the function 
 which education has to discharge; and the only rational mode of 
 judging of any educational course is to judge in what degree it dis¬ 
 charges this function.” 
 
 That is true education,— to teach a man how to live. Of course 
 Spencer did not mention calling on God and giving a man faith in 
 Jesus Christ and his Word, but he did believe that education ought 
 to teach a man how to live. Again he says: — 
 
 “Of course the ideal of education is complete preparation in all 
 these divisions. But failing this ideal, as in our phase of civilization 
 every one must do more or less, the aim should be to maintain a due 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 109 
 
 proportion between the degrees of preparation in each. Not exhaus¬ 
 tive cultivation in any one, supremely important though it may be; 
 not even exclusive attention to the two, three, or four divisions of 
 greatest importance; but an attention to all,— greatest where the 
 value is greatest, less where the value is less, and least where the value 
 is least.” 
 
 Stein says: “Education is the harmonious and equable evolution 
 of the human faculties by a method based upon the nature of the mind 
 for developing all the faculties of the soul, for stirring up and nourish¬ 
 ing all the principles of life, while shunning all one-sided culture and 
 taking account of the sentiments upon which the strength and worth 
 of men depend.” 
 
 Pestalozzi writes: “Sound education stands before me symbolized 
 by a tree planted near fertilizing waters. A little seed which contains 
 the design of the tree, its form and its properties, is placed in the 
 soil. The whole tree is an uninterrupted chain of organic parts, the 
 plan of which existed in its seed and root. Man is similar to the tree. 
 In the newborn child are hidden those faculties which are to unfold 
 during life. The individual and separate organs of his being form 
 themselves gradually into unison, and build up humanity in the image 
 of God. The education of man is purely a moral result.” 
 
 It is not the degrees that a man obtains, but it is the moral result. 
 “It is not the educator who puts new faculties into man and im¬ 
 parts to him breath and life. He only takes care that no untoward 
 influence should disturb nature’s march of development. The moral, 
 intellectual, and practical powers of man must be nourished within 
 himself, and not from artificial substitutes.” 
 
 Froebel says, “Education consists in leading man, as a thinking, 
 intelligent being, growing into self-consciousness, to a pure and un¬ 
 sullied conscious and free presentation of the inner law of divine 
 unity, and in teaching him ways and means thereto.” 
 
 All these are definitions that you and I believe in. But they leave 
 out the means of accomplishing the aim. 
 
 Huxley says: “That man, I think, has a liberal education who 
 has been so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of 
 his will, and does with ease and pleasure all the work that as a mech¬ 
 anism it is capable of; whose intellect is a clear, cold, logic engine, 
 with all its parts of equal strength and in smooth working order; 
 ready, like a steam engine, to be turned to any kind of work and spin 
 the gossamers as well as forge the anchors of the mind; whose mind 
 is stored with a knowledge of the great and fundamental truths of 
 nature and of the laws of her operation; one who, no stunted ascetic, 
 is full of life and fire, but whose passions are trained to come to heel 
 by a vigorous wiH, the servant of a tender conscience; who has learned 
 
110 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 to love all beauty, whether of nature or of art, to hate all vileness, 
 and to respect others as himself. Such a one, and no other, I conceive 
 to have a liberal education; for he is, as completely as a man can be, 
 in harmony with nature.” 
 
 Another statement on the same line: William James says, “Edu¬ 
 cation cannot be better described than by calling it the organization 
 of acquired habits of conduct and tendencies to behavior.” 
 
 “Nicholas Murray Butler defines education as the gradual ad¬ 
 justment of the individual to the spiritual possessions, of the race. 
 ‘ These possessions may be variously classified, but they are certainly 
 at least fivefold. The child is entitled to his scientific inheritance, to 
 his literary inheritance, to his asthetic inheritance, to his institutional 
 inheritance, and to his religious inheritance.’ ” 
 
 Dr. Butler would also add the industrial inheritance. 
 
 I think these definitions agree with us in the ideal of perfecting a 
 human being, complete in all its details, trained in every possible way, 
 physical, mental, and spiritual, so that he will approximate as near 
 the divine as it is possible for man to be. 
 
 But these men leave out Christ; they would attain this perfection 
 through education alone. We know that it can never be obtained 
 in that way. It must come by faith in Jesus Christ. So our schools 
 are separate from the schools of the world. They try to make a man 
 perfect by training, and we try to attain perfection by faith in Jesus 
 Christ. I know that we have the right way, because we have God 
 on our side; and if these men have a true sense of education, we have 
 a truer means of attaining it, and that is to have faith in the Son of 
 God as the Saviour of sinners. 
 
 Brethren, there never was such an opportunity to win souls to 
 Christ as is now offered to you as teachers. It seems to me that if I 
 could have a congregation come to me from two to five hours a day 
 every day for nine months in succession, it would be possible for me 
 almost to compel them to come to Christ. The very idea of having 
 people there so many hours a day, for so many months, absolutely 
 under your direction, with all respect for your authority, with every 
 opportunity to speak to them publicly or privately — there never 
 was an opportunity given to men such as our teachers have. Our 
 ministers do not have it. The people go right out into business and 
 have many cares. Here these lads are right under your training, 
 under your influence, under your instruction; and they love you, 
 they fear you, they respect you. Brethren, I believe before God it 
 is your duty to bring them to Christ. You should never feel that your 
 work is done until every boy and girl who comes into the schoolroom 
 has found salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 
 
MANUMENTAL EDUCATION 
 
 C. C. LEWIS 
 
 In order to narrow our subject, let it be remarked that we are here 
 to discuss this question, as well as all others, in the light of their re¬ 
 lation to the system of schools and education as developed and prac¬ 
 ticed among Seventh-day Adventists. 
 
 Let me, before taking up more specific questions, refer briefly to 
 one general principle because of its important bearing upon all ques¬ 
 tions pertaining to the subject. I refer to the educative value of 
 manual training. “Education,” says Pestalozzi, “is the generation 
 of power.” But what kind of power? — not simply to think ab¬ 
 stractly, to reason, to speculate, to philosophize, to moralize, though 
 such power is indeed valuable; but the power to act as well as to 
 think, to do something useful for mankind. This power manual 
 training cultivates. It tends to make boys and girls practical. Know¬ 
 ing how to do and make things, they are self-reliant. In an emer¬ 
 gency, they are able to find a way or make one. Carlyle says that 
 man without tools is nothing; with tools, all. 
 
 But again, let us look at this matter from the standpoint of the 
 functions of the brain and the effect of manual training upon those 
 functions. The brain may be regarded as having three chief func¬ 
 tions,— the power to absorb, or take in materials; the power to as¬ 
 similate these materials and make of them something useful; and the 
 power to give out, or bring to the aid of mankind, the things thus 
 created. Now, mental force and character are accurately measured 
 by the power of expression, by what comes out of the mind. Merely 
 to absorb materials is to make of man a “bookful blockhead, igno¬ 
 rantly read, with loads of learned lumber in his head.” Hence, true 
 education will aim to give symmetrical development to each of these 
 powers of the brain. The healthy education of the child should pro¬ 
 vide for giving him expressing power coextensive with the power of 
 absorption and assimilation. But on the expressing side, the prac¬ 
 tical side, provision has been limited to the use of the tongue in speech 
 and to the hand in writing. And the application of these uses has been 
 made largely to commercial and financial employments and the 
 professions, and only incidentally to the industrial and mechanical 
 occupations. With such an inadequate and one-sided brain equip¬ 
 ment it is not possible in any broad, practical way to bring thought 
 or brain power to the service of industry. The remedy consists in 
 adding the manual and industrial arts to the expressing side of our 
 curricula (even if necessary to subtract from the absorbing side). 
 
 Ill 
 
112 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 And it may be noted, as an encouragement to do so, that the use of 
 the expressing powers of the brain greatly stimulates the powers of 
 absorption and creation. When the hand has something to do or 
 make, the mind studies to know how the task may be performed and 
 what materials and means must be employed. Thus perception is 
 quickened and reason is strengthened. So the question resolves itself 
 into this form: Shall we use our means, and bend our energies solely 
 to train the absorbing powers of our children and young people? 
 And shall we train their powers of expression in the direction of fur¬ 
 ther crowding the ranks of commercial and professional life? And 
 shall we not use our means and bend our energies to train those other 
 powers of expression which will enable our sons and our daughters to 
 do honest, skillful, and intelligent work in the shop, in the field, and 
 in the home? There can be but one just answer to this question, 
 whatever may be our practice. 
 
 Now, what have Seventh-day Adventists done in the matter of 
 incorporating manual training into their educational system? And 
 what more ought they to do and can they do? 
 
 First, it may be justly said that Seventh-day Adventists were pio¬ 
 neers in industrial education,— at least in the matter of advocating 
 it. Thirty-five years ago manual training was almost unknown in 
 the schools of this country. Colonel Parker speaks of Charles H. 
 Ham as a leading pioneer in the movement. Mr. Ham began his 
 work in 1879 by reading a paper before the Chicago Philosophical 
 Society on “The Inventive Genius: or an Epitome of Human Prog¬ 
 ress.” His study in the preparation of this paper gave a new direc¬ 
 tion to all his thoughts. The following year his attention was called 
 to the Manual Training Department of the Washington University, 
 St. Louis, Mo. Here he found what he regarded as the realization 
 of Bacon’s aphorism, “Education is the cultivation of a just and legit¬ 
 imate familiarity between the mind and things.” He made an ex¬ 
 haustive study of the methods of this school, and reached the con¬ 
 clusion that the philosopher’s stone in education had been discovered. 
 The columns of the Chicago Tribune were opened to him, and he wrote 
 constantly on the subject during the next three years. As a result 
 largely of his work the Chicago Manual Training School, now a de¬ 
 partment of the Chicago University, was opened in 1884. In 1886 
 he published a book entitled “Manual Training the Solution of Social 
 and Industrial Problems,” which passed through three editions, and 
 has had a powerful influence in molding the opinions of educators in 
 favor of manual training. 
 
 |With this beginning the work has extended until there are now in 
 the United States 153 schools devoted chiefly to manual and indus- 
 
COUNCIL PKOCEEDINGS 
 
 113 
 
 trial training. Besides these there are over 700 cities with a popula¬ 
 tion of 4,000 or more, in whose public schools manual training is 
 maintained. 
 
 This, in brief, is the story of the rise and progress of industrial 
 education in this country. But six years before Charles H. Ham 
 read his famous paper which marked the beginning of this movement, 
 the Lord had spoken with the utmost clearness to this denomination 
 concerning these principles. Thirty pages of Testimony No. 22, first 
 published in 1873, are devoted to proper education and physical 
 labor for students. 
 
 In Battle Creek College (the character of which was doubtless in¬ 
 tended to be affected by this instruction, since it was published the 
 year before the founding of that institution) some efforts were made 
 a few years later to carry out these principles. The man is still liv¬ 
 ing, Brother Benjamin H. Welch, of Takoma Park, who had charge 
 of the first printing department connected with a school among 
 Seventh-day Adventists; and the teacher is before you who spent some 
 time each afternoon in the printing department to encourage the effort 
 by his presence. 
 
 A carpentry department was also opened, of which we are oc¬ 
 casionally reminded by those little red first-day offering boxes which 
 some of us will remember were made by the students to be distrib¬ 
 uted throughout the denomination. 
 
 We shall not follow the ups and downs of the movement, but 
 shall state that at the present time the seventy colleges and academies 
 of the denomination have 8,880 acres of land for agricultural purposes, 
 and fifty-one of them have manual training facilities, leaving only 
 nineteen that are wholly without such facilities. 
 
 On the whole, while we have reason to be thankful that some 
 progress has been made in manual training lines in our denominational 
 schools, still we have greater reason to feel humble that the secular 
 schools have made so much greater progress in the field in which we 
 were pioneers. This fact should stimulate us to greater effort to build 
 up this most important department of our educational work. 
 
 And this consideration leads us to the practical question, What 
 can we do to improve and extend manual training in our educational 
 system? The General Conference Department of Education, with 
 all the counsel and help it can secure from whatever source, should 
 immediately begin the preparation of a course of manual and industrial 
 training for all our schools from the primary grades to the college. 
 This course should consist not simply of a bare outline of what should 
 be done year by year, but it should present detailed instruction in the 
 best methods of carrying out the plans. It should give "a general 
 8 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 114 
 
 elementary graded course for primary schools, and more advanced 
 work merging into trades for the secondary schools and colleges. All 
 fads and fancy work should be eliminated. The fundamental occu¬ 
 pations necessary to make good homes should be ever kept in mind. 
 The needs of the great army of missionaries who go to foreign lands 
 should be provided for; and the needs of that ever greater army that 
 must stay at home and furnish the sinews of war, must not be forgotten. 
 The domestic arts should be emphasized so as to teach our young 
 women the things that wives and mothers ought to know, whether 
 in a home or in a foreign field. The building trades should be encour¬ 
 aged, that our missionaries may know how to provide houses for their 
 missionary operations. Above all, agricultural pursuits should be 
 kept in the forefront; for it is not without reason that the Spirit of 
 the Lord has said that instruction in agricultural lines should be the 
 A B C of our educational work. Our missionaries need it to furnish 
 their tables with good, wholesome, nourishing food, by the develop¬ 
 ment of the natural products of the various countries where they may 
 be called to labor. 
 
 We especially need more and better teachers of agricultural sub¬ 
 jects. Good farmers are not necessarily good teachers of farming, 
 neither are good teachers of farming necessarily good farmers. We 
 need the happy combination of the two elements — the art and the 
 science of farming, together with the gift of teaching this most inter¬ 
 esting and most important of all industrial subjects in such a way 
 as to hold our young men to the intelligent culture of the soil, and 
 at the same time to elevate them intellectually and spiritually above 
 the sordid condition of many who delve in the earth. 
 
 This is our great need — thoroughly trained teachers of the in¬ 
 dustries. We have plenty of candidates for ordinary scholastic stud¬ 
 ies. We spend months and years in post-graduate work in mathe¬ 
 matics, science, literature, language, and what not. But who exert 
 themselves to obtain special instruction in the best methods of teach¬ 
 ing sewing, cooking, or gardening? — A few, but an increasing few, 
 I am thankful to say. 
 
 How long shall we be content to let this reproach rest upon us 
 as teachers — that we are indifferent to that which God has declared 
 to be of first importance? Shall we not rather rise to the demands 
 of the hour? Will not every Seventh-day Adventist teacher resolve 
 that he will fit himself to teach well at least one industrial subject? 
 Colonel Parker once declared that “the future of manual training is 
 to introduce hand work as the principal factor of the first four years 
 of work, to be continued in the four years of the grammar grades, 
 and correlated with all other subjects. Indeed, the ideal is to intro- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 115 
 
 duce manual training in all courses of study, from the kindergarten 
 to the university.” Let a similar ideal be the ideal of every Seventh- 
 day Adventist teacher. Let our teachers, if necessary, go to secular 
 schools and secular books to obtain a knowledge of industrial prin¬ 
 ciples and methods; but let them come back to the special instruction 
 the Lord has given us, to learn how to adapt these principles and meth¬ 
 ods to the purposes of the third angel’s message. And let us not 
 rest until Christian industrial training is extended to the work of every 
 grade from the church school to the college. 
 
 “But how can it be done?” says one. I have not time to attempt 
 an answer, except to say that what ought to be done can be done. 
 If we believe it ought to be done, we shall find a way to do it. About 
 a dozen years ago I was preparing a paper upon a similar subject for 
 a secular teachers’ association. I had shown the importance of in¬ 
 troducing manual training into the public schools, and I was facing 
 the same question, “How can it be done?” Rising, I paced back 
 and forth across the floor, arms behind me, head down, and occa¬ 
 sionally repeating the question, “How can it be done?” when my 
 little boy, whom I had not before noticed, startled me, and at the same 
 time electrified me, by crying out vigorously, “Why, get down and 
 do it! That’s how!” 
 
 So. today, if we believe this thing is right and ought to be done, 
 et us put aside our doubtful questioning, and get down and do it. 
 
 THE NEXT STEP IN TEXTBOOK MAKING 
 
 M. E. CADY 
 
 In taking up this topic assigned me, I am aware that there is 
 quite a difference of opinion among our educators regarding the 
 preparation of educational literature. 
 
 But let us consider briefly the testimony of the spirit of prophecy 
 on this subject, as recorded in the Bible, as well as the instruction that 
 has come to us concerning our educational work. In those pattern 
 schools,— the schools of the prophets,— fourteen of the textbooks 
 used in sacred history were written by Hebrew authors. In the study 
 of sacred literature, five of the poetical books were written by Hebrew 
 writers. One of these writers, speaking of his literary effort, says 
 that he “gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many 
 proverbs,” and that he “sought to find out acceptable words: and 
 that which was written was upright, even words of truth.” 
 
 Thirty-six men, three from each of the tribes of Israel, were chosen 
 by Joshua to go through the land of Palestine and describe it, and 
 
116 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 write a geography of the country. “The men went and passed 
 through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a 
 book.” Joshua 18:9. A book was also written on the principles of 
 civil government, which were to be the guide in the kingdom of Israel 
 under a king: “Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, 
 and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord.” 1 Sam. 
 10: 25. These citations of Scripture indicate that Israel provided 
 her schools with educational literature along several lines. 
 
 The Bible is not to be tested by men’s ideas of science, but science 
 is to be brought to the test of the unerring standard. Yet the study 
 of the sciences is not to be neglected. Books must be used for this 
 purpose; but they should be in harmony with the Bible, for that is 
 the standard. Books of this character should take the place of many 
 of those now in the hands of the students.”—“ Counsels to Teachers ,” 
 pages 425 , 426. 
 
 “Books should have been prepared to place in the hands of the 
 students that would educate them to have a sincere, reverent love for 
 truth and steadfast integrity. The class of studies which are posi¬ 
 tively essential in the formation of character to give them a prepara¬ 
 tion for the future life, should be ever kept before them.”—“ Special 
 Testimonies on Education , ” page 230. 
 
 It is a matter of encouragement to know that something has been 
 done toward carrying out the above instruction. For our church 
 school grades the following books have been prepared: — 
 
 A series of four Bible Lesson books for grades 4 to 7. 
 
 A series of seven Readers for grades 1 to 8. 
 
 A series of four Nature books for grades 4 to 6. 
 
 Four Supplementary Readers used in grades 1 to 3. 
 
 Several bulletins, manuals, and helps for teachers on different 
 subjects. 
 
 In the academic grades we have: — 
 
 A series of four Language books for grades 9 to 12. 
 
 A text, “Essentials of English,” for grade 9. 
 
 A New Testament History for grade 9. 
 
 We have attempted nothing for use in the college grades. 
 
 How many steps have we taken in the preparation of textbooks 
 for our schools? Are there other steps still to be taken? It is true 
 that we have thought of taking further steps; we have voted the prep¬ 
 aration of a geography, a physiology, a United States history, and 
 a civil government for use in our church schools, and a physiography, 
 general history, and geology for use in the academic grades. 
 
 There are at least four reasons for the delay in preparing manu¬ 
 scripts on these subjects: — 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 117 
 
 1. T he persons asked to write them have been so pressed with 
 regular duties that they have not*had time to do it. 
 
 2. Some of our educators have felt that other textbooks written 
 on these subjects were good enough. 
 
 3. Some have felt that the expense involved in publication was 
 too great to justify the effort. 
 
 4. .Some have thought that time was too short to warrant our 
 undertaking the work of publishing textbooks for use in our schools. 
 
 But is it true that we cannot afford the expense? Is it true that 
 other books can be found that are good enough? Is it true that time 
 is too short to change our intellectual diet? We are urged to make 
 continual progress in changing our physical diet, that we may be ready 
 for translation when Christ comes; may we not change our intellec¬ 
 tual diet also? It is true that we have made some changes in the 
 intellectual bill of fare. We have banished the “alcohol” and the 
 “tobacco,” and it may be even the “tea” and the “coffee,” but are 
 the “flesh foods” and the “condiments” still served at the intellectual 
 meal? Should we stop anything short of having pure, unadulterated 
 food served to our children and youth as they daily gather to partake 
 of the intellectual spread? Should not greater care be exercised in 
 providing intellectual and spiritual food than in the provision made to 
 supply the physical needs? 
 
 The following words of caution and warning have recently been 
 spoken to us as teachers: — 
 
 “ I am given words of caution for the teachers in our schools. The 
 work of our schools should bear a different stamp from that borne 
 by some of the most popular of our institutions of learning. Many 
 of the textbooks used in the schools are unnecessary for the work of 
 preparing students for the school above. . . . 
 
 “There is need of separating from our educational work an erro¬ 
 neous, polluted literature, so that ideas which are the seeds of sin will 
 not be received and cherished as the truth. Let not any suppose that 
 a study of books which will lead to the reception of false ideas, is val¬ 
 uable education. Those ideas which, gaining entrance to the mind, 
 separate the youth from the Source of all wisdom, all efficiency, all 
 power, leave them the sport of Satan’s temptations. A pure educa¬ 
 tion for the youth in our schools, unmixed with heathen philosophy, 
 is a positive necessity. 
 
 “We need to guard continually against those books which contain 
 sophistry in regard to geology and other branches of science. Before 
 the theories of men of science are presented to immature students, 
 they need to be carefully sifted from every trace of infidel suggestions. 
 One tiny seed of infidelity sown by a teacher in the heart of a student 
 
118 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 may spring up and bring forth a harvest of unbelief. . . . It is a mis¬ 
 take to put into the hands of the youth books that perplex and 
 confuse them .”—“Counsels to Teachers," pages 389, 390. 
 
 The importance of providing appropriate educational litera¬ 
 ture for our schools is indicated by the following impressive represen¬ 
 tation published in 1899: — 
 
 “In a night vision given me some years ago, I was in an assembly 
 where our school problems were being discussed, and the question 
 was asked, ‘Why has not appropriate matter for reading books and 
 other lesson books been selected and compiled? Why has not the 
 Word of God been extolled above every human production? Have 
 you thought that a better knowledge of what the Lord hath said 
 would have a deleterious effect on teachers and students? ’ 
 
 ‘‘There was a hush in the assembly, and conviction came to stu¬ 
 dents and teachers. Men who had looked upon themselves as wise 
 and strong, saw that they were weak, and lacking in the knowledge 
 of that Book which*concerns the eternal destiny of the human soul. 
 
 ‘‘The speaker then took from the hands of the teachers books 
 which they had been making their study, some of which had been writ¬ 
 ten by infidel authors and contained infidel sentiments, and laid them 
 on the floor. Then he placed the Bible in their hands, saying, ‘You 
 have little knowledge of this book. You know not the Scriptures 
 nor the power of God. When you have taken your students through 
 the course of study you have followed in the past, they will have to 
 unlearn much that they have learned, and this they will find very 
 difficult to do. Objectionable ideas have taken root in their minds, 
 like weeds in a garden, and some will never be able to distinguish 
 between right and wrong. The good and the evil have been inter¬ 
 mingled in your work. Doctrines containing a little truth, but with 
 which are woven the opinions and sayings and doings of men, are 
 repeated. The youth will never know the way of life so long as 
 they depend on such instructions .”— 11 Counsels to Teachers," pages 
 458 , 459 -' 
 
 In this latest word received through the prophetic gift the ques¬ 
 tion is asked, “Why has not appropriate matter for reading books 
 and other lesson books, been selected and compiled?” Observe that 
 these books are not to consist of original material, but matter that 
 has been selected and compiled. I believe that the books prepared 
 for our schools will consist largely of truths gathered and gleaned 
 from those whose pens have been dipped in the fountain of truth. 
 Some of these truths have been lost sight of, some of them have been 
 perverted and mingled with error by the enemy of truth. But the 
 work of the Christian educator is to teach truth, and the books used 
 should contain the truth and nothing but the truth. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 11!) 
 
 "The instruction given in our schools should differ materially 
 from the instruction given in any other school in the land. The 
 truth of God is to give shape to each distinct branch of education. 
 The work of every teacher should be to fasten the minds of the stu¬ 
 dents upon the grand truths of the Word of inspiration .”—"Church 
 School Manual^ pages 240, 241. 
 
 In view of this instruction, and in view of the steps already taken 
 in preparing educational literature, what shall be the next step in 
 textbook making? 
 
 1. Let the next step be forward march on the double-quick; for 
 the time is short. But there is time enough left to develop this edu¬ 
 cational work according to God’s plan God’s plan carried out will 
 accomplish the most in the shortest time. Let the books that have 
 been voted, now be quickly prepared and placed in the hands of our 
 children. Let other books be provided for the church school grades, 
 until every textbook used works with the teacher, not against him, in 
 imparting a Christian education. The textbooks as well as the 
 teacher should be Christian, if Christian education is to be the result. 
 
 2. Let steps be taken at once to provide textbooks for the aca¬ 
 demic grades. But, says one, have we ability to produce books for 
 academic grades? 
 
 The word to us is, "select” and "compile” matter, and from this 
 develop textbooks on various subjects. It is surprising what a large 
 amount of material is available if we search the writings of men who 
 have written works on science, history, literature, etc., from the Bible 
 viewpoint. I have taken some pains to look up the works of emi¬ 
 nent scientists who have written excellent matter that can be selected 
 and compiled in the making of science textbooks, and I would name 
 the following: The writings of Newton, Kepler, Galileo, Boyle, and 
 Pascal, the Bridgewater treatises of eleven volumes on the power, 
 wisdom, and goodness of God as manifested in the creation, treating 
 specifically physiology, biology, geology, mineralogy, chemistry, 
 meteorology, physics, and astronomy. A number of these writers 
 have been professors in Cambridge and Oxford Universities. 
 
 I give only the titles of later works written by acknowledged 
 scholars: "Astronomical Principles of Religion,” 1725; "History of 
 the Heavens, considered according to the notions of Poets and Phi¬ 
 losophers, compared with the Doctrines of Moses,” 1741; "The Chris¬ 
 tian Philosopher,” 1815; "Science a Witness for the Bible,” i860: 
 "Similarities of Physical and Religious Knowledge,” "Philosophy 
 and Christianity,” 1883; “Chemistry as Exemplifying the Wisdom 
 and Beneficence of God,” 1844; "Sacred Philosophy of the Seasons,” 
 1839; "Botany and Religion,” "Christ and Science,” 1906, by a 
 professor in the University of Virginia. 
 
120 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 These are only a few of the works that I might cite whose authors 
 believe that creation and Christianity have one and the same God. 
 
 In the spirit of prophecy we have this instruction: “The natural 
 and the spiritual are to be combined in the studies given in our schools.” 
 We shall find writers who give the Bible its place in history and lit¬ 
 erature, as well as in science. This cloud of witnesses of the past beckon 
 us on. Shall we hesitate and falter? or shall we step forward quickly 
 and courageously, performing faithfully our work in the erection of 
 this educational temple that God has called upon us to build according 
 to the pattern shown in the mount? We shall not have to send to 
 Egypt or Tyre for talent and skill to perform this work; within the 
 church of God are the resources, the talent, the skill necessary to do 
 the work. In the name of God let us arise and build. 
 
 There will be obstacles in the way, and perhaps the most diffi¬ 
 cult to surmount will be to finance the publishing of textbooks used 
 in grades that permit of a small circulation. But if we are impartial, 
 we shall see that our students of all grades are provided with Christian 
 textbooks. A textbook fund should be raised, which may be drawn 
 upon to make up any loss in publication. I believe there are loyal 
 supporters of Christian education, having means, who would liberally 
 contribute to such a fund. 
 
 We have given and are giving much time and thought to the 
 quantity side, the efficiency side, of our educational work; but I hope 
 the kind of material, as well as the quantity and the method of hand¬ 
 ling, shall be carefully considered. The kind of textbooks used 
 determines largely the character of the education given. Christian 
 education demands a literature that is Christian in character. A 
 Christless, Godless literature, even though supplemented by religious 
 instruction from Christian teachers, will never meet the demands of 
 our time and the message we are to give to the world in a short time. 
 In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and in 
 him we are complete. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 C. L. Stone: The next step in any enterprise, either great or 
 small, is easily understood and easily taken if the enterprise launched 
 is well proportioned and has a proper objective. Promoters usually 
 grow as the object of their promotion grows, and thus are ever ready 
 for the next step. Not infrequently, however, original plans are too 
 narrow, and matters of great and vital importance to the permanence 
 of future growth are too rapidly pushed, tending strongly toward the 
 mushroom rather than the oak. 
 
 Some years ago a university in one of the middle States came 
 squarely against a knotty question. Originally, grounds had been 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 121 
 
 secured and buildings for the immediate needs erected. Later, 
 other buildings were added as the institution grew, but eventually 
 the point was reached where no building could be done until a well- 
 defined plan of the grounds could be clearly and definitely made and 
 kept in mind. Landscape artists of international repute were secured, 
 and days and weeks were devoted to study and surveying. At last 
 the plans were in blue print, and to the astonishment of the manage¬ 
 ment, the next step was to undo portions of what had seemed to be 
 permanently accomplished. 
 
 Flower beds and mounds were moved; shrubbery and even trees 
 were transplanted, some of the buildings were radically changed, 
 and plans for new buildings were entirely remodeled. Whatever 
 was to be done in the future would be in harmony with the blue print. 
 The plan was beautiful on paper as the artist had worked it out, but 
 it was left to the management to translate the blue print into materi¬ 
 ality. 
 
 When Booker T. Washington was passing through the experimental 
 days of his renowned Tuskegee institution, on one occasion he felt 
 a strong need for enlargement. He had no means at hand, and the 
 only building available was a long-used poultry house of the older 
 type. He cleaned out this henroost by daylight, and made room for 
 the additional classes. Long since, this house has been abandoned. 
 Probably Mr. Washington would not use the same building today 
 for even a henroost, unless it might be for emergency, as in the former 
 case. 
 
 It is patent, then, from even these illustrations, that the most 
 stupendous undertakings may have preliminary steps; and if started 
 without the broadest plans and the most clearly defined objectives, 
 at times the next step may be to undo or to abandon. 
 
 Since word was passed around t’ e educational circle, a few years 
 since, that textbooks must be prepared, some activity has been shown, 
 and all will concede that something has been accomplished. It is 
 very evident that already the abandoning process is well under way. 
 Whether the texts now suffering the dust of disuse can be regarded 
 as the abandoned poultry house or a removed hillock making way 
 for a giant structure after the most approved architecture, is the 
 debatable question. 
 
 To discuss textbooks leads somewhat afield in the realm of text¬ 
 book writers. Who has written the world’s textbooks that have been 
 used and are being used? What has been the experience, the edu¬ 
 cation, the natural endowments, the time of preparation, of these men? 
 
 Passing by that class of writers who have spent more than half a 
 lifetime traveling and investigating, let us take for one example Mr. 
 
122 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Harris, the author of “The Philosophy of Hegel.” He says, “When 
 I promised to write this book, in 1883, I intended to throw together 
 some of my previous studies on Hegel’s logic, with the addition of 
 more or less new matter in the form of commentary and connecting 
 introductions. I had worked pretty constantly on the subject of 
 this logic as a sort of center of all my thinking since the year i860, 
 making, it is true, very slow progress. I have always cherished the 
 project of writing some sort of commentary to the work, but did not 
 think that I could prepare a worthy book for twenty years. I soon 
 discovered that if I were to place before the public an immature 
 work on this subject, I should find myself embarrassed at any time 
 afterward to obtain a hearing for the ripened views which I hoped to 
 reach.” 
 
 Again, take Warren Colburn. While still an undergraduate in Har¬ 
 vard, but withal a teacher of some experience, he wrote his “First Les¬ 
 sons in Intellectual Arithmetic.” Although yet a young man, he felt 
 safe in undertaking such a task, for he says the pupils made the book 
 for him in the questions they asked. The success of this work is 
 attested in that it has been in use for a full century, and has been 
 translated into several European and Oriental languages. 
 
 Colburn’s theory was to set his children at simple calculations as 
 soon as they could comprehend more or less, then furnish occasion 
 for them to exercise their own skill in performing examples, and 
 gradually increase the difficulty of the examples. This sounds well 
 enough, and if applied scientifically, .ought to be above question. 
 However, a modern textbook writer makes this comment on the work 
 and conclusions of Colburn: — 
 
 “If Colburn had listened more carefully and heard the soul of the 
 child speak, he would have kept ‘hands off’ for a number of years. 
 All observers of children will agree with Colburn that they are able 
 to make simple calculations about their playthings and about their 
 own little affairs. The work, however, should stop here until wider 
 experiences and further needs demand greater knowledge of numbers. 
 
 “We are beginning formal number work entirely too early, and 
 are forcing adult applications before the interests and experiences of 
 the children are ready for them. We are forcing facts and processes not 
 needed in the natural activities of child life, either in or out of school. 
 We are thus violating every principle of economy in teaching, in not 
 finding the child’s needs and interests, and teaching the right thing 
 at the right time. When a child desires to know a thing because the 
 knowledge will minister to his own needs, pleasure, or curiosity, it is 
 easy indeed to teach him; but to try to force learning where it is not 
 desired, is uphill business. . . 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 128 
 
 “It is not a question, then, of what can be taught at any given 
 period of his school life, but a question of what and when a thing can 
 be taught most economically — a question of whether one thing or 
 some other thing had better be taught at a given period in the child’s 
 development.” 
 
 This fairly brings before us the question of when as well as what 
 and how. Seventh-day Adventists have spent a great deal of thought 
 and effort on the question of what to teach, they have spent some time 
 on how to teach, and doubtless have given some thought to when to 
 teach. But it is evident that in any attempt to produce textbooks 
 for the various grades represented in our schools, it will be necessary 
 to comprehend in a very broad yet very definite way these three 
 elements. 
 
 Since it is conceded by all that modern pedagogy is founded on 
 the ripened findings of psychologists, the what to teach is seen to cover 
 only a small fraction of the field which must be comprehended and 
 thoroughly worked by the textbook writer. Even in the what there 
 is a strong modern tendency to eliminate that which one time was 
 felt to be vitally essential, and to add very much that touches more 
 practically the daily life of the adult. 
 
 It seems quite evident that a writer could not successfully prepare 
 a series of lessons for any particular grade of pupils, unless he has had 
 experience in the classroom with that very grade. His experience in 
 meeting the questions of the developing minds, if backed by a broad 
 psychological knowledge, will give him the desired opportunity to 
 learn what to teach and when to teach it. He will not be a mere 
 theorist in what should be given to students, but he will know the 
 things that the developing mind ought to receiv.e. He will not make 
 the mistake of Colburn, of thrusting upon the mind that for which 
 it has no desire and is not prepared. 
 
 There is yet one vital element which must be reckoned with, and 
 that is methods. Perhaps there have been no greater or more rapid 
 changes within the last quarter of a century in any line of thought or 
 investigation than in that of methods. And the end is not yet. 
 Hegel, Rousseau, Spencer, Herbart, Pestalozzi, Comenius, Froebel, 
 McMurray, De Garmo, and some other lights seem to be coming to 
 their own in more modern times, but the waves seem to set in one 
 direction and then in another. To establish a real school system 
 with properly graded textbooks in all the different branches, would 
 mean to decide definitely upon the methods to follow as well as the 
 subject matter for each grade. 
 
 Suppose, for example, every normal school in the denomination 
 should build strongly around the inductive idea. For two years the 
 
124 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 young teacher is drilled to approach subjects from this viewpoint. 
 Toward the end of the course the ideas of induction begin to be very 
 well fixed, and increasing intelligence is manifested in seeking for 
 their application to practical school work. 
 
 The normal director, in teaching the professional classes, takes up 
 the grammars, the readers, the nature books, the geographies, the 
 Bible books, and such other books as may be used regularly in our 
 schools, and finds in the various subjects considerable variety in the 
 method of approach. Suppose one has clearly the inductive spirit 
 throughout; another, the inductive flavored with deductive; and yet 
 another is plainly marked by dogmatic statements, with no other 
 thought in mind than to get the greatest number of facts before the 
 pupil in a given time. 
 
 The question naturally arises, How shall this normal director 
 properly launch the class so that each one may go to his school with 
 a definite and well-defined plan for applying the principles of induc¬ 
 tion to each grade he is to teach? Can he take this collection of 
 widely differing books, and organize his school work into a unit of 
 efficiency? 
 
 It may be altogether too much to expect that the educators of 
 this people, having received training from such varied sources, could 
 ever be brought to see entirely alike on grading, subject matter, and 
 methods. This seems improbable from the fact that the training has 
 been received in schools of the world, differing widely in theory and 
 in practice; and also inasmuch as some are, to a large extent, self- 
 made. However, it is reasonable to believe that there is some good 
 meeting ground where broad and sure foundations may be laid. Have 
 not some questions, which have been discussed and rediscussed and 
 then laid aside as the next number of a series of vexed questions, 
 been going the rounds long enough? Is not this the time and place 
 when a safe and sane policy may be entered upon, which may be the 
 guide in all subsequent fruit of our efforts educationally? 
 
 Such a condition as the following has not been unknown: In a 
 college conducted by our people, two or more teachers were giving 
 instruction in the professional and philosophical studies. Students 
 who took class work in these lines found that truth in one class was 
 error in another, and vice versa. It is probably safe to venture that 
 if a student were to take class work today in every advanced school 
 among us, he would Und similar discrepancies. For this reason, 
 does it not seem that there should be the freest discussion of method, 
 subject matter, and grading, and that the weakness and the strength 
 of the textbooks already in hand should be pointed out, that “safety 
 first” may characterize the next step? 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 125 
 
 Critjypisms on the existing textbooks have come in from a great 
 variety of sources, and these in themselves are very interesting. Take 
 for instance Bell’s Language series. One is free to recommend them 
 most heartily; another uses them only because they are backed by 
 the General Department of Education; and still another cautiously 
 avoids committing himself, on the ground that this vexed question 
 will be settled at the Council. 
 
 One is certain that the readers are far too hard for grades one and 
 two, and that more attention should be given language. Others say 
 the reader for the sixth grade is entirely beyond sixth-grade students, 
 and that the correlated language work is for a larger caliber. A 
 long paragraph might be written chronicling the criticisms on our 
 present books, and yet leave untouched the questions of style, nat¬ 
 uralness, adaptation, interest, and variety. 
 
 Could not careful consideration also be given to a systematic 
 search for textbooks prepared for the public schools that might be 
 adapted to our work? For example, let us take geography. The 
 method of approach to this subject in the earlier grades has undergone 
 radical changes within the past few years. The progressive Christian 
 teacher casts about for some textbook which applies the latest in 
 method and in grading, but he finds evolution budding out in the 
 first grades, blossoming in the middle grades, and bearing fruit in the 
 finishing grades. Barring out this defect, the life, the spice, and the 
 naturalness that form the warp and woof of the real textbook are all 
 there. What shall we do to make use of the scholarship, the breadth 
 of vision, and the knowledge of human needs clearly recognized and 
 met in such works? 
 
 Again, take the subject of arithmetic. Mention has been made 
 in some of our periodicals of the Stone-Millis text. It is well under¬ 
 stood that these authors are innovators, and it is for us to say whether 
 we shall indorse the freedom they assume in eliminating in whole or 
 in part many time-honored subdivisions. 
 
 As I reflect upon the preparation for writing a textbook, there 
 comes to mind the experience of a gentleman who occupies a chair in 
 one of our thriving universities. A few years ago he conceived the 
 notion of writing a geometry that would be superior to any of the text¬ 
 books he had used in all his long career as a teacher. Gradually he 
 completed all his propositions, and after trying out the book for 
 two years, was greatly puzzled to know whether or not he could ac¬ 
 complish more with his own book than with any one of several others 
 he had already used. 
 
 In the third and fourth chapters of Joshua is the narrative of 
 Israel’s crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. A few points 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 126 
 
 are worthy of notice. Joshua was the accepted head or director of 
 the company. The whole nation was made acquainted with itfie plans 
 for the passage. The priests preceded the company into the stream, 
 but were the last to leave the river bed. They made sure that all 
 Israel had fallen into line, and had the privilege of bringing up the 
 rear. 
 
 Since it seems quite improbable that some towering landscape 
 artist will arise among us to survey and prepare blue prints for all 
 time to come, clearly indicating the present changes and the future 
 needs, it seems conclusive that Israel today will have to act the coun¬ 
 terpart of Israel in Joshua’s time. Surely Israel then had the essential 
 elements of a successful entry. Today there must be a Joshua in 
 whom all have confidence. This Joshua must see the need and lay 
 the plan. Then it devolves upon the priests (textbook committee) 
 to be the vanguard, yet to keep in such close touch with the rank and 
 file of Israel that confidence may be inspired and that every man may 
 fall into line. 
 
 Perhaps i-n taking the next step, the following propositions might 
 be among those that could be considered: — 
 
 1. That we recognize that the instruction to keep infidel authors 
 out of the hands of our youth is not confined to the grammar grades, 
 and therefore textbooks are needed for more advanced work. 
 
 2. That textbook writers should be those who have taught the 
 grades for which the books are intended; for only in that manner can 
 first-hand information be secured in subject matter and grading. 
 
 3. That a book be published only after it has been tried and found 
 worthy. 
 
 4. That the textbook committee be as representative as prac¬ 
 ticable, and that its work be supplemented by the criticism of all our 
 experienced teachers in the grades for which the book is prepared. 
 
 5. That a series of resolutions be drawn up and adopted at this 
 Council, embodying general principles of methodology, to be applied 
 in all the normal departments within our ranks. 
 
 6. That a fund be raised from some source to support the teacher 
 of broad vision and definite knowledge, while he is endeavoring to 
 write the textbooks to cover the need of his particular field. 
 
 Lastly, let me say, let us give all honor to those who have had the 
 courage and perseverance to blaze the w'ay with such textbooks as 
 have been prepared and are in use. All will acknowledge that it is 
 far easier to analyze and express an opinion of certain weaknesses in 
 a given textbook, than to set about repairing that weakness, to say 
 nothing of originating the entire work. 
 
STANDARDS OF CLASSIFICATION AND 
 
 GRADUATION 
 
 M. E. OLSEN 
 
 The principles governing the classification of students, the amount 
 of advanced credit that is to be allowed, the extent of the substitu¬ 
 tions permitted,— these and many other matters continually coming 
 before the College Credits Committee very largely determine the char¬ 
 acter of the college and the reputation it will have in the educational 
 world. If there is laxness or carelessness in this regard alone, no mat¬ 
 ter how excellent the equipment and faculty, the college will be a 
 failure as an institution of learning; for the degrees it confers will not 
 be respected. 
 
 The subject being a very comprehensive one, and the time allow¬ 
 ance small, it has seemed best to treat only those phases of it which 
 are most likely to touch the work of this Convention. Let us then 
 propound and endeavor tentatively to answer a few of the practical 
 questions that are continually coming before the College Credits 
 Committee. 
 
 i. How much credit should be allowed students coming from one 
 of our own schools? The answer will be, Such a student should re¬ 
 ceive credit in full for all work done. That is, if he has completed 
 the course in one of our twelve-grade academies, he should be 
 admitted without condition to the freshman year in one of our 
 colleges. 
 
 But suppose he has not done the work. Suppose, for instance, 
 that he comes from an academy in which grammar instead of composi¬ 
 tion-rhetoric is taught in the ninth grade, and arithmetic instead of 
 algebra. In such case he is two full units behind a pupil who comes 
 from an academy that requires for admission to its first year a thor¬ 
 ough knowledge of both arithmetic and grammar. The credits com¬ 
 mittee cannot possibly consider these two students as on the same 
 basis. It must discriminate in favor of the one, and require the other 
 pupil in some way to make up the deficiency. 
 
 Discrepancies may occur in other ways. Here is a student who 
 desires credit for first-year Latin; but it is found on inquiry that he 
 happened to belong to a weak class, and that the teacher, instead of 
 bringing the class up to the standard, lowered the standard to the 
 abilities of the class; instead of completing the regular first-year 
 textbook, he took the class only two thirds of the way through it. 
 Or, the teacher in English literature, instead of giving a thorough 
 
 127 
 
128 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 course in the great authors, read a few short extracts, and spent a 
 good part of the time reading hooks with no literary value, on the 
 supposition that everything in print is literature, and that if a book 
 represents good moral ideas, it may properly take the place of any 
 of the English classics. 
 
 These are not imaginary cases. I speak wholly from personal ex¬ 
 perience. It is one of the sad duties of the chairman of the credits 
 committee to have to inform students that work done in the ninth 
 grade was not ninth-grade work at all, but work that belonged in the 
 eighth grade; or that a given course in English was not sufficiently 
 thoroughgoing, and some additional work must be done in order to 
 fill up the due measure of credit. It is the more painful to have to 
 make such decisions because the student himself is not to blame; 
 he suffers from a condition for which he is not responsible. 
 
 Obviously the solution of this question lies in a due coordination 
 of our schools throughout the country, an agreement as to certain 
 definite standards, and then a conscientious conforming to those 
 standards on the part of all our teachers. 
 
 I wish in this connection to plead for thorough work in the common 
 branches. Grammar and arithmetic should be very prominent stud¬ 
 ies in the seventh and eighth grades, and pupils should not be allowed 
 to leave these grades until they have mastered these very important 
 subjects. Spelling is another study that should be fully covered in 
 the church school. It is not to the credit of our church schools that 
 the students who come from them to the academies and colleges are 
 so often weak in both grammar and spelling, and must devote a con¬ 
 siderable part of their time in the academic and perhaps even in the 
 college course to making good this deficiency. If it is contended 
 that the lower grades are crowded and cannot find time to teach the 
 common branches, then I would respectfully say, First things first. 
 Leave out something else if necessary, but teach the boys and girls 
 to read, and write, and spell, and cipher. 
 
 Another question that naturally arises in connection with this 
 subject is: When, where, and by whom shall the amount of advanced 
 credit to be allowed a pupil be decided? Shall the burden rest wholly 
 with the credits committee? Shall it be the duty of that small body 
 to decide how much credit shall be allowed a pupil in German, Eng¬ 
 lish, mathematics, Bible, science, etc.? or shall the various heads of 
 departments, each in his own department, determine the amount to 
 be allowed? It would seem as if the latter would be much the better 
 plan. The man who is giving his whole time to the teaching of a sub¬ 
 ject is much better qualified to determine how much credit should be 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 129 
 
 allowed for certain work done in that subject, than is a committee 
 no member of which may be fully conversant with it. 
 
 But this involves, further, that the pupil shall be required to 
 present his credits in person and not by letter. In the past there 
 have been cases where students have written to two or even three 
 of our colleges to see where they could get the most credit in the 
 work done. The college which replied conservatively, as any good 
 college ought to do in such a case, leaving the exact classification of 
 the- student to be determined after his arrival, was placed at a dis¬ 
 advantage, and the college which was most willing to promise credit 
 without first having an opportunity to look closely into the work, 
 probably obtained the student. Competition of this kind is not for 
 the best interest of our educational work. 
 
 The general principle should obtain, undoubtedly, that full credit 
 be given for good, faithful work done in any of our schools; but the 
 classification of the pupil, and the precise amount of credit that shall 
 be allowed him, should be settled after his arrival at college, and as 
 a result of personal interviews with the various heads of departments, 
 in the course of which the pupil should present documentary evidence 
 of the ground covered, and answer fully any questions that may be 
 put to him, and if need be submit to an examination. 
 
 One thing that would add greatly to the ease and effectiveness 
 with which credit could be allowed to students passing from one 
 school to another, would be the adoption of a uniform system of 
 recitation hours and divisions of the school year. At the present 
 time some of our schools have recitation hours lasting a full hour, 
 some have forty-five-minute recitations, some have dropped to forty 
 and even thirty minutes. Moreover, some divide the school year 
 into three terms, while the majority of our colleges have adopted 
 the plan of making just two divisions and calling them semesters. 
 Which is the plan that will most nearly satisfy all the conditions of 
 good work? The best plan ought to possess at least two advantages: 
 First, it should be as simple as is consistent with the requirements, 
 for simplicity is a valuable quality in all operations involving num¬ 
 bers of people; secondly, it should be a plan that will favor thorough 
 work in all departments of the college; thirdly, it should permit the 
 largest amount of flexibility in the conducting of a variety of courses, 
 especially in collegiate work. 
 
 There is one plan, and only one, that meets all three requirements; 
 namely, that which divides the year into two equal parts, known as 
 semesters, and which takes the semester hour as the unit of college 
 work. According to this plan, a class meeting once a week for a full 
 hour’s recitation would entitle the student to one hour of credit 
 
 9 
 
130 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 toward his degree; if the same class were carried through the entire 
 year, it would yield two hours’ credit. A class meeting twice a week 
 for one semester would yield two hours, one meeting three times a 
 week, three hours, etc. The total number of these semester hours 
 required for graduation would be one hundred and twenty, that is, 
 fifteen hours for each semester, thirty hours for each year, and one 
 hundred and twenty hours for the four years. 
 
 The objection may be urged that the adoption of this arrange¬ 
 ment would allow only five recitation periods per day instead of six, 
 as under the forty-five-minute plan of operation; but this objection 
 really does not hold in actual practice. The semester hour plan, by 
 allowing much greater flexibility in the length and duration of the 
 courses, removes as many conflicts as are created by the lessening of 
 the recitation periods. For instance, the system naturally develops 
 a number of two-hour courses that operate, as it were, side by side 
 with three-hour courses, the first coming on Tuesday and Thursday, 
 the latter on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 
 
 The same flexibility, in a measure, can be obtained in the academic 
 department by having the classes meet four times a week for a full 
 hour, instead of five times for forty-five minutes. There could then 
 be such an arrangement of the various studies that some would come 
 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; others on Mon¬ 
 day, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Another adjustment that 
 would be possible in the academic course, and might possibly be de¬ 
 sirable in the lower grades, would be for the academic classes to meet 
 five times a week for the full hour, and have the teacher occupy the 
 first forty-five minutes for the recitation, and then let the last fifteen 
 minutes be used in class study in the room, under the teacher’s 
 supervision. 
 
 This plan has been in operation in the Washington Missionary 
 College during the past year, and has given excellent satisfaction to 
 both teachers and students, both in the academic and in the college 
 grades. The chief advantage of the plan is that it gives the instructors 
 in the college department an opportunity to do their work unhindered 
 by the short recitation period. In any subject in which an effort is 
 made to cover the subject satisfactorily, there will be many occasions 
 when the short period seriously interferes with the efficiency of the 
 work. Five minutes or more will necessarily be spent in going and 
 coming, a little time must be given to announcing the next lesson, and 
 the chapel exercises may run overtime. So under the forty-five-minute 
 regime the teacher really gets on the average scarcely more than 
 thirty minutes for the subject of the day, and that is too short for 
 obtaining the best results. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 131 
 
 Allow me, in conclusion, to sum up briefly what it seems to me are 
 some of the chief essentials to a successful carrying on of the work 
 of the credits committee: — 
 
 1. There should be such an understanding between our various 
 schools, and such a degree of uniformity as to the amount of work 
 covered and the time spent in recitation, that students could be readily 
 classified. 
 
 2. The entrance requirements of the academy should call for the 
 completion of all subjects that properly belong in the eighth grade. 
 Especially rigid should be the inquiry into the student’s knowledge 
 of the common branches. These practical subjects which he is to 
 use all his life are really more important for him than are many of 
 the more advanced studies that are taken in the college course. 
 
 3. The amount of credit to be allowed should be determined after 
 the arrival of the student, and by the various heads of departments 
 in the school. 
 
 4. The unit of value in college work should be the semester hour, 
 for two reasons: Because it gives the needed flexibility in the length 
 of the courses; and because it provides sufficient time in the class¬ 
 room for the teacher to do thorough work. 
 
 5. The work of the credits committee and of the individual mem¬ 
 bers of the school, in looking into the character of the work for which 
 credit is requested, should be done with absolute impartiality and on 
 conservative lines. This is necessary in the interest of the pupil. 
 He will submit without murmur when he is made to understand that 
 the work of every other pupil is scrutinized with the same conscien¬ 
 tious care, and that it is all done with the one purpose in view of safe¬ 
 guarding his own best interests, and providing conditions which will 
 insure that the college will be respected and its degrees recognized as 
 standing for honest, solid work, and for such a measure of all-round 
 culture as is naturally associated with the college degree. 
 
 I believe this to be in harmony with the instruction that has been 
 given us. We have been told through the spirit of prophecy that 
 the work done in our schools should be of such a character as to at¬ 
 tract the attention of the world, not by its cheapness, but by its 
 excellence. This, moreover, is in keeping with such scriptures as, 
 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need- 
 eth not to be ashamed.” And again, “Be ye therefore perfect, even 
 as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” May God give us as 
 teachers grace and wisdom to do our work in the spirit of these texts, 
 and may our schools do their full part in preparing a people to stand 
 without spot or wrinkle before the throne of God. 
 
132 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 F. Griggs: This is certainly a very practical paper, and suggests 
 a good many points that we need to study. There is no question but 
 that the conditions existing in our schools as to the length of recitation 
 hour, and other bases of credit, do hinder our work very materially. 
 We cannot do good work until we can work on a common basis. 
 
 H. A. Washburn: This is a problem that has confronted us very 
 often. It is a situation that we are unable to help, unless there is a 
 general understanding in all our schools; and it seems to me that in 
 this Council there should be a very clear recommendation on this 
 point, so that when we find students deficient, we can report to the 
 academy from which they came in a way that will not necessarily dis¬ 
 courage the school or make them think that we are criticizing them, 
 but in a way that will make them feel that we are following out a 
 generally adopted plan, and that will stimulate them to improve 
 their work. 
 
 If there can be a plan worked out showing what to do with stu¬ 
 dents who have passed through any particular academy and have 
 received credits, and yet are found to be deficient in the branches 
 studied, it would seem that this would stimulate our academies to 
 strengthen their work. We have had changes in the faculties so fre¬ 
 quently that a well-planned work has not been done. It seems that 
 the best we can do here is to have a well-prepared recommendation 
 passed by this Council and adopted in the various councils in the 
 union conferences. 
 
 E. J. Hibbard: This college has had a forty-minute recitation pe¬ 
 riod, but we have added three weeks to our school year in order to 
 make up for it. We have our industrial work, which requires a por¬ 
 tion of the day, and to get this in with the literary work of the school, 
 we can have only forty minutes for recitation; but we have thirty- 
 nine weeks of school instead of thirty-six, and this makes up very 
 well. 
 
 J. L. Shaw: There was a point brought out in the paper in refer¬ 
 ence to the amount of time given to a subject, which we ought to con¬ 
 sider. It takes time to get to the class and get the mind to working. 
 But after you are once under motion, you can accomplish a great deal in 
 a short time. In this respect a lengthening of the class period is to 
 the advantage of the work. If you have a forty-five-minute period, 
 and yet take five minutes in getting to the class, and five more in 
 announcing the work for the next day, then it leaves you only thirty 
 to thirty-five minutes for the recitation, and part of that is consumed 
 in getting under headway. If you can add a clear ten or fifteen min- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 133 
 
 utes after you are under headway, there is a possibility of accom¬ 
 plishing much more in that fifteen minutes than you would if you 
 did not have it. It does not depend altogether on the exact amount 
 of time we spend in recitation, but on the division of that time to the 
 best advantage. The educational institutions in the country — 
 I think most of the colleges — follow our system. They have found 
 from an experience of many years that there is something in it worthy 
 of consideration by our educators,— not simply the number of minutes 
 spent in recitation, but the amount of work to be accomplished in 
 that time. 
 
 M. E. Cady: This question is perhaps as perplexing as any we have 
 to deal with, but I think it would be impossible for us to lay down 
 any hard-and-fast regulations regarding it, because we have so many 
 complex conditions to meet. Now for students of the college, the 
 one-hour period is splendid; but that the academic students should 
 have the same length of time is not necessarily true. If we try to 
 make it the same for the sake of uniformity, we shall find that it can¬ 
 not be carried out in many schools, especially in the intermediate 
 and church schools carrying perhaps nine and ten grades. Let us 
 come as near as we can to uniformity, when it comes to the question 
 of accepting the work done; that is, let the college accept the work of 
 the academy, and the academy that of the church school, so far as 
 possible. We have church schools where one teacher handles eight 
 grades, and others where there are two or three teachers. I do not 
 think we can ever harmonize that work throughout. While it is 
 important that we should have as much time as we can, yet I would 
 emphasize the matter of thorough instruction, good teachers, and 
 the equipment necessary for the work. 
 
 We ought to study this problem, and while it may be lawful, yet 
 I do not think it would be expedient, to pass any regulations that 
 would be hard and fast in the matter. I think we should have a plan, 
 and that we should follow it as nearly as we can. 
 
 In this conference are several church schools carrying ninth- and 
 tenth-grade work. If we should require them to have forty-five-min¬ 
 ute periods, we would have to add to our teaching force, and our 
 churches would simply say they could not do it. We have this stand¬ 
 ard,— that no church school shall carry ten grades of work with less 
 than three teachers, or nine grades with less than two teachers. In 
 some cases one teacher has been trying to carry ten grades; and 
 we have asked the trustees to get another teacher, and they have 
 responded. Our patrons desire good work done, and I think they 
 will go to the limit in providing teachers and equipment. 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 134 
 
 H. S. Olson: In endeavoring to solicit students for our acade¬ 
 mies, seminaries, or colleges, I have found that one of the first ques¬ 
 tions asked by students of the academies is, What credit will be al¬ 
 lowed by the college in that union? Now in the State schools, one 
 may turn to the catalogue of the university and see what credit is 
 allowed for all high schools in the State; it seems to me that we ought 
 to have a similar system, so that all might know, without taking up 
 correspondence with the college. It is difficult to come to a good 
 understanding, at least in time to let the student know before the 
 school year begins, what credit he will receive for the work done. 
 I should very much like to see something done in order to arrive at 
 a resolution, the carrying out of which would mean a good under¬ 
 standing. 
 
 HOW CAN WE STRENGTHEN OUR NORMAL 
 
 TRAINING WORK? 
 
 B. B. DAVIS 
 
 Probably no need of our normal training work at present is greater 
 than that of lighter class work for normal directors and critic-teach¬ 
 ers. If the normal director must devote a full day’s work to the 
 actual teaching and preparing of class work, how can his work be 
 progressive? How can he do enough systematic supervision in the 
 training school to be of real value to his teachers and students? How 
 can he have time to sit down quietly to study and plan, and then 
 introduce and carry out those plans? If the critic-teacher must spend 
 a full school day in actual schoolroom work, and then sandwich in 
 the methods work during the afternoon, early morning, or evening, 
 how can her tired body do any more? How can she spend a pleasant 
 hour or two in reading, aside from her prescribed work? Often the 
 pressure of her work is so great that she does not take sufficient phys¬ 
 ical exercise. Perhaps days pass and she has taken no recreation of 
 any kind. This may not be altogether the fault of the program of 
 class work. Perhaps by careful planning and conservation of time 
 she could get an hour off for a walk or some other form of diversion in 
 the open air. But if plans are carefully laid and the hour saved, 
 there is a letter that should have been written six weeks ago, there is 
 a dress to be mended, or a new garment to make, or there is some 
 Sabbath school work to do, or a song to practice for church, or — 
 and we might continue naming little things that must be done sim¬ 
 ply because the teacher is an individual, and lives in a civilized com¬ 
 munity— and they all take time, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 135 
 
 1 am not making a plea that the teacher’s work be lightened so 
 that he may hold down an “easy job.” No Christian teacher wants an 
 easy job. His heart is in the work, and he is willing to “spend and 
 be spent.” “Efficiency” is a word much in evidence at the present 
 time. “Conservation” is another. Why not, while so many things 
 of less value are being conserved, conserve the “efficiency” of our 
 teachers? Why should there be among Seventh-day Adventists so 
 many prematurely broken-down, out-of-service teachers? 
 
 Better equipment would strengthen our work. The facilities 
 which have been added during the past few years have increased the 
 efficiency of our schools manyfold. For this we are truly thankful; 
 but a greater work is before us. Sometimes it happens that we could 
 get the facilities if we had a place for them. This brings us face to 
 face with the financial problem. People do not invest their money 
 without feeling that they will get full value in return. This demands 
 more men in the conference work who know the needs of the normal 
 departments, and who will present these needs to the people in such 
 a way that they will give of their means to provide better equipment. 
 
 I believe it is right that some competent person should be allowed 
 to present the needs of this department at the camp meetings. People 
 respond liberally to calls for other needy lines of work. Why not 
 for the normal? What is nearer or dearer to parents and church 
 members generally than the lambs of the flock? 
 
 Never will our academies and colleges be well filled until a good 
 system of church schools is maintained in the churches. These are 
 the “feeders.” This means that the standard of our requirements 
 for teachers shall be raised. We cannot fill our small church schools 
 with teachers who have completed only nine or ten grades of work, 
 and expect to have our church schools recognized as a vital force in . 
 our system of education. Such teachers have been a great blessing 
 in the building up of this work, and God has been with them. But 
 now facilities have increased, and we have many qualified teachers 
 to take the places of those who need to continue their training. 
 Many of these young people should be encouraged to make a thorough 
 preparation. A few months of actual teaching has taught them 
 what they lack, and they should make strong students. By sending 
 well-qualified teachers to the different churches, the importance ol 
 the normal training work will be emphasized. If a church employs 
 an untrained teacher and she fails, and the next year employs a grad¬ 
 uate from the normal department of the college and she carries the 
 work well,— and almost all of them will,— that church will demand 
 another normal graduate when their present teacher is called to 
 another place. 
 
136 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Many churches yet feekthat as long as the young person is con¬ 
 secrated and has completed one or two grades more than the oldest 
 pupil in school, she is qualified to teach their school. The impor¬ 
 tance of having qualified teachers should be kept before our school 
 boards and parents until they sense it. This requires time and effort. 
 The conference and union conference secretaries have already done 
 much in getting the good work started. This subject should be in¬ 
 cluded in the program on Educational Sabbath. Every opportunity 
 should be used to write articles for, and to send reports of work done 
 to, the conference paper. Keep the normal work in the minds of 
 the people. In other words, advertise — and then live up to your 
 advertisement. 
 
 I believe another excellent way to make our normal training work 
 more efficient would be an exchange of teachers during summer school. 
 If a teacher has been working, let us say, at Union College during 
 the year and another teacher at Pacific Union, it would be valuable 
 both to the school and to the teacher if they exchanged places dur¬ 
 ing their respective summer schools. The new teacher would bring 
 many new ideas, and that fact in itself would draw students for sum¬ 
 mer work who would not otherwise come. It is doubtless untrue; 
 but some of our advanced normal graduates feel that they know 
 about all their alma mater has to offer along the line of methods work. 
 If a new methods teacher came for the summer term, such students 
 would want the new ideas he would be sure to bring.. The trip, the 
 new environment, the new friends, would be a wonderful inspiration 
 to the teacher, and he would go back to his own school full of new ideas 
 to put into practice. This exchange of teachers would work good in 
 other ways. Greater sympathy would exist among our teachers, be¬ 
 cause each would know more of the conditions under which the other 
 works. Having become acquainted, each would feel freer to suggest to 
 the other lines of improvement. And he could do it intelligently, 
 because he had been there and knows conditions. 
 
 Educators of the public schools say that teachers’ salaries are too 
 low. Teachers in Seventh-day Adventist schools receive not more 
 than fifty per cent of what teachers of corresponding grades in the 
 public schools receive. God forbid that any spirit of complaint 
 should escape our lips, because our school boards have done nobly, 
 and over and over again have I heard board members say, “I’m sorry 
 we are unable to pay more; but we can’t see our way clear to do 
 more this year.” But when our teachers are assured a salary large 
 enough to provide for their reasonable needs for twelve months in 
 the year, and the financial strain now resting on many of our teachers 
 is removed, there will be a marked improvement, not only in our nor- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 137 
 
 mal training departments, but also in all departments of our school 
 work. 
 
 There is nothing, perhaps, of more educational value to a teacher 
 than travel. Teachers need it, especially the teachers of children. 
 If a teacher can step before her class and say, “Today, boys and girls, 
 I want to tell you about my trip to Yellowstone Park,” or Niagara 
 Falls, or the Mammoth Cave, or the Big Trees, or any of the hun¬ 
 dreds of interesting places that people visit, that teacher has at once 
 a room full of interested children. They think she is a wonderful 
 teacher, and they will accept her word as authority on any subject, 
 because she’s been to Niagara Falls! And even older students and 
 people generally listen to a person who has traveled, and knows 
 things at first hand. If the suggestion for the interchange of teachers 
 during summer school should be carried out, this need for travel would 
 be met, in part at least. I am sure our work would be vitalized by it. 
 
 We need more college graduates who understand the underlying 
 principles of teaching. Almost all of the graduates from our colleges 
 become teachers. What different work some of them would do if 
 their attention had been definitely called to the subject of how to 
 manage a class successfully! In order to teach well, one should know 
 the subject thoroughly; but one may know that, and yet fail utterly 
 as a teacher. Not only do many of our college graduates teach after 
 they have completed their courses, but also many times upper-grade 
 college students teach ninth- and tenth-grade classes before gradua¬ 
 tion. This assists them financially in getting through school. When 
 such a student-teacher has been a successful teacher in the field and 
 has returned to the college for advanced work, there can be little if 
 any reason why he should not teach lower-grade classes in the aca¬ 
 demic department without supervision; but when such a student- 
 teacher is younger than many of those he teaches, and in addition 
 has no training aside from knowledge of the subject, the work done 
 is often unsatisfactory. So long as college students are allowed to 
 teach classes without having had any training for their work, and 
 so long as they are allowed to take degrees and teach without train¬ 
 ing, and so long as even advanced normal work receives only pari 
 college credit, our normal training will be rated by college students 
 at a discount, and that not a small one. I do not say that our pres¬ 
 ent advanced normal course should receive full college credit; but it 
 is my firm conviction that such a course can be given that our colleges 
 will be willing to accept the work for face value. The Walla Walla 
 College faculty, as well as the faculties of other schools, have been 
 working to arrange such a course of study that students having com¬ 
 pleted the advanced normal course can take two years more of college 
 
138 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 work and receive a degree. I have talked with a number of college 
 students, both men and women, and the reply in every case has been, 
 “That’s exactly what I want.” All of which strengthens my belief 
 that the time is due for such a change. 
 
 A change of this kind means that our work in methods would be 
 revised and extended to meet the new conditions. We need text¬ 
 books prepared for the work in methods. We need them very much. 
 This work would be more general and of value to those students 
 who plan to be college teachers, superintendents, and secretaries. A 
 study of the different systems of education, especially those in force 
 at the present time, would give importance to Christian education as 
 compared to worldly systems. The strictly professional study for 
 the college student would increase its importance to him, and he would 
 be more willing to wrestle with the problems that must be solved in 
 advancing the work for our children and youth. 
 
 Above all courses of study, textbooks, and methods, is the need 
 for complete consecration to God on the part of those who teach. 
 In “Counsels to Teachers,” page 250, we read, “Those who present 
 matters to the students in an uncertain light are not fitted for the 
 work of teaching.” Every fiber of our being must be given to the 
 work of Christian education. We must be so “saturated” and “run¬ 
 ning over” with the love of teaching that no student can be associ¬ 
 ated with us and go away unfitted. Our lives must be our profession. 
 When the two disciples of Emmaus recognized the risen Christ, they 
 exclaimed, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with 
 us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?” When 
 we get so close to Jesus that our hearts “burn within us” for his chil¬ 
 dren, both small and large, we shall, with God’s help, be able to im¬ 
 part this love of souls to our students. They will work with greater 
 diligence, and thus will come into our normal work greater power and 
 efficiency than we have yet known. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 Myrta M. Kellogg: To help the work along in our own union, 
 
 I find it a good plan to attend the institutes which are held. In all 
 our conferences teachers’ institutes were held this year, and I attended 
 as many as‘I could. I felt that it was helpful to become acquainted 
 with the teachers and to hear the problems of the field discussed, 
 and also to become acquainted with the students in the academies 
 where the institutes were held. Many of these students were look¬ 
 ing forward to teaching, and of course to entering the normal 
 department. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 130 
 
 In connection with this is the work of correspondence. This 
 takes much time, but it seems to me that there are good results from 
 it. It gives a chance not only to work with the prospective students 
 of the department, but also with the old students, for they like to 
 write to the home school for suggestions and help in perplexing ques¬ 
 tions. This we have tried to do in our department, but are limited by 
 time and expense. 
 
 The point of careful supervision is one that seems to me important, 
 not only trying to direct the child in the training school, which is 
 the most important thing, but also watching the teacher. I had 
 thought to express in another way the value to the teacher of super¬ 
 vision and direction. I think it impossible to direct the student- 
 teacher so well that when he goes out he knows almost everything to 
 be done. We have tried to make the teacher feel that he must use his 
 own initiative, that he must grow. I remember hearing a leading 
 educator say at a State teachers’ institute that normal-trained teach¬ 
 ers were the most unprogressive of any with whom he had come in 
 contact. The reason was, they knew it all. They never needed to 
 go to teachers’ institutes. He could not get them to take an edu¬ 
 cational journal; and so far as the reading course was concerned, it 
 was almost useless to mention it to them, because they knew all that 
 was in those books. All they had to do was to read over their old 
 notebooks. 
 
 We were all very glad when Professor Griggs spoke of the idea of 
 college credits in his first address, and we hope that something will 
 be done. It seems to me there are several points of advantage, one 
 being to help the college graduate as he goes out to teach, by giving 
 him some instruction which will aid him in his work. It is often said 
 that the very best teaching done in any system of schools, that is, 
 the most professional or the most scientific, is that done in the primary 
 department, and the poorest work is that done in the college. Per¬ 
 haps this is not always true, but it is so often true that it shows that 
 the college graduate who goes out to teach in a college ought also to 
 have some special training. 
 
 Perhaps we have all had the experience of sitting at the feet of 
 some learned man who had more initials after his name than before 
 it, yet who was not able to teach us very much, because he did not have 
 a scientific manner of presenting the subject. Many students in 
 our schools wish to take normal training because they expect to teach, 
 but they come to me and ask, “If I take it, can I have credit for it on 
 the college course?” I say, “No.” “Well, I cannot afford to spend 
 the time; I must hurry and get through.” Last year we had a young 
 woman who took just a little work in the normal department. She did 
 
140 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 not do very good work, but I hope she received some help. In Sep¬ 
 tember she came back and said, “I find I cannot get credit for the 
 work I took in the normal department, so I will take the college work.” 
 Of course she will come out expecting to have a position somewhere. 
 I hope she will do well, but I am afraid she will not. 
 
 Some say, “What is the use of taking the normal work? It is 
 not worth very much.” Of course it is not. If it were, it would be 
 accepted on a college course. Again I turn it this way: If it is not 
 worth so much as sortie of the studies in the college course that are 
 accepted,— studies which the spirit of prophecy has told us should 
 be taken by very few,— why not drop the normal course? 
 
 I think that in every way the normal course can be strengthened 
 by this recognition. The normal department has been run in nearly 
 all our schools with but few students. It has not been a help to the 
 schools in the union that it should be. I do not know what the ex¬ 
 pense of running it is; I have never dared to ask how much is on the 
 wrong side of the account. This year we had only about forty stu¬ 
 dents, and from what I can learn none of the schools average more 
 than that. 
 
 Then another point: Students sometimes ask, “Has Mr. So-and-so 
 had a normal training?” We answer, “No.” The answer comes, 
 “Well, I thought he hadn’t.” If he happened to be a student-teacher, 
 perhaps a senior in the college course, he might have been in financial 
 need, and been given a chance to teach in some of the lower grades. 
 If his work did not come up in every respect to the standards of the 
 normal department, the students said, “I do not see that it is very 
 important for me to take normal work, for I am only going to teach a 
 church school anyway.” 
 
 Another thing which has taken a great deal of time, and which 
 is being promoted, will, I think, prove a source of strength, and that 
 is the matter of adapting our work. We appreciate the textbooks 
 that have been prepared. They are a great help to us, making our 
 work less difficult, and giving us more time. I was very glad to hear 
 the remarks concerning the textbook question this morning. 
 
 The lack of a library has also been a hindrance to us, because we 
 have so very few books. Some of the normal departments, perhaps, 
 have more than we have, but we are buying more good books each 
 year, and we find them a great advantage. 
 
 One thing that has been quite a help to our department is the train¬ 
 ing received during the summer school. We have given our students 
 who were ready an opportunity to teach in the summer school, for 
 observation, and to get some of their work there; but thus far no one 
 has had — I was going to say sand — enough to try it. Our training- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 141 
 
 school teacher, however, has carried this work on for three or four 
 years, and every superintendent in the field has remarked about the 
 advantage it was to beginning teachers. Those who take primary 
 work are required to observe the work in the training school. We 
 have not had all the grades, but one or two subjects in each grade, 
 and a diversified program. 
 
 On the spiritual side, we have had in connection with our critic 
 meetings each week a prayer meeting, where we have received rich 
 blessings, and where we have discussed the needs of the work for chil¬ 
 dren. I think the teachers have all felt that they have been a source 
 of real blessing. 
 
 One other thing we have done was to organize prayer circles at 
 the close of the school. Cards were given to the teachers to take 
 home. On these cards were arranged the names of the teachers, one 
 for each day of the week; and on that day, that teacher knew that the 
 other members of the prayer circle would remember him in their 
 prayers. This I am sure has been a source of strength. We all felt 
 that on this day a great many were united in prayer for us. 
 
 B. B. Davis: May I add just one more word regarding the relation 
 between the normal school and the field? I have a feeling that the 
 training department of the college should be the headquarters for 
 every teacher in the field, and so far as my work has allowed me to 
 do, I have tried to get into correspondence with teachers in the field. 
 I wish 1 had more time to do this line of work. I believe it 
 would be a means of improving the work. 
 
 F. Griggs: That emphasizes the importance of allowing the di¬ 
 rector time to visit schools in operation. I think it would be a great 
 strengthening of this department if our directors could get away 
 from their work for a little time, and visit church schools in opera¬ 
 tion, as well as other schools. This would bring back into the school 
 a practical element that is missed when the director sits within four 
 walls all the time. I think this is a point to which the heads of our 
 schools should give attention. 
 
 C. A. Russell: I want to call attention to a statement made by 
 Miss Kellogg, in regard to how much the work of the normal director 
 is appreciated in the Lake Union Conference. She has held a teach¬ 
 ers’ institute in every conference annually, and it has been the privi¬ 
 lege of the normal director to attend several of these institutes each 
 year. These institutes have been a great source of help to our teach¬ 
 ers, and have tended to unify the field and the department, and have 
 undoubtedly been the means of encouraging other young people to 
 come to the normal. 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 142 
 
 In my room I have a letter from the principal of the Ypsilanti 
 State Normal in Michigan, in which he states that their graduates 
 have no difficulty whatever in completing the university course iu 
 two years. I think we ought to adjust our work in a similar way. 
 
 Katherine Hale: I have learned this spring that the same recog¬ 
 nition is given in our State. The registrar at San Jose says that 
 their students are recognized at the University of California, and also 
 at Stanford. 
 
 I think the matter of libraries for our normal department is an 
 item that will strengthen the work very much. It seems to me too 
 bad to have so few books along professional lines in our school library. 
 Of course it is different in some of our schools. I have been in schools 
 where we had to supply our own libraries from our personal funds, 
 in order to have anything at all. We ought to have a few hundred 
 dollars put into the equipment of a normal library. So much should 
 be done in research work. We cannot expect students to buy all the 
 books needed, so I would like to make a special plea for a library 
 equipment for the normal. 
 
 M. P. Robison: I find it very difficult to be a nornal director, 
 teach all the subjects in the department, and do any directing besides. 
 I really feel that it is a very important lapse. If we would strengthen 
 our work, we should look toward lightening the work of the normal 
 director, so that more attention can be given to that line of work. 
 
 F. Griggs: I referred, in what I said, not simply to the visiting of 
 your own private schools, but to getting out into the field, going into 
 other conferences, becoming acquainted with the conditions that 
 prevail. I think that would go a long ways toward making the nor¬ 
 mal work practical, and connecting it with the field. 
 
 STRENGTHENING OUR SUMMER SCHOOLS 
 
 MILTON P. ROBISON 
 
 First let us ask the question, ‘‘Why should a summer school 
 exist?” There are several important reasons for establishing sum¬ 
 mer schools: — 
 
 i. There are in every body of students those who are anxious to 
 complete their school work as early as possible, and who are not com¬ 
 pelled by circumstances to spend the summer earning means to pay 
 their next year’s expenses, or who can do so in part of the vacation 
 period. The summer school makes it possible for such to finish their 
 college course at least one year sooner, if they have attended reg¬ 
 ularly. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 143 
 
 2. There are often those who, because of illness or for other rea¬ 
 sons, fail to complete certains subjects successfully during the school 
 year, and thus they fall behind in their work. To these the summer 
 school offers an opportunity to redeem time and continue their work. 
 
 3. Then there are those who have left school on graduating from 
 some course, or perhaps before, and have engaged in some line of 
 work, especially teaching; and who wish during a short period in the 
 summer, to take more work. It makes no difference how much pre¬ 
 vious training has been acquired, nor in what grades the teaching has 
 been done, the teacher as a rule feels a desire to take more professional 
 or academic work, and he turns to the summer school. 
 
 Each of these classes named has had its part in creating a demand 
 for a summer school, but the last — the teacher — is by far the best 
 patron of the summer school. In fact, I feel safe in saying that if 
 the teacher attendance should be taken away, the summer school 
 would almost cease to exist. 
 
 In the development of the public and parochial school systems of 
 the United States, superintendents and other leaders have seen the 
 value of summer school work for teachers, and have conducted in¬ 
 stitutes and summer schools of various kinds and lengths, and at¬ 
 tendance on the part of teachers under their jurisdiction has in many 
 cases been made compulsory. These schools vary from the short 
 institute of a few days, during which lectures are delivered and at the 
 close of which examinations for certificates are conducted, to four or 
 six weeks or even eight weeks, in which definite instruction is given 
 from day to day in regular class exercises. These longer institutes 
 have gradually taken on a permanent form, and have come to be our 
 summer schools. 
 
 Where the school work is in a pioneer period and the demands for 
 teachers must be filled, persons have necessarily been employed who 
 have had comparatively little preparation for their work. 
 
 One of the first needs of a teacher is professional training and a 
 knowledge of the common branches, so our institutes at first gave their 
 whole attention to these. 
 
 Soon it was evident that for those who had received a normal 
 training, or had come from summer to summer to the institutes, more 
 advanced work was needed, and so academic and advanced normal 
 subjects were offered. The members of the college and training school 
 faculties were needed to give this instruction, and the training school is 
 as a rule the best place to conduct the work. 
 
 Several very successful attempts have been made to hold summer 
 sessions in places other than our schools, but it has been with con¬ 
 siderable difficulty that proper equipment could be provided, and 
 in some cases insufficient supplies and materials have hindered. 
 
144 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 As we look back over the advance of our school work, I think all 
 will agree that these summer gatherings for our teachers have been 
 one of the greatest factors in raising the standards and training our 
 teachers for greater efficiency. 
 
 Until recently these institutes and summer schools have been 
 conducted by the local or union conferences, either through the su¬ 
 perintendent or the secretary. We all feel grateful, I am sure, for 
 the permanency and stability of the work, as well as the high stand¬ 
 ard of work that is made possible by having the summer school con¬ 
 nected with our colleges and training schools. 
 
 I have been impressed, however, that in making the change, we 
 have allowed a very necessary part of the summer school to be lost, 
 or at least to be given less attention than it should receive. I refer 
 to the influence from the field as exerted by the superintendents and 
 secretaries by their presence and participation in the class work and 
 the conduct of the summer school work. It is not necessary that 
 these persons should feel so completely relieved of the responsibility 
 to their teachers that they should depend so fully on the college fac¬ 
 ulties to do the work. Since the summer schools are so largely for 
 teachers, a strong influence from the field will greatly strengthen the 
 work, and the members of the school faculty will welcome it. This 
 summer, as the teachers came in to our summer school, I was there 
 to help them register, and both the teachers and I felt the need of 
 the superintendents to help them classify in the best way. 
 
 I would also suggest that our summer schools could be strengthened 
 by making provision for real conference or round-table periods. Not 
 only should the program provide for such a period, but use it and use 
 it regularly. 
 
 For several years I have heard at every summer school I have 
 attended, many requests for an opportunity to hear discussions by 
 fellow teachers of experience. 
 
 The eight weeks’ term greatly strengthens the work. 
 
 So also does the planning of the work so that the students will not 
 attempt too heavy work. Many times this has not been done, and 
 poor work has resulted, and in many cases broken health. 
 
 Another item of strength I might be bold enough to suggest is that 
 the time of the summer school should not be broken into by conven¬ 
 tions and meetings that will take the time of instructors and stu¬ 
 dents, and thus hinder the work. 
 
 I wish to say in closing that our summer schools have done and are 
 doing a good work, and that each year they are becoming stronger 
 and are better attended. 
 
r 
 
 COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 145 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 O. J. Graf: Quite a little has been said, not only in this paper, 
 but yesterday and day before, with respect to the college’s appro¬ 
 priating the summer school. I suppose there is some truth in this, 
 yet on the other hand, I believe that we took a step in the right direction 
 when we decided to make our summer schools permanent and hold 
 them at the colleges. I believe it lends solidity and efficiency to have 
 the summer school conducted in connection with the college. There 
 is the equipment and everything that is needed to run a school. Then, 
 of course, there are the college teachers. 
 
 We have from fifteen to twenty teachers, I believe, on our summer 
 school faculty. Our plan is to ask each conference to furnish either 
 one teacher or fifty dollars. Of course it is easier for them to fur¬ 
 nish fifty dollars than to furnish the teacher, because the teacher 
 costs more than that for six weeks. We find that about half of the 
 conferences send teachers. We ask some to send the fifty dollars in¬ 
 stead, for obvious reasons. 
 
 The president of the union, the president of the college, and the 
 educational secretary meet early and decide who are wanted for the 
 summer school. We generally have two or three workers from the 
 field, and they are a great help. They give us the field viewpoint. 
 
 I believe, as Brother Robison has said, we must remember that 
 this school is being conducted for the teachers, yet we give credit for 
 the work done there, and hence we do not want to accept a teacher 
 who is not going to make good. We want one who will do work that 
 we can accept in our college course. 
 
 With respect to the character of the work, we are settling down 
 on the school basis, rather than on the institute basis. But we must 
 not lose sight of the fact that the institute work should be done. In 
 the Lake Union we are conducting about a week’s institute in each 
 conference each winter. 
 
 This year we are looking forward to a new departure, in fact we 
 have advertised it in our summer school announcement,— that every 
 afternoon at 5: 00 o’clock, every teacher who expects a certificate must 
 be present for an hour at a round-table discussion. We will have a 
 question-box, and other things that will make the work very practical. 
 
 Three years ago we ventured out on another new departure which 
 has proved very beneficial. We are conducting a model school during 
 the summer. We keep our model school teacher, and conduct about 
 three or four grades. Our summer school students who are taking 
 methods — and practically all of them take it — go over there and 
 observe. In some cases they may have the privilege of doing some 
 practical teaching. 
 
 10 
 
146 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY'VOLUNTEER 
 
 I should like to have a little discussion on the question of a summer 
 school covering more than six weeks. It seems to me that after nine 
 months of hard work, eight weeks is quite lengthy. It runs into the 
 camp meetings at both ends, and we are wondering, if semesters are 
 adopted instead of terms, how we are going to work this in. Now 
 we make the six weeks’ summer school equal to twelve weeks; but 
 just how we are going to work the eight-week or nine-week proposi¬ 
 tion, we do not know. I wish some of these brethren who are con¬ 
 ducting summer schools on the eight-week plan would enlighten us. 
 
 H. A. Morrison: On this question of the semester basis, I might 
 say that it is ordinarily true that in outside institutions, where they 
 conduct a summer school, they make it a little more strenuous than 
 the ordinary school work, and the credit that is given perhaps stretches 
 the time a little. There is this fact, that in a summer school of eight 
 weeks we do not have as much lost time as we do through a full school 
 year. That is, we are not delayed by various vacations, as we are 
 through the year. 
 
 We are carrying our work so that eight weeks cover a semester’s 
 work. That is the basis, and we give college credits on that basis. 
 Everything is done on the hour basis, instead of the forty-five-minute 
 basis. During the school year we conduct forty-five-minute recita¬ 
 tions, but during the summer school we conduct one-hour recitations. 
 On the point of recitations, it fully makes up for the lack of that one 
 week. I am fully in favor of the eight-week plan. If we had six 
 weeks, what could we do with our credits on the semester plan? 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: Do you conduct one or two sessions? 
 
 H. A. Morrison: We have two sessions for the full-year credit, 
 and only one session for the semester credit. 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: I think, in the matter of hours, it figures out 
 practically all right. We have nine months, twenty days to the 
 month, which makes 180 days; counting two hours a day, this makes 
 360 hours’ work for the year. We have forty days in the summer 
 school of eight weeks, and counting nine hours a day makes 360 hours, 
 the same as for the year. We do exactly as Professor Morrison says. 
 If it is a semester subject, we have one one-hour recitation, and if it 
 is a year subject, we have two one-hour recitations. This means 
 the students must do nine hours of solid work if they get through. 
 If they want to do a little better, they can, but that is about all a per¬ 
 son wants to do in the summer months. 
 
 J. H. Paap: Would it not be possible for a student beginning the 
 academic work, by taking summer school work and taking advan¬ 
 tage of some other opportunities, to get his college degree in six years, 
 by substituting his music work and two years of normal work? 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 147 
 
 F. Griggs: The chair would suggest that it would so appear. Of 
 course there are many schools that will allow four years’ work in 
 three years by taking the summer school, that is, college work. 
 
 O. J. Graf: I find that in eight weeks of summer school, one hour 
 a day, we have forty hours of recitation; while in a semester of eighteen 
 weeks, with forty-five-minute recitations, we have sixty-seven and one- 
 half hours. That leaves quite a difference. 
 
 F. Griggs: Will the teacher on mathematics explain this problem? 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: I do not know w r hether it checks up exactly with 
 the same proportion of recitation that it does the other way. It 
 means 360 hours of work, though it cannot be divided in the same way. 
 
 M. E. Cady: I do not think I understand the plan carried out at 
 Union College. Did I understand Professor Morrison correctly, that 
 in eight weeks you do a half year’s work? 
 
 H. A. Morrison: No. In the majority of cases the student takes 
 two subjects and has half a year’s credit in each subject, or a credit 
 for the whole year in one subject. It is one fourth of a school year. 
 
 M. E. Cady: We do the same here, only we spend six weeks in¬ 
 stead of eight. 
 
 F. Griggs: And you have a thirty-nine w r eeks’ term also. 
 
 M. E. Cady: I should like to know if that is not usually done at 
 summer schools. I remember attending a summer school at the 
 University of Nebraska, and completing a year’s work in six weeks, 
 two hours a day. At the State university they do that right along, 
 summer after summer. You can take chemistry or physics, labora¬ 
 tory work and all. Now we are certainly not exceeding what is done 
 in other places. 
 
 H. A. Morrison: I think most of the universities in our section 
 do give a year’s credit in this six weeks’ course, but they are three- 
 hour courses. The University of Nebraska is now carrying eight 
 weeks, and gives nine hours’ credit. The University of Minnesota 
 carries six weeks, and gives corresponding credit. 
 
 N. W. Lawrence: The question of attendance was raised bv 
 Brother Graf. We have this plan in the North Pacific Union, that all 
 the graded elementary school-teachers are expected to be in the sum¬ 
 mer school. Their expenses, transportation, and board are met by 
 the conference. We are also adding this suggestion, that they send 
 two or three extra teachers, in case there should be a shortage when 
 they come to fill up in the fall. In this way we have practically all 
 the teachers in the union. 
 
 O. J. Graf: I wish you would ask the different unions just what 
 they do for their teachers financially. 
 
148 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 N. W. Lawrence: The local conference pays the transportation 
 from the teacher’s home to the summer school, and to the school she 
 teaches in the fall. It pays board to the amount of $2 per week. 
 The tuition is free, but the teacher is expected to pay for her own 
 room and incidentals. 
 
 C. L. Stone: It is about the same in our union, only I think the 
 college will provide the room rent, and the conference provides for 
 the board and transportation. There is no tuition. 
 
 C. A. Russell: Is there any work required of these teachers? 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: One hour a day. 
 
 C. L. Stone: In most cases I think two hours is required. 
 
 M. E. Cady: Here the conference pays the transportation, and 
 board to the amount of $2 per week. Last year they charged a 
 tuition of $10. This year, instead of charging tuition, the teach¬ 
 ers pay their own board. They worked one hour a day last year; 
 this year they are to work two hours a day. Last year we were ex¬ 
 perimenting. We really believe that the best plan is to charge tui¬ 
 tion, and give them free board. This year we have given them free 
 tuition and free lodging, and they pay their board. 
 
 C. A. Russell: In the Lake Union it is the custom for the local 
 conference to give free transportation to the teachers to and from the 
 summer school. The college charges no tuition and no room rent, 
 but we require two hours’ work a day. The teacher pays her own 
 board. 
 
 O. J. Graf: The school gets the two hours’ work a day for the room. 
 The conference pays the transportation. 
 
 W. L. Adams: Our conference has done more in the past than it 
 will do in the future. Last year it paid the transportation of the 
 teachers to and from the school, paid their board, and gave them 
 $2 a week extra, or $5.50 a week, and they paid their own board out 
 of it. But the conference will not be able to do it this year. 
 
 B. F. Machlan: In the Atlantic Union last year the conference 
 paid the transportation and gave free tuition. The teachers found 
 their own board and room. 
 
 H. A. Morrison: The Central Union Conference pays the trans¬ 
 portation both ways. It pays all the expenses of the school,— board, 
 room, and tuition,— except one dollar a week, which the teacher 
 pays, and he works one hour a day. The Northern Union does the 
 same as the Central Union. 
 
 W. L. Adams: It seems to me it would be a good thing if we could 
 harmonize all these different plans. 
 
HOW TO DEVELOP EFFICIENT 
 SUPERINTENDENTS 
 
 W. E. HOWELL 
 
 How can we develop more and better educational superintend¬ 
 ents? 
 
 A helpful answer to this question demands two things,— an in¬ 
 quiry into the duties of the superintendent, and a study of the best 
 means of qualifying for this very important office. In general we 
 may truthfully say that he that desireth the office of superintendent 
 desireth a good thing; but this would not be saying enough if we did 
 not add that whoso desireth thoroughly to qualify for the duties of 
 this office before accepting its responsibilities, desireth a better thing. 
 
 If there has been one chief weakness in the work of superintending 
 our elementary schools, it has grown out of the fact that the office 
 has too often been imposed upon persons who have had little concep¬ 
 tion of what its duties involve, and less preparation to discharge those 
 duties satisfactorily. When this has not been the case, just as great 
 weakness has resulted from superimposing the duties of this office 
 upon those holding one or two or three other offices. Manifestly a 
 man whose first office is to preach the word from the public desk, can¬ 
 not easily approach efficiency as a superintendent if he does justice 
 to his preaching; yet out of sixty-two reported as superintendents, 
 eighteen, or more than one fourth, are regular preachers, and seven 
 of the eighteen are conference presidents. Manifestly, too, the at¬ 
 tempts to fill several offices well must result in weakness characteristic 
 of energy and time too much divided; yet forty out of sixty-two 
 superintendents are also young people’s secretaries, fifteen of the 
 forty are Sabbath school secretaries in addition, and one holds four 
 offices. 
 
 These statistical facts point to one of several conclusions: that in 
 more than one fourth of our conferences the superintendent has a 
 vague conception of what his duties involve; or he has an overween¬ 
 ing confidence in his ability to do two or three men’s work; or he is 
 compromising his time and energy under protest; or else nothing is 
 doing in church-school work except what crops out spontaneously. A 
 situation that justifies any one of these conclusions leaves the status 
 of our superintendent’s work in a deplorable condition. We cannot 
 grow as long as we violate the laws of growth. 
 
 With this general situation before us, let us revert to the first 
 demand in answer to the question raised at the beginning; viz., an 
 inquiry into the duties of the superintendent. Possibly such an in¬ 
 quiry may remove the mist obscuring the responsibilities of the office. 
 
 149 
 
150 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The first duty of the superintendent is to superintend, his second 
 duty is to superintend, and his third duty is to superintend. I beg 
 your pardon, but this is not a meaningless repetition of terms, for the 
 superintendent’s work, as I conceive it, falls into three general lines. 
 
 In order to superintend, he must have something to superintend. 
 In order to make brick, he must gather his own straw. We may 
 represent the children of our churches as the raw material, the mortar, 
 if you please, while school facilities for their education may rep¬ 
 resent the straw. Let no man or woman who accepts the office of 
 superintendent think for a moment that his sole work is to foster the 
 schools he finds already in existence. No, not less than one third of 
 his time should be spent in working the virgin soil of our church mem¬ 
 bership in gathering straw to make new brick. One half or more of 
 our children have no access to a Christian school. Our superintend¬ 
 ents constitute the largest body of educational officers in our organ¬ 
 ization. It is the body, too, which stands closest to the rank and file 
 of our lay membership. It is upon these that we must depend as our 
 advance guard in educating public sentiment on the inadequacy of 
 the secular school to meet the needs of our young people and the needs 
 of our denominational work, and in creating an appetite for Christian 
 education that cannot be appeased until facilities are forthcoming to 
 give our children the attention they richly deserve. 
 
 The second main line of the superintendent’s effort is to supervise 
 the operation of schools in all their aspects. This implies: (i) visiting 
 each school not less than once a quarter throughout the calendar year; 
 (2) the constant study of school administration, of books and material 
 used, and of methods employed in teaching, with a view to progres¬ 
 sive improvement; (3) the keeping of the schools and teachers up to 
 the standards and plans adopted by our general organization. 
 
 The third general line of effort in the superintendent’s office is to 
 follow up diligently the interests of pupils who have completed the 
 elementary work, or who for any reason have dropped out of school 
 before the eight grades were finished. This implies earnest effort 
 to place certificated pupils in the intermediate school or academy, in 
 the correspondence school, or in the way of earning means for further 
 education. This part of his work is briefly told, but comprehends much. 
 
 A fourth line of work is opening up, which is closely related to 
 the other three — the home school. This is both preparatory for and 
 supplementary to the church school, and is so intimately bound up 
 with the welfare of our homes that it deserves careful study and de¬ 
 velopment by our superintendents. It is just as distinctly pointed 
 out by the spirit of prophecy as any other line of educational effort, 
 and should command our serious consideration. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 151 
 
 With this general survey of the superintendent’s work, we may 
 turn our attention to the main objective of this paper; viz., how to 
 qualify for the discharge of these important responsibilities. The 
 question is a big one, the answer is still bigger. From what is said 
 above I hope it has been made plain that in a conference of average 
 size the work of school superintendence is worthy the full time and 
 strength of one person. Its scope extends from the kindergarten age 
 to the completion of the eighth grade, and in some cases of the ninth 
 and tenth. The superintendent must break up new ground, must 
 cultivate the growing crop, must take care of the harvested product. 
 With work of such scope and of such nature, he must be allowed 
 to give it his entire attention if he is to have the ghost of a chance at 
 real success. This is the first step toward the efficiency we are seeking. 
 
 The way was opened for taking this step by the action of our 
 autumn council nearly two years ago, recommending that in confer¬ 
 ences with a membership of fifteen hundred or more the superintend¬ 
 ent give his full time to school work. Out of nineteen conferences 
 ranging from fifteen hundred to more than twenty-seven hundred 
 members each, only four now meet this standard; viz., Minnesota, 
 Oklahoma, Western Oregon, Southern California, having a teaching 
 force of sixteen, twenty-one, twenty-two, and thirty-eight respec¬ 
 tively. There is therefore opportunity in fifteen conferences to raise 
 the superintendent’s efficiency on this one important point. 
 
 This, however, is not the only nor the most important factor in 
 efficiency. Placing the superintendent on full time merely creates a 
 condition favorable to its development. There are two principles in 
 administration that should be brought to bear in order to assure 
 efficient service. One is that when an office is to be filled, careful 
 inquiry should be made into the qualifications required to fill the office 
 acceptably. If the appointing body is not in possession of such in¬ 
 formation, the advice of an expert should be sought. The second 
 principle is that when a person is invited to take an office, he should 
 make careful inquiry into the demands and responsibilities of that 
 office before rather than after he accepts it. This is only good business, 
 and superintending church-school work is exceedingly serious business. 
 
 What are the qualifications required for efficient superintend¬ 
 ence? Only the leading ones need be mentioned here: — 
 
 1. Successful experience in teaching church school from five to 
 fifteen years. 
 
 2. Tact in dealing with teachers, boards, and school patrons. 
 
 3. Ability to see ahead, to plan ahead, and to execute on time. 
 
 4. A keen sense of order, neatness, taste, and cleanliness. 
 
 5. Proficiency in financial management. 
 
152 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 6. A spirit of ready and faithful cooperation with the plans of the 
 general organization. 
 
 7. A heavenly vision of the nature and aims of Christian education, 
 and life consecration to the true ends to be gained in elementary work. 
 
 How may these qualifications be obtained? Answer: By com¬ 
 pleting the normal course; by extending this education through the 
 college course if possible, either before or after beginning to teach; 
 by teaching church school in the spirit and enthusiasm of a life work; 
 by being progressive and wide-awake in method and material gath¬ 
 ered from every good source, especially from the spirit of prophecy 
 broadly interpreted; by visiting good schools and conferring much with 
 successful educators; by leaning hard upon God; by cultivating the 
 missionary spirit; and by utter abandon to the sacred and noble 
 cause of child education. 
 
 On the negative side of this question it may be said that no one 
 should be appointed to the office of superintendent merely because he 
 is somebody’s relative, or because the office ought to be represented 
 on the conference stationery and in the Year Book, or to provide for 
 some one who needs support, or because it would cost less than to 
 bring some one from a distance, or merely because the one proposed 
 is a “good” man or woman. 
 
 As a concluding thought let it be remarked that if the suggestions 
 made herein are carried out, it will result in placing in office persons 
 worthy to be retained there long enough to have time to develop 
 efficiency. There has crept into the ranks such a practice of changing 
 about that it is no uncommon thing to hear the remark that So-and-so 
 has been in this position for several years, isn’t it about time we had 
 a change? Even the incumbent himself frequently has no higher 
 conception of the seriousness of his work than to be ready for a 
 change for the sake of change. If the office could be accepted with 
 the feeling that decided success must be had at any sacrifice of personal 
 inclinations and regardless of the difficulties encountered, a propo¬ 
 sition to make a change would be taken as seriously as a proposal 
 of marriage. 
 
 When we consider the long terms of service rendered by many 
 city and State superintendents of high repute in the secular schools, 
 and when we consider the sacred, serious, far-reaching work to be 
 done in the prosecution of our campaign for Christian school privileges 
 for every Seventh-day Adventist boy and girl in our ranks, the con¬ 
 clusion is pressed upon us that our conception of the superintendent’s 
 work is in need of broadening and elevating, and that when once the 
 qualifications for this sacred office are attained, an extended tenure 
 of position is indispensable to substantial growth in efficiency. 
 
HOW TO MAKE OUR EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZA¬ 
 TION MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE FIELD 
 
 FREDERICK GRIGGS 
 
 Our educational organization has three large divisions,— four if 
 you count the General Conference as one division,— the North Amer¬ 
 ican Division Conference, the union conferences, and the local con¬ 
 ferences. The real working end of the department in the way of ef¬ 
 fectiveness and efficiency must find itself in the local conference. All 
 that the General Conference Educational Department can do is to 
 recommend, and nearly all that the union secretary can do is to recom¬ 
 mend. It rests with the local conference to carry out these recom¬ 
 mendations. We meet here and make certain recommendations. 
 We try to put them in workable shape; but when it comes right down 
 to the last analysis, it is the local superintendent and the local teacher 
 that must make our recommendations effective. We can advise, we 
 can help, we can plead, we can warn, we can wrestle; but, as in an 
 army, it is the corporal that moves the army, after all. 
 
 It seems to me that to make our work effective we must greatly 
 strengthen the local management. In the majority of cases our su¬ 
 perintendents are loaded down with an immense amount of work 
 besides that of superintending. There are not many persons con¬ 
 nected with our department who approach their work as Miss Gar¬ 
 rett has outlined. We were all interested in her paper the other 
 day, “ Magnifying the Office of the Superintendent.” The plans 
 which she suggested were right, and they must be carried out as far 
 as possible by every local superintendent, no matter what his work 
 may be, if his superintendency is effective. But the difficulty lies 
 in the possibility of his not being able to carry out these plans. I 
 think that the Council should express itself in resolution at the proper 
 time upon the importance of giving the superintendents time to do 
 their work. 
 
 Here in California, it has been arranged so that Miss Peck is super¬ 
 intendent in two neighboring conferences, instead of being superin¬ 
 tendent of education and secretary of the young people’s work in one 
 conference. That makes her work more efficient, because her inter¬ 
 ests are not divided. She is able to bring to every school and every 
 church that she visits, a power that she could not if her efforts were 
 divided. I grant you that it costs a little more than if she were young 
 people’s secretary also. She would perhaps not make so many vis¬ 
 its, not do quite so much traveling. But if there be any difference 
 in the cost of this arrangement, it is inappreciable. 
 
 153 
 
154 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 We must have this personal work with our teachers. The super¬ 
 intendent must go into every church where there is no school, and 
 create an interest. He must do some of the work in the church that 
 Professor Kern did while visiting a certain church in order to get stu¬ 
 dents for Union College,— sit down with the parents and talk with 
 them with reference to the importance of educating their children 
 in our schools. Then perhaps he can help them to raise the money, 
 and help to find a building in which the school can be established. 
 All this takes considerable time when a church has little interest, and 
 thinks it cannot conduct a church school; but the result is the salva¬ 
 tion of the children there. It is a good way in which to spend time 
 and money. 
 
 In some union conferences the time of the educational secretary is 
 taken up with other duties. He may be the principal of the school, 
 and that is not simply one duty, but more than one. He is tied to 
 the school and cannot do the work. 
 
 For a number of years I experienced this. At one time, while 
 principal of South Lancaster Academy, besides teaching three classes, 
 I held the following positions: secretary of the General Conference 
 Educational Department; secretary of the union conference educa¬ 
 tional department; and a member of various committees. I was on 
 the local conference committee, and was expected to keep up the 
 interest of the church-school work in that union conference. We 
 had no superintendents to speak of then. This, of course, is an exag¬ 
 gerated case, but one which I think exists somewhat in the Atlantic 
 union today. It is impossible to carry on successful work in this way. 
 The work cannot be developed under such conditions. 
 
 The facts in the case are, that the sections of the country where 
 the secretary and the superintendents are loaded down with other 
 work, do not have church schools. In other portions of the country, 
 where the officers have an opportunity to get into the field and do 
 this personal work, they have church schools. There is no reason 
 why there should not be just as many schools in the eastern as in 
 the central or western sections, aside from the fact that we do not 
 give men time enough to develop and maintain this interest. To 
 give them this time is one of the ways in which we may bring about 
 an efficient and effective organization. 
 
 Our organization has always differed from that of the Missionary 
 Volunteer Society in the work of the union secretary. Our union 
 secretary has been one upon whom the responsibility of his territory 
 has rested. We have not attempted to have a general department 
 secretary for the purpose of carrying on work with the local confer¬ 
 ences. That is not saying that we do not write to the local confer- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 155 
 
 ences; we do carry on a constant correspondence to keep ourselves 
 informed; but at the same time we do not attempt the separation of 
 this work as the union conference does. And I think the suggestion 
 made by Professor Kern for the work of the Young People’s Depart¬ 
 ment, in laying responsibilities upon the union conference secretaries, 
 will be very helpful in the development of that work. 
 
 To make our organization more effective we must begin a campaign 
 of publicity. And I think we ought to begin it along this line in which 
 we are weak,— that of securing efficient superintendents and secre¬ 
 taries in local and union conferences. It is a poor way of spending 
 money to neglect the children that we have within our reach. 
 
 I was very much impressed this morning by the way Elder Evans 
 put the responsibility upon the teachers to save the children. Here 
 we have before us, day after day, month after month, and year after 
 year, the same children, and the responsibility of saving them lies 
 heavy upon us. The same thing carries over into the work of the 
 conference. These children are within our field. They are members 
 of our Christian homes. They are associated with the church. I 
 think our great duty as conferences lies in saving these children, 
 rather than in letting them go to the schools of the world, and be drawn 
 into the world. We must create an interest on the part of our confer¬ 
 ences so that it will be felt that money expended for good superin¬ 
 tendents and for educational secretaries for union conferences is as 
 profitably spent as in pioneer work,— sending ministers out to bring 
 people into the truth who know it not. 
 
 SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE TEACHER 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the 
 Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as 
 by the Spirit of the Lord.” 
 
 There is a reality to the transformation of character that is wrought 
 by beholding Christ. You who are teachers have seen the wonderful 
 change wrought in the youth that have been placed in your charge. 
 There is nothing that pleases the teacher more than to watch the 
 change of character in those who come to him for instruction. I think 
 every teacher ought to have a clear vision of the purpose, the object, 
 of his teaching. The head of every school ought to have a clear 
 vision of the purpose that he has in operating the school. No man 
 can do good work who does not have a clear vision of what he wants 
 to do. 
 
156 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 If a man should take a ship and start out to sea, but not know 
 of any port that he wished to make, we would say he was a very foolish 
 sailor. I believe every man who engages in the Lord’s work ought 
 to have an objective, an ideal purpose, an aim, and then all his energies 
 ought to be centered on the accomplishment of that purpose. So I 
 believe that every man who is placed in charge of a school, as well 
 as the helpers who are called to assist him, should have a clear-cut 
 vision of the purpose of that school. What shall be the ideal to be 
 placed before the school? Every man’s talent and ability ought to 
 be centralized for the accomplishment of that purpose. This makes 
 a strong, united faculty, and the school will certainly come nearer 
 to the goal than if it had simply been operated without any other 
 ideal or objective than that of hearing recitations, etc. 
 
 ’Jesus Christ should be the center of all our objectives. He should 
 be the inspiration of the school, and all the talent and ability in every 
 school should centralize its power upon bringing all the students to 
 believe in Jesus Christ, and to shape their lives and characters like 
 his. And with that objective constantly kept before the student 
 body, it would be almost impossible for a school to swing very far 
 out of line, and it would be almost impossible for a student to be in 
 that school and not receive Christ as his Saviour. 
 
 Every one of us must take heed to his ways, that we ourselves 
 do not miss the goal, for there is nothing that can ever come to a 
 human being so sad as to lose heaven at last. Sometimes our min¬ 
 isters and teachers lose the way. I can recall in my short memory 
 of forty years’ connection with this work, many a noble light that 
 once shone brightly as a leader in the educational work, that has 
 grown dim, and many have gone out — departed from the faith. 
 There are those, I suppose, in our educational work today, who will 
 drift away from this truth. But no man need do it. There is no 
 just reason why any one should do it. I believe that men generally 
 drift away from this truth because they lose sight of Christ. They 
 lose their vision. They get to thinking of men and things, watching 
 appearances, and when men get their vision centralized on those 
 objects, of course, they will drift away. But if a man keeps his mind 
 on Christ, he serves for Christ’s sake. He does not serve men, he 
 does not serve a committee; he is not afraid of men, nor is he afraid of 
 committees; but he purposes to be true to God, true to Jesus Christ. 
 So long as one tries to be like Jesus Christ, it does not seem as if he 
 could get very far out of the way. 
 
 Let us then, as heads of schools, as teachers, as heads of depart¬ 
 ments, as helpers in any capacity in the schoolroom, make our ideal 
 that of imitating Christ, keeping him before our mind’s eye day and 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 157 
 
 night. He shall be our pattern; he shall be the star toward which 
 we aim; he shall be the one on whom we meditate; and it will be to 
 him and for his glory that we render every service that we render 
 to this cause. When a man does that, he has a true fixedness of pur¬ 
 pose which, if perchance he should swerve in any way, will bring him 
 back into line. 
 
 Instead of looking at men and talking about them and their weak¬ 
 nesses and failings, it is my duty and my privilege to keep my mind 
 fixed upon Christ all the time. Then I have victory in my life. 
 Just as soon as man begins to look at mortal man,— as soon as I 
 begin thinking of Brother Farnsworth, or Brother Graf, or Brother 
 Morrison, or any other man,— then, my friends, I swerve from 
 the right road; for there is not a man in this world good enough 
 for me to follow. There is not a man in this world that is broad 
 enough for you to try to imitate. There isn’t any man in this world 
 that is fit to be a human pattern. But Jesus Christ is the pattern 
 for us all. 
 
 I well remember when I was at school in my childhood days, 
 the teacher used to come around and give us a line to copy. I was 
 always glad for a new page. I took great pains with the first line, 
 but I noticed that the farther down on that page I got, the poorer 
 was my writing. I was always impressed with that, but I did not 
 exactly know why it was, and I never could see why each line was 
 worse than the preceding. But when I got a little older, I remembered 
 very well that I used to take great pains with the first line because 
 I looked at the copy. Then as I got farther away, I copied my own 
 work, and the farther down I went the more and more careless I 
 grew, till all I thought of at the end was to get over to a new page. 
 
 It is so, my friends, with men just as truly as with boys, in our 
 service for God. If you get to looking at men, or at yourself,— 
 for I hold that self is no better pattern than the other fellow,— you 
 become supersensitive, you get sore, you get so sensitive that you 
 can hardly live with yourself, everybody is hurting you and bruis¬ 
 ing you. But when a man looks away to Christ, these things dis¬ 
 appear. 
 
 I have never been able to find peace and rest in my soul unless 
 I looked away from men to Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 12 we have 
 this exhortation: — 
 
 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a 
 cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which 
 doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that 
 is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our 
 faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross t 
 
158 
 
 EDUCATIONAL ANI) MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne 
 of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sin¬ 
 ners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds. Ye 
 have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” 
 
 That is a wonderful experience. Certainly I have not entered into 
 this suffering with Christ to the extent of sweating drops of blood; 
 but that was our Saviour’s experience. And so we are all the time 
 to keep our mind upon Christ. Sometimes it must be brought back 
 by discipline, by meditation, by prayer, by resolve, by determination; 
 for if your mind is like mine, it will naturally drift away from Christ, 
 and the things you are dealing with will appear all-important. You 
 will become so intense at times that it will seem that something 
 must snap. What you need, my friends, is Christ. 
 
 A man who becomes so nervous that he can hardly hold himself 
 in restraint needs to get away from his business and fretting cares, 
 and come to Christ. The Saviour can do more, by a few hours’ 
 communion, to calm you and put your nerves in trim, than it would 
 be possible for you to do by yourself, or by the aid of doctors, in 
 days, or weeks, or months. Christ is the great healer. 
 
 I have stood on a ship in a great storm at sea. There was nothing 
 I enjoyed much more than to go up and look into the window where 
 the helmsman was standing at the wheel. I have seen the great waves 
 beat upon the vessel, and wheel it around nearly a quarter point of 
 the compass. But the man at the wheel did not look at the turning 
 ship, he did not look outside at all. There was nothing there that 
 would guide him. But he had a compass by his side. The needle 
 pointed directly toward the magnetic north pole, and every time 
 the ship turned out of its course, he whirled that wheel. There he 
 stood every moment while the ship was in peril, and never let go of 
 the wheel. Just the instant one man was relieved, another stepped 
 right up to take his place. And all the time that man was looking 
 at the compass, watching the needle. 
 
 Above him stood a man, not only with a compass, but with a 
 chart. He knew the road. He knew everything there was along 
 the highway of the sea, and every few minutes he called down with 
 his megaphone to the man at the wheel, telling him what to do. 
 
 They just took that great ship, as the winds beat on it and drove 
 it one way and then whirled it the other way, and they swung it 
 back into line. 
 
 Brethren, that is what you and I are for in the handling of the great 
 work of this denomination. We are to keep it in the right road. 
 We are to keep these great schools, with all the youth and children 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 159 
 
 who come to them,— we are to keep them in the great highway to 
 the kingdom of God. 
 
 When something comes into your school that seems to sweep it 
 away and whirl it out of its course, you at the wheel should bring it 
 back into line, with your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. I do not believe, 
 dear friends, that the devil can win out in this fight against the work 
 and people of God when our schools are manned with men whose 
 eyes are fixed on Jesus. I do not believe that all of us together have 
 wisdom enough to guide our schools through to the haven if we lost 
 sight of him. 
 
 What would that. poor mariner have done if he had taken his 
 eye off that compass? Could he have guessed the way? No, there 
 never lived a man who could take a ship from San Francisco to Yo¬ 
 kohama, through all the fogs and other difficulties, and put it into 
 port, if he did not keep his eyes fixed on the chart and compass. 
 Our chart and compass is Jesus Christ. We must keep him in mind. 
 He must be the center of all our activities, the inspiration of all our 
 endeavors. 
 
 Conditions may develop in your school that seem to drive you one 
 way and another, and beat you back and forth; but if your eye is 
 to be fixed yonder on that Star, if you hold to the one point,— Jesus 
 Christ,— you will bring your school through triumphantly. He is to 
 be everything to you. He is the point that you are aiming for; and 
 with that ideal in your mind, I do not believe that there is any power 
 that can throw a school out of its proper course and hold it there very 
 long. 
 
 Our Saviour was the great Master Teacher. The man who thinks 
 that he can conduct a school properly by simply having his mind 
 well trained, will miss his way. You, as heads of schools, as men 
 who carry the greatest responsibilities as heads of departments, who 
 must come into close personal touch with the students,— you must 
 keep this great Master Teacher in mind. You should not try to 
 imitate any man in this world. You should not try to conduct a 
 .school like any other man in this world. I do not believe any teacher 
 should get his eyes on another school, and say, “That school is suc¬ 
 ceeding; I am going to conduct my school like that one.” Conduct 
 your school for Christ, and keep your eye on him. Lead your school 
 through with the experience that God is giving you; and study the 
 great Master Teacher. Study his life, study his manner of teaching, 
 study his personal touch with men, imitate the virtues of his life, 
 and I believe you will become a great teacher. But if you try to 
 copy another man, if you say, “This man is a great leader; he is 
 doing well, and I will try to shape my school like his,” you will make 
 
1G0 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 a mistake, because you will not have the right pattern. You will 
 have only a man to pattern after. You will come far short of what 
 you would be if you took Christ as your pattern. 
 
 On one occasion, when officers were sent to take Jesus and returned 
 without him, they were asked why they had not brought him. The 
 officers answered, “Never man spake like this man.” That is a 
 wonderful statement. I would, my friends, that you who are stand¬ 
 ing at the head of these schools, you who are responsible for shaping 
 the life destiny of from one hundred to four hundred boys and girls,— 
 O, I would that this great Master Teacher might be the inspiration 
 of your lives, and that the students who sit under your tutorage, 
 who come under the influence of your life, could say, as those people 
 said of the Master, “Never man spake like this man.” 
 
 I like to hear the students say, “Yes, he is a good man, strong, 
 clean; we respect him and honor him. We have profound confidence 
 in him.” I believe, dear friends, that it ought to be said of every 
 man who stands at the head of a school, “He is a man of God, a man 
 whom we respect and honor.” And even those boys and girls that 
 you have to discipline, and that you sometimes have to bring under 
 conditions that are painful to you, when all is done in the spirit of 
 Christ, with the love of Christ burning in your heart, with your 
 heart aching so that you would a hundred times rather take the pun¬ 
 ishment than inflict it, but you do it for their salvation and good,— 
 I believe that every boy who sees that spirit manifested will forever 
 respect that teacher; though he may have to take punishment, he 
 will turn around and call you blessed, and thank you for the interest 
 that you have taken in his hardened life. 
 
 I know that you do not always see such results. Sometimes 
 you do not find these boys and girls grateful to you because of this 
 discipline; but, my friends, if you will pray for that boy or girl, you 
 can do ten times more than you can by scolding or by public rep¬ 
 rimand. Whatever you do, never lose your control, and never 
 get your eye off from Christ. It helps wonderfully, marvelously. I 
 believe, brethren, that every endeavor we put forth should be to save, 
 not to drive away from Christ. 
 
 In my ministerial work, I have always made it a principle never* 
 to be a party to an attempt to drive a man out of the church; and I 
 thank God that in all my ministry I have only once helped to dismiss 
 a man from the church. I believe in saving men; I believe in looking 
 into their eyes and talking to them with all earnestness as to a soul 
 that is hanging in the balance. 
 
 I remember when I was a young man, I had an experience of this 
 kind. I was sent bv the conference committee to meet with a church 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 lfil 
 
 and fix up some matters. I was a licentiate, and did not know very 
 much about conference work, but the conference had asked me to go 
 to this church, where there was a brother who had given up the'Sab¬ 
 bath, and had not been coming to church for a long time. We were 
 to turn him out of the church. I asked him to come to the meeting, 
 and when he got into the church, he sat down on my left, where I 
 could look into his face. I knew that that man had to be saved, or 
 dismissed from the church because of his Sabbath breaking. 
 
 I stood there, a young man without much experience; and as 
 I saw Christ hanging on the cross and dying for that man, I looked 
 into his face with tears streaming from my eyes, and I pleaded with 
 him to yield to God. That poor man finally began to weep, then he 
 got down and prayed to God, and we all prayed, and that dear man 
 is a Sabbath keeper to this day, on his way to the kingdom. I believe 
 that was better than to turn him out of the church. All the aim 
 and all the endeavor of every one of us should be to save men, to* 
 save them for the kingdom of God. That is our purpose; that is 
 why our schools are operated; that is what you teachers are for,— 
 to train men for the kingdom of God. Brethren, if we could once 
 get that burning passion in our souls, we would have mighty power 
 in saving our young people. 
 
 I do not say you can save everybody; I would not leave that 
 impression; but I believe that many are lost who could be saved 
 if there were sufficient soul agony, sufficient suffering, sufficient 
 prayer, sufficient fasting, and an appreciation of what a soul is worth 
 in the sight of heaven. I believe it is your privilege to organize a 
 working force in your schools to surround the wayward and those 
 who are not Christians with earnest prayer and such hallowed, sacred 
 influences that it will be almost impossible for them to come under 
 those influences and not accept Christ. 
 
 When this spirit gets hold of a faculty, when this spirit burns in 
 the hearts of the managers of the school, when they would rather 
 give up their lives than to see their pupils refuse Christ, then there 
 will be a mighty conversion in that school. 
 
 No man can ever lead souls to Christ in any definite, marked way 
 until there is in his own heart a burning passion for them. He has 
 got to suffer, he has got to be in travail; for when Zion travailed, she 
 brought forth children. Men are not born into the kingdom of God 
 by logic. Men are not born into the kingdom of God by the will ot 
 men, but there must be in our souls a supreme desire to bring them 
 to Christ, and then I believe by prayer and by united, earnest effort, 
 very much can be done for God. 
 
 But I must not dwell longer on this. I believe, dear friends, that 
 11 
 
162 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 in all our teaching we should continually keep it in mind that souls 
 must be saved. I cannot get away from that. To me it seems to 
 be the supreme education. I cannot think of anything else that will 
 ever take its place. You may talk to me about mathematics, or 
 science, or literature, or what you like, and say it is everything. 
 Brethren, there isn’t anything that is everything but Christ Jesus. 
 When a man has Him, he has everything. 
 
 You can have everything in this world if you will give me Christ 
 and heaven and glory, because everything that is here will perish; 
 but when you give me Christ and fit me for glory, then I shall have 
 an opportunity to go to school there. I shall have, not simply five 
 or ten years, but I shall have the measure of the eternal ages, and 
 that will be university enough for me. If I can get to heaven, and 
 have a million years to study with God and Christ and angels, and 
 visit not simply this earth, redeemed from the curse, but visit the great 
 starry heavens, that will be school, brethren. I believe with all my 
 heart that Sister White is right when she says that the great sum of 
 education is to believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of the soul. 
 
 So I say, Let us bring ourselves into line. Let us never think 
 that schooling, degrees, the mastering of the sciences, is everything. 
 I want that, but, oh, I want it under the hallowed influence of Jesus 
 Christ and the Holy Spirit. 
 
 I must read just a few statements that I have here upon this 
 very thought: — 
 
 “In the Teacher sent from God all true educational work finds 
 its center. Of this work today, as verily as of the work he established 
 eighteen hundred years ago, the Saviour speaks in the words, ‘ I am 
 the first and the last, and the Living One. ’ ‘ I am the Alpha and 
 
 the Omega, the beginning and the end.’ 
 
 “In the presence of such a Teacher, with such opportunity for 
 divine education, what worse than folly is it to seek an education 
 apart from him,— to seek to be wise apart from Wisdom; to be true 
 while rejecting Truth; to seek illumination apart from Light, and 
 existence without the Life; to turn from the Fountain of living waters, 
 and hew out broken cisterns, that can hold no water!”—“ Education ,” 
 page 83. 
 
 “Dear teacher, as you consider your need of strength and guid¬ 
 ance,— need that no human source can supply,— I bid you consider 
 the promises of him who is the wonderful Counselor. ‘ Behold,' 
 he says, ‘ I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut 
 it.’ ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee.’ ‘I will instruct thee 
 and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with 
 mine eye.’ ‘Even unto the end of the world,’ ‘I am with you.’ 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 16:? 
 
 “As the highest preparation for your work, I point you to the 
 words, the life, the methods, of the Prince of teachers.”— Id ., page 
 282. 
 
 This is the highest preparation for your work, to look to the 
 Prince of teachers. I do not point you to the universities to get 
 their degrees, I do not say you must do this or that, but “I point 
 you to the words, the life, the methods, of the Prince of teachers. 
 I bid you consider him. Here is your true ideal. Behold it, dwell 
 upon it, until the Spirit of the divine Teacher shall take possession 
 of your heart and life. ‘Reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord,' 
 you will be ‘transformed into the same image.’”— Ibid. 
 
 On pages 249, 250, of “Counsels to Teachers,” I find a statement 
 like this from Sister White right on this point: — 
 
 “The work of educating our youth as outlined for us in the in¬ 
 struction given by God, is to be sacredly maintained. We must 
 choose as teachers those who will educate in right lines. Said my 
 Instructor: ‘Let not teachers be chosen to educate and train the 
 youth who will not maintain the simplicity of Christ’s methods. 
 His teachings contain the very essence of sanctified simplicity.’ 
 Those who present matters to the students in an uncertain light 
 are not fitted for the work of teaching.” 
 
 I think, brethren, that this instruction ought to be especially 
 applied to Bible teaching, that no man ought to be a Bible instructor 
 in our schools who does not know whether he believes, or does not 
 believe, the third angel’s message. The students ought not to be 
 left in doubt as to where the teacher stands; for just as surely as you 
 leave a student in doubt, then he begins to question not merely the 
 point that is questioned, but other things as well. Therefore I 
 believe in having teachers in our schools who believe the third angel’s 
 message. 
 
 Another thing: it seems to me unfortunate, but it may be the only 
 thing you can do, to have one or two men do all the Bible teaching 
 in the school. I believe that every teacher ought to be a Bible teacher, 
 that the teacher in mathematics, in language, in science, ought to 
 be all the time dealing with sacred things. 
 
 “No man is qualified for this work unless he is daily learning 
 to speak the words of the Teacher sent from God. Now is the time 
 to sow the gospel seed. The seed we sow must be that which will 
 produce the choicest fruit. We have no time to lose. The work 
 of our schools is to become more and more in character like the work 
 of Christ. Only the power of the grace of God working on human 
 hearts and minds will make and keep the atmosphere of our schools 
 and churches clean. 
 
164 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “There have been teachers in our schools who could pass well 
 in a worldly institution of learning, but who were unfitted for the 
 training of youth because they were ignorant of the truths of the 
 gospel of Christ. They were unable to bring the simplicity of Christ 
 into their labors. It should be the work of every teacher to make 
 prominent those truths that have called us out to stand as a peculiar 
 people before the world, and which are able to keep us in harmony 
 with heaven’s laws .”—“Counsels to Teachers ,” page 250. 
 
 It does not say that the Bible teacher is to be the only one to do 
 that, but here it takes in all the teachers. I do not know why a 
 man should be put in the science department who does not believe 
 half of the third angel’s message. I do not know why a man should 
 be called as head of the mathematics department who does not believe 
 this truth, simply because he can teach mathematics. I think every 
 member of the faculty ought to be called there because he is a firm 
 believer in the third angel’s message. He ought to be thoroughly 
 indoctrinated on every point in this message. I do not see how we 
 can ever expect to prosper if we invite men to take positions as heads 
 of departments in our schools when they are not in harmony with 
 the third angel’s message. I should rather have far less ability 
 with a deeper Christian experience and more faith in this work, 
 than to have the highest ability trained in the best schools of the 
 world, without a belief in the message. 
 
 “In the messages that have been sent us from time to time, we 
 have truths that will accomplish a wonderful work of reform in our 
 characters if we will give them place. They will prepare us for 
 entrance into the city of God. It is our privilege to make contin¬ 
 ual advancement to a higher grade of Christian living.”— Ibid. 
 
 I want to bear testimony that I have never been in a council 
 meeting in my life that has given me such supreme satisfaction as 
 this. I have never seen men line up more thoroughly and seemingly 
 with more sincerity to reach the goal, than those who compose this 
 Council of teachers. I would not have missed being with you for 
 anything; for it has given me great joy to see you, though bearing 
 such heavy responsibilities and burdens, with their many perplex¬ 
 ities, aiming with all the strength that is in you to reach this desired 
 goal. 
 
THE PLACE OF OUR AMERICAN FOREIGN SEM¬ 
 INARIES IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 
 
 M. L. ANDREASEN 
 
 Principal Danish-Norwegian Seminary 
 
 It is hardly necessary to remind this body of educators of the 
 fact that for a number of years this country has received into its bosom 
 more than a million immigrants a year. These people have come 
 from almost all countries of the earth to share the temporal blessings 
 which God in great abundance has showered upon America. 
 
 From the standpoint of the truth which we hold dear, this immi¬ 
 gration presents wonderful opportunities. We cannot believe that 
 the only reason — or indeed the chief reason — why these countless 
 multitudes have come to our shores is the desire to better their finan¬ 
 cial condition. No true believer has or can have any other thought 
 than that in the plan of God these people have been sent here that 
 they may learn the truth for this time. The desire for temporal 
 advantage which in many cases is their chief motive in coming, was 
 intended by God to be only a means of bringing them here. 
 
 It is no exaggeration to say that at this time the eyes and hearts 
 of millions in Europe are turned to America, hoping and praying 
 that in some way this country may make its voice heard to stop the 
 awful carnage now going on. Whole countries, as Belgium, Serbia, 
 and Poland, are dependent on American generosity for their daily 
 bread. America is to them their hope. And in the hearts of millions 
 of mothers in these stricken countries the prayer is daily ascending 
 that God will spare their little ones, that in some manner the way may 
 open for them to escape the fate of the millions of young men already 
 dead on the battle-field, a fate which surely awaits them as soon as 
 they are old enough to bear arms. Their only hope seems to be to 
 escape to America. 
 
 And so millions have come and many more millions are coming 
 to this country. The eyes of the world are turned to the United States 
 with a mute appeal for help. Shall we, to whom God has given this 
 wonderful truth, turn a deaf ear to this appeal? or shall we be true to 
 the call of God, and do all we can to enlighten these millions with the 
 important message for these times? 
 
 If we admit our responsibility toward the millions of foreigners 
 coming to our shores, the next question to engage our attention is 
 how far this responsibility goes. If it were possible to reach these 
 multitudes through the English language, the problem would present 
 no unusual difficulties. As a matter of fact, however, most of these 
 people, if reached at all, must be reached through their mother tongue. 
 
 165 
 
166 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Many of them never learn the English language, a goodly number 
 learn only enough for ordinary business purposes, but their heart and 
 home language, the language of their thought and religion, remains 
 their mother tongue. Many of these people cannot conceive of true 
 religion being possible, or if possible, of being capable of expression, 
 in any other language than their own. With a peculiar force do the 
 expressions which they learned in childhood at mother’s knee seize 
 them as they in a strange land hear the well-known words repeated. 
 They may have strayed far from the path of rectitude, but an appeal 
 to them in their mother tongue leaves an impression not easily effaced. 
 No other language contains — for them — the beauty of expression 
 or heart appeal as does their own. And this is not to be wondered 
 at. An American in a strange land would probably feel the same. 
 
 It remains, therefore, that if we are to be successful in helping 
 these foreigners, some one must learn the language of these nation¬ 
 alities, or better still, a sufficient number of those who have already a 
 working knowledge of these languages should be encouraged to work 
 for their own nationality. But to do this work successfully, schools 
 are required where these languages may be learned. These schools 
 must be of no secondary order, where work of an inferior character 
 is done. These foreigners are not all uneducated. Indeed, if we com¬ 
 pare the education of the priests and ministers of foreign nationalities 
 whom our workers in these languages must meet, with the education 
 which our workers generally receive, we do not find the comparison 
 unfavorable to the foreigners. On the contrary, we find the educa¬ 
 tional standard of these foreigners in many cases much higher than 
 any standard we have as yet set or probably could set. To meet 
 these men successfully requires no mean order of intelligence. It 
 will not do to send out men who do not know their mother tongue 
 
 and who make too many grammatical errors. Correct use of language 
 
 covers a multitude of educational sins and shortcomings. The study 
 of the mother language must always be considered of first importance. 
 
 This is as true of the foreign language as of the English. If we 
 are to make a success of our foreign work, we must have men who 
 
 are acquainted with the language in which they are to work. This 
 
 proficiency in a language cannot be gained by merely studying it in 
 the classroom. To be able to use it efficiently the student must 
 speak it daily, he must hear it spoken, he must be surrounded by an 
 influence favorable to acquirement of the language. This cannot be 
 done in our English schools as successfully as in separate schools 
 established for the purpose. For this reason the German, the 
 Swedish, and the Danish-Norwegian Seminaries have been estab¬ 
 lished. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 167 
 
 In establishing these schools this denomination recognizes its duty 
 to educate workers to labor for the foreign nationalities. This is by 
 no means an easy task. The allurement of the English work is ever 
 before the young people. To them it seems much easier to go into 
 a place, pitch a tent, distribute handbills, and in the evening speak to 
 a large congregation of interested hearers, than to go into the same 
 town and call from house to house, seeking some certain nationality, 
 meeting opposition, hearing jeering taunts of “dago,” “squarehead,” 
 or the like. The foreign work is a smaller, harder, less attractive work, 
 but a work which some one must do, and which should have all rea¬ 
 sonable encouragement. 
 
 In an English school where there is also a foreign department 
 there is a daily contrast between the two languages. The English 
 department is, of course, the larger. The foreign department, because 
 of its very size, is inferior. Under these circumstances it is almost 
 impossible to imbue the students with the thought that the foreign 
 work — their own work — is the great work, the important work, 
 the glorious work. The argument is all on the other side. On the 
 contrary, in a school where the special object, the whole aim, is to 
 create a love for the foreign work, where every lesson taught, every 
 sermon preached, has this thought as a basis, it is much easier to imbue 
 the student with the same spirit and with a deep love for the foreign 
 work — for the millions of neglected and often passed-by foreigners. 
 And without this deep love for the foreigners the work will be a fail¬ 
 ure. Unless the student has a sincere interest in and love for the 
 nationality for which he is working, he will soon leave the apparently 
 barren fields of the foreign work in America, and turn to the more 
 inviting and pleasant fields of the English work. And in turning to 
 the English work he has often had too much encouragement. Yet 
 the foreign work is far from being an unfruitful field. 
 
 In the management of these schools great care is needed. While 
 a love for the foreign work should be inculcated and encouraged, no 
 foreign spirit should be tolerated. The work is one. Unity must be 
 preserved. There must be no drawing apart, no building up of sepa¬ 
 rate interests. Thorough instruction should be given in the mother 
 tongue, but this must not be done to the exclusion of the English lan¬ 
 guage. The history of the fatherland should be studied, but Amer¬ 
 ican history must not be neglected. Love of the mother country 
 and respect for it should be encouraged, but love for the adopted 
 country and respect for its institutions must come first. A strong 
 spirit of love for the foreign work should prevail, but this love must 
 never become partisan or national. Ever must be held before the 
 student the great fact that the work of the Lord is one. No national 
 
168 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 barrier must be raised to separate those who are to be one in 
 Christ. 
 
 Our American foreign seminaries should not cater to nor accept 
 American students. They have a distinct work to do, and should 
 be left free to do this work. Their field is the families and churches 
 of their respective nationalities, regardless of conference lines. They 
 should conscientiously keep away from American churches and Amer¬ 
 ican families in their endeavor to secure students; but wherever fam¬ 
 ilies or churches of their respective nationality are found, there is 
 their legitimate field, and to these families and churches they should 
 have undisputed access. Thus, and thus only, can the work for the 
 foreign people in America be made a success. 
 
 What, then, is the place of our American foreign seminaries in 
 our educational system? Their place is to supplement and complete 
 the system of education given to this people. They do a work which 
 our American schools, in the very nature of things, cannot do. As 
 surely as the educational work has a place in this message, so surely 
 have the American foreign schools a place in the educational system. 
 The one without the other is not complete; together they form a 
 complete and harmonious whole. 
 
 As mentioned before in this paper, the task given these foreign 
 seminaries is not an easy one. All reasonable encouragement should 
 be given them, and wherever students are found that rightfully belong 
 to these seminaries, they should be encouraged to attend them. In 
 these matters our American brethren can greatly aid us. 
 
 As representatives of these foreign seminaries, we pledge our hearty 
 cooperation and support in every good word and work. With you, 
 as Americans, we want to stand as loyal subjects of the Most High, 
 loyal to this message, who, while given a special work to do, will ever 
 remain faithful to the unity of the work, holding aloft the banner of 
 present truth, praying the God of all mercy to speed the day when the 
 work shall be done, and we all with one voice and one tongue shall 
 hail Him for whom we have waited and who will save us. 
 
THE PERSONAL TOUCH IN TEACHING 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 There is no question of such vital importance to us as the spirit¬ 
 ual life of our teachers. There is more importance attached to this 
 than to all other qualifications. I was deeply impressed with this 
 statement in “Counsels to Teachers,” page 206: “What influence do 
 you think it would have to publish in your announcement of the school 
 that you will endeavor to give the students a training that will prepare 
 them for the future, immortal life, because you desire to see them live 
 throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity?” 
 
 That would be a peculiar thing to put in a calendar, no doubt. 
 It would certainly be a striking announcement to send out to our breth¬ 
 ren everywhere, in your calendars, that the school you are conduct¬ 
 ing has the supreme purpose of training boys and girls for eternal life. 
 
 When we think that our work is to mold the character, not simply 
 to teach a lesson in mathematics, or in grammar, or in rhetoric, or in 
 some other science; but that while we teach our whole supreme pur¬ 
 pose is to shape and mold the character for eternity, we certainly face 
 a great responsibility. 
 
 I can conceive of a man’s going into his classroom from almost any 
 condition in his family or the home; if he is to teach a lesson in arith¬ 
 metic, or geometry, or algebra, he surely must know the lesson, he 
 must be able to work the propositions and to impart information. 
 If that is all there is to it, then of course that which I am going to say 
 this morning would not have very much bearing, because we see that 
 worldly men and infidels, men who do not believe in the Word of 
 God, are splendid teachers as far as science goes. They are good 
 language teachers, they are thorough mathematicians. They have 
 ability to teach and instruct according to the standards of the world. 
 But when a man takes the additional responsibility, not only of im¬ 
 parting information and directing the mind, but also of shaping and 
 molding the character, he will never be satisfied with his work until 
 he leads that boy or girl whom he is teaching, to Jesus Christ. He 
 has an entirely different proposition on his hands than if he had elimi¬ 
 nated this idea of character molding and shaping. He can never do 
 this other work until he has had a preparation of heart himself; for 
 a man cannot teach theoretical religion. 
 
 Some teach Bible doctrine without a Christian experience, but 
 a man cannot possibly teach how to get victory over sin, how to put 
 away the weaknesses of the flesh, until he himself has been a learner 
 in the school of Christ. We may theorize on it, but our words are 
 
 169 
 
170 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 like sounding brass, they do not take effect. They are like a tinkling 
 cymbal, like a noise, but they do not reach the heart. 
 
 Therefore I believe it is as essential that a teacher have a heart 
 preparation every day as he goes to his class, as it is that the 
 minister have a heart preparation when he stands before his congre¬ 
 gation to preach. Why? — Because the teacher has taken upon 
 himself the responsibility to prepare men and women to live with God. 
 While you are teaching science, and language, and art, and literature, 
 you have an additional responsibility back of it all. You have a pur¬ 
 pose, a design, maybe not always announced, perhaps not always 
 proclaimed, but it is never out of your mind. Never once can the 
 true teacher stand before his class without that supreme purpose 
 being in his heart to do something, to say something, to add some¬ 
 thing to the lesson which he has prepared, that will turn the atten¬ 
 tion of the child from merely the lesson itself to the higher ideal, and 
 that is to find the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. 
 
 With that ideal in the mind of the teacher, I hold that he can 
 never appear before his class qualified to teach without having fed 
 his own heart in communion with God. I want to mention three 
 things that are, to my mind, of prime importance to the teacher: — 
 
 First, the study of the Word of God. I do not care what branch 
 we may be teaching, whether English, foreign languages, mathemat¬ 
 ics, science, or Bible, I believe that every teacher in our schools must 
 every day read the Word of God for his own soul’s instruction. 
 
 Tt may be that we do not get a great deal of help from the lesson 
 that we teach from the Word of God to others. At least it must be 
 said that it will never take the place of reading that Word for the 
 benefit and instruction to our own hearts and souls. I never get so 
 much help myself from a sermon that I preach as I get from taking my 
 Bible by myself and reading it as the Word of God to my own heart. 
 Then it is that God speaks to me. On occasions when we stand be¬ 
 fore the people, there is a kind of influence, an inspiration, a mag¬ 
 netism and personality, and a power that oftentimes is very marked, 
 very inspiring, and very helpful; but I do not think that any minister 
 or any teacher can possibly rely upon his public work to feed his 
 own soul with spiritual food. He must take this good book, this 
 Word of God, and read it as a little child reads it, and it must be to 
 him the message of God to his soul. For every preacher and every 
 teacher needs to feed his own soul with the very same food with which 
 he tries to feed others. 
 
 My soul cannot live on what I impart. Spiritual food must 
 first be eaten and assimilated, and after a time it will become a part 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 ■m 
 
 171 
 
 of the daily experience. So I hold that every teacher in our schools 
 must be a constant reader; and not only a constant reader, but he 
 must be a student of the Word of God for himself, spiritually. There 
 is no good book in this world that you can substitute for the Word 
 of God. There is nothing that has ever been written by man that 
 can take its place. 
 
 A man must read it daily; for if he only reads it occasionally and 
 not systematically, then he does not reallv get that hungering and 
 thirsting for it that he will get if he disciplines himself to sit down at 
 a regular time in the day, and read for his own soul’s instruction. 
 
 God speaks through this Word. No commentary on the Bible 
 could ever possibly take the place of the book itself. Therefore 
 every one of us must read this book daily. T do not see how it is 
 possible for us to go to our classes and do the work God has committed 
 to us, if we neglect this Book. I know that you are busy men, I 
 know that you have to get up early and work late, and many of you 
 are carrying many burdens and responsibilities, all of which seem 
 essential to the cause of God. But, my friends, it will never pay this 
 denomination so to burden any man in the schoolroom who has to 
 deal with our children, that he does not have time to read the Word 
 of God for himself. We may think that it will pay us to have these 
 men deal with business; but it will pay us a great deal better to have 
 them feed their souls upon this Word of God. 
 
 My friends, we cannot neglect this good Book without manifest¬ 
 ing great weakness in our work. We may think we can dispense 
 with it today, because of our hurry,— maybe a committee meeting 
 early, maybe a lot of detail work that must be attended to, — and 
 so we say we will take our chances of finding some other hour than 
 this hour that we have set apart for this good Book. But I find 
 when a man misses his time for studying the Word of God, in some 
 way every hour of the day seems filled up, and he hurries on and does 
 not read the Book. 
 
 When a man goes a few days without reading the Bible, he will 
 go a week or a month. There is many a man in this work today who 
 is working hard and loyally, but who does not take time in the week 
 to read a chapter from this good book. I think we make weaklings 
 of ourselves instead of strong men when we allow the pressure of 
 duty and responsibi ity to drive us and goad us with so many things 
 to do that we fail to read the Word of God. 
 
 One thing I wish to mention: I believe that next to the Bible in 
 our reading, we should endeavor to read from the spirit of prophecy 
 [many voices: “Amen”]. Now you may say what you like, my 
 
172 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 friends, men may make what comments they please, but no man in 
 this world can convince me that there is anything that is so help¬ 
 ful, next to the Word of God, that has ever been written by men, 
 as that which we learn from the spirit of prophecy [many voices: 
 “Amen”]. 
 
 You may say that you do not believe in verbal inspiration or 
 you may say you think Sister White has made mistakes. You 
 may say what you like, but I believe it is the experience of every 
 God-fearing man here today, that in all the realms of your reading 
 you have never found anything that helped you so much spiritually 
 as the writings of Sister White, next to the Word of God. 
 
 Now I believe that we ought to read conscientiously a portion of 
 the writings of Sister White every day, for our spiritual exercise. 
 I would never substitute these for the Word of God, for I believe the 
 Bible ought to stand paramount; but I believe the reading of the 
 Word of God ought to be supplemented by the reading of the spirit 
 of prophecy, making your own selections. I have never read any¬ 
 thing in literature that is more grand and sublime than her life of 
 Christ, “The Desire of Ages.” It is a wonderful book. Here we 
 can find many things that will speak to our hearts and change our 
 lives, if we will study them sympathetically and desire that the 
 thoughts shall speak to our souls as we read them. 
 
 Another thing, I believe that for both teacher and preacher, the 
 next thing to the reading of the Word of God is daily prayer, com¬ 
 munion with God. It seems pitiable how little we pray. Professor 
 Lawrence read to us many beautiful sayings and extracts, showing the 
 mighty results of prayer. But, brethren, while all that sounds good, 
 yet I think the time has come when Seventh-day Adventists should 
 not have to go to biography or history to find the power of prayer 
 and how God answers prayer, but there ought to be men who have 
 arisen and developed right in this denomination, that will stand 
 as monuments to the world of what God has done and can do through 
 prayer. It is proper to read the lives of such men as Muller or Moody. 
 They are a great help and inspiration, but there is nothing we need 
 today so much as to have such men in our own ranks, going to the 
 world with this great message and truth. 
 
 The time certainly has come when there ought to be men of faith 
 and power developed through the third angel’s message. You and 
 I ought not to have to go to the Methodist Church, or the Presbyterian 
 Church, or any other church for striking characters to demonstrate 
 the effectiveness of prayer; but we ought to be able to draw examples 
 from the lives of men who have lived this message. It has now been 
 nearly a full generation that we have been preaching. The genera- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 173 
 
 tion that began this work is passing away one by one, and a new gen¬ 
 eration is taking up the work; and, brethren, if there is anything in 
 the third angel’s message of power and worth, it ought to be demon¬ 
 strated in seventy years. Therefore the time has come when we as 
 leaders of men should give ourselves to prayer, and work out an ex¬ 
 perience for ourselves, that we may know to a certainty that God 
 does hear and answer prayer. And where is there any one who needs 
 it more than our teachers, who have to take the twenty-seven thou¬ 
 sand youth in our conferences and in our mission fields and teach them 
 the Christian religion? Think of it! twenty-seven thousand boys 
 and girls marching into the schoolrooms day after day, nine months in 
 the year, to be taught by teachers, to listen to everything the teacher 
 has to say. 
 
 Brethren, I believe there ought to be developed in our ranks men 
 of great faith in God, men who have learned to prevail in prayer; for 
 I tell you there is individually more life and power and vitality, for 
 me, in proving God for myself and finding out what he will do for me, 
 as compared with another’s experience, than there would be in going 
 back to the days of Moses or Jacob to prove that God answers prayer. 
 What I want to know is that God has heard me pray. 
 
 I do not think that praying is simply muttering over words, but 
 it is having something that you want from God; and you put your 
 petition up to the throne of God and take hold of that thing by faith, 
 and receive it in the heart. This is prayer. 
 
 Of course prayer has other elements. It is praise and thanks¬ 
 giving; but, brethren, there is nothing that will give a man so much 
 confidence in prayer as to have God answer him definitely in some 
 petition. When a man has that experience, he stands up and speaks 
 with authority, and he knows what he is talking about. So I believe, 
 dear friends, that every teacher must be a praying teacher, and the 
 soul of every teacher ought to be in communion with God every day 
 before he meets his classes. 
 
 It would not be fitting for a minister to stand before a congrega¬ 
 tion without prayer. Every man who stands up to preach ought to 
 have every sin in his life confessed. He never ought to walk up to 
 the pulpit without the consciousness that God has cleansed him from 
 every sin. He may have manifest weaknesses, there may be in his 
 life things that have been wrong, but no man should ever go before a 
 congregation to speak in the name of God until every sin has been 
 made right with God and man. 
 
 The same thing is true of a teacher. I do not think a teacher 
 should ever go before his class until he has met God face to face and 
 
174 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 settled every wrong in his life. He ought to stand there as God’s 
 man; he ought to stand there conscious that Jesus Christ has cleansed 
 him from sin; he ought to stand there knowing that Jesus answers 
 for his life. When he does that, it is his privilege to believe that the 
 Holy Ghost has breathed into his soul, and that he is filled with the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
 Why should not a teacher who has to mold twenty, thirty, or • 
 fifty lives for this hour of the world’s history, and add something to 
 what others have been doing, to shape them for eternity, why should 
 not that man be filled with the Holy Ghost? Why should not he have 
 the privilege of standing with the assurance that God is by his side, 
 and that in that very room he is to speak for one hour, or for forty-five 
 minutes, with the angels from the throne of God present to emphasize 
 his message, to give his words the right intonation and the right spirit 
 as they enter into the ears of those boys and girls? It is your privi¬ 
 lege to have the Holy Ghost to assist you in teaching, and for the min¬ 
 isters to have the Holy Ghost and the power of God as they stand before 
 a more public congregation. When you desire this, then God is always 
 ready to give you his Spirit. But you can never get this power, 
 nor can you ever become strong leaders,— pace setters, inspirers of 
 other lives,— until you yourselves have drunk deeply at the fountain. 
 
 By prayer I do not mean that we get together around the family 
 circle and read a few words hastily, and then get on our knees and 
 say our prayers hurriedly, spending only a moment at it. I do not 
 think that is the way to get power. While I would not eliminate 
 family worship, for I think we ought to hold to that, yet what I mean 
 by prayer is secret communion — where you go by yourselves every¬ 
 day and commune with God; and this season of prayer ought to come 
 before you take up the great responsibility of teaching your students. 
 Everything ought to be made right between you and God, and if there 
 is any feeling between you and any student or fellow worker, if any 
 unpleasantness has developed, it ought to be made right, and be 
 settled up before the throne of God. The throne is the one place 
 where we may clear our hearts and settle these things. When this 
 is done, you are ready for a strong day’s work for God. This can 
 never be done, brethren, except by prayer, You cannot find it in 
 reading or anywhere else. There is only one place where I have 
 been able to find it, and that is with God, looking into his face and 
 acknowledging my wickedness and sins, and then beseeching him to 
 give me power to do his will. 
 
 One other thing I want to mention, in addition to reading the 
 Word of God and the spirit of prophecy, and prayer, and that is, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 175 
 
 every one of us ought to take a little time to meditate. Our lives 
 are too hurried, we are all getting too busy. I think that we are 
 simply driving spiritual advance away by our tremendous activity 
 and our fearful intensity for work. It is work, work, work, until 
 we are so weary that we cannot pray, and then we have to go out so 
 early in the morning that w£ do not have time to pray. What a 
 condition for this closing work! Brethren, it is not of God. God 
 does not put on any one so many duties that he has no time to read 
 and pray or meditate. We ought to do it, we ought to take time, 
 dear friends, not only to read the Word of God and pray, but I think 
 we ought to take time every day to meditate, to think calmly, un¬ 
 hurriedly, dispassionately, and to put our souls, as it were, in con¬ 
 nection with heaven. 
 
 You remember how the psalmist declared he would meditate 
 upon the Word of God. We read in the 143rd psalm, fifth verse: 
 “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on 
 the work of thy hands.” 
 
 That is the duty of a Christian, brethren. You cannot find enough 
 by just reading this Book. You must stop and meditate on God 
 and his providence, and his dealings with the church, with the chil¬ 
 dren of men; or if you would open your eyes, watch and see in your 
 own life the manifestation again and again of the blessings and the 
 power of God. That is where David obtained many of his wonderful 
 sayings in the Psalms. He drew them out of his own life, from God’s 
 dealings with him. But we are apt to think that we must study the 
 life of some one else to see if God still works for men and answers 
 prayer; that we must read such books as “Grace Abounding” or the 
 life of Muller, to get something from this man or that man who has 
 studied other men and written their biographies. Brethren, there is 
 manifest in your own life again and again the power of the Holy 
 Ghost as truly as in these other men, if only we could open our eyes 
 and see it. If a man will begin to study and meditate on how God 
 is blessing him, it will greatly strengthen his faith; he will believe 
 that God is with him. And as he draws from his own experience 
 incidents of God’s dealing with him and blessing him, when in need 
 how God has helped him, he will begin to reach out for help in emer¬ 
 gencies, his faith will be strengthened, and he will become a mighty 
 and strong spiritual leader in the training of young men to go out 
 into the great harvest field and become workers for God. 
 
CULTURAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOL HOMES 
 
 The Walla Walla College Plan 
 
 E. C. KELLOGG 
 
 To some of our educators it appears that during the past there 
 has been at times too much nebula in our educational system. The 
 mighty angel of Revelation ro came into such intimate contact with 
 our planet as could be accomplished by placing one foot upon the 
 sea and the other upon the earth; some of our educational ideals have 
 touched neither earth nor heaven. It is no doubt true that “God 
 looked with indulgence on the days of men’s ignorance, but now he 
 is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance.” 
 
 From the viewpoint just suggested in the opening paragraph, it 
 is the purpose of this paper to consider the question in hand as nearly 
 as possible in its workings at Walla Walla College. It will no doubt 
 be understood without mention that the question is one of great 
 importance. It continually touches the daily life of the student and 
 becomes a part of his character. 
 
 There are approximately one hundred students in the college 
 homes. This is probably one half the attendance. The dormitories 
 are built as wings of the college. This is not an ideal arrangement, 
 but was set fast in brick and mortar more than twenty years ago, 
 and comes as a heritage to the present management. The dining 
 room occupies the basement of the ladies’ dormitory, and the kitchen 
 joins the dining room and is between the dormitories. 
 
 The cafeteria plan is used in serving meals. It was adopted two 
 years ago. The strong influence in its favor at the time was financial. 
 The kitchen was running behind, and it was believed the cafeteria plan 
 would remedy the difficulty. The strong objection was that the home 
 life would be destroyed. After a trial of two years, the plan meets 
 general approval. It proves of some advantage to host and hostess 
 in allowing them nearly an equal chance with the rest of getting 
 something to eat. It is also economical. The waste at the present 
 time is probably not more than two per cent of what it was under 
 the old plan. The average monthly expense for each individual 
 is about seven dollars for the women and eight for the men, with a 
 minimum charge in each case of six dollars. At this rate the school 
 comes out even. Perhaps of more importance still is the variety 
 made possible. With the number of dishes offered, one can readily 
 find food adapted to his changing desires and needs from day to day. 
 This no doubt is beneficial healthwise, as well as insuring contentment. 
 There is essentially no complaint of tiring from the sameness of the 
 food. 
 
 176 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 177 
 
 The disadvantage of lack of homelike conditions is reduced to a 
 minimum. Morning worship is conducted in the dining room with 
 all present. The Scripture reading is followed by prayer. At the 
 close of prayer the waiters pass out to the decks to dish hot foods. 
 A closing hymn is sung. Then the company stands and grace is said. 
 This service takes altogether about fifteen minutes. One has said 
 of this exercise, “It will take eternity to tell of the inspiration these 
 occasions give to us. It starts the day right.” At the noon hour all 
 assemble in their respective places at the table and stand while grace 
 is said. A signal from the bell insures quiet in the kitchen as well 
 as in the dining room. 
 
 The decks are as tastefully arranged as possible. The same kind 
 of food is always in the same place. Essentially everything is in indi¬ 
 vidual dishes. The waiters are selected with care, and a special re¬ 
 quirement is neatness of person. They are also uniformed in white 
 aprons. This is deemed important. 
 
 In going to the kitchen for food and returning to the dining room, 
 there are two lines of march, one for the ladies and another for the 
 gentlemen. This part is conducted very quietly. When all the mem¬ 
 bers of a table have returned, they are seated and the meal goes for¬ 
 ward; when they have finished, they leave the table together and do 
 not return empty dishes to the kitchen. This puts each table as nearly 
 as possible on the basis of a home. The order of march by tables is 
 changed each week, and the membership of the several tables is 
 changed each six-weeks period. 
 
 Probably here it should be remarked that a light lunch is served 
 at the evening hour. This is very well patronized, and does much 
 to discourage the practice of taking lunch in the individual rooms, 
 though that is not forbidden. 
 
 In the matter of rooms it is the plan for each student to care for 
 his or her own room. This work is done under the direction of the 
 preceptor and preceptress respectively, and the student is encour¬ 
 aged to be prompt, orderly, neat, and to maintain suitable conditions. 
 
 Evening worship is conducted in both dormitories. This affords 
 opportunity for the consideration of some things as occasion may 
 dictate, not suited to the conditions of the morning hour. It is at 
 this time that the preceptor and preceptress come close to the stu¬ 
 dents. At times some of the advanced students conduct the home 
 services. This affords more variety. 
 
 Occasionally on Saturday evening the students meet together for 
 social enjoyment under the direction of the preceptor and preceptress. 
 It is coming to be a custom that the young men and the young women 
 respectively entertain one another on alternate years. A service 
 12 
 
178 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 which is much appreciated is the union devotional meeting held 
 fortnightly in the home. The students from both dormitories meet 
 in the ladies’ parlor at sundown Friday evening, and the service is 
 usually conducted by one of the teachers or a minister from the village. 
 Of course the dormitory students have an equal chance with other 
 students in the general work of the college, as receptions, special pro¬ 
 grams, and literary societies. 
 
 At the beginning of the year a general talk is given, explaining 
 plans, conditions, and requirements necessary to the successful car¬ 
 rying on of the work. Later at intervals talks are given calling atten¬ 
 tion to noticeable errors in table etiquette and other departures from 
 good form. 
 
 More important still is individual and personal instruction and 
 correction. This method brings certain understanding. It saves the 
 student from embarrassment; it avoids gossip, discontent, disfavor. 
 It holds the support of the student body; it wins. 
 
 Above all and through all is a spirit of friendliness and cooper¬ 
 ation. Our students are trusted, they are given responsibilities, they 
 are depended upon. This attitude appeals to the highest and noblest 
 elements of their natures, and they respond, with rare exceptions. 
 
 Hearty cooperation is shown in the purposes and endeavors of 
 members of the morning prayer bands, which may be stated as fol¬ 
 lows: — 
 
 “ I. To spend at least thirty minutes each day in secret devotion, 
 including the observance of the ‘Morning Watch.’ 
 
 “2. To give a friendly greeting to every person I meet. 
 
 “3. To be the first to cheer the sick or discouraged one. 
 
 “4. To make a definite personal effort each day to lead some one 
 to Christ.” 
 
 We have not yet made the requirement which has been recom¬ 
 mended in part in this Council; namely, that the preceptor “be blame¬ 
 less, the husband of one wife;” and likewise that the preceptress “be 
 discreet, chaste,” a keeper at home, and the wife of one husband; 
 but it will of course be understood without remark that very impor¬ 
 tant factors, in fact the powers of motion, in this plan are the pre¬ 
 ceptor and the preceptress. From the moment the student receives a 
 welcome greeting, to the close of the year, there is a height and depth, 
 length and breadth, of generous and friendly consideration which 
 inspires and encourages the development of the “fruits of the Spirit;” 
 and the unselfishness, the consideration for others, and the general 
 good deportment of all connected with the school, create an atmosphere 
 which is appreciated by visitors, and is not infrequently commented 
 upon by them favorably. 
 
SEX EDUCATION 
 
 C. C. LEWIS 
 
 It is sate to say that sex education is due when the need arises, 
 that is, when the child first begins to inquire about the origin of life. 
 And this principle points to the home as the place, and to the parent 
 as the teacher, of these early lessons; for such questions commonly 
 arise before the child enters school. Here all authorities seem to be 
 agreed,— that the home is the most suitable place and the parents 
 the most natural teachers, not only for the young child, but for the 
 son and daughter entering upon the period of puberty. But the 
 trouble is, so the educators say, that parents almost universally shirk 
 this duty. They are not prepared to discharge it, or are afraid of it, or 
 entertain a false modesty in regard to it, and hence have entered into 
 a sort of unconscious “conspiracy of silence’' upon the subject. When 
 their children ask questions, they freeze them with silence, or whet 
 their curiosity with mystery, or stuff their inquiring minds with fables; 
 and the result is, that, not obtaining information at home, where 
 they ought to get it, pure and undefiled, they seek for it among their 
 chance companions, and get it distorted and accompanied with lewd 
 suggestions. 
 
 Now all this ought to be remedied. This subject is a proper one 
 for parents and children to talk about. And it is not so difficult as 
 parents imagine. A very elementary knowledge of plant and animal 
 life, a modicum of common sense, and a reasonable degree of piety are 
 sufficient for parents to begin with. Of course, they can make good 
 use of a broader knowledge of botany, biology, and zoology; but for 
 practical purposes parents should not hesitate to begin with what 
 knowledge they have, adding to their store by reading and observation. 
 
 “ I should like to teach my child something about sex in plant life,” 
 writes one mother. 
 
 This is one of the most wonderful stories in nature, and one that 
 delights very small children. For you know little children are more 
 interested in babies than they are in grown people. They are wild 
 with delight when you tell them about the baby pea, the baby rose¬ 
 bud, etc. The wise parent avails herself of this desire to know about 
 the origin of plants; and so, long before the child has come to that 
 point in his development where he is concerned about his own exist¬ 
 ence, he has become acquainted with the great laws of interdependence, 
 and the two forces running all through nature. In the flowers and 
 fruits, in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, we find the male and 
 female principles. 
 
 179 
 
ISO 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 In the beginning God said that the plants should bring forth seed 
 after their kind, the birds also, and every living thing in like manner. 
 Always keep before the mind of the child the wonderful power of God 
 in his created works. Call attention to the perfect arrangement in 
 the tiny flower, and show how particular God was to do everything 
 just right; so we should have flowers of different colors, and birds of 
 different songs. All these things he placed in the earth to make it 
 more beautiful for us his children. Because God made man in his 
 own likeness, he was the crowning work of all creation, and he wanted 
 him to have a beautiful place to live. 
 
 Just here I cannot refrain from introducing an experience which 
 Mrs. Lewis had a number of years ago. She received a business letter 
 from a mother, in which allusion was made to some experiences she 
 had been having with her children. The mother was asked to write 
 out her experiences, and she responded in a letter so artless, and at 
 the same time so full of wisdom, good judgment, and intelligent piety, 
 that I should be glad to quote the entire letter if there were time. 
 
 This mother had five children, the oldest a girl of nine years and 
 the youngest a babe of two months. She said they were among the 
 poor of this earth, living in a small house of two small rooms. She 
 had much work to do, but .she realized there was one work above all 
 others that she must do, and that was to help the children build a 
 character for time and eternity. She then described how she had 
 taught all the children to help her in the different kinds of housework, 
 in order that she might have time to go out with them for romps in 
 the fields. “On the Sabbath,” she continues, “all our work is done 
 beforehand, and after our morning lesson we are ready to go out; for 
 children want to be out when the sun is shining. And as there seems 
 to be nothing they love so well as to pick flowers, we are out the 
 greater part of the Sabbath. It was on one of those blessed days 
 that I learned this lesson. 
 
 “As we were walking along, we came to a place where a horse was 
 tied, and a small colt running all around its mother. My little boy 
 of six had no more than seen the colt before he asked. ‘Mamma, 
 where did that colt come from?’ I did not know what to say; but 
 before I had time to say anything he answered his own question, and 
 began something like this, ‘Oh, I know, mamma; you know, mamma, 
 that hens lay eggs, but horses have to work, and I tell you what I 
 think, mamma; they hatch the eggs before they lay them.’ I had 
 never thought of it in that light before, but I took in the new light, 
 as it were, at once, and we had a long talk together about the wonder¬ 
 ful wisdom of God,— how wonderfully he had planned everything, 
 so that animals that have to work have a place prepared. And tak- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 181 
 
 ing an apple, I cut it open to see how carefully the seeds were placed, 
 and explained that while we had to take the seed from the fruit and 
 plant it in the ground in order for the seed to get food, God had so 
 arranged it that the seed from which animals grow got food where 
 they were placed. 
 
 “I never was so thankful for anything as for this little incident. 
 By talking it over with them they have come to look upon the crea¬ 
 tion of animals as they do on all other of God’s creation,— something 
 wonderful, which only God could do. Not an evil thought accom¬ 
 panied it, for about their only remark was, ‘Don’t you think God is 
 wonderful, mamma?’ 
 
 “But I knew the evil one would not be content to let their minds 
 be thus pure; and knowing that there was lots of room yet, for we 
 had said nothing about the creation of man, I fully made up my mind 
 that I would be the first one to tell them everything, so they could 
 see it in a pure light. I prayed to God earnestly for wisdom. Still 
 I let week after week pass till some time last winter, one evening 
 after all the rest had gone to bed, and I and my little girl as usual 
 had a talk together. But that night I began by speaking of the 
 creation of God, going over the same ground that we had often gone 
 over before; and I then asked her if she knew where babies came from. 
 She said she thought the angels brought them to the doctor. We 
 had a long talk together. I told her babies were born like all other 
 creatures, that every mamma had her own babies. I told her, too, 
 not to tell any other children; that it was their mamma’s place to do 
 that. I have watched very closely to see what effect it would have 
 on her; and I can truly say that if all mothers would reveal to their 
 children what they think great mysteries, they would be well paid 
 for the time spent; for by thus telling them things that they so much 
 like to know, you get their whole confidence. 
 
 “We are now looking forward to the good time we will have when 
 the weather gets warm and school closes; for, ‘You know, Anna, 
 mamma will go out with us then,’ although they know that they 
 will have to do half of the work in order to have me go with them 
 at all; and then all I do most of the time is to go with them and sit 
 down on some high place where they can see me wherever they run. 
 
 “I only speak of this because I don’t think I or any other mother 
 can keep the children’s minds pure if we let them be with evil children; 
 and as children want to, and must be, out of doors, the one best suited 
 to be with them is the mother.” 
 
 Commenting on this mother’s experience, Mrs. Lewis wrote: — 
 
 “I am more and more convinced that there is danger of parents’ 
 depending too much upon books for wisdom to train their children, 
 
182 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 and not enough upon that wisdom that comes from above. Living 
 near to nature and near to nature’s God will do more for a mother 
 than any amount of book-learning without such communion.” 
 
 Not only should the younger children receive these elementary 
 lessons in regard to the origin of life, but even more during the stormy 
 days of youth do they need parental counsel. Early and faithful in¬ 
 struction should be given about the sacredness of the sexual organs, 
 and the terrible results that often follow a wrong and sinful abuse 
 of them. At this time, the daughter should receive wise counsel in 
 regard to the periodic physiological changes that are about to come 
 to her — what they mean, and how to care for herself, so that she 
 may pass through them without impairment of health. Instruct 
 the boy with respect to the laws -of health affecting the age of puberty. 
 The boy should be taught to have the same high ideals for himself 
 that he has for his sister, and to exalt the same moral standard for 
 men as for women. 
 
 Now, the parents who begin early to instruct their children in the 
 pure, chaste way employed by the mother before referred to, will 
 have little difficulty in giving to their sons and daughters the counsel 
 adapted to their growing needs; for the confidence and spirit of com¬ 
 radeship that were begun thus early will bind parent and child more 
 and more closely together as the years go by, and will lead the son 
 and daughter to look naturally to the parent rather than to any 
 other source of counsel and instruction. Alas, that such confidence 
 and comradeship should be so rare through false modesty and a 
 “league of silence,” when it ought to be and might be the normal 
 and natural condition of parent and child. 
 
 Thus far in our discussion the way is clear and smooth. There 
 seems to be general agreement that sex instruction such as has been 
 described should be given in the home. But, it is asserted, such in¬ 
 struction is not given in the home any noticeable extent. While 
 ideal conditions here and there exist, they are exceptional; the homes 
 for the most part ignore the subject, and our children grow up in* 
 ignorance or with distorted and inadequate knowledge. Hence, it 
 is argued, it is the duty of the schools to occupy this neglected field, 
 and give suitable sex instruction as the most likely means of saving 
 the race from moral and physical disaster. 
 
 Coming, then, to the teaching of this subject in our schools, great 
 care should be exercised lest more harm be done by injudicious meth¬ 
 ods than would result from ignoring the subject altogether. For 
 young and inexperienced teachers to introduce positive and radical 
 measures, setting the school agog with unwholesome feelings and 
 conversation, and drawing the disapproval of parents, would be to 
 court disaster. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 183 
 
 With primary pupils, little more is needed than the cultivation 
 of proper conduct and right habits. Indeed, in our average elemen¬ 
 tary schools no definite instruction should be attempted, either in 
 classes or before the entire school. The main thing is to see that the 
 pupils are surrounded with a pure and wholesome atmosphere. Rude¬ 
 ness and coarseness of conduct should be checked. The principles of 
 kindness and courtesy and chivalry should be taught and encouraged 
 by precept and example. High and noble ideals should ever be kept 
 before the school. Purity of thought and action should be com¬ 
 mended, and all coarseness and vulgarity should be frowned upon. 
 And the teacher should be constantly on the watch for signs of any 
 unwholesome influence, for it is more than possible that every school 
 has one or more pupils of impure tendencies, and the contagion will 
 spread if it be not checked. 
 
 The teacher should be thoroughly informed by reading upon all 
 these matters, and should be prepared to recognize and check the 
 first tendencies to evil; but her work should be largely of an individual 
 nature, talking with pupils one by one as necessity may arise or the 
 way may open. The teacher should also keep in close touch with 
 the parents, and should counsel with them and secure their coopera¬ 
 tion in checking improper tendencies on the part of their children. 
 Teachers of suitable strength of character and adequate knowledge 
 of the subject, might, with the consent of the parents, have heart-to- 
 heart talks with their older pupils, but always one by one, women with 
 girls and men with boys. 
 
 In colleges and academies the school homes furnish a good oppor¬ 
 tunity for sex education. The preceptor and preceptress sustain a 
 relation to the pupils of our school homes similar to that of parents. 
 And the evening worship hour, when the sexes are by themselves, 
 affords the very best opportunity for talks and readings upon sex 
 physiology and hygiene, either by the persons in charge or by suitable 
 speakers whom they may secure. There are also many opportunities 
 for private talks that would be in perfect keeping with the relation 
 existing between the students and their preceptor or preceptress. 
 Here, also, is the very best opportunity for the principal of the school 
 to cooperate in giving instruction to the pupils and counsel to those 
 in charge. To overlook these opportunities, and go on year after 
 year without alluding to these subjects, is in my judgment either false 
 modesty or unwarranted neglect, or a misapprehension of the need 
 of such instruction on the part of students and of the duty of teach¬ 
 ers having charge of these homes to give it. 
 
 There are in the curricula of academy and college certain studies 
 which afford opportunity to teach the principles of sex and repro- 
 
184 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 duction in a general way in mixed classes. I refer, of course, to bot¬ 
 any, physiology, biology, and zoology. In these subjects fertiliza¬ 
 tion of plants and reproduction of the lower forms of animal life pave 
 the way for the proper understanding of sex. Such instruction and 
 training are approved, even by those who are opposed to the direct 
 teaching of sex hygiene in the schools. And in all grades science and 
 nature lessons may be so presented as to furnish a foundation for more 
 specific instruction later, without arousing the opposition of those 
 who conscientiously fear the dangers of direct teaching of sex hygiene 
 among mixed classes. And afterward the sexes may be segregated 
 for the study of special physiology, if those in charge of the work 
 should think best. 
 
 In conclusion I would say that all purity workers, whether parents, 
 teachers, ministers, or physicians, should make wise use of the excel¬ 
 lent books that have been issued of late years on the subject of sex 
 hygiene, both for their own information and for judicious distribu¬ 
 tion among the young people for whom they labor. I will speak of 
 two or three. The “Self and Sex” .series, “What a Young Boy 
 Ought to Know,” “What a Young Man Ought to Know,” etc., are 
 too well known to need further introduction. Dr. Mary Wood- 
 Alien’s booklets, “Almost a Man ” and “Almost a Woman,” are ex¬ 
 cellent for boys and girls approaching puberty. But I wish especially 
 to commend the “Edward Bok Books of Self-Knowledge for Young 
 People and Parents.” No. I, “How Shall I Tell My Child?” is for 
 parents; No. 2, “When a Boy Becomes a Man,” is for boys of from 
 thirteen to fifteen years of age; No. 3, “Instead of Wild Oats,” is for 
 young men; and No. 5, “The Changing Girl,” is for the girl of from 
 ten to fifteen. These books are uniform in style and size, may be car¬ 
 ried in the pocket, and cost but 25 cents. I have read them all, and 
 heartily commend them. 
 
 If I were asked what I think would be the most effective plan for 
 promoting sex education and saving our young people from the evils 
 of the world, I should reply: — 
 
 1. Let our Young People’s Department prepare and circulate 
 purity literature; and,— 
 
 2. Let the Department of Education, through the Fireside Cor¬ 
 respondence School, offer a brief course of lessons to prepare parents 
 and teachers for giving instruction on purity subjects. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 Meade MacGuire: I feel that this is one of the most important 
 subjects that we have to deal with here in this Council, because, next 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 185 
 
 to religion, this is the most important question in the world, the ques¬ 
 tion of sex, the relation of men and women. Yet it is one which we 
 seem willing to ignore, or let alone, perhaps because of the difficulty 
 there is in discussing it. 
 
 I am very anxious not to present any more than is proper, and 
 at the same time not to leave unsaid what is necessary to say to awaken 
 those who have no adequate idea of the great importance of this work, 
 and the great need of something more being done on this line. 
 
 In the first place, it seems difficult for adults to appreciate the real 
 conditions under which a child grows up in this day. The conditions 
 have changed greatly in the last thirty or forty years, since some of 
 us were boys and girls. The conditions have changed very much in 
 the last five years. The children today are subjected to temptations 
 that those of us who have reached maturity can hardly imagine. 
 
 To illustrate: We know theoretically that moral and social condi¬ 
 tions of the world are rapidly growing worse, that they are approach¬ 
 ing the condition of the antediluvian world, and of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah. And unless we sit down and take account of things, we 
 are not likely to sense the terribly polluted condition of the world, 
 for familiarity breeds contempt. 
 
 When I was coming up here to the college, the day I passed 
 through Los Angeles, the leading article on the front page of the daily 
 papers was in regard to a certain play which had just been intro¬ 
 duced into the city, and had been passed on unfavorably by the board 
 of censors. I have forgotten the title of the play, but in a large pic¬ 
 ture on the front page of the paper there was illustrated the leading 
 scene in the play. There was a tree, and there was a young lady 
 who actually came out upon the stage in this act, and reached out to 
 pick fruit from the tree,— representing Eve apparently,— and she 
 was apparently nude. The question was raised in the paper,— 
 letters were sent out to many of the leading citizens and women of 
 the city, asking their opinion,— as to the justice of the censor board 
 in ruling that play out of the city. I remember well right on the 
 front page was a letter from the wife of Mayor Rose of Los Angeles, 
 in which she declared it was perfectly absurd for anybody to object 
 to such a play as that on the grounds that it led to immorality and 
 immodesty. 
 
 It seems to me, brethren and sisters, that when the world has 
 reached a condition like that, something more than ordinary safe¬ 
 guards must be thrown about our children. They must be fortified 
 against these encroachments of impurity and immorality, which 
 come in such insidious ways and which are all about them, in the 
 very atmosphere. 
 
186 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Another thing which has greatly stirred my mind as to the impor¬ 
 tance and necessity of doing something along this line, aside from per¬ 
 sonal experience for many years in studying the matter because of a 
 love for the children, and a desire to help them where they needed 
 help,— is an experience I once had in a sanitarium. I knew something 
 of the conditions that existed among the boys; I knew a great deal 
 of it. I saw young girls brought to the sanitarium who had lost their 
 mind from impurity and vice. They came from supposedly good 
 Seventh-day Adventist homes. I have seen a great deal of it since 
 then, more and more all the time. 
 
 Now, my dear friends, there are thousands and thousands on the 
 same road, and some one needs to get hold and help them now, where 
 they are. Every one thinks that if such wise and beautiful instruc¬ 
 tion can be given to all these little children as Professor Lewis de¬ 
 scribed in his paper, and as this mother in North Dakota gave, the 
 difficulty would be removed. But it is not given. Those who are 
 close to the children and know anything about their inner life, know 
 that it is not being given, and we have got to do something. 
 
 I remember some years ago visiting one of our church schools, a 
 large church school in the city, where there were two teachers. I 
 noticed two boys, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age. During 
 the intermission they were together. I stepped into one of the side 
 rooms, and noticing a note on the floor, picked it up and read it. It 
 fairly stunned me. It was one of the most vile and obscene things 
 I had ever seen, written by some boy. I immediately decided who 
 did it. 
 
 So when I had a good chance, after the meeting closed that after¬ 
 noon, I invited those two boys to wait and we would have a visit. 
 
 1 sat down alone with them, and I said:-— 
 
 “Boys, you each have a sister here in the school, haven’t you?” 
 
 “Yes, sir.” . 
 
 “Pretty good girls, too, aren’t they?” 
 
 “Yes, sir, they are.” 
 
 “Don’t you think a good deal of them? Wouldn’t you feel hurt 
 if some young fellow should come along and insult them, and say a 
 lot of nasty, wicked, vile stuff to them?” 
 
 Yes, they would. 
 
 “Well,” said I, “now, boys, I found a note here on the floor, and 
 it had some vile, bad stuff, and it might have fallen into some girl's. 
 hands. I think maybe it was meant for some girl here in the school.” 
 
 They looked significantly at each other. 
 
 “I am sure you would feel bad to have that fall into the hands of 
 your sister, wouldn’t you?” 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 187 
 
 "Yes. sir.” 
 
 "Now don’t you think you ought to have just as much care for 
 the sister of some other boy as you would want him to feel for your 
 sister? You want to protect your sister from anything so vile and 
 filthy as that. Don’t you think you ought to protect some other 
 boy’s sister?” 
 
 Well, I had a good talk with the boys, and they admitted the wrong 
 of it, and agreed that they would never do it again, and all that. 
 But this is just an illustration of the experiences that are to be met 
 all the time. 
 
 My friends, I have seen church schools where there was the gross¬ 
 est immorality among the children. I don’t mean vice, I mean im¬ 
 morality; and yet in some of these schools, the teacher knew nothing 
 about it, nobody seemed to know about it, and 1 could not say any¬ 
 thing about it. 
 
 Now it seems to me that in some way or other we ought to edu¬ 
 cate the teachers and young people’s workers so that they will wake 
 up and make a special study of this subject, and be able to help these 
 young people and children. Shall we know -a question of such im¬ 
 portance, and one which affects many more of our young people, 1 
 
 am satisfied, than the majority of us have any idea of, and ignore it, 
 or do nothing for fear of making it worse? or shall we do something? 
 
 I have talked on this subject during the last few years in three of 
 our colleges and a great number of our academies. I have talked 
 with the young men privately and publicly, and I have never talked 
 on a subject which seemed to be so deeply appreciated. Only a few 
 days ago here, a young man of perhaps sixteen came to me after one 
 
 of these talks, and he gripped my hand hard. I looked into his eyes, 
 
 and the tears stood there as he said, "Brother MacGuire, I thank 
 you for that talk.” And he turned around and walked off. But I 
 knew there was a great deal in that. It meant more than if he had 
 talked half an hour. I am sure there are scores like that. They 
 want instruction. They want it at home, but they do not get it. 
 
 Only the other night one of the finest young men that I have met 
 in any of our schools said to me, “Are you busy?” "Not especially,” 
 I replied. "Come over to my room,” he said. We went over to 
 his room and sat down, and he said, "I should like to talk to you 
 about a problem. I have never talked to any one in my life before.” 
 So he told me his problem. 
 
 Brethren and sisters, we ought to be in the position where these 
 boys and girls who are in the way to bring lifelong sorrow and dis¬ 
 tress and discouragement and oftentimes ruin to themselves,— we 
 ought to be where they can come to us and where we can get to them. 
 
188 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Now, I am inclined to differ with one statement in the paper with 
 regard to the method of approaching this subject with the boys and 
 girls, of taking them always one by one and alone. It has been my 
 serious experience and observation that while I think it would be best 
 to take the girls one by one and alone, it is more advisable to take 
 the boys in a company. When boys are together in wrong habits, 
 and then they are talked to together, high ideals being placed before 
 them, with true standards of purity and modesty, of physical purity, 
 each one acts as a check upon the others. The suggestions that were 
 made for the Missionary Volunteer Department to prepare literature, 
 are good, and it seems to me it ought to be done very soon. The Cor¬ 
 respondence School would be doing a grand work if it could provide 
 something that would be a help to parents. I know that a great 
 many parents are anxious for help. They do not know how rightly 
 to instruct their children, and I think that instruction given through 
 this channel would be better than simply a book. And then I think 
 our people should be encouraged to study the Testimonies on this 
 question. I refer now to the question of social ethics,— of the rela¬ 
 tion of young men and young women to each other,— the question of 
 sentimentalism and familiarity, and all that, which lead to a great 
 deal of wrong living, and even to physical ruin. Then I think we 
 could do a great deal by reforming ourselves, and by having heart- 
 to-heart talks with the parents on these lines. It is not something 
 to be avoided, as we have seemed to think in the past. We must 
 grapple with this question. 
 
 I heard one of our most prominent workers say that he believed 
 that the halting up-and-down experience of many of our young people 
 was due largely to impurity. And I believe it. 
 
 Now I think a great deal of help can come to the young people 
 by talking to them in a kind, sympathetic way about the question of 
 association. In the different schools where I have been I have felt 
 that my talks were greatly appreciated. I remember when I talked 
 to the students in one school on this question of association, the 
 faculty in the school, or some member of the faculty, told me 
 they were having quite a little trouble over the fact that there 
 were a number of couples in the school who were engaged, and 
 that they considered themselves entitled to certain privileges and 
 liberties, and thought it proper for them to run out together and to 
 indulge in embracing and kissing and those things; and the faculty 
 wanted me to say something about it. So I talked with these young 
 men about it in a perfectly frank and nice way. I said that I had 
 heard of one young man who was engaged fifteen times before he was 
 sixteen years of age. Now, if an engagement means so little, and if 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 189 
 
 it entitles young people to these familiarities, where will that lead? 
 As Dr. Hall says, a girl that is all things to all men will very soon be 
 nothing to anybody. I said to these students, “Would you like to 
 think of your sister as permitting all these familiarities, embracing 
 and kissing any young man that comes along? Would you not feel 
 humiliated? If you do not want your sister to do that, then do you 
 think it right to encourage it in other boys’ sisters?” And I have 
 found invariably, whenever young men talked to me at all about it, 
 that they have said, “That is the right principle. I have never seen 
 it that way before. I think that is fine, and I purpose to follow it.” 
 
 I think we have the finest young men and women in the world, 
 and they are going to be called upon to do the noblest and most heroic 
 work of any young people in the world; but I think that here is a prob¬ 
 lem that we must definitely grapple with, and I think that every one 
 of us must consider it. Perhaps it is not some hysterical move that 
 we need, but every one of us must wake up, and open our eyes, and 
 inform ourselves, and take hold of the situation, get at the root of it; 
 we must get hold of these young people, and put the right ideals of 
 modesty and purity before them, and I believe we can help them. 
 
 Matilda Erickson: I am very much interested in this subject. 
 I tried to beg off from this discussion, because I feel that I can add 
 nothing that would be a help. I am sure you all know a great deal 
 more about it than I do. But I want to speak of it from the stand¬ 
 point of the young people’s work. 
 
 I think every Missionary Volunteer secretary should be prepared 
 to help the parents and the young people wherever he or she goes. 
 I have not done very much field work, but in the little I have done I 
 have learned that there is perhaps no other person that needs more 
 help, outside of the parents, than the church-school teacher. Again 
 and again church-school teachers have come to me and asked me for 
 help. So I think, as young people’s workers, wherever we go we 
 should be prepared to give the parents lists of good helpful literature 
 that will be of use to them in teaching the children, and we should 
 be a help to the church-school teacher who must step in now and then 
 and take the parent’s place, and deal with the boys and girls. 
 
 I think, too, that we should make it a point to remind the church- 
 school teacher that all purity work in the church school should be 
 individual and personal. Then I think it would be a splendid thing, 
 as our young people’s workers go from place to place, to be prepared 
 to hold parents’ meetings. We can do it in a very modest way. 
 They are our helpers in building up this young people’s work, and 
 we want to be their helpers in passing on what we have received 
 from others, that will helpjthem. 
 
190 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 In the little field work that I have done I have been called upon 
 to give talks to girls occasionally, and I did not deal with the subject 
 quite as some other people do. I feel that if we can guard against 
 the silent forces that draw our young people down, we shall be able 
 to lift them up. 
 
 Last winter I heard a social purity lecturer, and she emphasized 
 several good points. She said our public schools are sending out young 
 people with wrong ideals. It is money, money at any cost, and it is 
 all intellect and no heart, and that is why we have so much social 
 impurity. I believe the things for us to do, as young people’s work¬ 
 ers, is to set high ideals before our young men and women. I like 
 to impress the girls, when I work with them, that wherever we may 
 choose to be we can succeed only as we are true and noble women 
 ourselves. If we can keep their eyes on that goal, it will be the great¬ 
 est of all safeguards, aside from consecration. 
 
 Judge Lindsey says that nine tenths of the social impurity comes 
 from ignorance. I think there is not a purity worker anywhere who 
 does not count that as one of the main causes of social impurity. 
 This should make us all stand on the side of these workers, on the 
 side of the paper we have heard this afternoon, and so help the boys 
 and girls with whom we come in contact. 
 
 I heard a social purity lecturer say that one of the chief contrib¬ 
 uting causes of the downfall of our boys and girls today is the songs 
 they sing. If we could clear the pianos in some of our Seventh-day 
 Adventist homes from some of the songs that are there, We should 
 do a good deed in the social purity cause. In studying the matter of 
 social purity, I find that light reading is considered one of the chief 
 causes of impurity. I think if we can get our young people interested, 
 as we are trying to do, in reading good books, we shall find it one of 
 their greatest safeguards. As to amusements, one of the leaders in 
 the purity federation says that moving picture shows and theaters are 
 not safe places for young people, because they drag so many down. 
 
 I really think the girls and the young women hold a large place 
 in the social purity question, that the responsibility upon them is 
 heavier than upon the young men or upon the boys; and when I talk 
 with them, I lay great stress upon the dress question. I shall not 
 forget a lecture by Frances Willard on the simplicity of dress and its 
 relation to social purity. I believe we should emphasize, greatly em¬ 
 phasize, among our girls and young women, the imperative need of 
 simple and modest attire. In a leaflet on social purity it was stated 
 that unless there is a radical change among our young people on the 
 dress question, there is little hope of making progress in social purity 
 and the social purity cause. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 19.1 
 
 As has been said, we need definite instruction on the association 
 of the sexes. But girls can hurt one another very much if they are 
 careless in their association with one another. I think we need to in¬ 
 spire them to have always high ideals before them. A while ago 
 I read of what was called the “big brother movement.” A few 
 years ago one of my Sabbath school girls came to me and told me 
 some things that made me almost broken hearted. When I got through 
 with that, I resolved that I was going to originate, all by myself, 
 a big sister movement. I think that there ought to be big sisters 
 among the girls, always ready to help. 
 
 There is nothing that will inspire a young boy so much as to have 
 confidence in the young women, and to know that we are striving 
 to be pure. 
 
 I should like to emphasize the thought that we should be prepared 
 to give instruction concerning the safeguards of social purity, be pre¬ 
 pared to help the parents. They need our sympathy and all the help 
 we can give them. 
 
 Last but not least, may we all be able to keep the purity of our 
 own lives, never to make any mistake in any of the little things, so 
 that we can, by the grace of God, help others. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I hope that in our schools and in our young people’s 
 work we may do more along this line than we have ever done before. 
 As has been emphasized, we should all be examples of what we teach. 
 I think the things that have been said here are not out of place. 
 
 There was a man in Washington, D. C., who told Dr. Hall that if 
 he ever went to hell, it would be because of the dress of modern women. 
 I am sorry that all of this is not outside of our own ranks. I hope 
 that we may be able, in our parents’ meetings and in separate groups, 
 among the boys, at least, when the time seems opportune, to do some¬ 
 thing along these lines. 
 
EXTENDING THE INFLUENCE OF OUR SCHOOLS 
 
 I. H. EVANS 
 
 This is my last study. I thought I would consider the question 
 of extending our school influences to the homes of the people. 1 
 believe that our Saviour was deeply interested in the home life of the 
 people, because I find him continually manifesting this tendency 
 while here, as recorded in the Gospels. 
 
 In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew we read that our Saviour 
 called a little child and set him in the midst of the disciples and those 
 about, and then drew a very important lesson from the child. You 
 will remember the incident — it is in the first six verses of this chap¬ 
 ter: — 
 
 “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who 
 is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little 
 child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily 
 I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, 
 ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore 
 shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the 
 kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in 
 my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones 
 which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were 
 hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of 
 the sea.” 
 
 This scripture does not show simply how Christ dealt with the 
 home life, but also that he was interested in the child life of the people 
 in his day. I think no one can read the life of Christ without being 
 impressed that he really loved children and took a deep personal 
 interest in them. 
 
 This morning I wish to suggest some things that I should be glad 
 to see undertaken in our school work. 
 
 When you study the visits of Christ to the homes of Lazarus 
 and others, and learn how he talked, and when you find him in the 
 home of Peter and of Simon and of other men, you will know that 
 Christ did take a deep interest in the home life of the people. Our 
 school work, as it is organized and as it is presented to us under modern 
 conditions, is not the same that prevailed in the time of Christ. The 
 methods employed are in a large measure foreign to anything known 
 in Bible times. A teacher — a real teacher — ought not to be simply 
 an instructor of the children that are sent to him, but he should be 
 more, — he should enter deeply into the life of the community 
 represented in his work. I have long believed that our colleges do 
 
 192 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 193 
 
 not exert the extended influence they ought to exert among our people. 
 They seem to fall short of the ideal, and I would that I could stir up 
 our minds to the idea of extending our work in a more definite manner 
 for the uplifting of the masses of our people. 
 
 I do not know why our school work should be confined to the youth 
 of our denomination. I do not know why we should think that we 
 
 have to spend many thousands of dollars for simply the boys and 
 
 girls. Certainly we ought to do that, but I think it is possible for 
 our school activities to be extended and their usefulness greatly 
 multiplied by reaching into the home life of our people in the ter¬ 
 ritories where these schools are situated. We miss a great deal in 
 
 our school work by the lack of knowledge on the part of our teachers 
 of the home life of the children and youth who come to them for 
 instruction. 
 
 We have shaped our schools a great deal after the schools about 
 us. We have grown up in the midst of a public school system, which, 
 I believe, is a splendid system. I never hear any one speak against 
 our public school system but it makes my blood boil. I don’t believe 
 it is right to denounce the public schools. They are one of the great¬ 
 est blessings that have come to humanity, aside from religion. If 
 you should take out of this world three things that would be the 
 greatest calamity to the whole citizenship of our country, in my 
 opinion the greatest misfortune would come from taking our religion, 
 our public schools, and the press. Why should we, as teachers and 
 leaders of public education, denounce a system that has uplifted 
 such multitudes, enlarged their vision, and given them a new view 
 of life, as our public schools have done? I believe, therefore, that 
 we ought not to denounce our public schools, but to talk about our 
 own schools. 
 
 Our schools are for Seventh-day Adventist children, and they 
 are organized, not because they are better and stronger than the 
 public schools in the teaching of science, or art, or literature, or music, 
 but because they make Seventh-day Adventists of our children; 
 and I believe that the definite aim in running Seventh-day Adventist 
 schools should be to educate our own people so that when they have 
 received their training, they will still believe the third angel’s message, 
 believe in the Word of God, and be true Christians. Therefore I 
 am heartily in favor of our schools, not because I am opposed to the 
 public schools, but because I do not think that the public schools 
 can make Seventh-day Adventists. Our denominational schools 
 should point their whole efforts toward teaching Christ and training 
 boys and girls for the kingdom of God. 
 
 13 
 
104 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 But I wanted to talk this morning about extending this influence. 
 A teacher is at a very great disadvantage if he is absolutely ignorant 
 of the home life of the boys and girls he teaches. He has no way of 
 knowing what the father and mother are like. He does not know 
 what the boy or girl is used to. Of course in our present rush method 
 of working our teachers as hard as we do, it is almost impossible 
 for them to become acquainted with the home life of the students. 
 But it always makes a great difference to me in my work as a preacher 
 when I become acquainted with the environment and conditions 
 that people live in when they are at home. I think that must be 
 true of every one of you as teachers. 
 
 I have seen boys and girls, as I have traveled about, and I formed 
 my opinion of them; but as soon as I went into their homes and saw 
 the conditions under which they were brought up, I modified my 
 views a great deal. I changed my ideas of what those boys and 
 girls were or could be, or what we could make out of them. The 
 gathering of boys and girls into our schools is an unnatural situation, 
 to say the least. God ordained the home, and we are taking these 
 boys and girls out of their homes to educate them, because, we say, 
 we can do it better than the fathers and mothers can. There is no 
 other reason on earth why you should call my boy out of my home 
 except that you can train him better than I can. That being the 
 case, I think it is necessary, before you can teach my boy or deal 
 with him as he ought to be dealt with, for you to know me and my 
 wife. You ought to become acquainted with us, and know what 
 kind of child you have to deal with. 
 
 I know the public schools do not deal that way at all. Our mili¬ 
 tary schools publish in public print the number of credits or dis¬ 
 credits a boy gets a month. In Annapolis or West Point, if he gets 
 one hundred discredits, he is dismissed without any recourse what¬ 
 ever, and no opportunity of being reinstated. This record is printed 
 on slips and passed out so every boy may know it. The discredits 
 are given for any irregularities, such as appearing in public with 
 boots unblacked or with dirty linen. That would count perhaps 
 five discredits. It may be the cadet has not put his sword or gun 
 in proper shape, or he does not salute his superior officer in proper 
 form. They do not reprimand the boy for any of these things, but 
 they let his discredits accumulate, and when he has one hundred he 
 is dismissed and sent home. That is an arbitrary way of dealing 
 with students. There is no personal talk, no interview, no trying to 
 reach the heart of the boy at all. That is military rule. The boys, 
 have to take their chances on getting through. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 195 
 
 Christian schools cannot be run that way. It seems to me the 
 better way for teachers, in order to be able to deal intelligently and 
 successfully with the student body and the student life, is to become 
 acquainted with the parents of the children just as far as possible. 
 That means a great deal of responsibility, to be sure, but I think it 
 is a very great essential for every teacher, as far as possible, to get 
 into the home life of every boy and girl that comes to the school 
 for instruction. 
 
 There are some things I should like to see our schools undertake 
 for the parents in the territories that the schools represent. I would 
 speak especially of our colleges, and then, in descending order, of 
 our other schools, reaching clear down to the church schools. 
 
 First, I believe we ought to start a campaign to help our people 
 to appreciate children. That may seem like a peculiar thing; but 
 if we knew how many unwelcome children there are in this world, 
 we should not be astonished that so many go astray. I think one 
 of the most difficult things a child has to do is to meet the conditions 
 imposed upon him by his parents in not desiring him to be born 
 into this world. It is a very great misfortune in any child’s life to 
 be born into this world when neither parent wished him to be born. 
 You say, “Is that possible?” I suppose, my friends that you are 
 as intelligent on that as I am; if you are, you know that this is the 
 case with many a poor child who comes into this world without any 
 choice of his own. I hold that such a child is placed at a very great 
 disadvantage. Timidity, embarrassment, and a feeling of depression 
 and loneliness will follow him, probably, as long as he lives. Our 
 people ought to be taught that children are the gift of God, and that 
 parentage is the highest privilege in this world. When this is ap¬ 
 preciated, there will be a great change in this respect. 
 
 There ought to be carried forward in our school territories a 
 campaign on the responsibility of parenthood. We cannot do that 
 from the central department alone. Never can we reach the masses 
 of our people through a department in Christian Educator or in the 
 Review and Herald. I should like to see our schools so organized 
 that they can carry on such a campaign. It is sad to say that there 
 are many fathers and mothers who give greater care and more thought 
 to their live stock than to their children. They think more of giving 
 their stock proper care and feeding and getting them in shape for 
 market exhibition, than they really do of bestowing a good heritage 
 on their children. Really it is an awful pity for our boys and girls 
 to be brought up under these conditions. 
 
 The camp meeting is not the place to reach these people, because 
 only the better class of our people attend camp meetings. There 
 
196 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ought to be a good lecture course arranged. You ought to go out 
 into the homes in all our churches, and talk to the people on the 
 responsibilities of parenthood. Tell them that God will hold them 
 responsible for the souls of their children, for their training, for their 
 usefulness in society. Set before them the possibilities, both for 
 good and for evil; tell them what can be done for their children, if 
 the parents will set themselves to train them for God and for his 
 service. 
 
 More attention ought to be paid to the training of children in 
 the home. I do not know that there is any one in our denomination 
 giving special attention to this. We preachers hardly dare to do it, 
 because our own children are so bad. I think I never in my life 
 gave a lecture on child training, and surely I would not feel my¬ 
 self competent to do it; but you are professors, that is what you pose 
 for, what you are trained for; and therefore it does seem to me that 
 it behooves you to prepare courses of instruction on child training. 
 I am sure that of all people the preacher is the least qualified. I 
 remember that for fifteen years in succession I was never with my fam¬ 
 ily for three weeks consecutively. It is impossible to train a family 
 in that way. But you professors are graduates in the school of train¬ 
 ing, you have studied everything that pertains to child training. 
 I believe you ought to extend your influence beyond the schoolroom 
 to the home. You bring these boys and girls together in the school 
 and teach them, but as has been mentioned here a number of times, 
 you are thus reaching only about fifty per cent of our boys and girls. 
 I think we ought to start a campaign to get the other fifty per cent, 
 or as large a per cent as we can, into our schools. 
 
 If we could get even thirty per cent into our schools for training, 
 we might overcome a great many of our financial difficulties. Your 
 deficits would rapidly disappear if you could flood your schools with 
 thirty per cent more pupils than you have at the present time. I 
 believe it is for the financial benefit of the schools to enter upon a 
 campaign to get more pupils. 
 
 Lectures should be given among our people on prenatal influences; 
 and who should give these lectures if not our professors? We cer¬ 
 tainly cannot delegate this work to our ministers. We are press¬ 
 ing them more and more into new fields. We are compelling them, 
 by every influence that we can bring to bear, to press on into un¬ 
 entered territory. They are evangelists; they must give their thought 
 to that line of work. Our schools ought to be the educators of our 
 people. They ought to follow up the evangelists. When the min¬ 
 isters bring churches into existence, then our schools should follow 
 right on in the wake of the evangelists, and set a course of training 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 197 
 
 before these people that will be very helpful. There is a great deal 
 of importance attached to prenatal influence; and if you could give 
 lectures and draw from your large range of knowledge the influences 
 of this education, it would be very helpful to the children that may 
 be born in the days to come. 
 
 Then we ought to give a great deal of attention to educating 
 parents in regard to the influences in the home,— influences whose 
 effects will never depart from the child. Many of our people do not 
 think much about the home life. They are working year in and year 
 out to make money. They get up at four o’clock in the morning, 
 and their whole idea is to work, work, work. There is little time 
 for prayer or Bible study. I tell you, many of our boys and girls 
 live under high pressure, a pressure that you and 1 do not know much 
 about until we get into the home life. You may be sure that those 
 boys and girls are not going to take a very great interest in education 
 unless there is an awakening in that home. I believe it belongs to 
 the teachers to stay that tide of commercialism, to let the parents 
 know that there is value in their children, as well as in raising 
 wheat and corn. 
 
 Until you can stimulate some of our fathers and mothers to a 
 different method of thinking, you may be sure that their boys and girls 
 will not stay with us when they come into manhood and womanhood. 
 They will drive as hard as they can in some line of business, and so 
 we shall lose them. 
 
 Then, again, I think our people ought to be educated respecting 
 the value of our denominational schools to themselves and to their 
 children. We are guilty before the Lord in many cases because we 
 do not hunt out those whom we cannot reach at camp meetings. If 
 everybody would only go to camp meeting, it would be all right; 
 but the people who do go are generally the ones who send their children 
 to our schools. They are the givers, the helpers, the builders of our 
 work. But it is true that there is a large element that does not go 
 to the camp meeting, and these are the ones, generally, who do not 
 patronize our schools. I never could believe that it is better to let 
 a child grow up in ignorance than to send him to the public schools; 
 but I do believe that our people ought to be impressed with the 
 difference between our schools and their object, and the public schools. 
 I do not see why we need to decry the public schools in order to praise 
 our own schools; I would not say one word against the public schools; 
 but ours are better for the purpose for which they were founded,— 
 to train our own boys and girls so that when they come out of school 
 they will be Christians, Seventh-day Adventists, and many of them 
 workers for God. 
 
198 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 It does seem to me that we ought, in some way, to get at the 
 unreached element of our denomination. Is it not the privilege 
 of our college presidents and their faculties to set in operation a plan 
 that will reach the homes of these people who are not reached by 
 our public efforts? I would suggest that we divide our territory up 
 and employ all our teachers who have ability and training along 
 this line, and send them forth during the summer to do this campaign 
 work. Then let these teachers not simply attend camp meetings,— 
 which is all right,— but go into the very homes of the people every¬ 
 where, and get acquainted with every father and mother, and with 
 every son and daughter who ought to be in school, and do every¬ 
 thing for them that you can. I do not think any school board could 
 make a better investment than to send their teachers, as soon as they 
 have had a little rest after the hard work of the year, right out into 
 the homes to do personal work. It would fill our schools and it 
 would reach the fifty per cent that we have talked so much about 
 in this Council. 
 
 Then, too, I believe that our schools ought to be very active 
 in the matter of placing the right kind of literature in the homes 
 of our people, for both the parents and the children. I know we 
 have reading courses for our young people, and we have reading 
 courses for our ministers; but really there is a large element of influ¬ 
 ential people that we do not reach in this way. Why should not our 
 schools carry on a campaign for parents, in educating them and 
 helping them to select what is proper and helpful for them to read? 
 A man can confer no greater favor upon a friend than to persuade 
 him to read a good, strong, helpful book. 
 
 Many of the parents do not know what to read. They have 
 their farm paper, a magazine or two of a worldly character, and perhaps 
 one or two of our own papers. There ought to be a strong campaign 
 on this question of good, helpful literature that would arouse their 
 minds and awaken them to a great deal wider vision of life than 
 they now have. 
 
 You say that ought to be done by an organization outside of the 
 school; but I sometimes feel as if our college life in this denomi¬ 
 nation ought to rise to a higher plane, and become an active agent 
 in the lives of our young people as an educating agency. Why should 
 you confine yourselves simply to educating boys and girls who are 
 sent to you, and never do anything for the uplifting of the people 
 in general? 
 
 However, I think there should be great wisdom shown in the 
 choice of literature. Many of our homes are woefully destitute of 
 books. For the last few years I have not been in the homes of our 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 199 
 
 people very much, I am sorry to say, because of being in a different 
 line of work; but I have been in many and many a home in my earlier 
 travels, and have looked for the most common books to read, but 
 could not find them. Some homes have scarcely any books at all. 
 I think it is an awful calamity for a home to be without a few good 
 books. I do not say that every family ought to have hundreds of 
 them; there are not very many families belonging to our people that 
 are able to afford a large number; but I think t’here are very few fami¬ 
 lies so poor that they cannot save a little money every year to invest 
 in a few good books. If you can help a family to buy good books, 
 you have conferred a blessing upon that family. 
 
 Now it seems to me that inasmuch as in the seventy years of our 
 existence as a people we have never done this thing to any extent 
 whatever, if our schools will rise up and take hold of this line of 
 work and feel a responsibility for helping to educate our laity as well 
 as our boys and girls, they will have made a great stride in advance. 
 
 But you say our ministers can do this. But our ministers have 
 never done it in the proper way. A few men have done it, but the 
 majority of our ministers have never done very much in this line. 
 The extent of the books that we have ever sold or the advice we have 
 ever given generally has been limited to the reading of our own de¬ 
 nominational books. 
 
 Every family of Seventh-day Adventists ought to have a set of 
 the Testimonies in their home. It would be a great blessing. You 
 and I could sit down together and make out a list of five to ten books, 
 
 . or fifteen to twenty books, that we should like to get our people to 
 read, and that would be extremely helpful to them. I read a book 
 and it helps me, you read a book and it helps you; but there are many 
 men in your community who read practically nothing at all, except 
 perhaps, the daily paper. There are not many things in the daily 
 paper that are very profitable for our people to read. It is infinitely 
 better for them to read a good book. If a man goes at it properly, 
 he can read the newspaper in half an hour, and get all there is out 
 of it that is worth while. 
 
 Possibly from our school centers we ought to carry on a campaign 
 in our homes by lectures and by every means possible, teaching clean¬ 
 liness, proper dress, manners in the home, and thus try to make 
 our homes centers of refinement, centers where it is a pleasure to live. 
 I know we have generally left to the sanitariums this duty, but our 
 sanitariums are not meeting the conditions, they are not doing the 
 work. It is almost impossible today to get a doctor to go out into the 
 field at all. He wants to be a professional man. So why could 
 not our teachers take hold of this line of work, and carry into our 
 
200 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 homes the high ideals of cleanliness, proper decorum, healthful dress, 
 ventilation, and such things as our people ought to know? 
 
 Then I should like to see our schools give lecture courses to com¬ 
 munities of Adventists. You cannot do it all at once, but I believe 
 you can get up splendid illustrated lectures, such as on domestic 
 science, etc., that would not cost very much, and which would be a 
 very great source of education to our people. 
 
 I thank the Lord that some of our schools are starting this work, 
 and I believe it is a step in the right direction. But I do not think 
 it is enough that you teach the children who are sent to you. I 
 should like to see you get right out into the homes of the people, 
 and by illustrations that you can show on the screen present to them 
 a better way than they are doing. That would be a mighty uplift 
 to our people. I believe you will never find a more hearty welcome 
 anywhere than in our churches if you will give suitable lectures on 
 these lines, that will be elevating and helpful to our fathers and 
 mothers. 
 
 Now, brethren, I do believe that it is the duty of our schools 
 to undertake a larger work than they are doing. I think you have 
 narrowed yourselves down because you have not seen the schools 
 doing this kind of work. I think you are aware of the fact that 
 many of the universities are launching out in this work. They are 
 sending lecturers to almost every rural community in the States, 
 and they are giving lectures on agriculture, domestic science, stock 
 breeding, stock feeding, and all kinds of work on the farm and in 
 the home. Why should our people have to go to the world to get 
 this education? I believe the time has come when our schools should 
 enlarge their fields of activity, and qualify themselves, by thorough 
 preparation, by study, and by a definite purpose, to go out into the 
 churches, to our people everywhere, lift them up to a higher plane, 
 to urge them and persuade them that there is a better way to live 
 than they are living, to impress upon them the responsibilities and 
 duties of parenthood, and to help them to send their children to our 
 schools, where they can be fitted for service in the Master’s work. 
 
EDUCATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 Greetings, Condolences, Pledges, Liquor Traffic 
 
 i. Voted, To adopt the report of the committee appointed to draft 
 a message of greeting from the Council to Mrs. E. G. White, as fol¬ 
 lows: — 
 
 Mrs. E. G. White , 
 
 Sanita Hum , Cal. 
 
 Dear Sister White: — 
 
 The delegates of the Educational and Missionary Volunteer 
 Council of the North American Division Conference assembled at 
 Pacific Union College send you greetings. We are very sorry that 
 you are unable to meet with us and give us counsel. But we are glad 
 to know of your deep interest in our young people and your efforts 
 for them, even during your illness. In our counsels we are endeavor¬ 
 ing to follow the light which the Lord has given in past years through 
 your ministry. We are pledging our lives anew to the training of 
 our children and youth for God’s service. 
 
 May the Lord bless you richly by his presence and give you hope 
 and confidence in God. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you 
 In behalf of the Council, 
 
 Frederick Griggs 
 M. E. Kern 
 W. E. Howell 
 
 ( 
 
 Committee 
 
 2. We recommend , That for God’s protecting care over our build¬ 
 ings and property, for his manifest love in preserving our lives and 
 our health, and for his tender mercy and long suffering in dealing s‘o 
 gently with our mistakes, we not only express to our heavenly Father 
 our most sincere gratitude, but in appreciation of all this blessing we 
 do hereby pledge ourselves to more earnest, faithful, self-sacrificing, 
 sympathetic, united service in this precious work until it is finished. 
 
 3. Whereas , Since last assembling in general convention, God in 
 his providence has permitted to be laid to rest two of our beloved 
 friends and fellow teachers, Mrs. C. C. Lewis and Prof. E. D. Kirby, 
 who for many years have labored faithfully and untiringly in the cause 
 of Christian education; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend , (a) That we in council assembled, while bowing in 
 submission to that which a loving Father has permitted, do hereby 
 express to the bereaved families our deepest, most heartfelt sympathy. 
 
 (b) That we pledge ourselves to emulate their noble example of 
 loyalty and faithful labor by lifting still higher the banner of truth 
 
 201 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 202 
 
 that has fallen from their hands, and carrying forward to a triumphant 
 termination the blessed work for which they have given their lives, 
 so that when it is finished and the Life-giver comes, he may say to 
 them and to us all, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou 
 into the joy of thy Lord.” 
 
 4. Voted, To adopt the following preambles and resolution on the 
 liquor traffic: — 
 
 Whereas, Intoxicating liquor is one of the greatest crime-promoters 
 in America, being responsible for a large share of all the murders, 
 brawls, wife-beatings, divorces, accidents, and business failures, fill¬ 
 ing our courts with criminal cases, our jails with prisoners, our hos¬ 
 pitals and infirmaries with patients, our orphanages with homeless 
 children, and our insane asylums with inmates; and,— 
 
 Whereas, Alcohol is a poison whose use weakens men and women 
 physically, mentally, and morally, unfitting them for parenthood or 
 married life, and whose manufacture and sale corrupt politics, pauper¬ 
 ize the purchaser and his family, and degrade brewer, saloon owner, 
 and bartender, besides encouraging all forms of unmentionable vice; 
 and,— 
 
 Whereas, Experience has demonstrated that better business con¬ 
 ditions and lower taxes come with prohibition; therefore,— 
 
 Be it resolved, That we, the representatives of the Educational 
 and Missionary Volunteer Departments of the Seventh-day Adventist 
 denomination, in convention assembled, hereby protest most emphat¬ 
 ically against the legalized manufacture or sale of intoxicating liquor 
 in the nation; and that we pledge ourselves by voice, pen, and vote, 
 and through the circulation of good literature upon the subject, to 
 wage an aggressive campaign throughout the land in an earnest en¬ 
 deavor to remove the awful liquor curse. To this end we invite the 
 hearty cooperation of all good citizens. 
 
 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 
 Name 
 
 5. Whereas, The term “church school” naturally applies to all 
 grades of our schools from the primary to the college; and,— 
 
 Whereas, There is more or less confusion in the use of the term 
 “church school” as applied to the schools supported by the local 
 churches; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, That the term “elementary schools” be applied 
 to those schools carrying eight grades or less. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 20$ 
 
 Financial Policy 
 
 .6. (a) Combined Tuition and Pledge Plan. 
 
 Voted , That we recommend our elementary school boards to 
 pursue substantially the following financial policy: — 
 
 (1) To take, early in the summer, a careful census of all children 
 . of school age. 
 
 (2) To fix a tuition rate for each grade in the school. 
 
 (3) To make a careful estimate of the monthly expense of con¬ 
 ducting the school on the basis of the census, the tuition rates, the 
 teacher’s salary, school supplies, repairs, and improvements. 
 
 (4) That every parent be urged to pay the tuition of his own chil¬ 
 dren, as far as possible. 
 
 (5) That in cases where parents cannot pay, other members of 
 the church be solicited to pay the equivalent of the tuition of one or 
 more children each month. 
 
 (6) That other members be invited to pledge a certain amount 
 each month for the upkeep of the school until the total amount paid 
 in tuition and pledges exceeds the monthly estimate by ten per cent. 
 
 (7) That all who make monthly pledges for the support of the 
 school be encouraged to pay them twelve months in the year, so as 
 to create a surplus during the summer to meet the extra expense in¬ 
 cident to the opening of school. 
 
 (8) That no Seventh-day Adventist child in the church be deprived 
 of the privileges of the school for financial reasons. 
 
 (9) That a financial agent be appointed to solicit and collect 
 pledges and keep the board informed on the financial status of the 
 school from month to month. 
 
 (b) All-Pledge Plan. 
 
 To add as an alternative financial policy with the combined tui¬ 
 tion and pledge plan, that of making the school expense entirely a 
 general church affair. 
 
 ACADEMIES 
 
 Aim of Ten-Grade Academies 
 
 7. That we earnestly urge our ten-grade academies and interme¬ 
 diate schools to make it their chief aim thoroughly to ground our boys 
 and girls in the common branches as well as in other subjects. 
 
 Uniform Dress for Girls 
 
 8. Whereas, There is a tendency on the part of many of our stu¬ 
 dents to follow the improper fashions of the world in the matter of 
 dress; and,— 
 
204 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Whereas , Many students of limited means are embarrassed because 
 of the extravagant dress of the more wealthy,— 
 
 We recommend, That the faculties of our advanced schools give 
 favorable consideration to the matter of having the young women 
 dress in plain, tasteful uniforms. 
 
 Qualifications of Teachers 
 
 9. That our academies man their faculties to the end that a solid 
 foundation be laid in the education of the student, and that he be 
 inspired with a determination to secure the best qualifications possible 
 for field service, especially to avail himself of a college course. 
 
 The Ministry 
 
 10. That our academies do not undertake to train men especially 
 for the ministry, but encourage them to make the ministry their aim. 
 
 COLLEGES 
 
 Qualifications of Teachers 
 
 11. That our colleges man their faculties as far as possible with 
 men and women who have had a successful field experience. 
 
 12. That special effort be made to secure the best teachers on the 
 faculty for the ministerial course, including such lines as history and 
 the languages, and if necessary, provide funds for their obtaining the 
 necessary preparation. 
 
 Ministerial Courses 
 
 13. That we so arrange our ministerial courses that practical field 
 work shall be required for graduation. 
 
 Uniform Dress for Girls 
 
 See Recommendation No. 8. 
 
 SPECIAL SCHOOLS 
 Foreign Seminaries 
 
 14. Whereas, By the establishment of the German Seminary at 
 Clinton, Mo., the Swedish Seminary at Broadview, Ill., and the 
 Danish-Norwegian Seminary at Hutchinson, Minn., since our Educa¬ 
 tional Convention at Berrien Springs, Mich., in 1910, a new era has 
 begun in the history of our work for foreigners in America; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, (a) That we hereby express our thankfulness to 
 God for this new evidence of the extension of the work; and further,— 
 
 (b) That we welcome these foreign seminaries in our midst, and 
 that we hereby pledge our hearty support to the furtherance of this 
 work among the foreigners in America. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 205 
 
 Fireside Correspondence School 
 
 15. Whereas , The Fireside Correspondence School has been organ¬ 
 ized by the General Conference Department of Education for the 
 purpose of helping those who for any reason are prevented from at¬ 
 tending our resident schools; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, (a) That the Correspondence School maintain, by 
 revision of its lessons, if necessary, the same high standard of scholar¬ 
 ship as that of our resident schools. 
 
 (b) That the Correspondence School cooperate with the resident 
 schools by avoiding, wherever possible, the enrollment of students in 
 correspondence work who are members of resident schools, except by 
 consent of their faculties. 
 
 (c) That the certificates of the Correspondence School be accepted 
 by the resident schools at full value, for subjects up to one half the 
 number of credits required for graduation. 
 
 (d) That our teachers, ministers, and educational and Missionary 
 Volunteer workers encourage our young people to take work in the 
 Correspondence School when they are unable to attend our resident 
 schools. 
 
 (e) That our ministers and other missionary workers be encour¬ 
 aged and advised to avail themselves of this valuable means of aid in 
 becoming workmen that need not be ashamed. 
 
 Loma Linda College of Medical Evangelists 
 
 16. Whereas , The denomination has established a medical training 
 school, known as the College of Medical Evangelists, at Loma Linda, 
 California; and,— 
 
 Whereas, This school is equipped and qualified to give special edu¬ 
 cation and training along medical missionary lines; and,— 
 
 Whereas, The General Conference must speedily send large reen¬ 
 forcements into heathen lands to help give the message; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, (a) That this Educational Council recognize the 
 College of Medical Evangelists as the denominational training school 
 along medical and medical evangelistic lines. 
 
 (b) That we encourage all our young people who are taking or 
 planning to take a medical course or a medical evangelistic course, to 
 attend this school. 
 
 (c) That the General Conference be requested to make this school 
 a training school for missionary appointees whom they may have 
 selected and desire to put in training for medical evangelistic work. 
 
 (d) That it be understood that the foregoing recommendation does 
 not discriminate against the Washington Missionary College in the 
 training of medical evangelistic nurses. 
 
DIVISION DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
 Union Conference Educational Organization 
 
 17. Voted , That the Union Conference Educational Organization of 
 the North American Division Conference he readjusted as follows: — 
 
 (a) That the educational board of the union conference consist 
 of the union educational secretary, the superintendents of the local 
 conferences, the president of the college, the director of the normal 
 department, and'the principals of the academies, intermediate schools, 
 and seminaries. 
 
 (b) That the union conference committee be advisory members 
 of the educational board. The word “advisory” in this connection 
 means the right to discuss and to vote; and it is understood that in 
 educational matters, as in all union affairs, the union conference com¬ 
 mittee is the final committee of appeal. 
 
 (c) That the union educational secretary be chairman of the edu¬ 
 cational board. 
 
 (d) That there be an Inspection Committee consisting of the pres¬ 
 ident of the college, the union educational secretary, and the super¬ 
 intendent. 
 
 (e) That it be the duty of this committee to examine carefully and 
 inspect annually all academic work, and report their findings to the 
 college faculty and the union conference educational board, and recom¬ 
 mend a rating for the schools inspected; and that a report of such 
 rating, together with the necessary information, be forwarded to the 
 Division Department of Education for final approval, and that the 
 college faculty issue the rating. 
 
 (f) That students from accredited schools be admitted to the 
 college without examination. 
 
 (g) That the basis of a credit be the academic standards adopted 
 by the Division Department of Education. 
 
 (h) That the Division Department prepare an inspector’s report 
 blank for the use of the Inspection Committee, embodying the items 
 of standardization. 
 
 (i) That the Division Department provide final examination ques¬ 
 tions for grammar grades in all elementary schools, and in all grades 
 in unaccredited secondary schools, to be accompanied with suggestive 
 answers. 
 
 (j) That final examinations in the first-semester subjects be given 
 at the middle of the school year; and final examinations in second- 
 semester and full-year subjects be given at the close of the school 
 year. 
 
 206 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 207 
 
 (k) That the teacher under whom the final examinations up to 
 and including the twelfth grade are given, mark the papers, grading 
 each question, and send them to the superintendent, who shall record 
 the approved standings in his own book and in the teacher’s register, 
 and forward a list of the same to the union conference secretary, to¬ 
 gether with all final ninth- to twelfth-grade examination papers marked 
 by the teacher and approved by himself and the union educational 
 secretary, who shall record all these standings above the eighth grade. 
 
 ( l ) That upon receiving a final grade of seventy-five per cent or 
 more, the student be granted a certificate of standing in that subject, 
 the certificate to be signed by the chairman of the examining board 
 and the superintendent. In making up final standings, half credit 
 
 - shall be allowed for examination and half credit for class work. 
 
 (m) That when a student has completed the eighth or unaccredited 
 ninth to twelfth grades, and has passed the examinations, the union 
 educational secretary issue a certificate of promotion, signed by him¬ 
 self and the superintendent; such certificate to contain the specifi¬ 
 cation by subject “without laboratory,” “without library,” or any 
 other feature upon which the school does not have accredited standing. 
 
 (n) That accredited schools send a list of all final standings to the 
 union secretary for recording, within four weeks after examination. 
 
 (o) That the average of the students’ work and class standings, as 
 well as the examination grades, be marked by the teachers upon the 
 outside of examination papers, when grading either elementary or 
 academic papers, thus clearly indicating the average of written work 
 and class standings, in addition to the examination standing. 
 
 (p) That elementary teachers be required to pass examinations 
 as arranged by the educational board, or give sufficient evidence of 
 qualification, before being employed in our schools. 
 
 (q) That the union educational secretary conduct one general 
 teachers’ examination annually, in connection with the union confer¬ 
 ence summer school. 
 
 (r) That other examinations than those conducted at the summer 
 school be given under the direction of the superintendent on a date to 
 be arranged in each conference by the union educational secretary. 
 
 (s) That teachers’ examination papers be graded under the super¬ 
 vision of the superintendent, and then examined by the educational 
 secretary of the union, who, if all requirements have been met, shall 
 sign and issue appropriate certificates, which must also be signed by 
 the superintendent of the conference in which the applicant is to teach. 
 
 (t) That all appeals to the examining board be made through the 
 superintendent, within sixty days after the issue of any certificate, 
 or after notice of failure. 
 
208 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Sections of the Division Department 
 
 18. Whereas, For years there has been a recognized lack of the 
 benefits coming to the teachers in the same line of department work 
 in our colleges, academies, and intermediate schools, from association 
 and interchange of thought and experience in seeking for improvement 
 in methods and means of work; and,— 
 
 Whereas, At the time of the Berrien Springs convention in 1910, 
 in an effort to meet this need, the teachers in these various depart¬ 
 ments were organized into sections, having as sole officer a secretary, 
 whose duty it was to act as the medium of communication between 
 the members of the section, to appoint committees when necessary 
 for the carrying forward of the work of the section, to give attention 
 to all problems confronting the teachers of his section, to recommend 
 the best books and helps for the teachers of his section, and to keep 
 in close touch with the secretary of the Division Department, submit¬ 
 ting all plans and results of work to him for counsel and cooperation; 
 and,— 
 
 Whereas, These sections have materially assisted in preparing 
 syllabi for the departments of our advanced schools and in rendering 
 other services of a helpful nature; and,— 
 
 Whereas, We think the work of these departments can be strength¬ 
 ened by having the teachers in the academies and intermediate schools 
 more closely associated with the heads of the similar departments of 
 the college in whose territory they are located; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, (a) That the teachers in our colleges be organized 
 into one group of sections, to be known as the “College Section,” and 
 that the Division Department of Education appoint each year the 
 secretaries of the various sections. 
 
 (b) That the teachers in the college, academies, and intermediate 
 schools in the territory of each college be organized into another 
 group of sections, to be known as the “Academic Section,” the head 
 of each department in the college to be secretary ex-officio of the 
 section in which he teaches, whose duty it shall be to unify and stand¬ 
 ardize the work done in the academies of the college district. 
 
 (c) That we ask the management of the colleges in which their 
 secretaries are located to render help to the work of the sections by 
 allowing the secretaries time for their work and by meeting the neces¬ 
 sary expenses in stenographic help, stationery, and postage. 
 
 An Educational Movement 
 
 19. Whereas, There is need of broadening our educational work 
 and extending it into the homes, giving such instruction as will create 
 a deeper interest in child welfare, a greater appreciation of the im- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 209 
 
 portance of educating the children, and an atmosphere of Christian 
 home culture; and,— 
 
 Whereas, Our teaching force is best qualified to give such instruc¬ 
 tion; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, That the Division Department of Education take 
 steps to create such a general educational movement throughout our 
 churches and homes. 
 
 Opening of New Schools 
 
 20. That earnest effort be made to increase the number of efficient 
 elementary schools and teachers. 
 
 21. That we urge our superintendents to make careful investiga¬ 
 tion of school needs in every church in the conference where there is 
 no school, and report to the conference committee all cases where a 
 school is urgently needed but cannot be supported by the church; 
 that we request the local conference committee to consider carefully 
 the case of every church reported under this recommendation, and 
 create a conference fund to help such church start a school, on the same 
 principle as the local church provides for its own poor in its local 
 school. 
 
 Increase of Enrollment 
 
 22. That we undertake a most vigorous campaign this summer to 
 increase the enrolment in all our schools from ten to twenty-five per 
 cent, and that to this end generous use be made of the campaign num¬ 
 ber of our educational magazine, of our union papers, of publicity 
 leaflets setting forth distinctive features of the school, and of the co¬ 
 operative assistance of former students in the school; and that mem¬ 
 bers of the faculty be urged to visit the churches and homes of our 
 people. 
 
 Training for the Ministry 
 
 23. That our educational departments and institutions place more 
 emphasis upon the ministry as a distinct vocation. 
 
 Ministerial Reading Courses 
 
 24. That we look with approval upon the educative value of the 
 Ministerial Reading Course for laborers who are already in the field; 
 and that we encourage prospective laborers in gospel lines (especially 
 members of the ministerial and Bible workers’ bands in our colleges) 
 to pursue the Ministerial Reading Course conducted by the General 
 Conference Department of Education and authorized by the General 
 Conference Committee. 
 
 14 
 
210 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Publications 
 
 25. Whereas, The work of the Textbook Committee is of a contin¬ 
 uous nature, making it desirable to have as few changes as possible in 
 its personnel,— 
 
 We recommend , That the secretaries of the college sections, and 
 three others, with the secretary of the Division Department of Edu¬ 
 cation as chairman, constitute the continuous membership of the 
 Textbook Committee. 
 
 26. Whereas, The books “Education” and “Counsels to Teach¬ 
 ers,” by Mrs. E. G. White, are of inestimable value in creating an 
 appreciation of the value of Christian education and in the develop¬ 
 ment of our school work,— 
 
 We recommend, (a) That earnest efforts be put forth by our con¬ 
 ference and educational workers to place these books in all our homes; 
 and we further recommend,— 
 
 (b) That we request the publishers of “Education” to bind this 
 book in limp covers to correspond with the style and binding of 
 “Counsels to Teachers.” 
 
 27. Whereas, There is need of an increase of campaign literature,— 
 
 We recommend, That the Division Department of Education bring 
 
 out as rapidly as consistent a number of small leaflets emphasizing 
 the importance of Christian education, home culture, and reading, in 
 inexpensive form for general circulation. 
 
 28. That the report of this Council be published within the price 
 of fifty cents, if possible. 
 
 29. That we encourage all our educators to make more liberal use 
 of the columns of our educational magazine for the exchange of ideas 
 that make for the improvement of our school work, to become subscrib¬ 
 ers and regular readers of the magazine themselves, and to put forth 
 more earnest effort to place the magazine in every Seventh-day 
 Adventist home in the land. 
 
 Week of Prayer 
 
 30. That our schools observe a special week of prayer in the 
 spring of the year, the first week in April being suggested as a suitable 
 time. 
 
 Accredited Schools 
 
 See Recommendation No. 17 (e, f, g, h). 
 
 Final Examinations 
 
 See Recommendation No. 17 (i, j, k, 1 , m, n, o). 
 
 Teachers’ Examinations A 
 
 See Recommendation No. 17 (p, q, r, s, t). 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 211 
 
 Credits 
 
 31. That we look with favor upon developing in our elementary 
 schools, the plan of giving school credit for home duties willingly and 
 faithfully done, and that a committee be appointed to draw up a 
 schedule of credits, regulations, and awards for such work. 
 
 32. That the fourteen-grade Normal Course be accepted as half 
 of the College Course after the normal departments are fully stand¬ 
 ardized and approved by the Division Departments; and that mean¬ 
 while a maximum of thirty-two semester hours of purely normal work 
 may command college credit. 
 
 33. That pupils from the public school, entering the seventh and 
 eighth grade in our church schools, be not required to pass examina¬ 
 tion in sixth-grade nature study, but that they be encouraged to use 
 all the nature-study books in their home reading. 
 
 34. That pupils from public schools entering the eighth grade be 
 allowed their public-school grades in seventh-grade physiology and 
 geography, and be not required to pass our conference examinations 
 in these subjects. 
 
 35. That pupils from the public schools entering the eighth grade 
 be allowed to enter either seventh- or eighth-grade Bible for their final 
 work, and that no examination in general Bible be given by the 
 conferences. 
 
 36. That two examinations be given during the year for finishing 
 subjects, and that the details of this plan be left with the Division 
 Department of Education, to be worked out at the conventions to be 
 held this summer. 
 
 37. Whereas, Informing a pupil beforehand, through correspond¬ 
 ence, as to the amount of advanced credit that will be allowed him, is 
 a very difficult and unsatisfactory way of dealing with such matters; 
 and,-— 
 
 Whereas, It is wholly unnecessary, it being generally understood 
 that proper credit will be allowed for all work thoroughly done in our 
 own schools or in other reputable educational institutions; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, That it be the sense of this body that the pupils 
 coming to our schools should in all cases receive such advanced credit 
 as is due them after their arrival at school, and as a result of personal 
 interviews with the various heads of departments, who will examine 
 grades and certificates, and, if necessary, examine the pupil as to the 
 extent and character of his school work. 
 
 Graduation 
 
 38. That we hold before all our students the standard of graduation 
 before they leave the school. 
 
212 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 TEACHERS 
 
 Tenure and Exchange of Teachers 
 
 39. That we seek to avoid frequent change of educational officers 
 in the field, and of teachers in the school. 
 
 40. Whereas , It is recognized that advantages accrue to normal 
 teachers and normal schools and those attending summer school, by 
 an exchange of teachers for summer-school work,— 
 
 We recommend , That such exchange of teachers as may be found 
 feasible be encouraged. 
 
 Teachers’ Examinations 
 
 See Recommendation No. 17 (p, q, r, s, t). 
 
 Renewal of Teachers’ Certificates 
 
 41. That we seek to impress upon our teachers anew that the 
 presentation of a Teachers’ Reading Course Certificate is one condi¬ 
 tion of their receiving a renewal of their teaching certificates; and 
 that we seek to impress it upon our superintendents and secretaries 
 anew, that the responsibility of seeing that this condition is met rests 
 with them. 
 
 Palmer’s Penmanship Offer 
 
 42. That our superintendents urge their teachers to take the free 
 course in penmanship provided and conducted by Mr. Palmer. 
 
 FINANCIAL MEASURES 
 
 43. That we request the North American Division Conference to 
 continue the five cents out of the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund, or its 
 equivalent, after the debts are met, for the development of our col¬ 
 leges and academies, four cents to be retained by the union conference, 
 and one cent by the local conference. 
 
 44. That we request the North American Division Conference to 
 use matured annuities and gifts not applying on the Twenty-cent-a- 
 week Fund to provide improved facilities for our colleges and acad¬ 
 emies. 
 
 45. That one half of the money paid in by the local conference 
 from the six Sabbath collections provided for in the next recommen¬ 
 dation (46) be used by the union conference in assisting worthy stu¬ 
 dents in the college in its territory. 
 
 46. That in all our churches money be raised on the two educa¬ 
 tional Sabbaths and on the first Sabbath in each quarter, to create 
 an educational fund to be used as follows: — 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 213 
 
 (a) Churches conducting a school to retain half the money raised, 
 and forward the other half to the local conference treasurer. 
 
 (b) Churches not conducting a school to forward all the money 
 raised to the local conference treasurer. 
 
 (c) The local conference to retain half the amount received, and 
 use it in assisting weak elementary schools or worthy students in local 
 academies, and to forward the other half to the union conference. 
 
 47. That our schools be regarded as the home end of the world¬ 
 wide missionary movement, and be dealt with on the same economic 
 basis as our mission fields, viz., that a careful budget of operating 
 expense and improvements be made each year in advance; that before 
 a new year is entered upon, provision be made for any deficit that may 
 have occurred in the previous year’s operation; and that in case of 
 any special emergency arising after school has opened, immediate 
 steps be taken for such adjustment of budget and plans as will carry 
 the school safely over the emergency. 
 
 48. That we look with hearty favor upon the aggressive moves 
 being made in behalf of our schools, to liquidate their debts, both 
 those efforts made by our conference leaders and those initiated and 
 carried on by the students and teachers in certain of our colleges; 
 that in this connection we congratulate Mount Vernon Academy on 
 her jubilee program; and that we urge our school managers and sup¬ 
 porters to persevere in the campaign to remove debt until all our 
 schools can join in one grand symphony of praise for deliverance 
 from debt. 
 
 49. Whereas, Benefit will naturally come to our schools by an asso¬ 
 ciation of certain financial interests,— 
 
 We recommend, That the North American Division Conference be 
 asked to take such steps as will make it possible for our schools and 
 academies to unite in the purchase of common essentials for their 
 work, such as linen, kitchen ware, dishes, etc. 
 
 Scholarships and Aid 
 
 50. That young men who give promise of becoming successful 
 ministers be selected, and if necessary, be aided financially, to complete 
 the ministerial course. 
 
 51. That such young men as give promise of becoming ministers 
 be selected, and if necessary, be aided by their respective conferences 
 with tuition scholarships of $50 each, in harmony with a previous 
 recommendation passed by the North American Division Council in 
 the autumn of 1913; that the smaller conferences provide at least 
 one such scholarship each year, and that the larger conferences pro¬ 
 vide two or more such scholarships each year. 
 
214 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 52. That we express to the Review and Herald Publishing Associa¬ 
 tion our appreciation of their cooperation in providing five $50 
 ministerial scholarships in each of the advanced schools located in the 
 Review and Herald territory, and that we recommend this plan to the 
 favorable consideration of our other publishing houses, with the 
 suggestion that the conditions on which these scholarships are granted 
 be simplified. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 53. That mothers be encouraged to keep their children at home 
 until they are eight or ten years of age, and teach them themselves, 
 using the Home Education Department of Christian Educator and 
 the Mothers’ Normal Department of the Fireside Correspondence 
 School as aids in doing this work for their children, this recommen¬ 
 dation to be understood to apply only in cases where parents are 
 capable of teaching their children or are willing to qualify for such 
 work; also that our efforts to assist parents be made especially for 
 those who have no access to a Christian school; and in all cases it is 
 understood that we avoid urging formal school work to be done in the 
 home during the tender age of the child. 
 
 54. (a) That in our advanced schools we refrain from all kinds of 
 recreation that are not in harmony with the teachings of the Bible 
 and the spirit of prophecy. 
 
 (b) That we pledge ourselves to more earnest efforts “to provide 
 in their stead innocent pleasures,’’ among which may be mentioned: 
 outings properly conducted, occasional receptions, lectures, musical 
 programs, physical culture exercises, student programs, class excur¬ 
 sions under the teacher’s leadership, walks, swimming exercises, and 
 such other forms of Christian “recreation” as local conditions may 
 afford. 
 
 (c) That, if necessary, we make more ample provision for physical 
 labor for our students, realizing that the better way for them to get 
 physical exercise is through manual training, letting useful employ¬ 
 ment take the place of selfish pleasure. 
 
 (d) That all outdoor recreation in our church schools be under the 
 supervision of the teacher, and that all games of a rough or sentimental 
 character, or games tending to arouse resentment or anger or that lead 
 to dishonesty, such as Indian, crack-the-whip, needle’s eye, playing 
 for keeps, etc., be eliminated. 
 
 (e) That we encourage the providing of the necessary recreation 
 by manual training, gardening, marching, and physical culture, both 
 outdoors and in the schoolroom; and that there be provided teeter- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 215 
 
 boards, swings, sand boxes, building blocks, and brick for building 
 playhouses. 
 
 (f) That the noon hour and the time before school be as carefully 
 supervised as the regular recreation period. 
 
 (g) That by precept and example we hold before our young people 
 in all our churches the high standard regarding recreation, social 
 gatherings, and wise deportment that is given in the Bible and the 
 spirit of prophecy, and that teachers discourage the playing of silly 
 games at social gatherings. 
 
 RESOLUTION OF THANKS 
 
 55. Whereas, We have all enjoyed the excellent accommodations 
 provided at the Pacific Union College during the time of this Council — 
 Resolved , (a) That we hereby express to the president of the col¬ 
 lege, Professor Irwin, and to his associates, Professor Newton, Miss 
 Andre, Mrs. Robbins, and other workers, our appreciation of the good 
 services which have been rendered and the excellent food provided. 
 
 (b) That we express to the Pacific Union Conference Committee 
 our pleasure in accepting their kind, free, and liberal hospitality. 
 
 Frederick Griggs, Chairman. 
 
 W. E. Howell, Secretary. 
 
COMMITTEE REPORTS 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE 
 
 EQUIPMENT 
 
 (Read by Chairman Wood) 
 
 Your Committee on Science Equipment, in giving the following 
 report, would suggest that it is primarily intended for the relation of 
 the colleges to the academies, more than for the college itself. 
 
 Many of our academies are trying to teach beyond their means, 
 and it would be necessary for them to relate themselves properly to 
 the college in order to get credit on the different courses when their 
 students are graduated from their institutions and check up their 
 work in their respective colleges. I have been in a number of acade¬ 
 mies where they were trying to teach physics with only from three 
 to five dollars’ worth of apparatus on the shelves, and yet their stu¬ 
 dents would come to college and maintain that they had had as good 
 a course as they could get at the college. 
 
 In the different colleges throughout the country, conditions will 
 vary so that more extended work can be done along certain lines 
 than in other institutions. For instance, some institutions may be 
 located where flowers and materials for the study of botany may 
 abound, while others may be especially favored by locations in which 
 geology or biology might be carried on. Again, in many of our in¬ 
 stitutions one individual has to carry both biological and physical 
 science; and it will be found that the teacher nearly always has a 
 preference for one line or the other. It is very seldom that you will 
 find a teacher equally proficient in both lines. 
 
 Another reason for devoting this report primarily to the interests 
 of the academies is, that all our colleges at the present time are 
 manned by teachers who realize the need of thorough equipment in 
 their respective branches; hence it is not so much a need of getting 
 instructors to realize the equipment that should be placed in the 
 school, as it is for each instructor to obtain from his school board the 
 needed facilities for installing the same. 
 
 It is recommended that the amount of apparatus specified, or its 
 equivalent, be installed in each school teaching the subject, not later 
 than Sept, i, 1917. 
 
 L. H. Wood O. R. Cooper 
 
 J. A. L. Derby M. W. Newton 
 
 W. E. Nelson Committee 
 
 Note. — The list of apparatus has been duplicated and distributed 
 to schools. Other copies may be had on application to the Division 
 Department of Education. 
 
 216 
 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TEXTBOOKS 
 
 {Read by Chairman Griggs) 
 
 In making this report, your committee thought it might be of 
 profit to note briefly a few points in the development of our textbook 
 interests. From the first of our educational work, a need has been felt 
 of having our own textbooks — books that would in all respects bear 
 the stamp of our message, or, at least, where this was not possible, 
 of having those books which, though published by others, should not 
 contravene the spirit of this message. We have had the plainest of 
 instruction from the spirit of prophecy regarding this point, and 
 there has been a strong effort to provide those textbooks which could 
 be used in the development of noble Christian character in our pupils. 
 
 Many years ago Prof. G. H. Bell, feeling this need, prepared a 
 series of textbooks in the line of his teaching — the English language. 
 Later on Professor Sutherland and those associated with him felt the 
 need of textbooks for our children, and undertook work in this direc¬ 
 tion. Still later, others began the work of preparing books along the 
 line of their teaching. 
 
 At the time of the General Conference held in Takoma Park in 
 1905, action was taken authorizing the appointing of “a representative 
 textbook committee,” whose work it should be “to examine manu¬ 
 scripts, text, supplemental, and reference books,” and to recommend 
 those that were “suitable for use in our various schools,” so that we 
 might have uniformity in our textbook work. At the meeting of the 
 Educational Department held at the same conference, a Committee 
 on Textbooks was appointed. At the Educational Convention at 
 College View in 1906 this committee met, in union with the Committee 
 on Courses, and suggested textbooks for the various grades of our 
 elementary schools. 
 
 From the report of that convention we learned that we had at 
 that time as textbooks: Bell’s Language Series; True Education Reader 
 Series, books 1 to 5, which had been published experimentally a year 
 or so before; Sutherland’s Bible Readers 1 to 3; Our Little Folks’ 
 Bible Nature; Mrs. McKibbin’s Bible Lessons for grades 4, 5, and 6; 
 and Kern’s New Testament History for use in grade 9. There was 
 at that time a call for a United States history and a general history; 
 for either a geography written from a missionary viewpoint, or a 
 manual covering the ground of missionary enterprise; for a two-book 
 series in arithmetic, and a manual of penmanship correlated with the 
 readers adopted. 
 
 From this time the development of our textbook work has been 
 growing. At the General Conference in 1909, the Committee on Text- 
 
 217 
 
218 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 books submitted a report to the council, in which the following were 
 some of the recommendations: — 
 
 1. That the General Conference Department of Education co¬ 
 operate with our publishing houses printing educational literature, in 
 the selection of editorial help necessary for the thorough editing and 
 prompt publication of manuscripts approved by the Department of 
 Education. 
 
 2. That where persons have been appointed by the Educational 
 Department to write manuscripts for textbooks, the Department use 
 its good offices with the educational institution with .vhich such per¬ 
 sons are connected, to relieve them from carrying full responsibili¬ 
 ties in the school, allowing them to give their first and best efforts to 
 preparing the manuscripts, and teaching the subjects on which they 
 write, in the school, thus having an opportunity to make a practical 
 test of their work before it is placed in book form. 
 
 3. That the General Conference Department of Education re¬ 
 quest the General Conference Committee to devise plans for the rais¬ 
 ing of a fund, to be known as the “Textbook Fund,” which shall be 
 drawn upon where necessary in helping to pay a portion of the sal¬ 
 aries of textbook writers, who shall return the same to the Textbook 
 Fund on receiving royalties from the sale of their books. 
 
 4. That the Department of Education, as far as it is safe and 
 consistent, appoint persons to develop manuscripts on such subjects 
 as they have shown, by education and practical school experience, to 
 be fitted to write. 
 
 We quote these recommendations at this time because they are 
 quite as applicable now as they were six and more years ago. 
 
 Up to the time of the last General Conference, in 1913, there ex¬ 
 isted no permanent textbook committee, but at that time an action 
 was taken in the Educational Council constituting a permanent Com¬ 
 mittee on Textbooks, having as members, ex-officio, the secretaries 
 of the various sections of the Department. 
 
 Following the last General Conference Council, steps were taken 
 to carry out previous departmental action to revise Bell’s grammar. 
 The consensus of opinion, gathered in response to a letter sent out to 
 five hundred of our teachers, showed a strong majority favoring the 
 revision of Bell’s original book, “Natural Method in English,” and 
 its publication in a single volume rather than in a series as formerly. 
 W. E. Howell was asked to make this revision. His work was accom¬ 
 plished last fall and accepted by the Department, and the manuscript 
 turned over to the Review and Herald, who are the publishers of 
 Bell’s series of English textbooks. We expect this book to settle all 
 questions regarding the use of a complete grammar for our schools. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 219 
 
 In pursuance of a previous action of the Department to develop 
 a series of manuals for our elementary schools, the North American 
 Division Conference at the fall council in 1913 appropriated $600 for 
 the bringing out of these manuals. In the autumn of 1914, three of 
 these manuals were completed and placed on the market. They were 
 manuals on Primary Reading, by Miss Hale; Bible Lessons, by Mrs. 
 McKibbin; Cardboard Construction based on Household Economics, 
 by Mrs. Robison. In addition to these, four other manuals are in 
 process of development; namely, arithmetic, by Mrs. Osborne; Sew¬ 
 ing, by Miss Rubie Owen; Nature Study, by G. F. Wolfkill in collabo¬ 
 ration with M. E. Cady; Drawing, by Mrs. Delpha S. Miller. In this 
 connection, mention should also be made of "Outlines and Methods 
 in Primary Bible Nature,” prepared by Mrs. Ella King Sanders, 
 pulbished in serial form in Christian Education , and then revised and 
 issued as Bulletin No. 12. Although largely prepared before work 
 was formally begun on separate manuals, it serves well the purpose 
 of a manual in that line for the present. 
 
 There remain yet to be brought out manuals in various other lines 
 of church-school work, and also a general manual, principles, courses 
 of study, school law, etc. The lessons on Prophetic History, author¬ 
 ized by the Department, were prepared by Mrs. H. A. Washburn, 
 and printed as Educational Bulletin No. 6, with the idea of revising 
 them after they have been tested in the schools. 
 
 In response to a request from the Department, J. G. Lamson has 
 prepared a manuscript on Civil Government, which he has been unable 
 to complete because of the open question as to whether this subject 
 would be taught in the eighth grade or some higher grade. His 
 work has been delayed until this Council for location of this subject 
 in the grades. 
 
 Books on Hand 
 
 The Textbook Committee now has on hand the following manu¬ 
 scripts for examination, some of which are in process of examination, 
 but final action has not been taken by the Department on them: — 
 
 1. A Geographical Guide, by Miss Eliza H. Morton, designed to 
 accompany her advanced geography, and answer the pressing demand 
 for missionary instruction in connection with geography. 
 
 2. A Manual to be used in the teaching of geography has been 
 largely developed also, by Mrs. Robison, along lines presented a year 
 ago in Christian Education. 
 
 3. Elementary Botany and Agriculture, by Mrs. Mary Crawford, 
 of Mississippi. . 
 
 4. A device of Dissected Maps, by L, M. Knapp, for use in church 
 schools. 
 
220 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 5. A general outline of Elementary Physiography, submitted by 
 George McCready Price, in response to an action of the Department 
 favoring the preparation of such a book. 
 
 6. A Primary Physiology, by Mrs. Brown. 
 
 7. A pamphlet on American History. Outlines and notes for 
 church-school teachers, which has been printed in part by the author, 
 B. E. Huffman. 
 
 8. Spirit of Prophecy, by O. A. Johnson. 
 
 9. Set of graded lessons in Proofreading, by Mrs. Rathbun, of 
 Emmanuel Missionary College. 
 
 10. Studies in Prophetic History, by Max Hill. 
 
 General Suggestions 
 
 Our brief experience in the development of textbooks has taught 
 us some things which are not apparent at first sight: — 
 
 1. Textbooks are not made to order, but rather grow out of expe¬ 
 rience. In the best textbooks that come from the educational press 
 of the country, you will almost invariably see in the preface some 
 statement to the effect that “this book is the outgrowth of many 
 years’ experience in the schoolroom, and is published at the request 
 of others than the author, who have had the opportunity to use it 
 and whose experience has been wrought into the making of the book.” 
 
 Our textbooks can be written only by those teachers who have 
 had a long experience in the line of teaching upon which they write. 
 
 2. In the development of our textbooks we should seek to publish 
 those books first which are most needed and which will have the 
 largest sale. 
 
 3. The price of our textbooks averages higher than that of text¬ 
 books of publishing houses generally, because of the large initial cost, 
 and added to this, the fact that our books have a very limited sale. 
 We should seek to lower the price of these books. This may be brought 
 about by having a fund from which to pay the authors for their man¬ 
 uscripts, so that the publishing houses may be relieved from paying 
 a royalty. 
 
 4. For some time there has been a general uniformity of textbooks 
 used in our elementary schools, but in our academies and colleges this 
 uniformity has not existed. Immediate steps should now be taken 
 to have the textbooks used in our colleges and academies uniform. 
 This, of course, will obtain in those subjects in which we have text¬ 
 books by our own authors; and in those subjects where we do not 
 have textbooks, we should select the best books obtainable, to the 
 end that they may be used universally by the teachers in all our acad¬ 
 emies and colleges. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 221 
 
 5. Your Committee is conscious of the fact that but little has been 
 accomplished of what we wish to do in the direction of preparing 
 our own textbooks. We believe that more time and money should 
 be expended in the preparation of such books, and that our teachers 
 of experience should be encouraged to write them. The preparation 
 of such manuscripts is an advantage to the ones writing them, even 
 if for various reasons they cannot be published. 
 
 In this connection we would call attention to the danger in the pri¬ 
 vate publication of textbooks. From the fact that such books are 
 liable to represent only the author’s idea of the subject, and conse¬ 
 quently will not give the broad, strong instruction upon these sub¬ 
 jects which should be given, we urge the writers of textbooks to 
 submit their manuscripts to the Committee on Textbooks for their 
 suggestions and approval. 
 
 6. “A prophet is not without honor save in his own country.” 
 We have felt that at times our own teachers were hypercritical con¬ 
 cerning our own books. The textbooks which we publish and which 
 are used in our elementary schools have been one of the strongest 
 features in the upbuilding of all these schools, and the more we have 
 of our own textbooks, the stronger will be our work as a whole. 
 
 Recommendations 
 
 Your committee would recommend: — 
 
 1. That our Textbook Committee work toward securing uniform¬ 
 ity of textbooks in our schools in cases where we have no textbooks 
 of our own. 
 
 2. That the author of “True Education Reader,” Book Six, be 
 asked to revise the language work in the book, giving more attention 
 to language and less to technical grammar. 
 
 3. That Miss Hale be asked to revise her spelling books, combining 
 them in one volume and adding many simple words that the child 
 should be able to spell. 
 
 4. That the Department of Education endeavor to learn in the 
 summer conventions the mind of our superintendents and teachers 
 on the following points: — 
 
 (1) The use of Morton’s Advanced Geography with a Manual on 
 Missions, or the preparation of a new text embodying missionary 
 geography. 
 
 (2) The advisability of asking Mrs. Robison to revise and enlarge 
 her Outline on Geography, considering it as to (a) Descriptive matter, 
 (b) Method, (c) Plan. 
 
 5. That Professor Lamson be asked to write an elementary text¬ 
 book on Civics for the eighth grade, and that there be associated with 
 
222 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 him some one of long experience in'teaching, to be chosen on the 
 advice of the Educational Department. 
 
 6. That in view of the fact that this textbook cannot be prepared 
 in time for the opening of school, the textbook now in Our schools be 
 used for the coming year. 
 
 7. That, recognizing the need of a book on United States History 
 written for our own work, some teacher of grammar grade experience be 
 asked to write a history along the lines of Brother B. E. Huffman’s 
 outline. 
 
 8. That a Physiology be provided for use in the seventh grade. 
 As Professor Cady has already written a manuscript on the subject, 
 we recommend that an experienced teacher in elementary grades be 
 associated with him in preparing this manuscript to be submitted to 
 the Department for examination. 
 
 9. That the Department consider the advisability of having a 
 Geography written. 
 
 10. That for the present we use Miss Morton’s Geography with 
 a Missionary Manual prepared to be used in connection with it. 
 
 11. That a committee composed of teachers of experience in 
 elementary grades, associated with musicians, be appointed to make 
 a compilation of suitable songs to be used in our elementary schools, 
 and that these songs be graded in at least three divisions. 
 
 12. That as there is a real need for a textbook on Prophetic His¬ 
 tory for the eighth grade, the Department plan for the writing of a 
 book on this subject. 
 
 13. That the outline maps published by the Review and Herald 
 be used in all our elementary schools, and that the publishers be asked 
 to add such other maps as are needed, such as maps of Palestine, 
 Paul’s journeys, and the United States. 
 
 14. That in Bible Nature Series, Book Three, Lessons 4, 6, 12, 13, 
 pages 54-61, be eliminated, if desired; that chapters 9 and 10 be used 
 as supplementary reading; and that examinations be based on the 
 required subject matter only. 
 
 Frederick Griggs 
 E. J. Hibbard 
 O. J. Graf 
 M. E. Cady 
 Winifred P. Rowell 
 W. E. PIoweLi. 
 
 Sarah Peck 
 H A. Morrison 
 
 C. C. Lewis 
 S. A. Smith 
 H. G. Lucas 
 Clemen Hamer 
 Delpha S. Miller 
 G. K. Abbott 
 Alma J. Graf 
 
 Committee 
 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AUXILIARY 
 
 ORGANIZATIONS 
 
 {Read by Chairman Kern ) 
 
 At the time of the General Conference some feeling arose that there 
 was developing in our educational institutions a desire to create a 
 large number of auxiliary organizations that would take the student’s 
 mind and interest from his regular work. A committee was therefore 
 appointed to investigate this question and report at this meeting. 
 Letters were sent to the heads of the different schools, and other teach¬ 
 ers throughout the country, asking what they thought the proper 
 number of auxiliary organizations and what should be the amount of 
 faculty supervision. A large number replied, and this report is largely 
 based upon these replies. 
 
 It was felt that our students have their time too well filled to take 
 up more of it with meetings which, though perhaps good in themselves, 
 do not contribute essentially to the benefit derived from their stay in 
 the school. Our program is in the main a missionary program. Hav¬ 
 ing our students in the homes, we are enabled to teach them many 
 things usually left for the so-called literary societies and clubs to per¬ 
 form. Our entertainments are generally of either a literary or a 
 musical nature, and our entire student body should be educated along 
 these lines. 
 
 It was felt that our students in the academies are not old enough 
 to realize much good from a Foreign Mission Band conducted as such, 
 and that with the Missionary Volunteer programs conducted on the 
 missionary basis, as they are at the present time, the young people 
 would be able to get as much out of these exercises, properly con¬ 
 ducted, as by slighting these and trying to operate a Foreign Mission 
 Band. 
 
 Recommendations 
 
 In view of the facts presented, your committee recommend,— 
 
 (a) That no auxiliary organizations be carried on except those 
 ^conducted under the direction of the faculty, in harmony with lines 
 carried on by the Missionary Volunteer Society. This is to include 
 all such organizations as Prayer Bands, Foreign Mission Bands (for 
 the colleges), Canvassers’ Bands, Ministerial Bands, Bible Workers’ 
 Bands, Christian Help Bands, etc. 
 
 223 
 
224 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 (b) That should need be felt for extra work in any line of study, 
 such as science or literature, this work be carried on in connection 
 with the regular departments under supervision of the faculty. 
 
 (c) That no auxiliary organization be conducted without proper 
 faculty supervision. 
 
 M. E. Kern J. I. Beardsley 
 
 W. H Wakeham L. H. Wood 
 
 E. G. Salisbury 7 Committee 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL CREDIT 
 
 FOR HOME WORK 
 
 {Read by Chairman Robison ) 
 
 Whereas, The plan for giving school credit for home industrial 
 work is still in a state of immaturity, and your committee appointed 
 to report on this work are convinced, after careful consideration, that 
 at this time definite recommendation as to details would be prema¬ 
 ture; therefore,— 
 
 We recommend, That the matter be referred to the Normal Section, 
 with the understanding that they cooperate with the field in working 
 out and standardizing the plan. 
 
 Milton P. Robison 
 C. L. Stone 
 B. B. Davis 
 Mrs. Williams 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON BLANKS 
 
 {Read by Chairman Ruble) 
 
 Your Committee on Blanks desires to submit the following re¬ 
 port: — 
 
 1. Form i-B, Pupils’ Monthly Report Blanks. We suggest add¬ 
 ing the following: After the average, a line for home credit w r ork; 
 below that add 5 per cent to average, and then a line for the final grade. 
 (See inclosed slip.) 
 
 2. We recommend dropping Form 6-A, and substituting in its 
 place the blank inclosed (No. 1), to be filed in a loose-leaf book for 
 the Union Conference record, and the addition of “No. Churches hav¬ 
 ing no elementary school.” 
 
 3. We recommend such change in Form 6-B, the certificate of 
 scholarship for the eighth grade, and in Form 10-A, the certificate of 
 
 Committee 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 225 
 
 scholarship for the tenth grade, as will be necessary to meet the re¬ 
 quirements of the course of study adopted at this Council. 
 
 4. We recommend such change in Form 18-A, the summer- 
 school certificate, and the enrollment card, as may be necessitated by 
 any change in the requirement for a teacher’s certificate made by 
 this Council. 
 
 5. We recommend for Form 21-A a list of examinees, the addi¬ 
 tion of a note at the top of the page,—“Examination papers will not 
 be credited unless accompanied by this list properly filled out and 
 certified,”—and leave out age, number of months taught, and add 
 number of papers written, and at the bottom of the page as follows: — 
 
 “This certifies that these examinations have been written in har¬ 
 mony with the rules and regulations governing the giving of union 
 conference examinations at the time stated by the regular program, 
 and that the examinee has not received help from any source.” 
 
 6. We recommend, for the use of the academies reporting to the 
 Union Conference Secretary, Blank 2 as the opening report blank, 
 and at the close of the academy or intermediate school term, the use of 
 Blank 3. 
 
 We also recommend, as a monthly report to the Union Conference 
 secretary and to the local conference superintendents, a post card cov¬ 
 ering the following: Blank for name of school, months ending, enroll¬ 
 ment by number of boys and girls, number entered during month, 
 number dropped during month, number working way (boys and 
 girls), number working part way (boys and girls), number of prayer 
 bands, number converted, membership of Missionary Volunteer So¬ 
 ciety, remarks. 
 
 7. On the back of the Professional Certificate we recommend the 
 following changes: Leave off the paragraph following the subjects 
 listed, and replace by, “The required grades for second- and first- 
 
 grade certificates are recorded on.Union 
 
 Conference books, at. 
 
 “Signed,. 
 
 “ Union Conference Educational Secretary .” 
 
 8. We recommend that the present Superintendent’s Record Book 
 be discontinued, and that a loose-leaf device be adopted, incorporat¬ 
 ing the present practical features and all changes recommended by 
 this Council. 
 
 9. We recommend that the Lamson Daily Register be continued 
 the coming school year. As there has been some complaint concern¬ 
 ing this Register, we recommend that a committee of two be appointed 
 to examine other registers, and prepare a daily register that will more 
 nearly meet the needs of our* schools, and that before the suggested 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 register is adopted by the Department, it be submitted to a large num¬ 
 ber of educational workers for critical examination and suggestions. 
 
 10. We recommend that a pledge card be adopted to aid in strength¬ 
 ening the educational fund. 
 
 11. We recommend the adoption of a hinted statement for the 
 use of church-school treasurers. 
 
 12. We recommend for the use of the examining board, a card 
 which includes all elementary school subjects. 
 
 13. We recommend a change in the elementary school enrollment 
 blank, and that the names of the church-school board be included in 
 the report. 
 
 14. We recommend the preparation of a blank for the use of the 
 union secretaries in reporting to the North American Division Con¬ 
 ference Educational Department. 
 
 15. We recommend the use of the Home Workers’ Blank in our 
 elementary schools. 
 
 W. W. Ruble C. L. Stone 
 
 Flora H. Williams I. C. Colcord 
 
 M. E. Cady Committee 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY 
 
 (The Report of the Committee on Library was read by the Sec¬ 
 retary of the Council in the absence of the Chairman of the Committee, 
 J. N. Anderson.) 
 
 In submitting the lists of books which are herewith placed in the 
 hands of the delegates of this Council, your committee wishes to lay 
 before you some facts and make some suggestions that have to do with 
 our findings as a committee. 
 
 First of all, we wish to say that the work of selecting these books 
 has been a labor of much pleasure, though it has necessarily entailed 
 no small amount of effort and care. With the increasing time spent 
 in preparing these lists we have been increasingly impressed with the 
 importance of having all our schools provided with an adequate num¬ 
 ber of really good books. Next to the staff of instructors, the library 
 manifestly holds the most important place in the school; and in one 
 respect it must be admitted that the library is even before the fac¬ 
 ulty, since it serves both the students and the teachers. Necessarily, 
 the great emphasis must fall on the quality of the books placed on 
 our shelves. The value of a good book for good is the measure of 
 the worthless or vicious book for evil. We all agree that the books 
 placed in our libraries must be select, up-to-date, efficient, wholesome. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 227 
 
 In selecting these books your committee has labored with this in 
 mind, and yet we are frank to say, what is no doubt patent to all, that 
 it is next to impossible to find books that are in every respect entirely 
 suited to the work we as a people are seeking to do. In this matter 
 of suitableness, books vary more or less, the greatest divergence being 
 in the fields of science and religion. Your committee has studiously 
 held this fact in mind, and sought to select only such books as ap¬ 
 proach nearest to our ideal as to fact and interpretation. While this 
 has been our objective, we do not submit these lists for your criti¬ 
 cism with the understanding that the books named meet even our 
 minds. We have selected what in our judgment would serve the 
 work in our schools best, conscious of the fact that they fall short of 
 our ideal. 
 
 In brief, our method was as follows: a person, inside or outside of 
 the committee, was asked to provide a list of books in the field in 
 which he had special knowledge. Next the committee passed on the 
 list, and then it was manifolded and sent to our various schools to be 
 criticized by teachers who teach the subject or subjects covered by 
 the list. These persons were urged to strike out or add to, as their 
 judgment dictated. It must be said, however, that for lack of time 
 we did not succeed in dealing with all the lists in this way. Few ad¬ 
 ditional books were suggested, and the only criticism offered was 
 that the lists were too extensive, that our schools could not possibly 
 buy or use so many books to advantage. This criticism had to do 
 with the lists on science, mathematics, and missions. 
 
 In this connection we wish to say that the books we have listed 
 are not submitted to this Council with the understanding that they 
 are recommended to our schools in an authoritative way, making 
 it obligatory on our schools to put them into their libraries. These 
 lists are merely suggestive, and our schools are quite free to select as 
 they may see fit or reject altogether. Some latitude must be allowed 
 in this matter, since it remains a fact that the work done in our va¬ 
 rious schools, especially our colleges, is not and cannot be absolutely 
 the same in every particular. Indeed, it must be evident to us all 
 that our schools doing the more advanced work, must to a degree 
 specialize and each college emphasize certain lines of study. For 
 this reason it follows as a matter of course that the complexion of the 
 libraries must differ accordingly. It is with this understanding and 
 on this basis that your committee submits these lists of books. 
 
 In the opinion of the committee, all these lists, with the possible 
 exception of those on mathematics and missions, are quite incomplete. 
 That is especially true of those that deal with religious and miscel¬ 
 laneous subjects. Works on biography are particularly limited. 
 
228 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 All the books represented in this report are intended, without any 
 exceptions, for our college libraries; but all books marked with the 
 letter “C” are intended for the college only, and not for our acad¬ 
 emies. They are works that are more advanced and deal with sub¬ 
 jects in a more technical way. 
 
 With the exception of a few that were incidentally listed in this 
 report, all books published by our own people have been intention¬ 
 ally omitted, in the conviction that all our library committees in our 
 various schools needed no suggestions as to their value and place. 
 
 Some of the books in these lists are out of print, and hence are 
 available only in secondhand bookstores, such as Dickinson, London; 
 Leary, Philadelphia; Schulte, New York City; and others. We would 
 recommend that our schools keep in touch with these places. Not 
 infrequently rare and valuable works can be secured in this way. 
 Dickinson issues catalogues monthly, which are sent out on applica¬ 
 tion. The address is R. D. Dickinson, 89 Farringdon St., London. 
 
 We regret that we have not been able for lack of time to indicate 
 publisher and price of every book. We would recommend that our 
 library committees submit these lists for fuller information concern¬ 
 ing publishers, prices, etc., to such publishers as McClurg or Revell. 
 
 The valuable list of choice books intended for our normal schools 
 was selected by a special committee, the chairman of which is Miss 
 Myrta Kellogg. 
 
 The present is an age of books. A constant volume of books and 
 other matter from the ever-present press, covering every field of knowl¬ 
 edge and research, is pouring forth upon us night and day. Much 
 of this literary stream is worthless and worse, but some of it is inval¬ 
 uable and indispensable; we cannot ignore it, we cannot do our work 
 without it. We are under the stern necessity of making our own 
 selections. In view of this fact, we wish to recommend that one per¬ 
 son be appointed by the Educational Department to represent each 
 “Section,” whose duty it shall be to prepare book reviews of desirable 
 works coming from the press in his special line. The committee has 
 nothing to urge as to the nature of these reviews, or how often or where 
 they shall appear, though our mind would be that they be published 
 in the Christian Educator, and that such book notices appear in one 
 issue at certain intervals rather than at random in any issue. 
 
 J. N. Anderson C. C Lewis 
 
 M. E. Kern Otto John 
 
 C. L. Benson Committee 
 
 Note. — The lists of books were duplicated and distributed to 
 the delegates. 
 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CERTIFICATION 
 
 {Read by Chairman Lucas) 
 
 1. A special permit may be issued by the union secretary on rec¬ 
 ommendation of the conference superintendent, said certificate to be 
 given only under special conditions. 
 
 2. Third-Grade Certificate .— Good for only one year. Applicant 
 must pass union conference examinations, or present proper credits 
 in the following subjects: — 
 
 1. 
 
 2. 
 3 - 
 
 Bible History 
 Physiology 
 Arithmetic 
 
 4. Grammar 
 
 5. U. S. History and Constitution 
 
 6. Geography 
 
 7. Nature Study 
 
 8. Spelling 
 
 9. Reading 
 
 10. Penmanship 
 
 11. Theory and Practice 
 
 12. Civil Government 
 
 13. Elementary Agriculture 
 
 14. Elective: Drawing or 
 
 Singing 
 
 Average standing, 75 per cent; minimum, 65 per cent. Additional 
 requirement — a careful reading of '‘Education.” 
 
 Renewal. — A third-grade certificate upon which no subject is 
 graded below 70 per cent, is, upon recommendation of the educational 
 superintendent, renewable twice in succession from date of original 
 issue, if its holder has taught successfully at least three months of the 
 time for which it was originally issued, but such certificate may not be 
 renewed more than twice. The application for renewal must state 
 that the holder has shown progress by attending summer school, and 
 by presenting a Teachers’ Reading Course certificate. 
 
 3. Second-Grade Certificate. — Good for only two years. Appli¬ 
 cant must pass union conference examinations, or present proper 
 credits in the following subjects: — 
 
 . 1. Bible History 
 
 2. Physiology 
 
 3. Arithmetic 
 
 4. Grammar 
 
 5. U. S. History and Constitution 
 
 6. Geography 
 
 7. Nature 'Study 
 
 8. Spelling 
 
 9. Reading 
 
 10. Penmanship 
 
 11. School Management 
 
 12. Civil Government 
 
 13. Elementary Agriculture 
 
 14. Elective: Drawing or 
 
 Singing 
 
 15. “Education” 
 
 17. Elementary Bookkeeping. 
 
 t 6. Elementary 
 trines. 
 
 Bible Doc- 
 
 229 
 
230 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Average standing, 80 per cent; minimum, 70 per cent. Additional 
 requirements — the careful reading of “Counsels to Teachers;” one 
 summer school certificate. 
 
 A normal student who finishes the first year of the Normal Course 
 in addition to the academic subjects required, will receive a second- 
 grade certificate. 
 
 Renewal .— A second-grade certificate upon which no subject is 
 graded below 75 per cent, is, upon recommendation of the educational 
 superintendent, renewable three times in not more than six years from 
 date of original issue, if its holder has taught at least twelve months 
 within the life of the certificate, original or renewed, and has attended 
 summer school and presented two Teachers’ Reading Course certifi¬ 
 cates. 
 
 4. First-Grade Certificate .— Good for only three years. Appli¬ 
 cant must have had either eight months of successful teaching in de¬ 
 nominational schools, or a year of practice teaching in the Normal 
 Course. He must also pass union conference examinations, or present 
 proper credits in the following subjects: -— 
 
 1. Bible History 10. Penmanship 
 
 2. Physiology n. School Management 
 
 3. Arithmetic . 12. Civil Government 
 
 4. Grammar 13. Elementary Agriculture 
 
 5. U. S. History and Constitution 14. Elective: Drawing or 
 
 6. Geography Music 
 
 7. Nature Study 15. “Education” 
 
 8. Spelling 16. Elementary Bible Doc- 
 
 9. Reading trines 
 
 17. Elementary Bookkeeping 
 
 18. Daniel and Revelation 21. Elective: Academic Phys- 
 
 19. General Science iology and Botany, or 
 
 20. General History Algebra, or Rhetoric. 
 
 22. Elective: Domestic Science or Manual Training. 
 
 Average standing, 85 per cent; minimum, 75 per cent. A normal 
 graduate will be granted a first-grade certificate. 
 
 Renewal .— A first-grade certificate upon which no subject is 
 graded below 80 per cent, is, upon recommendation of the educational 
 superintendent, renewable as long as the holder continues in active 
 teaching at least sixteen months during the life of the certificate, 
 original or renewed, presents a Reading Course certificate for each 
 year, attends at least one summer school out of three, and is a member 
 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in good and regular standing. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 231 
 
 5. Professional Certificate .— Good for only five years. Applicant 
 must have had at least twenty-four months of teaching experience 
 and two years of Normal Training, and must also pass union confer¬ 
 ence examinations, or present proper credits in the following: — 
 
 1. Bible History 13. 
 
 2. Physiology 14. 
 
 3. Arithmetic 15. 
 
 4. Grammar 16. 
 
 5. U. S. History and Con- 17. 
 
 stitution 18. 
 
 6. Geography 19. 
 
 7. Nature Study 20. 
 
 8. Spelling 21. 
 
 9. Reading 
 
 10. Penmanship 
 
 11. School Management 22. 
 
 12. Civil Government 
 
 Elementary Agriculture 
 Elective: Drawing or Singing 
 “Education” 
 
 Elementary Bible Doctines 
 Elementary Bookkeeping 
 Daniel and Revelation 
 General Science 
 General History 
 Elective: Academic Physiology 
 and Botany, or Algebra, or 
 Rhetoric 
 
 Elective: Domestic Science or 
 Manual Training 
 
 23. History of Missions and Denominational History 
 
 24. Elective: Physics, or Chemistry, or Zoology, or Elementary 
 
 Astronomy 
 
 25. Literature 
 
 26. Plane Geometry 
 
 27. Elective: Choose one subject from those not taken under 21 
 
 in first-grade certificate. 
 
 28. Elective: History of Education or Psychology. 
 
 Average standing, 90 per cent; minimum, 80 per cent. 
 
 Renewal .—A professional certificate upon which no subject is 
 
 graded below 80 per cent, is, upon recommendation of the educational 
 superintendent, renewable as long as the holder continues in active 
 teaching at least three out of five years during the life of the certifi¬ 
 cate, original or renewed, and presents a Reading Course certificate 
 each year, attends at least one summer school out of five, and is a 
 member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in good and regular 
 standing. 
 
 6. Requirements for Life Certificates .— The General Department 
 of Education shall grant two classes of Life Certificates on the follow¬ 
 ing conditions >— 
 
 (1) Life Certificate .— This certificate shall be granted to — 
 
 Those who hold the Bachelor’s degree from a Seventh-day Ad¬ 
 ventist college, and who, while pursuing their course, have given four 
 units to pedagogical subjects, and after graduation have taught 
 
232 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 successfully for three years, and are recommended hv the union 
 conference secretary in whose territory they have taught. 
 
 (2) Normal Life Certificate .— This certificate shall be granted to 
 those who, after receiving the normal diploma, have taught success¬ 
 fully for three years, and are recommended by the union conference 
 secretary in whose territory they have taught. 
 
 (3) Those who, by reason of long and successful teaching and school 
 management, have shown that they possess qualifications and attain¬ 
 ments equivalent to those required under (1) or (2), and who are 
 recommended by the union conference secretary in whose territory 
 they have taught. 
 
 7. Accepted Credits .— (a) In the examination of teachers, a credit of 
 90 per cent or more is reckoned permanent as long as the holder is 
 actively engaged in teaching or studying under a teacher (without 
 lapse of more than one year), whether said standing be obtained in 
 a teachers’ examination or in subjects above the eighth grade in one 
 of our colleges or academies, or the Fireside Correspondence School. 
 
 (b) Credits of 85 per cent or above will be accepted if derived 
 from the same sources and if not more than three years old. 
 
 (c) Credits from High School and State Examining Boards will be 
 accepted in harmony with the conditions under (a) and (b), excepting 
 Civil Government, Geography, Physiology, General Science, United 
 States History, and General History, in which subjects some ad¬ 
 ditional work may be required for denominational reasons. 
 
 8. In all cases, whether issued by the union conference department 
 or by the General Department, and for whatever grade, certificates 
 will remain valid only so long as the holder is a member of a Seventh- 
 day Adventist church, in good and regular standing. 
 
 Voted, That the naming of the three certificates be referred to the 
 General Department, to ascertain the prevailing nomenclature through¬ 
 out the country, and name ours in harmony with that. 
 
 Voted, That substitutes on certificates be referred to the General 
 Department, with power to insert their decision accordingly. 
 
 H. G. Lucas 
 J. A. L. Derby 
 W. W. Ruble 
 LI. M. Hiatt 
 Sarah E. Peck 
 
 C. A. Russell 
 M. M. Hare 
 C. B. Hughes 
 M. E. Cady 
 M. B. Van Kirk 
 
 Committee 
 

 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS 
 
 (.Read by Chairman Howell) 
 
 In introducing the second report of the Committee on Stand¬ 
 ards, it may be well for us to review briefly the causes that led up 
 to the appointment of this committee, and to point out some of the 
 advantages in adopting a definite plan by which to determine our 
 goal and gauge our progress toward it. If we look into Holy Writ 
 for principles to guide us, we hear Isaiah saying, “Lift up a standard 
 for the people.” We hear Paul reciting his personal experience in 
 seeking to attain to a certain objective set before him: “Brethren, I 
 count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, for¬ 
 getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those 
 things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the 
 high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 
 
 The occasion for our undertaking to establish certain standards 
 was found in the large variation of practice among our schools, 
 which are working toward one common end. This situation was 
 created, and the necessity of providing a remedy increased, by the 
 wide distribution of our schools and the consequent lack of oppor¬ 
 tunity for their managers to come in touch with one another’s work. 
 Our total school enrollment the world over scarcely equals one half 
 the pupil enrollment in one of our large cities. We could bring all 
 our teachers to the city of Washington and yet supply numerically 
 less than half the positions in its public schools, to say nothing of 
 the universities, colleges, and private institutions located within the 
 city limits. Yet all the Washington teachers are under one super¬ 
 intendent. He can call any or all of them into personal conference 
 whenever he chooses. A single board of education draws up their 
 course of study, provides necessary facilities, and regulates the 
 general policies and plans by which the principals and teachers work. 
 
 These three principal causes, then,— widely distributed forces; 
 wide variations in teacher qualifications, length of instruction periods, 
 library and laboratory equipment, requirements for graduation, and 
 financial policy; and the singleness of aim in our entire educational 
 effort,—these causes, coupled with the frequent migrations of students 
 resulting from the nature of our denominational work, led the Depart¬ 
 ment of Education to the appointment of a committee prior to the 
 General Conference of 1913, with a view to establishing certain 
 standards which by common agreement we could work by in order 
 to secure greater harmony, uniformity, and results in our educational 
 effort. This committee was designated the College Standards 
 
 233 
 
234 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Committee, and presented its first report to the Educational Council 
 connected with the General Conference. That the adoption of this 
 incomplete report has proved beneficial cannot be doubted. Not 
 only has it stimulated our colleges to more determined and systematic 
 effort to strengthen their work, but it has also exercised a good moral 
 influence upon our academies. This is seen especially in improved 
 equipment and in the securing of better qualified teachers, some of 
 their faculties now being made up almost entirely of college grad¬ 
 uates. The moral effect has extended in some degree also to our 
 elementary schools. 
 
 The principle of standardization is represented in several features 
 of our denominational work. We pay a tenth of our increase for the 
 support of the ministry. We are attempting to raise twenty cents 
 a week for missions and home relief. The Sabbath schools have 
 three goals: daily study of the lesson, personal work for every pupil, 
 a million dollars for missions. The Missionary Volunteers have 
 set their annual stakes at 2,000 conversions, $25,000 for missions, 
 and 2,000 persons reading the Bible through. One of our union 
 conferences has set out to raise an educational relief and improve¬ 
 ment fund of $150,000 in eighteen months. One of our colleges 
 has fixed its goal at four hundred students and twenty-five college 
 graduates for next year, freedom from debt by New Year’s, one 
 hundred students a year in the home field, and fifteen a year in foreign 
 lands. 
 
 We are living in a period of goals and standards and attainments. 
 The high calling of God in Christ Jesus demands our best, and the 
 best can be more easily measured in definite units. Like Paul, we 
 cannot count ourselves to have attained, but we can press on toward 
 fixed marks till we gain ability and courage to set them higher. 
 
 After the adoption of the College Standards report two years 
 ago, action was taken to continue the committee for the purpose of 
 completing its work for colleges, and of preparing a similar report 
 for our academies, four academy representatives being added to its 
 membership to assist in this work. 
 
 W. E. Howell 
 Frederick Griggs 
 O. J. Graf 
 E. C. Kellogg 
 M. E. Kern 
 
 B. F. Machlan 
 H. G. Lucas 
 J. L. Kay 
 J. B. White 
 
 Committee 
 
 A separate committee on Elementary Standards was appointed, 
 which reported direct to the Council. Their report is given first, 
 beginning on the next page. 
 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ELEMENTARY 
 
 STANDARDS 
 
 {Read by Chairman Russell) 
 
 1. QUALIFICATIONS OF A TEACHER. 
 
 (a) General Education. — At least 12 grades. 
 
 (b) Normal Training. — Two years. This should be in addition to 
 the 12 years, making 14 grades, thus completing the Normal Course. 
 We recommend that mature students be allowed one year in the 12 
 grades, where the full Normal Course cannot be taken. 
 
 (c) Age. — Eighteen years or over. 
 
 (d) Certification. — The teacher must hold one of the regular 
 certificates issued by the Department of Education, either general 
 or union. 
 
 (e) Spirituality .— The teacher must be a member, in good and 
 regular standing, of some Seventh-day Adventist church. 
 
 2. AMOUNT OF WORK CARRIED. 
 
 Not more than six full grades, unless the membership is very 
 small. Where all eight grades are represented in the school, we 
 recommend an assistant. Under no circumstances should a teacher 
 be expected to carry eight grades and teach classes in the ninth. 
 
 3. RESPONSIBILITIES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOLROOM. 
 
 (a) Supervise all outdoor recreation. 
 
 (b) Cooperate with parent in care of pupil in going to and from 
 school. 
 
 (c) Take an interest in church activities, especially in the weekly 
 prayer meeting, Sabbath school, and Missionary Volunteer Society, 
 guarding against being overtaxed. 
 
 (d) The teacher should visit the homes of the patrons as frequently 
 as possible. 
 
 4. HOME STUDY. 
 
 (a) Grades 4-6, in general not more than one major subject. 
 
 (b) Grades 7-8, in general not more than two major subjects. 
 
 5. LIBRARY. 
 
 At least one hundred volumes, selected from our leading denom¬ 
 inational books, as “Patriarchs and Prophets,” “The Great Contro¬ 
 versy,” “The Desire of Ages.” “Early Writings,” “Thoughts on Dan¬ 
 iel and the Revelation,” “The Story of Daniel,” “The Seer of Patmos,” 
 “Education,” “Counsels to Teachers,” Volumes VI to IX of the 
 
 235 
 
236 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Testimonies, “Christ’s Object Lessons,” “Ministry of Healing,” 
 “Steps to Christ,” “The Acts of the Apostles,” “The Great Second 
 Advent Movement,” a set of Encyclopedias (Funk and Wagnalls 
 $10 set recommended), Carpenter’s Geographical and Industrial 
 Readers, Supplementary Readers, our Junior and Senior Course 
 books, missionary books, books on woodwork, sewing, gardening, 
 and general manumental work, supplementary books on United 
 States History, Civics, and Elementary Science, an Academic or 
 Collegiate dictionary (not the unabridged). 
 
 6. EQUIPMENT. 
 
 (a) General. — Individual desks, suitable teacher’s desk, recitation 
 seats, one square yard of blackboard per pupil, crayon, erasers, rulers. 
 
 (b) Sanitary. — Spigot or sanitary drinking fountain, individual 
 drinking cups, individual or paper towels, lavatory or wash basin, 
 soap, mirror, clothes brush, shoe brush, broom, dust-pan, sweeping 
 compound or sawdust saturated with coal oil, jacketed stove or other 
 means of heating, thermometer, proper means of ventilation, sanitary 
 toilets, ample light. Desks should be so arranged that light will come 
 from behind and over left shoulder — never in front. 
 
 (c) Bible. — Such maps and prophetic charts as cannot be hand¬ 
 made. 
 
 (d) Geography. — At least a twelve-inch globe, map of the hemi¬ 
 spheres, map of each continent, map of the State in which school is 
 situated. Maps should be in case if possible. 
 
 (e) Nature. — Such appliances as are necessary to demonstrate 
 experiments called for in textbook. 
 
 (f) Physiology. — Paper manikins and such apparatus as is nec¬ 
 essary to conduct experiments in demonstrating the text. 
 
 (g) Manumental. — (i) Woodwork: One bench for every two 
 pupils taking the course, and set of few tools — $io worth in each 
 school. (2) Sewing: Needles, scissors, tape, thimbles. (3) Cooking 
 and gardening: Home equipment may be used under general directions 
 of teacher, the work to be done at school if possible; some kind of 
 stove, cooking outfit, and dishes, for the cooking class. For gardening, 
 a set of tools for each pupil, consisting of spade, hoe, rake, and trowel, 
 and one tape or measuring rod. 
 
 7. LENGTH OF CLASS PERIOD. 
 
 Grades 1-4.10 to 15 minutes 
 
 Grades 5-8.15 to 20 minutes 
 
 Manual training.1^2 hours a week 
 
 Drawing.30 minutes two days a week 
 
 Music and Penmanship, .each 15 minutes 3 days a week 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 237 
 
 8. LENGTH OF DAILY SESSION. 
 
 Grades 1-3. 
 
 Grades 4-8. 
 
 9. LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR. 
 
 At least 36 weeks, 174 days of school. 
 
 10. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Tuition and pledges in sufficient amount to provide for all items 
 of expense. Pledges to be paid monthly for 12 months in the year. 
 (For a complete financial policy, see “Council Proceedings,” 1915.) 
 
 11. PROMOTION. 
 
 Hold six-weeks period tests. Average grades from these tests with 
 daily class standing, on an equal ratio. This average is to be placed 
 upon the pupil’s report card, and counts 50 per cent on his final grade. 
 The final examination counts 50 per cent. Seventy-five per cent 
 is required as a minimum passing grade in any one subject, and an 
 average of 80 per cent in final examinations for promotion. Conference 
 examinations must be used in all finishing subjects. A pupil failing 
 to pass in not more than two subjects may be allowed to enter the 
 next grade, but must take those subjects again in the lower grade. 
 
 12. TO GO INTO EFFECT. 
 
 The provisions of this report are recommended to go into effect 
 Sept. 1, 1917, but should be put into operation as much sooner as 
 possible. 
 
 C. A. Russell Katherine B. Hale 
 
 VV. W. Ruble Jessie B. Osborne 
 
 Sarah Peck Committee 
 
 3F2 to 4 hours 
 . .5 to 6 hours 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC 
 
 STANDARDS 
 
 {Read by Chairman Howell) 
 
 The report of the Committee on Academic Standards was adopted 
 as follows: — 
 
 A — Spiritual Basis. 
 
 1. That the determining standard in our academy education, 
 and the continual touchstone of its success, be the spiritual power 
 that permeates and constantly molds all its work as a direct result 
 of according the Bible its rightful place in the instruction given, 
 and of conducting the work of the school in full harmony with the 
 principles of Christian education given by the spirit of prophecy. 
 
238 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 2. That we affirm it as our belief that the presence of this power 
 will result in the patient building of solid character in our students 
 by proper disciplinary and cultural means, and in the development 
 of efficiency for soul-winning; to deny either of these propositions is 
 to deny the necessity for the Christian school and to affirm the futil¬ 
 ity of Christian effort. 
 
 3. That the realizing of such a spiritual standard will assure the 
 strongest possible stimulus to thoroughgoing mental effort and to 
 conscientious care of the bodily health through abstemious habits and 
 useful labor. 
 
 B — Technical Standards . 
 
 1. That the full work of a teacher do not exceed twenty sixty- 
 minute hours a week, including vocational or drill subjects, and 
 providing that laboratory work be reckoned at half value the same as 
 that of students. It is understood that on this basis a teacher do a 
 reasonable share of committee, religious, and other general work in 
 addition to his class work; and that the demands of each teacher’s 
 work on his time and strength be carefully considered in adjusting 
 the work of the faculty. 
 
 2. That the preceptor and preceptress in homes of twenty-five 
 students or more be not required to carry more than ten hours of class 
 work a week, under the same general conditions as those specified 
 for the full-time teacher. 
 
 3. That the academic attainments of a teacher be at least two 
 years beyond the highest grade taught in the school, and include 
 Education, General Method, Psychology, and one year of supervised 
 teaching in the common branches based on the principles of Christian 
 education. 
 
 4. That students spend an average of at least one hour and a 
 quarter in the preparation of each lesson. 
 
 5. That the library of the ten-grade school contain at least 500 
 volumes; of the twelve-grade school, 1,500; of the fourteen-grade 
 school, 2,500; these numbers to be selected for academy use, to exclude 
 public documents, and to have at least an average purchase value 
 of seventy-five cents each. The number of culture books should be 
 about fifty per cent of the total, and include denominational, mission¬ 
 ary, and Young People’s books, with duplicates of those most used. 
 The other fifty per cent should be well apportioned among the various 
 lines of study. Besides books, there should be a reasonable variety 
 of current magazines and papers. 
 
 6. That the science equipment be that adopted in the report of 
 the Committee on Science Equipment. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 239 
 
 7. That sufficient annual income be assured to cover operating 
 expenses. 
 
 8. That the minimum value of a unit be the work done in thirty 
 six weeks of five forty-five-minute recitations, or its equivalent. 
 
 9. That the requirements for the tenth-grade certificate be as 
 follow^: — 
 
 Literary subjects 8 units 
 
 or 
 
 Literary 7 and Drawing or Music 1, or Agri¬ 
 culture 1, to a total of 8. 
 
 Manumental (lessons and practice on a trade) 1 unit 
 
 Total 9 units 
 
 10. That the requirements for academic graduation be as fol¬ 
 lows: — 
 
 Literary subjects 16 units 
 
 or 
 
 Literary 14 and Drawing or Music 1 and Physical 
 Culture 1, or Agriculture 1, to a total of 16. 
 
 Manumental (lessons and practice on a trade 
 
 completed) 2 units 
 
 Total 18 units 
 
 Special: Minimum standing of 85 per cent in Spelling, Reading, 
 Penmanship. 
 
 11. Time Definition of Units 
 
 Literary (study, 1^4 hours; recitation, ^ hour).— Two hours a day, 
 ten hours a week, 360 hours a year. 
 
 Drawing or Music (practice and lessons).— Through two or more 
 years to total of 360 hours. 
 
 Physical Culture (practice).— Total in four years, 360 hours. 
 One-fourth unit a year is allowed on physical labor done to the amount 
 of 15 hours a week, on condition that the physical culture class be 
 taken at least once a week. 
 
 Manumental (practice and lessons).— Five hours a week, 180 
 hours a year — one-half unit. Total in four years, 720 hours—2 
 units. 
 
 12. That scrupulous cleanliness be maintained throughout all 
 building§, including toilets, bathrooms, and dust closets; that plumb¬ 
 ing be kept in constant good repair; that premises be kept free from 
 refuse, decaying vegetable matter, and other unsanitary debris; that 
 
240 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 buildings occupied by students or teachers be properly screened during 
 warm weather, and that conditions favorable to the breeding of 
 Hies or mosquitoes be carefully removed and guarded against; that 
 personal hygiene be diligently taught and required; and that sanitary 
 drinking fountains or individual cups and individual towels be pro¬ 
 vided. 
 
 13. That the State requirements for fire protection be provided. 
 
 14. That the standards on library, science equipment, teacher 
 qualification, and graduation take effect Sept. 1, 1917; but that 
 meanwhile each school do all it can toward making them operative 
 sooner. 
 
 COLLEGE STANDARDS 
 
 As a supplementary report on college standards, we recommend: — 
 
 1. That in the report adopted at the General Conference Educa¬ 
 tional Council in 1913, the first part of B-9 (a), “That the full work 
 of the teacher be four regular classes, with a vocational class or its 
 equivalent,” be amended to read, “That the full work of a teacher 
 do not exceed twenty sixty-minute hours a week, including manu- 
 mental or drill subjects, and providing that laboratory work be reck¬ 
 oned at half value, the same as that of students.” 
 
 2. That the minimum requirement for graduation be 120 sixty- 
 minute hours or 160 forty-five-minute hours; that for graduation 
 from the Ministerial College Course, experience in at least one con¬ 
 tinuous tent or hall effort of eight to twelve weeks be required; and 
 that one season’s experience in colporteur work be strongly recom¬ 
 mended. 
 
 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COURSES 
 
 The Committee on Courses of Study has at this time given care¬ 
 ful consideration to the various grades of work and courses in our 
 schools throughout the elementary school, the academy, and the 
 college. The elementary grades from one to eight inclusive have 
 been revised by the Committee on Elementary Standards, who make 
 their report direct to the Council. The Academic Course, College 
 Course, and courses leading to vocational training have been con¬ 
 sidered by a representative committee consisting of the Committees 
 on Standards and Courses, college and academy heads, and college 
 department teachers. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 241 
 
 In the Academic Course every subject offered has been considered 
 as to its part and place in the course of instruction. Thee ommittee 
 has endeavored to guard against crowding the course too full. Man- 
 umental training is placed on an equal footing with literary work, 
 and place has been made for drawing and music, so that the academic 
 student can have credit for a limited amount of such instruction. A 
 place has been made for physical culture, with credit allowed. Four 
 years of Bible are allowed, including history of missions and denomi¬ 
 national history. Arithmetic has been eliminated from the course, 
 and algebra placed in the ninth grade. In the eleventh and twelfth 
 grades, electives in language, mathematics, and science have been 
 allowed to make the course more elastic, better fitting it to meet the 
 requirements of various schools. 
 
 The College Course in its content consists of eight required units 
 and eight electives. In order to direct the students in choosing work, 
 the group system of choosing electives is recommended. By this 
 means the student will be required to major in one or two lines, and 
 not to scatter his work. 
 
 A Ministerial College Course is also recommended, consisting of 
 eleven units of required work and five elective. By allowing electives 
 the student is given some latitude in choosing his subjects, the field 
 work being left to a committee to standardize. 
 
 The Normal Course is so altered as to make it possible for a Normal 
 graduate to complete a College Course in two years after our Normal 
 Departments have been standardized and approved by the Division 
 Department. 
 
 The commercial teachers in attendance at this council presented 
 to the committee a Combined Business and Shorthand Course of 
 two years, a Shorthand Course of one year, and a Business Course 
 of one year. The prerequisite of twelve grades is recommended 
 for each. With such changes as were suggested, these courses passed 
 the committee. It was voted that for the finishing of either of these 
 courses, two years of Bible be required. 
 
 In conclusion, I wish to say that the work of this committee has 
 been attended with a conscientious and broad-minded spirit, and much 
 time has been spent in order that conclusions might be reached that 
 would be for the best interests of our educational work and be possible 
 of adoption by all our schools. 
 
 J. L. Shaw Sarah Peck 
 
 Frederick Griggs J. G Lamson 
 
 C.^W. Irwin J. A. L. Derby 
 
 O. J. Graf 
 M. E. Olsen 
 C. L. Stone 
 
 16 
 
 M. E. Cady 
 M. B. Van Kirk 
 
 Committee 
 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COURSES OF STUDY 
 
 The report of the Committee on Courses of Study was presented 
 by Chairman J. L. Shaw, and adopted as follows, chairman Russell 
 of the sub-committee on Elementary Course presenting that part: — 
 
 ELEMENTARY COURSE 
 
 First Grade 
 
 Bible and Nature. — Stories of Creator and Saviour. Oral work. 
 See Educational Bulletin, No. 12. Correlated work, lan¬ 
 guage. 
 
 Reading and Language. — Blackboard or chart work, 6 to 12 weeks. 
 True Education Reader Series, Book One. Supplementary: 
 “Our Little Folks’ Bible Nature,” “Plant Life,*” “Wide- 
 Awake Primer,” “Arnold Primer.” 
 
 Spelling and Phonics. — Correlated with reading. 
 
 Manumental. — Gardening, cardboard sewing, paper work, care of 
 schoolroom. Correlated work in language. 
 
 Numbers. — Correlated with manumental work. 
 
 Penmanship. — Drills with Palmer System. 
 
 Music. — Rote singing, intonation, and simple rhythm. 
 
 Drawing. — (Including clay modeling.) 
 
 Second Grade 
 
 Bible and Nature. — Continued from first grade. See Educational 
 Bulletin, No. 12. Correlated work continued. 
 
 Reading and Language. — True Education Reader Series, Book 
 Two. Supplementary: “Animal Life,” “Story of Joseph.” 
 
 Spelling and Phonics. — Miss Hale’s Speller, Part 1. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. Loom weaving. 
 
 Numbers. — Correlated with manumental work. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music. — Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Third Grade 
 
 Bible and Nature. — Oral work combined with seat work, reading 
 and language from the Bible. See Educational Bulletin, 
 No. 12. 
 
 Reading and Language. — True Education Reader Series, Book 
 Three. Supplementary: “The House We Live In,” “Uncle 
 Ben’s Cobblestones,” “Christ Our Saviour,” Little Friend. 
 
 Spelling. — Miss Hale’s Speller, Part 2. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. Raffia. 
 
 242 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 243 
 
 Numbers. — Stone-Millis’ Primary Arithmetic, Parts One and Two 
 Correlated with manumental work. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music. — Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Fourth Grade 
 
 Bible. — Bible Lessons, Book One. 
 
 Nature. — Bible Nature Series, Book One, with notebook work. 
 
 Reading and Language. — True Education Reader Series, Book 
 Four. Supplementary: Selections from Hooker’s “Child’s 
 Book of Nature,’’ “First Book of Birds." 
 
 Spelling. — Miss Hale’s Speller, Part 3. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. Sewing and cardboard work begun; 
 paper work and loom weaving discontinued. 
 
 Arithmetic. —Stone-Millis’ Primary Arithmetic, completed. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music. — Sight Singing. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Fifth Grade 
 
 Bible. — Bible Lessons, Book Two. 
 
 Nature. — Bible Nature Series, Book Two, with notebook work. 
 
 Reading and Language. — True Education Reader Series, Book 
 Five. Supplementary: Selections from Hooker’s “Child’s 
 Book of Nature," Youth's Instructor, “Friends and Foes in 
 Field and Forest." 
 
 Spelling. — Miss Hale’s Speller, Part 4. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. Knife and scroll saw work; domestic 
 economy; basket work; keeping of practical accounts. 
 
 Arithmetic. — Stone-Millis’ Complete, or Intermediate Arithmetic, 
 Part One. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music. — Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Sixth Grade 
 
 Bible. — Bible Lessons, Book Three. 
 
 Nature. — Bible Nature Series, Book Three, with notebook work. 
 
 Reading and Language. — True Education Reader Series, Book 
 Six, first part. Supplementary: Carpenter’s Geographical 
 and Industrial Readers, “The Desire of Ages," Youth's In¬ 
 structor. 
 
 Spelling .— Hicks’s Champion Speller, and correlated work from 
 Bible Nature, and other studies. 
 
44 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. 
 
 Arithmetic. — Stone-Millis’ Complete (Part Two, sixth year) or 
 Intermediate Arithmetic completed. 
 
 Penmanship .— Continued. 
 
 Music.— Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Seventh Grade 
 
 Bible. — Bible Lessons, Book Four. 
 
 Geography. — Morton’s Advanced, completed. 
 
 Physiology. — Coleman’s Hygienic Physiology. One semester. 
 
 Reading. — True Education Reader, Book Six, completed. One 
 semester. Supplementary: "The Acts of the Apostles,” Car¬ 
 penter’s Geographical and Industrial Readers, Evans’s “First 
 Lessons in American History,” “Dawn of American History 
 in Europe,” Wm. Nida. 
 
 Language. — Bell’s “Natural Method in English,” revised, to 
 Lesson 138, page 205. 
 
 Spelling. — Hicks’s Champion Speller, continued. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. Chair caning; bench work; cooking. 
 Discontinue knife, scroll saw, and cardboard. 
 
 Arithmetic. — Stone-Millis’ Complete (Part One, seventh year) or 
 Advanced Arithmetic, Part One. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music.— Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
 Eighth Grade 
 
 Bible. — Prophetic History. Supplementary: “The Story of Dan¬ 
 iel,” “The Seer of Patmos.” 
 
 U. S. History .— Dickson’s American History for the Grammar 
 School. Supplementary: “United States in Prophecy.” 
 
 Civics. — First Semester. Supplementary: “Rights of Man.” 
 
 Agriculture. — Second semester. 
 
 Reading. — Continue with seventh-grade class if pupils need further 
 work in reading. 
 
 Language. — Bell’s “Natural Method in English,” revised, com¬ 
 pleted. 
 
 Spelling. — Hicks’s Champion Speller, completed. 
 
 Manumental. — Continued. 
 
 Arithmetic. — Stone-Millis’ Complete or Advanced Arithmetic, 
 completed. 
 
 Penmanship. — Continued. 
 
 Music. — Continued. 
 
 Drawing. — Continued. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEED! JN OS 
 
 245 
 
 ACADEMIC COURSE 
 
 Ninth Grade 
 
 New Testament History.* 
 
 Elementary Bookkeeping, General Science. 
 
 Algebra.* 
 
 Composition. 
 
 Tenth Grade t 
 
 Old Testament or Elementary Doctrines and Testimonies. 
 General History. 
 
 Physiology and Botany.* 
 
 Rhetoric. 
 
 Eleventh Grade 
 
 Missions, Denominational History. 
 
 Latin or Modern Language. 
 
 E Plane Geometry.! 
 
 E Astronomy, Zoology. 
 
 E Chemistry. 
 
 E Physics. 
 
 Twelfth Grade 
 
 Bible Doctrines or Daniel and Revelation or Old Testament. 
 Literature. 
 
 Physics or Chemistry. 
 
 Latin or Modern Language. 
 
 E Algebra and Solid Geometry. 
 
 E American History and Civics, or Astronomy and Zoology. 
 E English. 
 
 Voted , To adopt the semester plan in all our colleges and acad 
 emies. 
 
 Units Required for Graduation 
 
 For explanation, see page 239, paragraphs 9 and 10. 
 
 * Note. — New Testament may exchange grades with Old Testament. Algebra 
 may exchange grades with Physiology and Botany. 
 
 t Note. — Nine units are required for the tenth-grade certificate, one of which 
 may be Drawing or Music instead of one Literary, and one of which must be 
 Manumental. 
 
 t Note. — The electives provided in the eleventh grade are to serve as a basis 
 for schools to build their course; they are not to be placed before students for 
 individual selection. No school should offer electives in this grade. Individual 
 schools may choose one elective in the twelfth grade when Physics or Chemistry 
 has been taken in the eleventh. It was further understood that the schools within 
 the same college district should adopt a uniform course. 
 
246 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 COLLEGE COURSE 
 
 Subjects Required 
 
 Semester hours 
 
 Years 
 
 Bible. 
 
 . 12 to 16 
 
 2 
 
 English. 
 
 . 8 to io 
 
 l 
 
 History. 
 
 . 6 to 8 
 
 i 
 
 Science. 
 
 . 6 to 8 
 
 i 
 
 Language. 
 
 . 12 to 16 
 
 2 
 
 Philosophy. 
 
 . 6 
 
 I 
 
 Total. 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 Subjects Elective * 
 
 
 Bible 
 
 Education 
 
 
 English 
 
 Language 
 
 
 Science 
 
 Mathematics 
 
 
 History 
 
 
 
 Eligible to College Credits + 
 
 Normal .— Seven years (53 to 56 semester hours), excluding Man¬ 
 ual Arts. See page 247, Normal Course. 
 
 Music .— Two years (12 to 16 semester hours) on complete Con¬ 
 servatory Course; 1 year (6 to 8 semester hours) on three-year Con¬ 
 servatory Course. 
 
 Oratory .— Not more than 1 year (6 to 8 semester hours). 
 
 Art .— Not more than one year (6 to 8 semester hours based upon 
 360 sixty-minute hours of work). 
 
 Commerce .— One general elective to be chosen from the following 
 subjects: Accounting 2, one year (6 to 8 semester hours); Geography 
 of Commerce, History of Commerce, Economics, Commercial Law, 
 one-half year (3 to 4 semester hours) each. 
 
 Voted , To adopt the semester plan in our colleges and academies. 
 
 Voted , To adopt the grouping plan in our College Course. 
 
 * Nute. — From the list of subjects required it will be seen that while a cer¬ 
 tain minimum of semester hours may be taken in the various subjects, yet this 
 minimum may not be taken in all the subjects, for this would not reach the mini¬ 
 mum total of 60 semester hours of specified subjects required for graduation. 
 Classes may be arranged for any number of times a week from one to five in 
 either required or elective subjects, provided the total number of semester hours 
 taken reaches the minimum of 120 semester hours required for graduation. A 
 semester hour represents the pursual of one study one hour a week for one 
 semester. 
 
 f Note. —In their elective work the students are required to take not less than 
 four years (24 to 32 semester hours) in the one department in which they major, 
 and not less than three years (18 to 24 semester hours) in the department in which 
 they minor. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 247 
 
 MINISTERIAL COLLEGE COURSE * 
 
 Subjects Required Semester hours Years 
 
 Bible.18 to 24 3 
 
 History.12 to 16 2 
 
 Church History. 6 to 8 1 
 
 English. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Pastoral Training and Public Speaking 6 to 8 1 
 
 Philosophy. 6 to 8 1 
 
 N. T. Greek.12 to 16 2 
 
 Total.82 to 88 11 
 
 Subjects Elective Semester hours Years 
 
 Science. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Hebrew.12 to 16 2 
 
 History. 6 to 8 1 
 
 English. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Bible. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Pastoral Training and Public Speaking 6 to 8 1 
 
 Pedagogy. 3 to 4 y 
 
 Music. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Total electives offered.8 y 2 
 
 Voted, That colleges may offer a fourteen-grade Ministerial Course 
 within the limits of the Ministerial College Course. 
 
 Voted, That the Division Department appoint a committee to give? 
 further study to the field work connected with the Ministerial and Bible 
 Workers’ Courses, and report later to the Department. 
 
 NORMAL COURSE t 
 
 Subjects Required Semester hours Years 
 
 Education. 
 
 .12 
 
 to 
 
 16 
 
 2 
 
 Teaching and Methods. 
 
 .12 
 
 to 
 
 16 
 
 2 
 
 Manual Arts. 
 
 . 6 
 
 to 
 
 8 
 
 I 
 
 Bible. 
 
 . 6 
 
 to 
 
 8 
 
 I 
 
 Total. 
 
 .45 
 
 to 
 
 48 
 
 6 
 
 Subjects Elective 
 
 Normal. 3 years 
 
 • Note. — Out of a total of nineteen and one-half years offered, sixteen are re¬ 
 quired for graduation, eleven of which are required subjects and five elective. In 
 terms of semester hours this means that 82 to 88 semester hours are required, and 
 that sufficient additional hours from the electives must be taken to make a mini¬ 
 mum tqtal of 120 semester hours required for graduation. 
 
 t Note. — A minimum total of 45 semester hours of specified subjects is re¬ 
 quired. A sufficient amount of elective work must be taken to raise this number 
 to the minimum total of 68 Bemester hours required for graduation. 
 
248 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Voted , That college credit be not granted for the full seven normal 
 years (53 to 56 semester hours) required in the Normal Course until 
 our normal departments are fully standardized and approved by the 
 Division Department. 
 
 Voted, To leave to the Division Department the naming of a di¬ 
 ploma or certificate for eleven grades academic and one normal. 
 
 COMBINED BUSINESS AND SHORTHAND COURSE 
 
 {Prerequisite: Twelve Grades.) 
 
 First Year 
 
 Semester hours Years 
 
 Bookkeeping I. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Shorthand I. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Com. Arith. and Rapid Calculation. 3 to 4 p2 
 
 Business Spelling and English. } to 4 ph 
 
 History of Commerce or Economics. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Geography of Commerce. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Penmanship.•. Drill 
 
 Typewriting. Drill 
 
 Second Year 
 
 Semester hours 
 
 Bible. 6 to 8 
 
 Bookkeeping II. 6 to 8 
 
 Shorthand II. 6 to 8 
 
 Commercial Law.. .. 3 to 4 
 
 Com. Corresp. and Salesmanship. 3 to 4 
 
 Penmanship. 
 
 Typewriting. 
 
 Years 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 \Z 
 
 Drill 
 
 Drill 
 
 SHORTHAND COURSE 
 
 {Prerequisite: Twelve grades with Shorthand I in the 
 twelfth grade and Typewriting as the drill.) 
 
 Semester hours Years 
 
 Shorthand II. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Elective. 6 to 8 1 
 
 Commercial Law. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Geography of Commerce. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Business Spelling and English. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Com. Corresp. and Spelling. 3 to 4 pi 
 
 Penmanship. Drill 
 
 Typewriting.,.. Drill 
 
249 
 
 COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 **• -nf~ ar 
 
 BUSINESS COURSE 
 
 (Prerequisite: Twelve grades with Bookkeeping in the 
 
 twelfth grade and Penmanship 
 
 as the drill.) . 
 
 Semester hours 
 
 Years 
 
 Bookkeeping II. 
 
 .... 6 to 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 Geography of Commerce. 
 
 .... 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 K 
 
 Hist, of Commerce or Economics.. . 
 
 .... 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 K 
 
 Commercial Law. 
 
 .... 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 
 Com. Arith. and Rapid Calculation. 
 
 . 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 K 
 
 Business Spelling and English. 
 
 .... 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 K 
 
 Com. Corresp. and Salesmanship. . . 
 
 .... 3 to 
 
 4 
 
 K 
 
 Penmanship. 
 
 
 
 Drill 
 
 Typewriting. 
 
 
 
 Drill 
 
 Voted , That high-school graduates in taking the combined Short¬ 
 hand and Business Course or the separate Business and Shorthand 
 Courses, be required to have two years (12 to 16 semester hours) of 
 Bible. 
 
 Voted, That one general elective in commerce be allowed in the 
 College Course, the same to be chosen from the following subjects: 
 Accounting 2, one year (6 to 8 semester hours): Geography of Com¬ 
 merce, History of Commerce, Economics, Commercial Law, one-half 
 year (3 to 4 semester hours) each. 
 
 Voted, That the Division Department appoint a committee to 
 give futher study to the field work connected with Ministerial 
 and Bible Workers’ Courses, and report later to the Department. 
 
NOTE 
 
 The following part of this report con¬ 
 tains matter pertaining distinctively to 
 the Missionary Volunteer work. The 
 addresses of welcome and response, the 
 daily studies by Elder Evans, and the 
 paper and discussion on sex education, 
 were given in joint sessions. As the 
 matter could not well be divided, it is 
 given under the first, or Educational, 
 part of this report, and can easily be 
 found from the index. The closing meet¬ 
 ing was also a joint session, the record 
 of which appears at the end of the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer proceedings. 
 
 250 
 
MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 DEPARTMENT 
 
 PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS OF THE MISSION¬ 
 ARY VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT 
 
 M. E. KERN 
 
 Organization and Progress 
 
 The story of our young people’s work, from the first Testimonies 
 received in regard to it, in 1892 and 1893, down to the present, is 
 doubtless in a general way familiar to all here present. This brief 
 history is preserved for us in Missionary Volunteer Series No. 3, 
 by Mrs. L. Flora Plummer and Matilda Erickson. It is my purpose 
 to speak briefly of the progress of the work since our last and only 
 general Young People’s Convention, held in 1907, when the Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer Department of the General Conference was organized. 
 
 The decision to organize the young people’s work as a separate 
 department of the General Conference was made at the Gland, Swit¬ 
 zerland, meeting of the General Conference Committee in May, 1907. 
 The following extracts from the report of the minutes of that meeting 
 are significant: — 
 
 "Still the council faces day by day, in its study of the fields, 
 the divine call to bring every resource into service for the closing 
 work. The following recommendations were passed: — 
 
 " Whereas, There are in our ranks many thousands of young people 
 for whom the most earnest and vigorous efforts should be put forth to 
 fully instruct them in the gospel of our Lord, and lead them to give 
 themselves to the work of the third angel’s message; and,— 
 
 “ Whereas, The special blessing of God has attended the efforts 
 among our young people put forth under the fostering care of the 
 Sabbath School Department, until it has grown to such an extent 
 that it is difficult for this department to give this work the attention 
 and help which it needs; therefore,— 
 
 " Resolved , That, in order that this work may be properly devel¬ 
 oped, and thus an army of workers be properly trained for service, a 
 special department, with the necessary officers, be created, the same 
 to be known*as the Young People’s Department of the General Con¬ 
 ference. 
 
 251 
 
252 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “In the discussion of the action by representatives present, it 
 was testified that the youth of the denomination in all the world are 
 being moved by one common impulse to offer themselves for service.” 
 
 In July of the same year came the joint Sabbath School and 
 Young People’s Convention, at which the Department was launched 
 and the plans that should guide its work were laid. One in writing 
 of this convention has said, truly I believe, that “in purpose, char¬ 
 acter, and far-reaching results this convention ranks as a very impor¬ 
 tant meeting in the history of this cause;” and further that “as we 
 caught a view of the accumulative power and -self-propagating force 
 of our army of youth, organized and trained for service, it seemed 
 that we had suddenly come into possession of a gigantic dynamo 
 of energy and spiritual power, with which to finish the work of the 
 Lord in this generation.” 
 
 At that meeting the movement was given a definite name, a name 
 that has already meant much and will doubtless mean more and more 
 to our young people and to the denomination. The membership was 
 limited to “those who are members of the Seventh-day Adventist 
 Church, and are willing to engage in active service for Christ.” The 
 Standard of Attainment was set up, and the Reading Courses were 
 arranged for. These and other educational plans have proved to be 
 a great factor in the lives of our youth, by inspiring them with a 
 desire for self-improvement, and in fixing their attention on the 
 need of preparation for service. Also definite plans were laid for va¬ 
 rious lines of organized missionary effort. 
 
 At the next General Conference following the Mount Vernon con¬ 
 vention, held in 1909, a recommendation was passed heartily approv¬ 
 ing of the steps taken by the committee in the organizing of the 
 Department. Among other resolutions passed by this conference 
 regarding the Missionary Volunteer work, the following emphasized 
 what was and is considered the most fundamental: — 
 
 “2. Resolved , (a) That we emphasize a change of heart and the 
 reception of the Holy Spirit as fundamental in all our work for the 
 youth; and,— 
 
 “(b) That to this end more earnest evangelistic effort be carried 
 forward in their behalf. 
 
 “3. Resolved , That in planning work for our young people, we em¬ 
 phasize personal work as fundamental, and the basis of all lines of 
 Christian work; and that, to this end, we encourage the formation 
 of small bands for prayer and definite effort.” 
 
 Thus at the very outset, the absolute importance of evangelistic 
 efforts for, and personal evangelism by, our young people was given 
 first place. We have tried to follow this lead, and we need to be 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 25 :; 
 
 brought back to it again and again. I wish to repeat what I have 
 often said, that our Missionary Volunteer secretaries need to be evan¬ 
 gelists as well as educators and organizers. 
 
 At the 1909 conference our attention was specially directed by 
 resolution to the great opportunity which our camp meetings afford 
 for the work of this Department. It was recommended: — 
 
 “That diligent effort be made at these meetings for the salvation 
 of our children and youth, and for their development as Christian 
 workers; and we urge those who have this work in charge,— 
 
 “ (a) To make wise plans for the meetings and attendance. 
 
 “(b) To organize the Christian young people into bands for 
 prayer and personal work. 
 
 “(c) To follow up the work diligently, so that the results may 
 be permanent.” 
 
 We have endeavored to amplify and carry out this instruction, 
 and I believe that all who have observed our camp meeting work 
 for young people during the last eight years will testify to a great 
 change for the better, in our preparation for the work, the organ¬ 
 ized missionary work for and by the young people on the ground, 
 and the follow-up work after the meetings have closed. The lay¬ 
 ing of definite responsibility on a permanent officer of the conference 
 has resulted in greatly increased efficiency. 
 
 Our Missionary Volunteer work has naturally fallen into three 
 departments: (1) Devotional, (2) Educational, and (3) Organized 
 Missionary Effort. 
 
 The Devotional Features 
 
 Prominent among these is the Morning Watch. We believe 
 that the faithful observance of the Morning Watch will do more than 
 any other one thing to establish unbroken communion with heaven, 
 which is the secret of right living and successful soul winning. That 
 the little Morning Watch Calendar has met with a hearty welcome 
 is shown by the following record of its distribution year by year: — 
 
 In 1908, 6,000; 1909, 14,500; 1910, 17,500; 1911, 22,000; 1912, 
 25,000; 1913, 33-000; 1914, 55,000. 
 
 Besides this record of the English edition, the Morning Watch 
 Calendar has been published in the German, Spanish, Japanese, 
 Chinese, Korean, Danish-Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish languages. 
 It is a blessed thought that morning by morning an ever-enlarging 
 circle of young people, and older ones too, from lands all round the 
 world, are pressing their petitions up to the same loving Father for 
 victory over temptation and power for Christian service. 
 
COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER WORK 
 
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COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 255 
 
 Educational Features 
 
 Prominent among the educational features is the Standard of 
 Attainment. Something of the success of this plan will be seen by the 
 record of the number of certificates granted year by year: — 
 
 In 1908, 72; 1909, 60; 1910, 27; 1911, 58; 1912, 86; 1913, 134; 
 1914, 676. 
 
 We launched so many plans at Mount Vernon that it seemed im¬ 
 possible to do much with the Standard of Attainment at first, but 
 the wisdom of the plan has been proved by the gradual and steady 
 growth and by the results already attained. What can be more 
 important than that all our young people in the churches where 
 we find them shall be stimulated to study the fundamental points 
 of our faith and the history of the advent movement? What a 
 victory we have gained in having several hundred of our young people 
 meeting in Standard of Attainment bands, earnestly studying these 
 fundamentals, rather than spending their time in fruitless and harm¬ 
 ful pleasures! This plan has prepared many for active missionary 
 efforts where they are, and stimulated a desire to go to school for 
 further preparation. 
 
 The Reading Courses have been popular from the beginning, 
 and thousands of our young people have read the books suggested 
 and have fixed the habit of reading good books. There are already 
 young people in the foreign field who attribute their choice of work 
 to our Missionary Volunteer Reading Courses. 
 
 The following shows the number who have obtained certificates 
 in the North American Division each year: — 
 
 In 1908, 55; 1909, 99; 1910, T77; 1911, 242; 1912, 530; 1913, 675; 
 1914, 1,913. 
 
 Besides, we have Reading Courses in German, Japanese, Chinese, 
 Danish-Norwegian, Swedish, and Spanish. 
 
 Organized Missionary Effort 
 
 That our young people have been greatly stimulated in missionary 
 effort we know. While it is impossible (and perhaps always will be) 
 to get full reports, the table on the opposite page gives something 
 of an idea along this line. 
 
 At the time of the last General Conference, Miss Erickson con¬ 
 ceived the idea of a Missionary Volunteer goal. Accordingly one 
 was set for 1914. Doubtless, except for the break in the work caused 
 by Miss Erickson’s failing health and the consequent changes, the 
 record would be better than it is; but God blessed our efforts, as is 
 shown by the summary on page 256: — 
 
256 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The 1914 Goal 
 
 AIM RESULTS 
 
 Young people converted. 1,500 L760 
 
 Standard of Attainment certificates. 500 677 
 
 Reading Course certificates . 1,50° 1,913 
 
 Money for missions . $25,000 $19,289.77 
 
 Each point you see was passed except the financial goal, and 
 there is no doubt at all that our young people gave more than $25,000 
 to missions last year, but some confusion in the matter of reports 
 prevented a proper showing. 
 
 At the last General Conference Elder Daniells said: “The Lord 
 is blessing this Department. Every year I see wonderful progress 
 made. I feel grateful for the deep interest manifested in it. I am so 
 glad to see the helping hand the greater part of our denomination 
 is giving the youth through it. 
 
 “As we enter upon the next quadrennial period, I expect to see 
 this Department gaining great victories and winning most impor¬ 
 tant conquests. It has been only six years since we decided to organize 
 this Department. We just had a good start four years ago. And 
 what hath God not wrought for our young people? 
 
 “I go about to the church schools and colleges, and to camp 
 meetings. I am coming in closest touch with this great mass of people, 
 and I know that there is some mighty influence down underneath 
 lifting up. The work is being done, and I believe that we are nearing 
 the point when our young people, as a rule, will be reached by the 
 love of Christ, and will be a converted body throughout our ranks. 
 That is the aim that is possible, and we must never stop until it is 
 realized. ” 
 
 At the close of this General Conference, the secretary of the North 
 American Division Missionary Volunteer Department wrote: — 
 
 “Today we truly can say that the pillar of cloud has lifted, and 
 that workers everywhere are pressing forward to the complete organ¬ 
 ization of the movement which has for its object the salvation of 
 every child and young person in the denomination.” 
 
 These words are true. As another worker said, “This young 
 people’s work is going around the world carrying blessings in its 
 train. ” 
 
 The following extracts from recent foreign letters give a little 
 idea of the Missionary Volunteer activity in our foreign fields: — 
 
 Elder A. F. Prieger, of Haiti, writes: — 
 
 “As for the Young People’s Society, I will say it is doing wonders 
 in Haiti; for while our workers could not work in the interior for nine 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 257 
 
 months, the lay members brought fifty-four to the knowledge of the 
 truth, and they are waiting for baptism, and that during nine months 
 of revolution.” 
 
 Elder P. Hennig writes from South America: — 
 
 “ It was my privilege to work for the young people’s and the Home 
 Missionary Departments during my recent trip. I gained sixty-four 
 young people to sign the membership card. I had aimed to get every 
 young man and woman with whom I came in contact. Only two 
 escaped, one was too young and the other could not see how he could 
 find time to study, being engaged in business which occupied all 
 his time. I found the young people everywhere very enthusiastic. 
 They do the greater part of the missionary work, and seemed to be 
 waiting to be organized for more efficient work. 
 
 “Our Bible Doctrine Correspondence Course now has 230 mem¬ 
 bers. This number includes both Portuguese and Germans. About 
 seventy are Brazilian young people. The number would very likely 
 be larger, but many are illiterates.” 
 
 Miss E. M. James writes from Australia, February, 1915: — 
 
 “During the last six months of 1914 ninety-four young people 
 have been baptized in New South Wales. It is good to see so many 
 giving their young lives to the Lord. There are many others taking 
 studies, preparatory to being baptized.” 
 
 D. Isaak writes from Russia, April, 1914: — 
 
 “As we have not had half the workers we ought to have, we have a 
 great help in our brethren, and especially in the young people who have 
 not even been to any of our schools, yet will hold general meetings 
 where a worker is not present. Yes, and among the Esthonians 
 even young sisters hold the meetings in a rented hall full of people, 
 old and young. We are also thankful for their zeal in spreading our 
 literature and for their accuracy in paying tithe and offerings. Here 
 also is the land of the language. A good many speak three to four 
 languages, even children four and five years old. A brother in Reval 
 speaks ten languages.” 
 
 K. H. Wood writes from China,. March, 1915: — 
 
 “ I am in touch with all our young people in the East China Mission 
 field, and also with many others who have attended our training 
 school here, but who are now in other parts of China where the work 
 has not yet been organized. My list shows a total of nearly four hun¬ 
 dred members in these societies. I am in personal communication 
 with all of these, and believe that there is much to indicate that they 
 are all interested in the Missionary Volunteer movement, and in 
 following the work outlined by the Department.” 
 
 17 
 
258 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Problems 
 
 What are the problems that now confront us? The fundamental 
 problems are few but very important. 
 
 Evangelistic. — The great problem, of course, is how to hold our 
 young people. This involves a thorough study of the nature of the 
 child and the adolescent, and how to adapt our efforts to their needs. 
 This problem runs all through our work, and it is our hope that all 
 of us may, at this Council, get new visions of the importance of 
 thorough evangelistic effort and how to do it. 
 
 The Junior Work. —-At first not much attention could be given to 
 the Junior work. But it is being organized in our larger churches 
 and church schools. More attention must be given to it and literature 
 prepared to help the workers; for “what is put into the first of life 
 is put into all of life.” 
 
 Social Problems. —Young people are essentially social, and no 
 restraining efforts by field workers or schools can crush out that 
 God-given instinct; and any effort in their behalf which does not 
 recognize and deal with this phase of the 'ife of young people, cannot 
 succeed. 
 
 Preparation of Literature. —There is great need of more suitable 
 literature for the promotion of this work. For years we have planned 
 to publish a Missiona y Volunteer Manual. Our people are awak¬ 
 ening to the great importance of this work, and there is need of some 
 authoritative standard as a guide in the work. Something, of course, 
 has been done from the first by the publication of articles and leaflets, 
 but it seems to me we have now had enough experience in this work, 
 so that at the close of this Council we should be able to put out a 
 Missionary Volunteer Manual. There is also great need of literature 
 to promote the Junior work. 
 
 Relation to the Missionary Department. —Whiting of the Mount 
 Vernon convention in 1907, one said: — 
 
 “As we sense the power of our army of Christian youth, ready 
 to move at a word; as we catch visions of their strength and might 
 when imbued by the Spirit of God, we know of a certainty that through 
 them this entire people will be stirred to greater zeal and sacrifice.” 
 
 We know that the activity of the young people has in many cases 
 accomplished this very result. We now- have the Home Missionary 
 Department of the General and North American Division Conferences, 
 and great activity is manifested. This awakening of the whole 
 church membership brings into operation more than before the plans 
 laid at Mount Vernon for the harmonious working of old and young 
 in the church. The details of these plans need to be worked out and 
 explained. This Convention should consider this question. 
 
COUNCIL PKOCEEDINGS 
 
 259 
 
 Society Lessons .—This is a very important question, and the de¬ 
 partment officers want all the counsel and help that can be received 
 from this meeting. We have studied foreign missions, home missions, 
 Missionary Volunteer methods, the way to Christ, Bible doctrines, 
 and other special themes. What to arrange for our Missionary Vol¬ 
 unteer lesson studies, and how to prepare these studies, is something 
 of a problem. The question of uniformity of lessons is an impor¬ 
 tant one. 
 
 It seems to me that one of the strongest factors in the promotion 
 of this work in the field is our schools. The students who go out from 
 these schools are looked to as leaders in church work, and naturally 
 they do in the churches what they have seen done in the schools. 
 How important, then, that our schools should line up strongly with 
 our Missionary Volunteer Department! On this general proposition, 
 I think all are agreed. It has seemed to some of us that to this end 
 the schools ought to follow the regular Missionary Volunteer programs, 
 at least in the main. Whether this can be made a success or not is a 
 question for our consideration here. The importance of the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer work in our schools is mentioned in the following 
 recommendation passed at the last General Conference: — 
 
 “ We recommend, That the young people in our training schools 
 and academies organize and conduct Missionary Volunteer Societies 
 in harmony with the general plans adopted by the Department, and 
 that they counsel with the union and local conference Missionary 
 Volunteer secretaries in arranging the most satisfactory time for the 
 election of officers and term of office.” 
 
 The last fall council of the General and North American Division 
 Conferences went farther, in urging our schools to adopt the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer lessons. We have been endeavoring to bring 
 this about this year. 
 
 Leadership .—But the greatest problem is the question of leader¬ 
 ship. The General Conference in 1909 passed the following: — 
 
 u Resolved, That our conferences make special efforts to secure the 
 very best talent for this important work, and that the churches be 
 encouraged to use great care in the selection of local leaders.” 
 
 The last General Conference passed the following: — 
 
 Resolved, (a) That our conference officers and school faculties 
 encourage promising young people to prepare for this line of the 
 Lord’s work. 
 
 “(b) That for increasing the efficiency of conference Missionary 
 Volunteer secretaries and the preparation of those who contemplate 
 entering the work, we favor some form of special training, such as 
 Missionary Volunteer secretaries’ institutes. , . , 
 
260 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “ (d) That all conferences make a special effort to build up this 
 department of their work by a careful selection of secretaries, in coun¬ 
 sel with the Union and General Conference Missionary Volunteer 
 Departments, and by having secretaries who have been reasonably 
 successful remain in office long enough to enable them to build up 
 a strong work. 
 
 “ 2 . We recommend , (a) That those in charge of our summer schools 
 be asked to arrange for general instruction in regard to Missionary 
 Volunteer work to be given in connection with the summer-school 
 training, so that as the church-school teachers take up their work, 
 they may be fitted to act as leaders along Missionary Volunteer lines. 
 
 “(b) That our academies and colleges organize Missionary Vol¬ 
 unteer bands to study systematically and thoroughly the young 
 people’s work in our denomination; and to study in a general way 
 the organization of young people’s work in other evangelical churches. ” 
 
 And still the procession of secretaries passes along. The Year Book 
 is out of date before it is off the press. This is partly due to the lack 
 of well-qualified leaders, perhaps; but I think the failure is largely due 
 to the fact that many conferences do not recognize the importance 
 of continuity in this work. It is true, we have few well-trained 
 secretaries. This work is new, and we must train them in the field. 
 How important, then, that one who gives ordinary promise of suc¬ 
 cess should be retained in the office long enough to get a training and 
 to make a success of the work! 
 
 It seems to me that this question of leadership is one of the great¬ 
 est questions confronting us today in all departments, and espe¬ 
 cially in the Missionary Volunteer Department. For the days to 
 come, and in the days that are now, we need leaders who know what 
 ought to be done. Why is it that with the same facilities, the same 
 people, and the same motives, one enterprise fails and another succeeds? 
 In the difference in leadership we find the answer. 
 
 The Directoire in France in 1796 decided to move against Aus¬ 
 tria. Jordan, with a large and finely equipped army, was sent di¬ 
 rectly into the territory; while Napoleon Bonaparte, because of the 
 jealousy felt against the young Corsican, was sent with a small and 
 poorly equipped army across the Alps. The results are known to 
 every student of history. A leader had arisen in France, destined 
 to change the map of Europe. 
 
 We have been told that “it is the nicest work ever assumed by men 
 and women to deal with youthful minds.” We are wont to apply 
 this to the work of the teachers in our schools; but if it is a nice work 
 to train and develop youthful minds in the school, surrounded by 
 school atmosphere, with the young people almost entirely under the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 261 
 
 guidance of a strong school faculty, how much more delicate a work 
 is it for a field secretary to exercise a strong influence upon young 
 people in the unstable period of youth, surrounded by worldly in¬ 
 fluences, and lead them to Christ and into a piace in our work? 
 
 And I want to tell you, my dear brethren and sisters, that it is 
 in the churches, before our schools have a chance to influence the 
 young people, that we lose them. The other day I noticed in the Ex¬ 
 position a demonstration of an orange grader. The oranges came 
 rolling down a trough, which gradually widened at the bottom, the 
 small ones dropping through into a box, the next larger into the next 
 box, and so on. How many thousands of our young people have 
 dropped out of sight before the school had any chance to influence 
 them! 
 
 A few years ago I estimated that not one young person in five in 
 the Central Union Conference came under the influence of any of our 
 schools. I believe the condition is better now; but how many thou¬ 
 sands of our young people have had little chance of being influenced 
 for God and eternity! 
 
 It is the work of the Missionary Volunteer Department to lay 
 hold of these young people where they are, fix their attention upon the 
 things of God, and direct their minds to a preparation for the Lord’s 
 work. For this work we need the strongest young men our colleges 
 can give us,— educated and refined young men, evangelists, with 
 the ability to organize and educate. 
 
 There are few of our people who even realize how many young 
 people we have in our conferences. A young people’s secretary re¬ 
 cently in taking up her work was told that there were 300 young people 
 in the conference. She has already found 500, and has not made the 
 rounds as yet. There is a tremendous work before us in the field 
 end of our young people’s work, and we need the strongest and best 
 and most tactful workers that can be found. 
 
 In arranging this Convention, we talked some of a slogan or 
 keynote, although I think none was settled upon. It seems to me 
 the keynote of this Council should be “Consecration and Efficiency.” 
 We have been told in the spirit of prophecy that “the time demands 
 greater efficiency and deeper consecration. ” Let consecration and 
 efficiency be the key-words of this Council. Those initial letters 
 may stand also for Christian education. 
 
CHARACTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENT LIFE AND 
 METHODS OF WINNING YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 C. L. BENSON 
 
 With such an army as our thousands of young people, rightly 
 trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, 
 and soon-coming Saviour might be heralded to every part of the 
 world! 
 
 God’s people of old were instructed to “train up a child in the 
 way he should go.” At the beginning of the Christian era Christ 
 admonished the founders of the Christian church, “Feed my lambs.” 
 Today, observation and experience confirm the wisdom of this divine 
 teaching. 
 
 In childhood and youth the heart is like wax to receive impressions, 
 but like bronze in its retentiveness. Statistics show the period of 
 youth to be the harvest time of souls. The majority of conversions 
 occur between the ages of twelve and twenty. The high-water mark 
 is reached at sixteen. As these years pass, the prospects decrease, 
 and after twenty-two very few become Christians. Between seventy- 
 five and ninety per cent of the members of the different Protestant 
 churches in America were converted before they reached their twenty- 
 third year. Less than five per cent of those who leave college un¬ 
 converted ever become Christians. 
 
 If we admit the preceding facts, shall we not recognize the ne¬ 
 cessity of having trained, studious, consecrated workers for our boys 
 and girls? for during the “teen age” the foundations of a Christian 
 life are laid, the student life is determined, and the trend for useful¬ 
 ness is established. 
 
 What a privilege to understand and to have the confidence of a 
 boy or girl, hungry to be understood and appreciated! There he 
 stands at the parting of the ways, up on the mountain top today and 
 down in the valley tomorrow. One day he desires to be a physician, 
 the next an electrical engineer, the next a farmer. One day he is 
 sure every one understands him, and everything is moving along all 
 right: the next day he is positive no one understands, he hasn’t a 
 friend on earth. He doesn’t understand himself, and wonders why he 
 was born. During this storm-and-stress period it is worth while to 
 be intelligently sympathetic and gain his confidence? To under¬ 
 stand him is to win him. 
 
 This is the physical, mental, and religious crisis of adolescence. 
 It is here that religious workers have found iheir greatest challenge, 
 largely because they have not understood the boys and girls. 
 
 262 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 263 
 
 Mr. John L. Alexander, International Sunday School superin¬ 
 tendent, says, “Of the approximately 10,000,000 teen-age boys in the 
 field of the International Sunday School Association, ninety per cent 
 are not now reached by the Sunday school. Of the ten per cent en¬ 
 rolled, seventy-five per cent are dropped from its membership.” 
 In other words, “Only twenty to twenty-five out of every one hundred 
 scholars who enter Sunday school, are saved to church membership.” 
 This is far more serious than any failure to evangelize the outside 
 unconverted. It should be vastly easier to hold those intrusted to 
 us from early childhood. 
 
 It is at the ages of fourteen to sixteen that the boys and girls 
 leave the Sunday school, and also the public schools. Over fifty per 
 cent of the boys fail to graduate even from the eighth grade in the 
 grammar school, and but one per cent go to college. The loss sus¬ 
 tained by our denominational schools is almost as great. The major¬ 
 ity of cases in the juvenile courts fall in the same period. 
 
 We have lost thousands of our own adolescent young people. 
 Today upwards of 10,000 are unconverted. E>aily the number grows. 
 But the problem remains unsolved. Surely the lives of our boys and 
 girls plead loudly for the study and solution of this great question. 
 
 There is only one way of solving the adolescent problem, and that 
 is by knowing our boys and girls, both as classes and as individuals. 
 The adolescent boy from twelve to eighteen is not a child, neither is 
 he a man, and it is a mistake to treat him like one. “He is a boy, 
 just a boy, and there is none other like him.” As we observe the 
 adolescent, w*e notice that the teen age is foursquare — physically, 
 socially, and mentally, as well as spiritually. They live seven days 
 a week, tw r enty-four hours a day, not merely an hour or two on Sab¬ 
 bath. Their spiritual impulses are received and find expression in 
 the physical, social, and mental activities in which they are engaged 
 during the week. Any work that is attempted with our young people, 
 which ignores this fourfold life of the boys and girls, cannot be a 
 success. 
 
 The ideal for a perfect work with boys and girls is that which is 
 gleaned from a study of the boyhood of Jesus. He “grew in wisdom” 
 (mentally), “and in stature” (physically), “and in favor with God” 
 (spiritually), “and with man” (socially). The secret of Christ’s 
 life as a boy lies in his symmetrical and well-balanced grow r th. It 
 our dear young people are to pattern their lives after the divine ex¬ 
 ample, they must physically, socially, mentally, and religiously find 
 the best, and build it into their lives, thus attaining unto the “measure 
 of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” 
 
264 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “The teen age is not made up of disappointed and disconnected 
 activities, but it is a continual process of development. The ado¬ 
 lescent grows by ever-widening circles of interest; first, the self, then 
 the clique or gang, then the school life, then the city, then the nation, 
 and so on, out to humanity.” 
 
 For convenience, let us divide adolescence into (i) the early ado¬ 
 lescent age, from the twelfth to the sixteenth year; (2) the later ado¬ 
 lescent age, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth or twentieth year. 
 
 The boy from twelve to sixteen years of age is characterized by a 
 rapid and uneven growth. He loses his chubby, round cheeks. Vital¬ 
 ity and energy alternate with languorousness, and the child is awkward 
 and lazy, with bones greatly outgrowing muscle. “Because of the 
 unproportionate growth, the hands and feet become so large that they 
 are ever in the way, and ungainliness and stumbling are the natural 
 result. The increased flow of blood and rapid action of the heart bring 
 an exhilaration of spirit, that is unbounded.” His whole nature 
 begins to change, because of the change in bodily functions. “He 
 does not, can not understand all these new powers; and failing to 
 understand himself, believes that no one else understands him. Long¬ 
 ing to express his inner self, and yet fearful of being misunderstood, 
 he assumes an air of braggadocio and boasting, lest any one suspect 
 how he really feels.” 
 
 Previously self-centered, he now shows signs of altruism. His 
 longing for friendship is noticeable; his sense of secretiveness is ap¬ 
 parent; and his self-assertiveness first begins to be manifested. During 
 the pre-adolescent period he accepted what was told him on the author¬ 
 ity of one he loved or respected. Now the young adolescent enters a 
 world of thought and action that causes him to reject everything that 
 cannot be clearly demonstrated. He is restless under forms of re¬ 
 straint. He is apt to show disregard for the rights of others. Trust¬ 
 ful dependence gives way to independence. 
 
 “Deeds of prowess have a great fascination for him. What others 
 have done he can do, or excel. His chariot is ever hitched to the 
 stars; whether those stars be baseball players, cowboys, pirates, 
 mighty generals, or missionaries, depends largely on the books he 
 reads and the company he keeps. The mysterious and awesome 
 appeal to him strongly. The stories of desperadoes, the lives of 
 Bible characters, and the accounts of miracles exert great influence 
 over him. The boy is now a hero worshiper, and the noble and truly 
 great call forth his highest admiration.” 
 
 He is keenly desirous to know the world, and to fathom himself. 
 He has the passions of a man, and the self-restraint of a child; the 
 vigor of a man, and the judgment of a boy; he is ripe for any course 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 265 
 
 of conduct which suggests itself to him. The child is beginning to 
 take command of his own life. 
 
 Whatever the exterior may be, underneath, the normal boy is 
 honest, faithful, earnest, and trustworthy. If the religious worker 
 is to help these boys, he must know the ideals and longings which 
 stir their quickened souls, even while they assume the appearance 
 of rebellion against constituted authority and of dissent from con¬ 
 ventional ideas. In the measure that the worker becomes one with 
 the adolescents in their search for truth, and in their endeavor to attain 
 high ideals, will he be successful in winning them to Christ. For 
 this reason, other things being equal, a man is the best leader for 
 boys, because he may become their ideal. 
 
 Boys are not antagonistic to religion, if presented in the right 
 way, though a distaste for it is often caused by lack of adaptation 
 in the methods used. The boy naturally recoils from that which 
 appeals to him as being in any way effeminate. In too many cases 
 the emphasis is placed on the love of Christ, forgetting the heroism 
 to which that love led him; his gentleness is magnified to the exclusion 
 of the fearlessness which enabled him to drive out the money changers 
 from the temple, or to face the Roman soldiers; his humility is urged 
 as an example, rather than the greatness that made the humility 
 possible. 
 
 ‘‘It is the manly, the heroic, in Christ that should be strongly- 
 brought to them. Boys are intensely practical, and the result of 
 a religious experience is what they are looking for. Is it worth while? 
 The man who can so live Christ before them as to make it worth 
 while, according to their standard, is the one who can lead them into 
 a practical religious experience and life.” 
 
 Therefore, does it not seem imperative, if we are to win and hold 
 our adolescent young people, that our church school Bible instruction, 
 and our Sabbath school and Missionary Volunteer lessons be graded, 
 and adapted to the developing needs of the adolescent boys and girls? 
 Many of us look back with a feeling of deepest gratitude to Professor 
 Bell for the effort he put forth to give our boys and girls a series of 
 graded Sabbath school lessons which challenged and enlisted our 
 attention in Bible study. 
 
 Bible Study Adapted 
 
 Charles E. McKinley says: “The evangelism that obeys Him who 
 gave separate commands to feed the lambs and tend the sheep, will 
 provide a graded gospel. Only a gospel that is graded by the needs 
 of the hearers can save those of different grades; only a gospel that 
 grows with the growing soul can make Christian children into Chris- 
 
266 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 tian men and women.” Again: “At every stage of development, the 
 soul has also its characteristic religious reactions. There is a char¬ 
 acteristic religion of childhood, of adolescence, of youth, of manhood, 
 and of age. There is also a characteristic Christian gospel for each 
 of these periods,— a gospel designed by its divine Author to elicit 
 wholesome and saving reactions in the growing soul at every stage.” 
 
 The modern Sunday school movement has made earnest effort to 
 adapt Bible instruction, and has prepared a series of lessons adapted 
 to the needs of the adolescent young people at each successive stage 
 of their religious development. In the earliest adolescent years, 
 the lives of Bible men and women are studied, showing the high 
 religious ideals of the leaders of Israel, thus enkindling in the pupil 
 enthusiasm for the same ideals, and molding his character by leading 
 him to express his enthusiastic impulses in deeds of unselfish and 
 courageous living. Special emphasis is laid on commonplace hero¬ 
 ism — fidelity to everyday duties, thus correcting the notion that 
 heroism consists only in doing the spectacular or the unusual thing. 
 
 In the fifteenth year they have a biographical study of Christ, 
 showing the aim, characteristics, and achievements of his life. It 
 is confidently expected that the faithful and reverent teaching of 
 these lessons to pupils of fifteen by teachers themselves followers of 
 Christ, will result in the free surrender of the pupil to Christ as his 
 Saviour. 
 
 The work for pupils in their sixteenth year is planned to strengthen 
 and encourage the young people who have started in the Christian 
 life, and to help others to accept Jesus by setting forth the New 
 Testament ideal of a Christian, by suggesting the fundamental ex¬ 
 periences and characteristics of the Christian life, by discussing the 
 difficulties and hindrances which confront the young Christian, by 
 indicating the helps which are available for his Christian growth; 
 to lead young people into a sympathetic and intelligent attitude 
 toward the church, and to help them to seek membership in it; to 
 awaken an interest in Bible reading and study as a means of per¬ 
 sonal spiritual growth. 
 
 The Adolescent from Sixteen to Nineteen 
 
 From sixteen to nineteen in the life of the youth comes a time 
 of comparative repose. The rate of increase in height and weight is 
 markedly less; he may have fits of wild activity, simply as an outlet 
 for his physical energy, but these grow rarer with the advance of 
 time. Here belongs that intellectual development, characterized 
 by a first keen desire to see life as a unit and to construct for oneself 
 pt working philosophy. This is also the period of greatest altruistic 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 267 
 
 interest. The social propensities are very pronounced. “It is then 
 that the call of the community, of business life, of vocation, to say 
 nothing of the sex and the home voice, make their big appeal.” 
 
 Many theories of life and religion before accepted unquestioningly 
 are now questioned. Some grow cynical, and tell you that “no one is 
 what he seems.” Now the adolescent needs to meet honorable Chris¬ 
 tian men and women, that they may overbalance those who he thinks 
 have failed. He needs to know definitely the good being done in the 
 world. Biographies of real men and women who are living and work¬ 
 ing for their fellows strengthen and steady him. Hence the impor¬ 
 tance of Missionary Volunteer Reading Courses! 
 
 He needs patience, sympathy, and understanding; not censure, 
 criticism, and ridicule; to be led, not driven, by those who control him. 
 He needs to be helped to realize his dreams in action. Here again, 
 the graded, adapted lessons are needed. 
 
 The International graded courses for those from seventeen to 
 twenty years of age, seek to lead the pupil to see life in proper per¬ 
 spective from the Christian point of view, and to aid him in finding 
 his place and part in the world’s work; to lead the pupil, through 
 frank conference about himself, his limitations, and his relations to 
 the kingdom of God, to a realization of the claims of his Saviour. 
 The history, literature, and religion of the Hebrew people are studied, 
 and it is shown how the way was prepared for the work of Jesus. 
 This is followed by a survey of church history from apostolic times 
 to the present day. 
 
 The aim of this course is to give the young people who are passing 
 through the doubting and reconstructive period a clear vision of the 
 unity of revelation, and a definite acquaintance with the message of 
 Israel’s Teacher, to inspire right ideals of life and service, to strengthen 
 faith in Christianity by a comparative study of the principal non- 
 Christian religions and Christianity, and to awaken intelligent sym¬ 
 pathy in the great cause of missions by a careful study of the world 
 as a missionary field, of the methods of missionary work, and of some 
 of the chief results of missions. If such courses of Bible study are 
 needed by the young people of the popular churches, surely our 
 young people who are the special objects of Satan’s attack need the 
 help to be received from adapted Bible courses. 
 
 The Missionary Volunteer secretaryship is a specialized ministry 
 to young people, for young people. The one who fills this office 
 holds a unique position with reference to every young person, every 
 father and mother, every worker, every young people’s society, and 
 every church in his field. It is his privilege to serve them all at their 
 point of greatest need. He is a specialist on young people’s problems. 
 
268 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Today, men and women in the educational and religious worlds 
 are giving special study to the adolescent, with all his perplexing 
 problems. Then shall not we, as Missionary Volunteer secretaries 
 and as educators, seek to become acquainted with the best methods 
 of reaching and helping our struggling boys and girls, who are pass¬ 
 ing through this storm-and-stress period? Shall we not be more 
 sympathetic and energetic in our efforts to win them to Christ? Shall 
 we not study to adapt our plans of work and Bible instruction to 
 their specific needs? May the wisdom of God direct us in our efforts 
 to study and bring our young people to Christ. 
 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF JUNIORS, AND HOW 
 
 TO WIN THEM 
 
 KATHERINE B. HALE 
 
 The church of today is recruited from the childhood of yesterday. 
 The children and youth of today are the hope of this finishing gospel 
 message. Grave and important are the responsibilities that await 
 the children and youth of this generation. The solution of the 
 problem, “The gospel of the kingdom to all the world in this gener¬ 
 ation,” is not a problem for adults only. The problem for the church 
 of today is the youth problem, and the Junior department is the 
 first end of this problem. The success of the Junior department 
 makes certain the success of the young people’s department. 
 
 The junior age is the golden opportunity of the Christian worker. 
 At no other time is the heart so impressionable; at no other time 
 does right influence count for so much; at no other time are such 
 molding decisions possible as in childhood and early youth. The 
 streams of power that move the things of this world have their sources 
 in solitary places. The stream of influence that determines the flow 
 of life’s current is given its direction in early youth. 
 
 The junior age is preeminently the habit-forming age. It is the 
 literal age, the time the child questions, “Is it true?” It is the read¬ 
 ing age. It is the memory age. It is the age of faith, the age of re¬ 
 spect for authority. It is the age of emulation, of hero-worship. 
 Affection is another leading characteristic of childhood. It is the 
 age of curiosity, imitation. 
 
 All these general traits of childhood, and all the particular traits 
 of each individual child, are, if rightly interpreted, but so many paths 
 Godward. Every trait is a direct avenue along which the developing 
 mind may be led to travel to the All-Father. Was not this what 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 269 
 
 Jesus meant when he said, “Suffer the little children to come unto 
 me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” ? Will 
 they not come if the way is shown and no hindering conditions pre¬ 
 vail to obstruct their progress? We all know that they will. 
 
 All the wonderful emotions of the human soul are present in the 
 budding life. If we are not frightened by explosive energy; if we are 
 not impatient with inherited weaknesses, remembering, as did Liv¬ 
 ingstone in his contact with the children of the Dark Continent, 
 that even we have faults of our own; if we can look upon children 
 with what has been termed “the far-sighted vision,” we shall find our 
 boys and girls, wherever we meet them, the same willing, lovable 
 younger brothers and sisters, responding just as did the big children 
 of Africa to the genuine love of their beloved white brother, who, by 
 the grace of God, was enabled to present our Elder Brother to the 
 adult children of heathenism, and win them from the heritage of wrong. 
 
 We hear a great deal these days about the “Big Brother Move¬ 
 ment.” We believe in this movement. Have we not every one 
 reaped the benefits of this ideal type of friendship in our own lives? 
 Every youth needs an older mentor. Christian workers stand as 
 the spiritual fathers and mothers of the youth won to Christ. 
 
 Says Dr. Merrill, “You and I are a part of some junior’s troubles. 
 Back of his character is the influence that has emanated from your 
 life and mine. We and others who have preceded him have made 
 the boy. Let us become acquainted with ourselves, and be patient 
 with the boy. He is in the transition. Tomorrow you will have a 
 man.” 
 
 Another writer has said: “The boy is not a miniature man, but 
 an embryonic one. Both the physical organization and the mental 
 faculties are in many essentials purely rudimentary.” 
 
 The wise worker must recognize the limitations of the junior age. 
 The child is weak in attention and in reasoning power. He is ego¬ 
 tistical, absorbed in his own activities. There is a general vagueness 
 in regard to many things that concern the spiritual life. The child 
 grapples with a heritage of weakness. The individual who would 
 help the child must not ignore this weakness. He must not fight it, 
 thus emphasizing the fault. Neither should the child be left alone 
 to conquer himself in his own strength. Verily it is in childhood that 
 an acquaintance with the strong Helper — a consciousness of the 
 kinship with the All-Father — is most appropriate and opportune. 
 
 We do not agree with the celebrated clergyman who is quoted as 
 saying, “There are no heathen children.” In his “Handbook for 
 Sunday School Workers,” Dr. Schauffler well says: “It is all very well 
 to talk poetically about the beauty of child life, but child life left 
 
270 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 absolutely to itself will develop substantially as child life now develops. 
 We therefore say that children have inherited natures that have a 
 bent toward evil, and must be cared for. Our aim for these children 
 must be twofold: first, to bring them by divine grace into sweet sub¬ 
 jection to Jesus as Saviour and Master; the second, to nurture them 
 in divine life.” 
 
 It is not sufficient that we evolve that which is good and repress 
 that which is evil. As soon as a child consciously does wrong, so 
 soon should he consciously repent. As soon as a child understands 
 that he is alienated from the divine will, so soon should he be made 
 to understand how he can be reconciled to the divine will. Hence we 
 must recognize conversion as the indispensable foundation of all 
 moral training. 
 
 Child discipleship must also include culture. Says one writer, 
 “We must consider carefully the child’s natural characteristics, to 
 help him to be more completely the child of God.” Just as the child’s 
 instinct of activity calls for the training of the muscles; as the in¬ 
 stinct of investigation is met by the training of the senses; as his 
 instinct of power calls for the training of the emotions; his instinct 
 of love, the affections; his instinct of recognition, the will; so do his 
 instincts of imitation and reason call for the training of worship and 
 reverence. And the guiding star to our goal is the little child’s love. 
 For what we make our children love and desire is more important 
 than what we make them learn. This last is a truth worth great 
 emphasis. 
 
 In taking account of a child’s natural characteristics in helping 
 him live religiously, we must not fail to consider his individuality. 
 No two children have ever been exactly alike. It is for us to study 
 the individual child — his likenesses and divergencies. There is the 
 shy child, the timid child, the passionate child, the nervous child, 
 the destructive child,— all these types and combinations of types. 
 One child needs much help toward self-government, another toward 
 unselfishness, a third toward good temper. We need to make obedi¬ 
 ence seem very desirable to one child, generosity to another. 
 
 An excellent way for one to study the characteristics of juniors is 
 simply to make use of the memory. What more excellent way to 
 study methods of winning the youth than to review often the ex¬ 
 periences of one’s own junior age? What were my characteristics as 
 a child ? How was I won to accept right ideals ? Was it by right 
 example in the home? Was it the faithfulness of some Christian 
 worker who led me to love the things of the kingdom? Over what did 
 I stumble longest before making a complete surrender? Wherein 
 was I hindered? Was it by precept or example that I was most in- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 271 
 
 fluenced? Was it quantity or quality of religious teaching that won 
 my heart to Jesus? What was it that made me happiest as a child? 
 
 We are told that hundreds and thousands of children and youth 
 can be won to Christ if we will but work for them. We do not believe 
 that this can be brought about unless individual work is done for the 
 individual boy and girl. Our boys and girls cannot be redeemed in 
 the aggregate. If numbers of children are won to Jesus through our 
 efforts, it will be because they have been reached one by one through 
 the direct and earnest personality of the individual worker gifted 
 with the power to win the love and confidence of the individual 
 youth. It is my belief that there is no greater honor than to be the 
 recipient of the confidence of a child. 
 
 I quote from Judge Lindsey: “When you seek to win a boy, go 
 after his heart. Learn to sympathize. Sympathy is the divinest 
 quality of the human heart. It was the secret of the winnings of 
 our Master when he trod the earth; but no one ever accused him of 
 defending or justifying sin. Every worker for childhood, whether 
 the father in the home, the teacher in the school, the probation officer, 
 or the judge of the juvenile court,— all are agreed that formation is 
 the thing we most need in dealing with human character, and formation 
 comes within through the human heart and not from without through 
 iron bars or any other methods of force and violence, whether nagging 
 and faultfinding in the home or detention behind stone walls. Man¬ 
 kind must be redeemed through love, and love works through the 
 human heart.” 
 
 “Come, let us live with the children.” Thus we may win the child 
 by association. By having a part in the spirit of youth we may win 
 the youth to the higher ideals of life. After all, is it not in the every¬ 
 day life that we need the uplift of correct example? Where does the 
 youth need the power of Christ most, in the devotional service Sabbath 
 afternoons, or in the weekly round of duties and pleasures? In which 
 place does the Christian worker discover the real problems of youth? 
 Is not association one key to the situation? 
 
 Again, let us win the children through Christian service. All 
 exercises which awaken the active powers of the child and which min¬ 
 ister to his capacity for rendering loving service to fellow creatures, 
 will help to lay a right foundation for spiritual growth. By arousing 
 an interest in religious activities in early youth, he who has been edu¬ 
 cated in the Christ ideal of self-sacrifice, in small acts of helpfulness, 
 will lead the children into a kinship with the lives of others. Their 
 sympathy will be aroused, and the children will begin their first small 
 self-sacrifices, impelled by the great dynamo, love — love to God, 
 and the wish to cooperate with him in caring for flowers and birds; 
 
272 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 love of parents, and the desire to please them by carrying out their 
 wishes; love of neighbors, thus giving rise to the birth of the missionary 
 spirit, which, in its essence, is helping those in need. 
 
 Lastly, let us ever remember that it is not to ourselves that we 
 are to win the youth, but to Jesus, to the Saviour. Let us not forget 
 that this work is far beyond human power. Theorizing about religion 
 is not the way to protect the child’s soul. Teach him to pray and to 
 believe in prayer. Upon this point we may well ask ourselves, “Is 
 my example a force or a farce?’’—a very pertinent question. The 
 true believer is the channel of divine power if through prayer he brings 
 himself into connection with the divine power-house. 
 
 What we need in this work for the children is a great revival of 
 faith on the part of adults. It was through the faith of the ruler 
 Tairus that the little maid who lay “sleeping” in his home was brought 
 to life. O that the children of all our homes might be awakened by 
 the great Life-giver — that they might respond to his call, “Arise!” 
 Would that all Christian workers might see where their true harvest 
 lies, and where the most promising sphere of labor is to be found! 
 
 It is a solemn thought that each year that passes decreases the 
 probability of that child in your home, of that youth in your church, 
 coming to Christ. Vast sums of money, much time and great labor, 
 are spent in presenting the truth to the older folk. Every Christian 
 laborer knows how difficult it is to bring the adult sinner to Christ. 
 We are learning how comparatively easy it is to bring the little child. 
 It is not only easier, but less costly. Just as Jesus recognized in the 
 children and youth at the time of his earthly ministry those who were 
 to be the future heralds of his gospel, so at this time does he not wish 
 us to see in the children and youth of our generation parallel possi¬ 
 bilities? The message will be carried by the youth and children in 
 the near future. Let our motto in this Junior department be, “Every 
 child for Christ, and every child a worker.” 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 C. C. Lewis: I find myself in confusion with regard to the scope 
 of these terms,— Senior and Junior. I supposed that Juniors were 
 boys and girls of twelve to fifteen years of age, but now I see that 
 Miss Hale’s mind is largely upon the children. 
 
 I had in mind to relate a little experience that came under my 
 observation in working for this class of boys. I think the matter 
 started in Sabbath school. There was a class that did not want to 
 stay with the children. I think they were twelve or fifteen years of 
 age. They did not study their Sabbath school lessons very much. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 273 
 
 They would come to the class, but did not take much interest in the 
 lesson. Two or three young people, not very old themselves (perhaps 
 eighteen or twenty), took an interest in those boys, and decided to 
 try to do something for them; so they started some meetings on Sab¬ 
 bath afternoon, and the interest grew until other boys came, and 
 finally there were fifteen or twenty boys coming to that Sabbath 
 afternoon meeting. 
 
 Then they wanted an organization, which was a natural thing. 
 That is a characteristic of juniors. I do not think it is a character¬ 
 istic of the children, but it is of the juniors, to want to form societies. 
 It is recognized as the “gang spirit.” Those boys wanted to form 
 a society. They counseled with Professor Kern and Professor Benson 
 about it, and they brought their constitution to me for criticism. 
 I could not help but smile at that constitution. It was big enough 
 and broad enough to run a State. But I did not criticize it much. 
 The name they had chosen was “The Sligo Clan.” That sounded 
 like a war-whoop at once; but then, the name of the church had just 
 been changed from “the Sanitarium-Seminary church” to “the 
 Sligo church.” There was nothing very religious about the name 
 the boys had chosen, but neither was there anything irreligious, else 
 the church would not have called themselves “the Sligo church.” 
 
 The constitution was a very good one. It recognized the fact 
 that they were Seventh-day Adventist boys, and that they wanted 
 to become true men. They held a religious meeting on Sabbath 
 afternoon, and during the week they had another meeting which 
 was of a different nature. They secured a room and fitted it up 
 with pictures, chairs, reading table, etc. They had some books and 
 papers, and they had some apparatus for physical exercise, of which 
 they made use during the week. 
 
 But they did some other things. They* found a widow with three 
 or four children, very poor and hardly able to get along, and they 
 took upon themselves the burden of cutting up her wood. 
 
 There was one boy who lived not far from our house two years 
 ago. He was then just coming into this junior class that I have 
 spoken of, but he was rather rough and uncouth. His mother was 
 a Sabbath keeper, but his father was not a Christian. He had stopped 
 going to school two or three years before, did not care any more about 
 school. His father was a carpenter, and he wanted to learn that 
 trade. This boy’s interest in the “Clan” steadily increased, and he 
 began to read the Scriptures with my boy. He would come over 
 almost every night for that purpose. The “Clan” had started to 
 read-the Bible through. He was then at the careless, indifferent 
 age; but soon he began to spruce up and wear different-colored neck- 
 
 ■ 18 
 
274 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ties, and sometimes he brought armfuls of wild honeysuckle to oiir 
 niece who was living with us. Well, to make a long story short, that 
 boy is getting ready to be baptized. 
 
 I believe here is a kind of work for these juniors for which we 
 should make a better provision than we have. We should recognize 
 the difference between children and juniors and young people. 
 
 Mrs. Williams: Of all Seventh-day Adventists these questions 
 are asked: “Where are the guardians of the youth? Who has taken 
 a firm hold of the throne of God with one hand, and with the other 
 encircled the youth to draw them to Christ? ” All who have attempted 
 to do this have found our Father ready to help. 
 
 C. C. Lewis: I wanted to call attention to the confusion in our 
 use of the terms “senior” and “junior.” We use them in three 
 different senses,— in day schools, in Missionary Volunteer work, and 
 in our Sabbath schools. I cannot help saying that the use of them 
 in the Sabbath school is more nearly in accord with my idea of the 
 meaning of the word. I believe that the term junior more properly 
 applies to the early adolescent period. I believe we should come to 
 an understanding concerning this. 
 
 M. E. Kern: That is a good suggestion. 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: The greatest blessing that can be experienced 
 by a growing boy or a young man is that of having - , or having had, 
 good parents,— a father and mother with so much love and sympathy, 
 kindness and gentleness, good judgment and firmness, that they 
 have taught perfect and implicit obedience. That, in connection 
 with early training of the same kind in school, will go a long way 
 toward taking them through this age we are considering. 
 
 I shall mention just two points: This period in the young person’s 
 life is characterized by strength. The message came to the young 
 men because they were strong. In fact, this is the time when the 
 young man sometimes feels like disregarding parental authority. 
 His strength tends to manifest itself in that way,— to show his vigor 
 by disregard for authority. 
 
 You will find, I think, in the favor of the young man, that he is 
 worse than he thinks he is. I mean by that that he may do some things 
 that appear bad, but he does not violate his conscience. For instance, 
 we have the chapel hour, and we wish to have ideal conditions during 
 that time; but a young man may entertain his seat-mate with the 
 point of a pin. This will create considerable disturbance which is 
 noticed by the speaker; but if you talk with the young man, you will 
 find that he never did it before, and purposes never to do it again; 
 you will find that it was only an accident that the speaker noticed it; 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 275 
 
 and that even the one lie was entertaining partly enjoyed it. So I 
 say, it is in his favor that he is worse than he thinks he is. 
 
 Another point: This is the age of doubting. It is the age when 
 the boy asks, “Why?” And this comes up especially strong in regard 
 to religion. It seems to me that it would be a good thing to have some 
 anti-infidel literature,— perhaps a small book on the evidences of 
 Christianity or something in the nature of anti-infidel sentiments. 
 A book would be better than a tract, because it would have more in it. 
 
 Much can be done by coming in close, sympathetic contact with 
 these young people, laying before them the importance of the Christian 
 life, the blessings of the Christian religion, the hope of the Christian, 
 and the great work that we have to do, and the fact that it is the 
 only thing on earth in which there is any stability or any future. 
 
 Miss Grace Davison: Most of the characteristics that have 
 been spoken of this morning regarding the adolescent life of the boy 
 apply to the girl also. There is one that figures very much in the work 
 for the adolescent girl, and that is hero-worship. You will find that 
 nearly every girl has picked some woman who is her ideal, and what¬ 
 ever that woman does is all right, and you will find that shortly this 
 young person will begin to imitate, as was mentioned this morning, 
 and will do the very things that the ideal does. Of course it is natu¬ 
 ral that it should be a woman, and it is important that our women 
 workers be such that the young people can imitate them. The truth 
 is sought in these ideals, and the truth that these women live will do 
 more than the truth that is spoken. 
 
 The social characteristic is very essential, too, in our work. We 
 find that at the age of ten or twelve, the girls begin to form companies 
 or cliques, and it is at this time that we can do our best work for them, 
 because if we win their confidence, we can then learn their needs more 
 than at any other time, and certainly I think we should associate 
 with our young people. The way to work with them is to know them 
 and to understand their needs. Let us find out the things that they 
 do not care for, so that we may avoid them. I think we often make 
 the mistake of trying to urge upon our young people that which they 
 do not care for. We sometimes misjudge them. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I think one of the best tests is, that young people 
 come to you with their joys and their troubles. We cannot help 
 them unless they recognize us as their friends. 
 
CAMP MEETING WORK 
 
 MEADE MAC GUIRE 
 
 The camp meeting holds great possibilities as a time of spiritual 
 refreshing for our young people, and for reaping the harvest from the 
 year’s effort in their behalf. Several factors have a determining 
 influence upon the results of camp meeting work for the young. 
 
 i. The Secretary’s Work during the Year 
 
 The extent and character of the work done by the secretary during 
 the year may be readily detected at the camp meeting. If it has 
 been superficial, spasmodic, and formal, it takes much more time to 
 awaken a deep spiritual interest and organize the converted young 
 people for prayer and personal work. If it has been spiritual, un¬ 
 selfish, persevering, and systematic, the same characteristics will be 
 evident in the camp meeting work. 
 
 2. Cooperation of Conference Officers and Workers 
 
 The greatest measure of success cannot be expected unless the 
 conference president and other officers and workers manifest an 
 active interest in the young people’s meetings and work. To have 
 conference officers taking an active part in school meetings, canvassers’ 
 meetings, medical and other department meetings, and outwardly 
 ignore the young people’s meetings, is certainly unfortunate. Interest, 
 or lack of interest, on the part of the conference officers may be one 
 of the most important tests of a secretary’s real ability and fitness for 
 his position. 
 
 3. Preparation for the Meeting 
 
 A striking lesson on the importance of the little things may be 
 learned on this point. There is always much to be done at camp 
 meeting, and the Missionary Volunteer secretary may be asked to 
 take charge of anything from the cooking department to the music. 
 As a result, we sometimes find the young people’s meeting tent un¬ 
 prepared, no reception tent, no library, register, or other necessary 
 preparations, and worst of all, no organization. There certainly 
 must be a strange lack of apprehension of the magnitude and impor¬ 
 tance of the Missionary Volunteer secretary’s duties when such ar¬ 
 rangements are made, or is it perhaps a lack on the part of the secre¬ 
 tary himself? If he realizes that no one on the ground is charged with 
 heavier burdens or more sacred responsibilities, he will be quite likely 
 to impress others with the same idea, and be offered help rather than 
 given heavier burdens. 
 
 276 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 277 
 
 Much depends upon having the meeting tent in good order, made 
 cheerful by simple, tasteful decorations, ready for the first meeting. 
 The Missionary Volunteer reception tent should also be ready, with the 
 Reading Course books in a “home-made” bookcase, a table for 
 , magazines, display cards or rack for Missionary Volunteer leaflets, 
 and some good mottoes. 
 
 4. Prayer and Personal Workers’ Tent 
 
 One of the most important though most neglected essentials to 
 success is a tent for prayer and personal work. Why is it that while 
 we acknowledge the quiet heart-to-heart work to be of greatest im¬ 
 portance, we make little or no provision for it? There is something 
 extremely inappropriate and incongruous about sitting down in a big 
 public tent where people are coming and going, talking and laughing, 
 to help some young person who has almost reached the point of despair 
 in his struggle to meet personal problems and temptations. He may 
 be under great conviction, may weep and pray, while the curious look 
 on and wonder what the trouble is. It is absolutely essential to 
 have some quiet place where prayer and personal work may be con¬ 
 ducted with some privacy. 
 
 5. Arrangements on the Grounds 
 
 There must be no haphazard work if we are to expect success, 
 but a definite program should be prepared in advance, and adhered 
 to as closely as possible. I have known the person in charge of the 
 services to call upon some one to conduct the meeting five or ten 
 minutes before the hour for it to convene. Perhaps he refused, and 
 another was asked, and still another, until one was found who was 
 eager enough for an opportunity to talk, to assume such a respon¬ 
 sibility at a moment’s notice. Usually such a person has not secured 
 the power by prevailing beforehand with God, that would have 
 enabled him to prevail with the people. How lightly we waste op¬ 
 portunities which eternity will reveal to have been infinitely precious! 
 
 6. Cooperation of Leaders 
 
 If there are present the conference and union conference Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer secretaries, and a general worker or some local worker 
 who is appointed to assist, all should work together like a well-trained 
 team. Any lack of unity here, from personal feelings, carelessness, 
 or selfishness, is inexcusable. The work should be planned together 
 at least a day or two in advance, so that each one will have ample 
 time for the special preparation necessary. It may be superfluous 
 to say that such unity of thought and action is the result of much 
 
278 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 seeking of God together; and yet I have had the experience of plead¬ 
 ing in vain day after day for a daily prayer and council meeting of 
 those in charge of the young people’s work on the ground. But 
 this is indispensable. Those who presume to neglect it will surely 
 fall short. 
 
 7. Cooperation of Parents 
 
 One of the greatest factors in camp meeting success is to have the 
 help and prayers of the parents. With many young people success 
 or failure in the Christian life will depend largely on the home life. 
 If a parents’ meeting can be held early, in w r hich the needs of the 
 youth and the duties and responsibilities of parents can be set forth 
 in a sympathetic but faithful manner, and an appeal made that all 
 barriers and reserve between parents and children be melted away 
 by prayer and confession and patient, persevering effort, much may 
 be accomplished that could not otherwise be done. 
 
 8. Constructive Evangelistic Work 
 
 It is generally agreed that tw r o meetings a day should be held. 
 All will also agree that the matter presented at these meetings is of 
 great importance. It is therefore surprising to see so much haphazard 
 work here — so little system and forethought. A series of good 
 little talks entirely independent and disconnected as to theme and 
 purpose, and given by different persons called in on short notice, 
 can never bring the best results. 
 
 The plan which appeals most to me is a definite series of studies 
 for the morning devotional meetings, carefully prepared by two or 
 three persons, and taking up in a brief, practical way the points of 
 character most in need of strengthening by our young people. For 
 example, a study on “Keeping the Body Under,” then “Christian 
 Conversation,” “The Mastery of the Thoughts,” “Having an Aim in 
 Life,” “The Habit of Prayer,” etc. These topics are well adapted to 
 a healthy, practical revival spirit of repentance, confession, and reso¬ 
 lution each morning. I believe if we had the pledge now appearing 
 in the camp meeting leaflet, printed on cards for use on the ground, 
 it would be helpful, and would enable us to secure a much more general 
 cooperation from the young people than we sometimes have. 
 
 For the afternoon meetings I believe we gain most by emphasizing 
 the main lines of our Missionary Volunteer work, taking up the goal 
 item by item, and making the school work also prominent. As the 
 importance of reading the Bible through is presented, enrollment 
 blanks should be distributed, and as many as possible induced to 
 sign them. This same method should be followed with the Reading 
 Courses, Standard of Attainment, financial goal, school attendance, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 279 
 
 etc. In this way we construct for them a tangible basis for Christian 
 life and growth. They learn that the Christian experience is not a 
 theory, but is real, positive living. 
 
 9. Camp Meeting Organization 
 
 We are told in the Testimonies that “by engaging in work at 
 the camp meeting, all may be learning how to work successfully in 
 their home churches.” It should be the plan of the Missionary 
 Volunteer secretary to have the ground districted, leaders appointed, 
 bands organized, and every Christian young person on the ground 
 at work within forty-eight hours after the meeting begins. I do not 
 suppose it takes the enemy that long to get organized for business 
 on the ground. A systematic use of the personal workers’ cards has 
 been very helpful in many places. So much has been said and written 
 on this phase of the work that it is probably unnecessary to suggest 
 details here. One of the greatest essentials is a daily meeting of each 
 prayer band, and a daily meeting of the leaders to report work done 
 and discuss special cases, methods, etc. 
 
 10. Work with Literature 
 
 At some camp meetings there are enthusiastic workers who desire 
 to take the young people out into the city to distribute literature 
 or do Christian help work, or engage in some other missionary effort. 
 These laborers are usually well qualified to do such work, and may 
 make it a blessing to the young people, though I doubt the advis¬ 
 ability of allowing it to interfere with the regular services for the 
 young people, or to be conducted without the most careful super¬ 
 vision. Many innocent and simple young people have been swept 
 off their feet by new and untried circumstances which surrounded 
 them at camp meeting, and for which the leaders did not realize 
 they were so unprepared. 
 
 11. Who shall Lead the Meetings? 
 
 This is one of the most important questions to be considered and 
 settled. There are sometimes workers who come flying in with a 
 breezy talk and amusing stories, and easily captivate the young 
 people. Three or four talks in as many days, and they pass on to 
 other fields. But those who have a real burden of soul for the young 
 people know well that a condition exists with many which can never 
 be remedied by such meetings. There is a vast difference between 
 having a burden to talk to the young people, and having a burden for 
 their souls. Usually one who sees the need of the youth and feels a 
 crushing burden for them is slow to urge himself forward or to criti¬ 
 cize those who are carrying the responsibility. As a rule, I believe 
 
280 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 the camp meeting work should be largely conducted by those who 
 can attend all through the meeting, and who will enter earnestly 
 into the daily program of meetings, prayer, organization, and personal 
 work. Let those in charge arrange for a proper representation of the 
 school work and the book work, and for a meeting at some appropriate 
 time when the conference and union conference presidents or the 
 general worker attending the meeting, who may desire to meet the 
 young people, can be present. But aside from this, let an orderly 
 and constructive program be carried out,, each day enforcing the 
 lessons of the preceding day, and presenting advanced knowledge 
 and helpful instruction. 
 
 12. The Juniors 
 
 There is no more important or fruitful field in all our camp meeting 
 efforts than that furnished by the Juniors. I believe the best results 
 will be obtained by a separate meeting each day with the youth in 
 early adolescence — twelve to sixteen years of age inclusive. At one 
 meeting last year we had seventy-eight in this class. Of this number 
 about thirty-five were church members and forty-one were not. 
 
 It has seemed to me that in these meetings we should not press 
 spiritual matters, but lead up to them through practical matters fa¬ 
 miliar to the youth. Since this is the time of life when habits are be¬ 
 coming fixed, some lessons are needed on habits, good and bad, their 
 physiological basis, overcoming or correcting wrong habits, establish¬ 
 ing right habits of eating, drinking, conversation, reading, prayer, etc. 
 It is also the time for ideals; and earnest lessons on high ideals and 
 aims in life, illustrated from the lives of noble and heroic men and 
 women, are excellent. It is a time of vacillation and instability, 
 and they need something helpful on how to become steadfast, reliable, 
 and loyal to their leader. 
 
 The youth are struggling against the manifestation of traits of 
 disposition which they do not understand. Often the parents do 
 not understand or know how to sympathize with them. When it is 
 explained to them, why the children are inclined to insubordination, 
 self-conceit, impatience, vacillation, etc., they are grateful, and often 
 put forth heroic and even pathetic efforts to attain the true ideals. 
 
 Active missionary work always appeals to most of the youth, 
 and such efforts are a help to establish them in Christian experience. 
 Personal evangelism, work with literature, self-denial, and faithful¬ 
 ness in stewardship may all be so presented as to appeal strongly to 
 Juniors. All these lessons may be closed up with a few words show¬ 
 ing the connection of the subject with spiritual things and with the 
 parctical Christian life. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 281 
 
 Such a meeting as I have suggested for the Juniors, held once a 
 day on the camp ground, will accomplish much. Visitors younger or 
 older should not be encouraged to attend, but an atmosphere should 
 be maintained which will secure the utmost freedom on the part of 
 the Juniors, and enable the leaders to talk in the intimate, heart-to- 
 heart way so much needed and appreciated at this age. Every effort 
 should be made by the secretary to form friendships with these youth, 
 which, when followed up by correspondence and loving interest and 
 prayers, will exert a profound influence to steady them in times of 
 temptation and discouragement. 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 In concluding I would add this final observation, that I think we 
 are too formal, too inclined to depend upon sermonizing and to avoid 
 becoming personal friends with every one of the young people. In this 
 we have wandered from our Example. Therefore let us make "the 
 soul-winning methods of Jesus a more prayerful, earnest study, and 
 then when success comes the glory will go to Him to whom it is due. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 M. E. Kern: In the absence of Mrs. R. D. Quinn, Miss Bates 
 has been asked to supply the vacancy in opening the discussion. 
 The topic is “Preparing for Camp Meeting.” 
 
 Jennie R. Bates: I am sure we should have a model camp 
 meeting if the principles that have been set forth were carried out. 
 We have often heard that the reason why Germany has succeeded 
 so wonderfully in her warfare is because she was ready; and the Lord 
 says we are to be ready. If all these things are accomplished in these 
 camp meetings, it must be that preparation has previously been made. 
 
 Perhaps the question may be asked, “When shall we begin?” 
 Surely it must be months before the camp meeting. The secretary 
 must be in close touch with the young people. Long before the 
 meeting she has been writing them and urging them to come. Often 
 she can make suggestions that will enable them to overcome difficul¬ 
 ties standing in the way. Sometimes the secretary can help in ar¬ 
 ranging for accommodations for the young people, and so many can 
 come who could not if they had waited until the time of the camp 
 meeting before beginning to plan. 
 
 Camp meeting time is harvest time for the secretary. Often 
 only once or twice has she met with each one personally through the 
 year. For that reason, every possible preliminary should have been 
 done before coming to the meeting. She should send a personal letter 
 to each one, urging him to come. The cooperation of the conference 
 
282 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 president should be solicited in this work of inviting the young people 
 to attend. 
 
 The selecting and packing of books, of all Missionary Volunteer 
 supplies, and other things of that kind should be done a little in ad¬ 
 vance. Often we come up to the opening of the camp meeting so 
 tired that it is almost impossible to do the things we wanted to do. 
 I think the secretary should be on the ground at least two days before 
 the time of the meeting. If she is there and her tent is fixed up 
 satisfactorily, it is generally possible to have everything in readiness 
 before the meeting begins. 
 
 During the camp meeting, the secretary should belong entirely 
 to the young people. There is no time for anything else. It is the 
 only time that we have to get in such close touch with our young 
 people. 
 
 We also make much of the Reading Course. The secretary 
 should have read the books in the course. If she is able to tell about 
 the books, the young people will often go out and solicit their parents 
 for the books. It is hardly possible to do this unless the secretary 
 has read them herself. 
 
 We have found that the prayer bands have brought the best 
 results of anything connected with our work. Before the meeting 
 begins, the most reliable young people should be written to, and asked 
 if they will take the responsibility of conducting a prayer band. They 
 will then begin to* pray for the success of the meeting, and when the 
 time comes to form the prayer bands, all that is necessary is to ask 
 for volunteers to conduct them. 
 
 The picture of our academy should have a prominent place in 
 the tent. We have followed that plan, and it has been very success¬ 
 ful. One girl said to me, “ I wish you would take the picture down. 
 It makes me want to go so much, and I am afraid I cannot this year.” 
 The Missionary Volunteer work is so closely affiliated with the edu¬ 
 cational work that it is impossible to find the dividing line. 
 
 The few days that we are engaged in the camp meeting work are 
 golden moments. One important thing to be accomplished for the 
 young people is to lead them to feel that the secretary is their friend. 
 There is nothing so encouraging as to have them come to us with 
 their joys, their perplexities, their questions. How can we get this 
 result if we are overburdened with duties that should have been 
 attended to before the beginning of the meeting? Let everything 
 possible be done beforehand. I believe it would work less harm to 
 make too many plans than to leave too much unplanned for. 
 
 We should have a tent all ready where we can welcome the young 
 people individually, and place ourselves at their disposal. I thought 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 283 
 
 of this when Professor Irwin said he turned over the keys to this 
 assembly. I believe that when the young people’s secretary goes to 
 the camp fneeting, she should really do that for her young people. 
 
 M. E. Kern: Brother Russell is scheduled to speak on “The 
 Camp Meeting a School of Missionary Volunteer Methods.” 
 
 C. A. Russell: It has been stated by both of the previous 
 speakers that the camp meeting is really the harvest time. There is 
 no better time to place before the young people the special phases of 
 our Missionary Volunteer work. It is the time when we should be 
 looking about and trying to secure the interest of those who would 
 make good leaders. We should arrange a time when we can meet 
 these prospective leaders, and go over with them the various plans of 
 work. We could outline before them the organized work, and seek to 
 make it a real school of instruction in Missionary Volunteer methods. 
 The various educational features of our work should be greatly em¬ 
 phasized. Those of our young people who are in attendance should 
 be instructed along this line. 
 
 I believe the Morning Watch should be emphasized. The young 
 people should be encouraged to learn the verses, and to observe the 
 Morning Watch in the real spirit of it. 
 
 Then the Standard of Attainment should be placed before the 
 young people at some meeting in a very definite and tangible way. 
 After presenting the importance of the Standard of Attainment in a 
 brief, enthusiastic way, a definite enrollment should be secured, and 
 the names should be turned over to the conference educational secre¬ 
 tary. Correspondence should be taken up with the members, and they 
 should be encouraged to take up the Standard of Attainment. The 
 Standard of Attainment membership has been doubled many times 
 in our conference by this method. Some years ago we had sixteen; 
 now we have something like one hundred. 
 
 We are very fortunate to have located in our union the one who 
 has charge of the western branch of the Review and Herald, Brother 
 J. W. Mace. Brother Mace visits all the camp meetings, primarily, 
 of course, in the interests of the book work, but I believe he has no 
 mercenary motive in working for the Reading Courses that the De¬ 
 partment has outlined. We set aside an hour for the Reading Courses 
 to be presented to our young people. Then Brother Mace brings 
 the books. He has already read them. He gives a little plan of each 
 book, what it covers, and then takes orders right there on the spot. 
 We have never failed to secure a large number of orders from the young 
 people themselves. They can get the books right there at that 
 meeting or at the bookstand. 
 
284 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Then I believe we should take up other parts of our work, especially 
 the King’s Pocket League. At one of our camp meetings we secured 
 one hundred and seventeen new members for the King’s Pocket 
 League. After having awakened an interest on the part of the young 
 people we handed out the membership blanks, and had them sign 
 them. We have made up packages of suitable leaflets, and have 
 encouraged them to begin the circulation of tracts right then. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I am sure that if Brother Russell could have had 
 more time he would have emphasized one other point, the work of 
 making the camp meeting a school of methods and personal work. 
 
 Grace Davison: It has been suggested that the camp meeting 
 is the harvest time of the year for the Missionary Volunteer secretary, 
 but it might as truly be called the beginning of the year. If the work 
 that is begun at the camp meeting is not followed up, it really has been 
 done in vain. 
 
 First, is to follow up the young people who have made a new 
 surrender to the Lord. We know that the way to life is by service, 
 and we can from time to time suggest new ways that they can be a 
 blessing to those about them, and thus grow spiritually. 
 
 Then we should encourage the young people who have pledged 
 themselves for the Standard of Attainment or any of these educational 
 features, to persevere in this work. It is easy for them to come to 
 camp meeting and pledge themselves to do something, then go away 
 and forget their pledge. So we must remind them from time to time 
 that they have signed a pledge to do this work, and then suggest 
 ways and means to attain what they have started to reach. 
 
 Then, too, there are the young people who have not surrendered 
 to the Lord. I believe that those who have should be formed into 
 a prayer band to remember the unconverted especially in their prayers 
 as they go to their homes. We should encourage them to come in 
 personal touch with these young people, and we should be in touch 
 with them, and make it an aim in our work to win them to Christ as 
 soon as possible. 
 
 It has also been suggested that the young people, as a part of 
 their recreation, be encouraged to go out among the people around 
 the camp ground and invite them in to the meetings. This was tried 
 very successfully at our last camp meeting. Old and young took 
 with them tracts and invitation cards, and went out into the city, 
 and they had some very good experiences. They were encouraged 
 to rap at the door, and to give a personal invitation as well as a card. 
 Each morning after we did this (twice during the meeting), old and 
 young met together in the large tent, and I am sure you would have 
 enjoyed the experience meeting we had. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 285 
 
 As to the prayer and personal workers’ bands, I am sure that the 
 young people who get the most out of the camp meeting are those 
 who carry a burden for those about them, and it is certainly an in¬ 
 spiration to the older ones who look on. Two years ago the older 
 people began to follow this plan. They had their prayer bands, 
 and began to work for the older ones who needed a Christian expe¬ 
 rience. In this the young people were leaders. 
 
 HOW SHALL WE PROMOTE THE EDUCATIONAL 
 FEATURES OF THE MISSIONARY 
 VOLUNTEER WORK? 
 
 N. W. LAWRENCE 
 
 The words of our Lord, “ Gather up the fragments that remain, 
 that nothing be lost,” enunciate a great principle, which, if of impor¬ 
 tance in the temporal affairs of this life, becomes a hundredfold more 
 important in the affairs of the eternal kingdom. We have come upon 
 the very ends of time. The Lord is bringing into line every element, 
 every available talent, every resource in his church, and is preparing 
 it for use in the last great effort for the salvation of the world. Our 
 purpose in the Missionary Volunteer movement — to gather up the 
 scattering energies and resources of all our youth, to educate and train 
 them for service in the finishing work of the gospel — is a tremendous 
 application of that great principle. 
 
 In this age of tension and complexity, only things of superimpor¬ 
 tance are sure to receive attention. Especially is this so when ex¬ 
 penditure of time, effort, or money is involved. Since the working 
 out of the educational features of this Department involves all these 
 on the part of our youth, something more is required in reaching the 
 desired goal than mere conference machinery, friendly advice, or 
 filial demands. At least as much studied care should be given to 
 this work as is given the common business of the world. 
 
 General Principles 
 
 Cooperation .— Experience in the field has persuaded me that 
 success in this work depends largely upon the rank and file of our 
 people to appreciate the grand purpose and the great importance of 
 the Missionary Volunteer movement itself. The cooperation of 
 parents, school and church officers, and conference laborers and officers 
 must be won and utilized in order to reach effectually all our young 
 people. 
 
28G 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Time and effort must be systematically given for studying the 
 various features of this work with the church companies as a whole, 
 besides special instruction with and for the young people themselves. 
 Without this preparatory work for the masses, all the plans, devices, 
 and machinery we can invent will fail; but with thorough preliminary 
 work, at least a degree of reasonable success is assured. 
 
 Registration .— A complete system of registration, classification, 
 and follow-up work especially, will do much in securing an interest 
 and maintaining a positive and working connection with our youth 
 until definite results can be accomplished. 
 
 Business Tact .— Some of the laws and principles of salesmanship, 
 if intelligently applied, will very materially strengthen efforts put 
 forth here, as in the monetary world. In salesmanship, first effort is 
 made to gain attention, to arouse interest; with this secured, a desire 
 to possess is created; then, by tactful suggestion of ways and means, 
 the matter is clinched without delay. Thus it will be in gaining 
 names for the Reading Courses, the Standard of Attainment, and 
 other lines of our educational work. 
 
 Educational Features 
 
 Generally speaking, the educational features consist of those means 
 used which are intended to bring the individual into line with the mes¬ 
 sage and fit him for his part as a personal worker for souls; as, Leaf¬ 
 let Series, Reading Courses, Standard of Attainment, periodicals and 
 society lessons, libraries, institutes and camp meetings. 
 
 Leaflets.-- As indicated before, the young people themselves are 
 to be won to, and enlisted in, this great purpose of finishing the gospel 
 message in this generation Little things more often turn the tide 
 of a life than do great things. Small tracts and leaflets have done 
 a work in this message for the outside world that eternity alone can 
 measure. So in the hands of the consecrated worker, our Missionary 
 Volunteer leaflets may do for the youth what the ‘‘Apples of Gold,’’ 
 the “Bible Students’ Library,” and others are doing for the adult. 
 
 With this series enlarged and strengthened by the addition of 
 a few brief but pointed numbers of from four to eight pages each, 
 on such topics as, W hy be a Christian? How to Become a Christian, 
 First Steps Toward Church Membership, Hindrances to Perfection, 
 How to Overcome, Problems of Youth Solved by the Gospel, etc., 
 many unspoken questions of the unconverted may be answered, and 
 interest directed to the things of God. 
 
 W hile this is an age of reading, such as probably has been un¬ 
 equaled in the past, yet but few' young people choose to read volumes 
 of serious, solid matter. Even the more stable and dependable youth 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 287 
 
 turn from the larger books, the longer articles, to the brief, terse 
 matter of every class. The intensity of the age has emphasized this 
 tendency. Much must be accomplished quickly. Condensed in¬ 
 formation, such as summaries, tables, books of ready reference, etc., 
 is eagerly sought. Even the headlines of newspapers and magazines, 
 tables of contents of larger works, are scanned for just the seed- 
 thought or suggestion of value they may contain. 
 
 Such is the condition and such the habit we have to reckon with 
 in the Missionary Volunteer work. Hence the necessity of a good 
 variety of brief, usable leaflets, and of the cooperation of active, loyal 
 people in their distribution. 
 
 Reading Courses .— As with the leaflets, the Reading Courses 
 should be made a means of reaching out after the unconverted, as 
 well as a means of strengthening those already in line with the mes¬ 
 sage. Let us not for a moment forget that, all our young people are 
 to be considered in this movement; that its purpose is to win them all 
 from the ways and love of the world, and link them in some way to 
 the great organized work of this truth. 
 
 Keeping in mind the conditions mentioned above, let us provide 
 the young and the unconverted with small books, full of life and 
 the spirit of Christian service, reserving the heavier texts for more 
 deliberate study after the die for life has been fully set and its impress 
 made sure. 
 
 Much has already been accomplished through the Reading Courses, 
 but here again about the strongest assurance of success is an under¬ 
 standing and sympathetic cooperation on the part of parents, friends, 
 and leaders in the local church work. To push this work against 
 either the indifference or the opposition of the men and women of 
 responsibility, is much like battling against the walls of Gibraltar. 
 Consequently, time and effort spent in gaining this cooperation will 
 bear fruit a hundredfold. Therefore, study the young people’s 
 work with the whole church, and do it often. 
 
 Standard of Attainment .— Having once place! his feet in the 
 Christian pathway, every traveler, for his own sake first, needs the 
 experience and knowledge offered through the study for the Standard 
 of Attainment. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on 
 him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’ 
 
 Then, there is the work these young people may do as they them¬ 
 selves grow. Others are to be won to Christ, to be started on the 
 highway to God and to eternal life. With the zeal of youth, with 
 the love of God and of men in the heart, with a knowledge of the truth, 
 and with faith in the advent message, these boys and girls are to be- 
 
288 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 come ‘'the Lord’s helping hand” in carrying light and life to the 
 world. In all this they need, early in their course, the knowledge and 
 experience to be gained in qualifying for the Standard of Attainment. 
 
 As in the preceding lines, the sympathy, cooperation, and example 
 of workers, older church members, and conference officers lend in¬ 
 fluence, and count much in promoting this part of the educational work. 
 Perhaps the most successful means of furthering this line is the organ¬ 
 ized class, consisting of youth, church members, Sabbath school 
 teachers, and others, meeting regularly once a week or oftener for the 
 study of Bible doctrines and the history of this message. I have 
 observed that where this is done, both the church work and the interests 
 of the young people are quickened. 
 
 Educational Credits. — I have wished that some workable system 
 of school credits might be devised and adopted to apply to both the 
 Reading Courses and the Standard of Attainment. More would find 
 time to pursue these lines of study, and a better grade of work could 
 be secured, if definite credit on school courses could be assured. It 
 would afford one more point of contact, and become a means of reach¬ 
 ing some who are now hard to reach with the various lines of Mission-^ 
 ary Volunteer activity. 
 
 Periodicals and Society Lessons. — Some medium of communication 
 is necessary in any enterprise covering a wide territory. The Youth's 
 Instructor has very naturally and properly been chosen as the medium 
 for the young people’s work. T shall present no suggestion here for 
 the promotion of this journal. But since the Church Officers' Gazette 
 has come into the field, and has taken on a portion of the Missionary 
 Volunteer matter, and though the matter it has contained has aided 
 much in the conduct of the work, I have wished that one periodical 
 might serve the purposes of both. 
 
 I heartily approve the universal use of the society lessons, and 
 believe that anything we can do to simplify the machinery necessary 
 in getting these lessons into the hands and hearts of our young people, 
 will aid just that much in accomplishing this end. 
 
 Libraries. — The work of the Reading Courses and of the Standard 
 of Attainment should contribute much in the building of libraries. 
 The ideal — that each Missionary Volunteer should have a working 
 library of his own — may never be realized; but when our young 
 people are taught the value of systematically marking the books 
 they read so that they become to them valuable books of reference, 
 from which to draw for future use, individual libraries will become 
 the rule rather than the exception. 
 
 For the sake of those of limited means, and of others whose cir¬ 
 cumstances hinder the making of a personal library, the local society 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 289 
 
 library becomes a necessity. This may be a section of the church 
 library, or it may be a separate Missionary Volunteer library, as 
 conditions may indicate. To promote such an enterprise, popular 
 sentiment should be enlisted; for here, as in the former lines, coop¬ 
 eration means success. 
 
 In laying the foundation for such a library, at least a full set of 
 the current Reading Course texts may be provided by donation, or 
 by popular subscription. To these may be added our standard 
 denominational books by direct solicitation. Various plans may be 
 used in building up the local society library. 
 
 A conference library is of special importance to the Missionary 
 Volunteer secretary, who should have ready access to all the books 
 and literature used in the society work. Other books should be pro¬ 
 vided for this library, so that a wider range of reading may be made 
 possible for the one who must lead out in the various lines of missionary 
 endeavor. 
 
 Other conference workers find it a convenience, when spending a 
 few hours at the office, to utilize this library. This in turn keeps 
 them in touch with the Young People’s Department and work, and 
 as they go out among the people, they lend their influence for the 
 same good cause. It would be well if every conference office con¬ 
 tained a good workable library for the use of its workers and employees, 
 with a well-equipped young people’s section in it. 
 
 Institutes and Camp Meetings .— Of all means for promoting the 
 educational features of this Department, none afford greater pos¬ 
 sibilities than institutes and camp meetings. But since these are 
 given special place on the program, I shall refer to them but briefly 
 here. The institute held with the local church, or with a delegation 
 from several neighboring churches, affords the best opportunity to 
 interest the body of believers, young and old, to present in detail the 
 various features of the Missionary Volunteer work and movement, 
 to inaugurate right methods, to do personal work for souls, and to 
 enlist the cooperation of all in the work. 
 
 Wherever conditions and time will allow, the conference Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer secretary can do no more telling work for his Depart¬ 
 ment than to conduct live, enthusiastic, instructive institutes. Re¬ 
 member that the sympathy and cooperation of the church body is a 
 positive necessity for the best results. Therefore encourage all to 
 attend every meeting. By so doing they, too, become familiar with 
 the plans, purposes, and methods; they catch the spirit of work, and 
 many times the spirit of reconsecration and devotion to the cause and 
 work of soul-saving, which is the aim and end of all this young people’s 
 movement. 
 
 19 
 
290 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The camp meeting may in reality be considered an institute on a • 
 larger scale, affording broader opportunities for reaching the masses, 
 but of course, limited in its possibilities for detailed instruction in the 
 various features of training and work. The greater opportunities, 
 however, should be made to serve as fully as possible. Definite and 
 carefully laid plans as definitely and carefully worked out, will greatly 
 promote the young people’s work throughout the conferences. Op¬ 
 portunity should be given for a careful presentation of the Missionary 
 Volunteer plans and work before the great congregation, as well as in 
 the meetings specially designed for the youth. 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 Because of the comprehensive scope of my subject, I have been 
 able to touch only a few of the many means of promoting the educa¬ 
 tional features of this Department; and of these, only those of more 
 general application, leaving to those who follow in discussion to 
 emphasize specific and detailed suggestions for furthering this work. 
 By way of emphasis. I wish to recall a few principles. 
 
 People are not likely to give their support to a cause or move¬ 
 ment they know but little or nothing of; therefore,— 
 
 1. Educate the masses. Parents, workers, and leaders of all classes 
 will be greatly aided in their w r ork for the young by observing the 
 great principle, “It is not so much what we do for our children and 
 youth, as what we do with them.” Once this is appreciated and 
 obeyed, success is assured. Therefore,— 
 
 2. Work for cooperation, since only by keeping in touch with our 
 youth can a constant influence be exerted to give direction to their 
 desires and efforts. 
 
 3. Make good use of indexes of registration and of follow-up plans. 
 Many of our young people will not realize their need of these educa¬ 
 tional advantages until they are brought to them by those who do 
 know and appreciate them. Their interest, desire, and determination 
 to obtain must be built up by personal contact with others. Then,— 
 
 4. Use the care and tact of common business in developing mem¬ 
 bers for the Reading Courses, Standard of Attainment, etc. Much 
 has already been accomplished, but much remains to be done. We 
 shall need bountiful supplies of the grace of God, of the wdsdom of 
 heaven, and of that perseverance that knows no defeat, to obtain our 
 goal,— the winning of all our young people to God, and the turn¬ 
 ing of their life energies into channels of missionary endeavor. 
 
 As with other things of importance, eternal vigilance is the price 
 of success. The Missionary Volunteer secretary w'ho prosecutes his 
 work largely in the field, working with the church, with the family, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 291 
 
 
 
 with the individual, and keeps constantly at it, will be rewarded by 
 seeing our youth preserved to the cause of this message, and by hear¬ 
 ing, later the welcome “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. 
 . . enter thou.into the jov of thy Lord.” 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 Almetta B. Garrett: Our young people as a general rule seem 
 to select reading that is light, something to which they do not have to 
 give muchftime or thought. And I think it is the duty of every 
 Missionary Volunteer secretary to emphasize the fact to our young 
 people that they need to employ their leisure time in good, solid 
 reading. 
 
 I remember at one of our camp meetings I was given permission to 
 have two reading tents. 1 borrowed books, besides buying a few, 
 till I obtained sixty or seventy books for the tent library. For a few 
 days these tents stood empty, although announcement was made. 
 The young people seemed to be at the meeting only for a good time. 
 So I had to go out after them. I went to different tents and talked 
 with them, and at length they became interested. These told others, 
 and in that way our reading tents became pretty well patronized. 
 
 The reading tent is a wonderful help in keeping our young people 
 employed on the camp ground. Y\ hen a capable person oversees it, 
 I think it is a help educationally. There the young people learn to 
 like the reading, and when our Reading Courses are mentioned by 
 those at the head of the young people’s work, they are more ready 
 to buy the books. They have made a start. 
 
 In one of our schools in-is a boy about twelve years old 
 
 who is a great reader. His mother is an educated woman, and she 
 has encouraged and directed his reading. He goes by himself to the 
 library and selects his books, and he never brings home a bad book. 
 He chooses books of missionary biography, and books along the line 
 of those in the Reading Course. 
 
 We are working up the Reading Course in our schools. The 
 teachers who take the Reading Course books read them to the children 
 in the morning. And in some intermediate schools, after reading one 
 of the books, the children give the content in their own words. It is 
 not only instructive, but it gives language drill besides. That is the 
 way this small boy beca' e interested in reading. 
 
 It is worth while for us to endeavor to get good, solid reading 
 before our young people. Not only our young people, but our older 
 people need it. If sixty per cent of our people have come into this 
 message by reading, there is no reason why we should not still read to 
 keep up with the times in our message. 
 
292 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 I think every Missionary Volunteer secretary ought to do what 
 she requires of those under her charge. The only way we can ever 
 accomplish our work is to set the example. We should also read 
 other books. I have made it a practice to read one good book every 
 month. The only way I can keep up with my work is to read some¬ 
 thing on that work. I am pleased to know that our church schools 
 all over the State are taking up this Reading Course. 
 
 M. E. Cady: I think the Standard of Attainment work is ex¬ 
 cellent, and I have been pleased to see our young people taking hold 
 of it with real enthusiasm and interest. At Fresno not long ago I 
 presented the question, and I think that more than half signed for 
 it. I also find that in this conference the older people are glad to 
 join with the young people. 
 
 To me the term “Standard of Attainment” is a little ambiguous. 
 1 do not understand just what it means. The Standard of Attainment 
 indicates that there is a standard to which the students are to attain. 
 Now we have not, up to the present, attained to a standard that our 
 schools will accept with respect to the work done. Most of our schools 
 do not feel like accepting the work in Bible doctrines and denomi¬ 
 national history, even after the certificate is issued. I wish we could 
 reach a standard of attainment that they would gladly accept. I 
 think it would be an encourage nent to our young people, and mor 
 would take it. 
 
 I have wondered if the Missionary Volunteer Department could 
 enter into a copartnership plan with the Educational Department, 
 so that this educational feature, the Standard of Attainment, rec¬ 
 ognizing the study of Bible doctrines and denominational history, 
 could be conducted by the Fireside Correspondence School. Then 
 those who desire to receive credit on Standard .of Attainment subjects 
 in our schools could carry them on in that way, and those who do 
 not desire to follow them so diligently and continuously, would still 
 remain under the Missionary Volunteer Department. 
 
 I know it is very disappointing and discouraging to our young 
 people to have studied very diligently, or as well as they could under 
 the present arrangement, then pass the examination, receive the 
 certificate from the young people’s secretary, and then have it turned 
 down when presented to the school. Perhaps some work could be 
 required additional to that which the Department would normally 
 expect for the issuance of the certificate. I understand that this 
 certifies that the young men and women who have done this work, 
 are informed and are up to date with reference to the doctrines and 
 history of the Seventh-day Adventist work. I think it ought to mean 
 that, and if so, why should it not be accepted in our schools? 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 2DU 
 
 Varner Johns: I might say, like Professor Cady, that I con¬ 
 sider the Standard of Attainment the ost effectual plan that we 
 have in our Missionary Volunteer work. There is nothing that 
 develops in the young people such a desire to become more efficient 
 in soul-winning, as the Standard of Attainment. I like the name. 
 “Standard of Attain ent.” It appeals to me. 
 
 On the other hand, no matter how effective it ay be, no matter 
 how enthusiastic the young people ay become, we cannot produce 
 results unless we work with the leaders. The local leaders can either 
 bring the Standard of Attainment question up where it belongs, or 
 ruin it. 
 
 After our March examinations two years ago, we published a 
 little two-page paper. We called it the Colorado Missionary T olunteer 
 Advance. In this paper we emphasized the Standard of Attainment, 
 and gave the names of those who had passed the March examination. 
 This little paper appealed to the young people more than anything 
 else in the conference. They liked to see their names in print. We 
 had about sixty names in the paper that we printed after the last 
 March examination. 
 
 Another plan which was tried by one society after the March exam¬ 
 ination, was to give a Standard of Attainment program during a 
 regular church service. 
 
 I like the idea of giving credit, and think we would be more suc¬ 
 cessful if we did. The correspondence school idea is also very good. 
 
 M. E. Kern: The question of libraries will be discussed by 
 Miss Bates. 
 
 Jennie R. Bates: As some phases of this question have been 
 spoken of, I shall speak of only one phase, and that is the cir¬ 
 culating library. 
 
 I am glad for the good books which have come to our young people 
 through the Reading Course. My first thought in regard to the cir¬ 
 culating library came to me at one of our camp meetings, where we 
 had an exhibition of some of our books. A young girl w r ho stood 
 looking at them said: “Oh, how I wish I could read every one of them !” 
 We started to do something right away. 
 
 First the question arose, What books shall we use? I bought all 
 the books for myself as they came, but I thought of how it might be 
 with the one who should follow me, so from that time on the books 
 were bought by the conference. We started a circulating library, 
 and in addition to what we had, I went to the tract society office and 
 found quite a few books for the younger ones, which were added to 
 my list. 
 
294 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 First of all we pasted in each of the books a slip stating that it 
 belonged to the secretary. Then in order to reach all the young 
 people, I first took some of the lists in the Reading Course leaflets, 
 and asked them to mark the books in that list which they would like 
 to read, and then return it to me. We finally made a complete list 
 of the books we had, and these were sent out to the young people. 
 When they requested books, we sent them postage paid, and we 
 told them that we would pay the return postage also, although it 
 was not often necessary. W e found that several persons were reading 
 each of the books, and for this we were very thankful. ' e allowed 
 them a month in which to read one book. If it was some of the larger 
 books, as “The Desire of Ages,” or “The Great Controversy,” we 
 allowed them more time, if they asked for it. 
 
 We soon found that others w r ere willing to give books, and so our 
 library was constantly growing. We not only send the books to the 
 young people, but some of the older isolated ones have also read them. 
 These books are sent all over the conference, and are read by the 
 young people. I believe that the Reading Course books will be the 
 means of creating in these young people a taste for good reading, 
 and at the same time give them an opportunity to enjoy the reading. 
 
 M. E. Kern: It is a great privilege to me to be here, and it is a 
 precious thought that all of you are anxiously looking for ideas that 
 will help you to save our young people. As 1 said the other day, 
 there are already young people in the foreign fields w r ho attribute 
 their choice of that line of work to our Reading Course. Much can 
 be said of the Standard of Attainment, of this excellent wx>rk that 
 Sister Bates is doing in Maine, of getting these good books into the 
 hands of even the isolated young people, w-ho have very lew' oppor¬ 
 tunities of coming in touch with our people. Let us discuss the 
 Reading Course for a few moments. I should like to ask you in the 
 field whether you like the class of books that we have selected, whether 
 you have any suggestions as to a different procedure. 
 
 L. H. Wood: I am very much in sympathy with the idea of the 
 Reading Course. There is only one question yet in regard to it. 
 There is a class of young people who read whatever we outline for 
 them; but in our isolated districts there are very few/ opportunities 
 for active minds to get the kind of reading they w r ant. The public 
 libraries today do not furnish the kind that we want. Could not the 
 Department, having access to the Library of Congress and other 
 good libraries in Washington, furnish the denomination with ^ists 
 of proper books, giving the publishers and cost? That would b e of 
 great value to the secretary. These young people are asking for 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 295 
 
 further reading material, and I am sure that such a list would meet a 
 want among us. 
 
 B. B. Davis: I should like to suggest that this list be graded. 
 Along with the name of the book let the age of the boy or girl appear 
 to whom that book is adapted, and also the grade in school. Then 
 it would be of use also to our church-school teachers. 
 
 M. E. Kern: The second leaflet which we published, “From 
 Which Fountain? ” by Miss Erickson, has at the close a list of one hun¬ 
 dred and fifty books well worth reading. We also have recommended 
 a list of fifteen books as a nucleus for a IV issionary Volunteer library. 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: Our workers everywhere are reading books, 
 and when one is found to be suitable for this purpose, it would be 
 well to report it to the Department. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I hope you all heard that. We are hungry for 
 such suggestions. 
 
 J. J. Reiswig: I should like to know how the secretaries found 
 books for the Juniors? I have heard some criticism fyom some of 
 the parents that the books for the Juniors are a little too hard, not 
 too hard just to read, but to get the thought out of. There is, for 
 instance, one book, “Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing.’’ That 
 is an excellent book, but some of the boys find it rather dry. They 
 do take considerable urging and working with, and finally they wriggle 
 through, but some fall out. One little fellow came up to my office 
 and I said, “Virgil, how are you getting along?” He said, “I do not 
 like this book, but I like the next one.” He really did not get a 
 great deal of good from the reading of the book, I think. Some of 
 the parents wrote to me about it, and asked me to write to the De¬ 
 partment, but I told them to write themselves. I should like to 
 hear how some of the others feel. 
 
 A. N. Atteberry: It may be true that some oi the books do 
 not appeal as much as others, but it seems to me an excellent idea to 
 sandwich in some of a religious nature. I should like to say a good 
 word for the Reading Course. In our school in the South we have 
 formed the habit of providing at least two sets of books of both the 
 Senior and the Junior Reading Course books for the school. The 
 students club together and buy them for the school library. 1 have 
 found that as the students come in who have not read the books in 
 the past, they hunt up all the books for former years and read them. 
 Our books are getting well worn. I do not know that there is any 
 choice among them. 
 
 C. E. Stone: There has been a question in my mind relative to 
 the suggestion of Brother Atteberry about what we shall do in the 
 
29G EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 small churches where young people are unable to buy the books. 
 I have found a number of churches where the young people are anxious 
 to do the reading, but are not able to buy the books. I have made 
 the suggestion that they get the books as a circulating library. I am 
 wondering if any plan has been carried out systematically for the 
 churches where there are small societies of young people. 
 
 W. L. Adams: In some of the conferences of the Southwest, 
 books have been secured from year to year, and the secretary has 
 corresponded with isolated members and has asked them to pay the 
 postage to and from the office on these books, and return them within 
 a certain length of time. This has proved beneficial, and no books 
 have been lost. A card index has been used, and it is very satisfac¬ 
 tory. We are intending to further that plan, so that not only the 
 books of the Reading Course, but other good books may be secured, 
 and thus create a circulating library. 
 
 M. E. Kern: The State and county libraries have their cir¬ 
 culating library department, and they are enthusiastic. They are 
 anxious to get what they consider good books into the rural commu¬ 
 nities. I think we ought to make good use of such excellent plans to 
 get good books into the hands of our y 7 oung people. 
 
 A. W. Russell: The circulating library of San Bernardino 
 County has put an agency in our school. It pays the postage 
 both way's, and any books not in the county library can be obtained 
 from the State library. So any books we do not have we can get 
 from the State or county library 7 . We had the privilege of having a 
 hundred books from the library, and we changed them about every 
 three months. We could make our own selection. 
 
 C. A. Russell: I have been wondering if this suggestion about 
 the circulating library from the conference office would not answer 
 the query raised by Professor Wood concerning our young people 
 who are more rapid readers. I am well aware of the fact that there 
 is a class of superficial readers and the rapid readers want to skim. 
 Y r et two or three books a year is not a very heavy amount of reading. 
 
 One time when I came home I found my little girl reading a book 
 she had secured from the library. I wanted to see the nature of it, 
 so I slipped up behind her and discovered the character of the book. 
 I said, “Mildred, don’t you know you shouldn’t read novels?” She 
 said, “Papa, this isn’t a novel.” It was not called a novel on the 
 first page, but I had to explain to her that there were novels and novels. 
 Then I said to myself, What shall I do? I had not provided the chil¬ 
 dren with the Reading Course books. So I said, I will get all three 
 of them. I thought they would do for a long time to come. About 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 297 
 
 two weeks later, when I came home from another trip, I asked, “Have 
 you started on your Reading Course yet?” “O yes, T had all three 
 of them read quite a while ago.” 
 
 I know that we must discourage the idea of too hasty reading, 
 but I do not see how you can restrict children who like to read, to two 
 or three books for a whole year. That is not going to satisfy their 
 craving for good reading. 
 
 C. P>. Hughes: I wish to speak of a plan that we followed at 
 Keene Academy to interest our students in the matter of the Reading 
 Courses. Three years ago I said to our secretary, “I am going to 
 read both courses myself this year.” I suggested that the students 
 take the course, and told them that the last Sabbath of the school 
 year we would present certificates to all who finished courses. I 
 think the first year there were between thirty and forty certificates 
 presented, and the next year we had over a hundred. 
 
 When T began the work, I found the students had the idea that 
 the Reading Course was not for students, but for young people who 
 could not attend school. I said, “You are greatly mistaken. The 
 only reason we go to school is to learn how to read.” 
 
 Matilda Erickson: I should like to ask Professor Hughes how 
 he carried on the written review's of the Reading Course v'ork in tfm 
 school. 
 
 C. B. Hughes: It was largely an individual matter. This past 
 year w r e appointed secretaries for both the young men and the young 
 women, to see the different individuals and have them come together 
 for the review. 
 
 Mr. Steele: During the past two years I have taught the 
 ninth-grade English class in Union College. Last year I told them 
 that they could read the Reading Course books instead of some that 
 I might require. I think that seven took the work, and passed suc¬ 
 cessful examinations. This year I had nine. That makes sixteen 
 certificates as a result of two years’ work in that class. 
 
 Mrs. C. B. Hughes: I had a class of fifty in composition, and 
 I made it a rule that none of them could have their grade in that sub¬ 
 ject until they had presented to me a statement that they had fin¬ 
 ished the Reading Course. There were fifty cards issued. I found 
 it w^as a great help. 
 
 M. E. Kern: 1 think the principal objection has been that the 
 Standard of xMtainment questions have been too hard. Preachers, 
 Bible v r orkers, conference presidents, and other workers have said 
 that they had to scratch their heads to pass it. One conference pres- 
 
298 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ident said, “As soon as I get time to post up a little, so as not to dis¬ 
 grace myself, I will take the examination.” Ministers, Bible workers* 
 conference presidents, and some of the honorable members who are 
 right here, have taken the examination. 
 
 C. A. Russell: Is that because of the fact that the standard 
 has been lowered? 
 
 Meade MacGuire: I remember very well when this plan was 
 initiated. Those who were at the Mount Vernon Convention kno 
 that the idea was not so much that the young people should do some 
 work that would be accepted in our schools, but that they should go 
 to studying the questions of our faith; I do not think it is the ques¬ 
 tion of getting credit in our schools so much as of getting the young 
 people to study the truth more. 
 
 It is easy to forget that more than fifty per cent of our young 
 people are not in our schools. A great proportion of them are not 
 in any school; and examinations that might seem easy to people 
 who are right in school all the time, would be away beyond the 
 reach of a great many of our young people. We have had this ques¬ 
 tion up many times, and have thought it would be a good thing if we 
 could put the Standard of Attainment on such a basis that it would 
 be accepted in our schools; but the more we counseled with the Avorkers, 
 the more we were convinced that what w T e w r ant is a popular move¬ 
 ment that will bring in a great majority of our young people, rather 
 than to put the standard up where none but the students in the schools 
 will have confidence enough to take the study and expect to pass the 
 examinations. I believe that this is the wiser plan to followx If we 
 can get the great mass of our young people wTo are not in the .schools 
 to study our truth, that will be a great incentive to go into the school 
 and study further. But if we put the standard so high, where it will 
 be attractive to a really deep student, it would be far too high for 
 those whom we wash especially to reach, those who are not in school 
 and are rather drifting. 
 
 N. W. Lawrence: My thought in this question of credit was 
 this: That a graded series of credits could be arranged, not for full 
 credit, but perhaps a half credit for the Seniors and a quarter credit 
 for the Juniors, which would serve to set these young people who 
 are not in school to thinking tow r ard school, and give them an in¬ 
 spiration to go on and get a full credit. 
 
MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER WORK IN OUR COL¬ 
 LEGES AND ACADEMIES 
 
 C. L. BENSON 
 
 Twenty-two years ago, the spirit of prophecy said, “We have 
 an army of youth today who can do much if they are properly directed 
 and encouraged. We want our children to believe the truth. We 
 want them to be blessed of God. We want them to act a part in 
 well-organized plans for helping other youth.” 
 
 According to the best statistics we have, more than fifty per cent 
 of our young people are outside of our schools. Nevertheless, we 
 have an army of twenty-four thousand enrolled in our schools today. 
 But, as you all know, an army consists of well-organized, disciplined, 
 equipped men; therefore, I should have said recruits or volunteers. 
 Now what are we going to do with this aggregation? Shall we organ¬ 
 ize and train them into a consecrated, educated, and efficient army? 
 or shall we let them remain an unorganized, undisciplined mob? 
 The answer rests with our school men. 
 
 God has sent to our schools the cream of our young people, in 
 consecration, brain, and brawn. They come from the farm, the 
 shop, and the factory — the pick of the flock. Among them are 
 those impelled by high resolve and determination. They will find 
 a way to secure a Christian education and a training for God’s .service, 
 or they will make one. They hunger for a Christian education. 
 Barriers and obstacles must give way before them. Many of them, 
 if time lasts, will in a few years be on the firing line in home and 
 foreign countries. Others will hold places of responsibility and 
 influence in our conferences, schools, and publishing houses, heralding 
 the advent message — providing they are properly trained. 
 
 Every conference, every church, and every home is directly 
 interested in this company of students. Fathers and mothers are 
 sacrificing for them, church members are praying for them, conference 
 officials are watching them. They are the subject of conversation 
 around many firesides, and hourly their names are breathed in prayer. 
 Why are they there, far from their homes, in Seventh-day Adventist 
 schools? The ambitious, self-supporting, aspiring, can go to any 
 school in the land. Trained faculties, well-filled libraries, and lab¬ 
 oratories are passed by, scarcely noticed, and they enroll in a Seventh- 
 day Adventist school. Why? Ah, their hearts burn within them. 
 They are fired with a burning ambition to have a part in hastening 
 the coming of Jesus Christ. Worldly schools cannot equip them for 
 this important work. Likewise, self-sacrificing fathers and mothers 
 are sending them to our Christian schools, with the longing that 
 
 299 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 300 
 
 they may be trained to be God’s boys and girls, his men and women, 
 and eventually his workers. 
 
 In the light of these facts, what is the business of our schools? 
 What are they going to do with these thousands of young men and 
 women in their care? 
 
 Our schools were established, and are maintained, by denomi¬ 
 national sacrifice and money. Our faculties are employed to give 
 a denominational training, to make Seventh-day Adventist men 
 and women, thoroughly indoctrinated and tired with the third angel’s 
 message. 
 
 But what relation does the Missionary Volunteer work sustain 
 to these thousands of young people from every conference from Maine 
 to California and from Canada to the Gulf? Our faithful Missionary 
 Volunteer secretaries have helped to ferret out and encourage these 
 boys and girls, and influence their parents to send them to our de¬ 
 nominational schools. Are our secretaries interested in the finished 
 product, the growth and development of these boys and girls? Do 
 they feel a responsibility resting upon them for their part in the affair? 
 Witness the prayers ascending, the letters written, and the visits 
 made to the homes and the schools to see how their boys and girls 
 are getting along. Many of them might be teachers, but they chose 
 to be recruiting agents for you. Is there any relation existing between 
 the Missionary Volunteer work and our schools? Indeed, I believe 
 you will all say a close relation. 
 
 Do you ask the reason of our special interest in the Missionary 
 Volunteer work in our schools? Listen! The personnel of your 
 school Missionary Volunteer societies are our boys and girls from our 
 fields and homes. They have left homes in which we have slept and 
 eaten, churches in which we hold our membership, and Missionary 
 Volunteer Societies that we have been instrumental in establishing. 
 They are now your boys and girls, as well as our boys and girls. 
 They were members and leaders of our local Missionary Volunteer 
 Societies, now they are members and officers of the academy and 
 college Missionary Volunteer Societies. Tn a few years they will 
 return to our local conference societies to strengthen and build up 
 our work, or they will be out of harmony with it and tear it down. 
 Others will pass on to fields of larger influence, to strengthen and 
 uphold the Missionary Volunteer work on the firing line, or the op- 
 . posite. 
 
 We believe that in addition to the possibilities wrapped up in 
 our school Missionary Volunteer Societies from the field side, there 
 are great, undeveloped latent powers in the Missionary Volunteer 
 Societies from the side of the school. The most active, consecrated, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 spiritual young people you have in school are the Missionary Volun¬ 
 teers. They touch every class, from the freshmen to the seniors. 
 They are the leaders, and they will be the future leaders of our local 
 church and conference work. 
 
 Here is a great Niagara of power in our schools. But we do not 
 know this power because we have never harnessed it. Think of 
 this ponderous spiritualizing agency, if properly directed and trained. 
 Think how the daily religious, social, mental, and physical problems 
 could be simplified with the entire force and energy of this body 
 utilized. 
 
 We believe the Missionary Volunteer work in our schools can 
 help to make our denominational schools like the schools of the 
 prophets. The Missionary Volunteer Society should intensify the 
 vision of life work in the message of every youth. It may deepen 
 his religious experience. It furnishes an abundant opportunity to 
 correct by practice his theories of doing religious work with his un¬ 
 converted schoolmates. He can help strengthen the discouraged, 
 reclaim the backslidden, correct offenders, sweeten the disgruntled, 
 and mold student sentiment and all school functions. Thus the school 
 Missionary Volunteer Society may become a most powerful dynamo, 
 releasing an energy and influence in the classroom, on the campus, 
 and in the dormitories, making every school a successful, soul-winning 
 Bethel. 
 
 m , 
 
 Through the Missionary Volunteer Society, outside efforts can 
 be carried on in schoolhouses and halls, Bible readings held, literature 
 distributed, Christian help rendered, and prejudice broken down, 
 both in the school town and elsewTere. 
 
 Again, the Missionary Volunteer Society may become a powerful 
 factor for stimulating loyalty to the school. Letters may enter 
 every home, church, and conference represented at the school, through 
 the Missionary Volunteer student, that will place the praises of the 
 school on many a tongue, and will result in greatly increased attend¬ 
 ance, from the twenty-four thousand not now attending. Each 
 student upon returning home, during vacation, or engaging in can¬ 
 vassing or conference w^ork, would be a personal enlisting agency. 
 Our young people are energetic and hungry for service. Shall our 
 schools not take advantage of this stored-up energy that is sure 
 to be expended in some direction? 
 
 Thus the school Missionary Volunteer Society may become a 
 great laboratory for spiritual work, w r orking in perfect harmony with 
 all organized denominational work. The .young people thus gain 
 an experience, and become accustomed to offering prayer in public, 
 preparing papers and giving studies, as well as leading meetings. 
 
302 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The work may he so efficiently organized under faculty supervision 
 and direction, that the greatest efficiency will result. 
 
 Surely no one will question the fact that the Missionary Volun¬ 
 teer Society is an integral part of the school, just as much as are 
 the Sabbath school and the Sabbath church services. 
 
 But the question of time is raised by some: When shall the Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer meeting be held? Some schools hold it on Sabbath 
 afternoon, others on Friday night. But if your program is too con¬ 
 gested, what would be the objection to holding it at some chapel hour, 
 or the night after the Sabbath? I believe the hour should be fixed 
 definitely, and nothing be allowed to interfere with it. But some 
 urge that the Missionary Volunteer meeting should be held on Friday 
 night, and should alternate with the students’ Friday evening social 
 meeting. Now a number of serious objections to this plan of alter¬ 
 nating occur to me: — 
 
 1. This plan interferes with the consecutive use of the Missionary 
 Volunteer lessons used throughout the field. Lessons must be dropped, 
 and the interest ceases. Think of conducting a Sabbath school 
 and omitting every other lesson. How long would you be able to 
 report one hundred per cent attendance? 
 
 2. It is out of harmony with all the local church societies repre¬ 
 sented in the school. It tends to independent action, and encourages 
 all the lopal societies to do the same. 
 
 3. The student Missionary Volunteer is out of touch, and pres¬ 
 ently out of sympathy, with the Missionary Volunteer work. When 
 he leaves school at vacation time, or on the completion of his work, 
 he is neither prepared to assist his local church in the society work, 
 nor is he qualified to become a conference Missionary Volunteer 
 secretary. And surely we should have consecrated, educated young 
 men and women working for our boys and girls, just as much as for 
 the unbelievers or members of other denominations. 
 
 Therefore, we trust that our schools will not countenance any 
 effort to hedge the use of the Department lessons, and thus throw 
 the twenty-four thousand boys and girls in school out of harmony 
 with the conference work. Surely denominational schools should 
 educate and prepare students to be in harmony with and to do de¬ 
 nominational work. 
 
 The Missionary Volunteer Devotional and Educational Features 
 
 1. The Morning Watch .— Many of the students in our schools 
 are in the adolescent age, and are passing through the doubting 
 and reconstructive period. Their horizon is receding. Perhaps 
 for the first time they are far away from home, mother’s love, and 
 father’s counsel. Daily their minds are being challenged. They 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 303 
 
 discover a new heaven and a new earth, as they study Bible, history, 
 and science. The daily grind of school work with all its demands and 
 perplexities is liable to crowd out their study of the Bible and their 
 communion with Christ, thus leaving them exposed to the insin¬ 
 uations and attacks of the enemy of their souls. Instead of growing 
 spiritually, there is grave danger that many, in spite of their parents’ 
 prayers and the faculty’s efforts, will make shipwreck of their faith. 
 They need a close acquaintance with Jesus, to learn how to dwell in 
 the secret place of the Most High, and to be able to get an audience 
 with Heaven in every hour of need. Surely there is no better way for 
 them to grow spiritually, and to become men and women of God, 
 than through the daily conscientious observance of the Morning 
 Watch. 
 
 The school can help in the cultivation of the prayer and devo¬ 
 tional habit, by observing the silent hour in the morning instead of in 
 the evening. Some of our schools are doing this with very gratifying 
 results. Or, if thought best, the Morning Watch verse can be re¬ 
 peated by all at morning prayers. Efforts should be put forth to 
 get every Christian student to observe the Morning Watch. 
 
 2. Reading Courses .— The students in our schools are of the 
 reading age. Many high-school students are required to read a book 
 of fiction every week, a total of thirty-six books in a nine-months’ 
 term. Some authorities state that the normal young person in the 
 teens will read from fifty to one hundred and fifty books a year. I 
 met one Seventh-day Adventist girl who read sixty novels through in 
 one vacation. Young people are greatly influenced by the books they 
 read, and read they will. 
 
 It was for this reason that the Missionary Volunteer Department 
 launched and conducts a Junior and a Senior Missionary Volunteer 
 Reading Course. There are a number of ways in which the schools 
 can promote this work, and thus assist their students in securing 
 excellent books to read: — 
 
 1. The Reading Course books can be placed in the school library 
 each year. 
 
 2. Spicy, bristling reviews of these books can be given in chapel, 
 and the books displayed. 
 
 3. These books can be placed in the list of English supplementary 
 reading, and emphasis laid on their value. 
 
 4. The preceptor and preceptress can read the books at vespers, 
 as occasion permits, thus adding their inspiration. 
 
 5. Reading circles and bands can be formed among the students, 
 where these books can be read and discussed, and a pleasant social 
 hour passed. 
 
:m EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The students will discuss the books, and write home describing 
 and recommending them. By reading these excellent books they 
 will be inspired to become noble men and women. Right principles 
 and ideals will be inculcated, and many will be helped to become 
 workers. 
 
 3. Standard of Attainment Work .— The Standard of Attainment 
 was started primarily for the young people who are not privileged 
 to attend our schools. But those who complete the Bible Doctrines 
 and Denominational History Courses in our schools, are entitled to 
 receive the Standard of Attainment certificate. Those not taking 
 Bible Doctrines can take the North American Division examination 
 in March, and try for a certificate. 
 
 4. Missionary Volunteer Day .— By action of the General Confer¬ 
 ence, the first Sabbath in May has been set aside to be observed 
 throughout the world as Missionary Volunteer Day. The purpose 
 is to make this a special occasion of turning the hearts of the parents 
 to their children. It is hoped that a special effort will be made in 
 every church to get the young people who are unconverted, to take 
 their stand for Christ. Many of our schools observe this day to great 
 advantage, and we hope the time is not far distant when every school 
 will heartily cooperate in this world challenge to our dear young 
 people. The Department will welcome any suggestions as to how 
 the day can be made more profitable to our schools. 
 
 5. Summer School Work .— For some time our Department has 
 felt that a special effort should be put forth at our .summer schools 
 to render real assistance to our church-school teachers in their efforts 
 to win and train our Junior boys and girls for Christ. They are 
 the leaders of the boys and girls in about six hundred local churches. 
 They should be instructed how to organize and successfully conduct 
 model Junior societies in their schools. There should also be an 
 opportunity for question boxes on missionary work. An exhibit of 
 Missionary Volunteer Reading Course books and leaflets should be 
 on display and for sale. 
 
 In conclusion, let us all recognize the intimate relation existing 
 between our schools and the field, between our Missionary Volunteer 
 workers and our faculties. As Missionary Volunteer workers we 
 pledge ourselves to do our utmost to fill our schools with boys and 
 girls, young men and women, to be trained for the Master’s service. 
 And we beseech you, as educators, to uphold our hands, like Aaron 
 and Hur did the hands of Moses, by fostering and promoting the 
 Missionary Volunteer work among your students, so that when they 
 return to their local churches or go to fields of greater usefulness, 
 they will be in entire accord and sympathy with our organized work. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 805 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 Frederick Griggs: I should like to read, in introducing my 
 remarks, an account of the children of Israel’s assembling themselves 
 together with David at Ziklag, in which are described the various 
 men of war: ‘‘All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with 
 a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and 
 all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king." 
 
 This was the spirit that prevailed among the children of Israel 
 in the setting up of David as king. Now we have come to the setting 
 up of the eternal kingdom, and the same spirit must prevail. There 
 must be men that can handle the weapons of spiritual warfare with 
 both hands. But this particular thought of keeping rank is what I 
 wish to draw your attention to particularly. These men could 
 keep rank. 
 
 Now men cannot keep rank unless one man will lengthen his 
 steps and another will shorten his steps. It does not often happen 
 that two men walk together whose length of stride is exactly the 
 same. I think the success of our whole work depends upon bringing 
 into it this very spirit of united effort as indicated in this ] aper. 
 Here is a call by the Young People’s Department to the Educational 
 Department, asking them to keep step with them in the work which 
 they are trying to do, and 1 think that we ought to resolve that it 
 shall be done. 
 
 Likewise the Educational Department is making calls to the 
 Missionary Volunteer Department to keep step with them. We 
 must feel that the success of our schools with respect to numbers de¬ 
 pends to a great extent upon the work of the Missionary Volunteer 
 Department. We have had a great increase in our schools in the last 
 seven years. After our Missionary Volunteer Department was organ¬ 
 ized, at Mount Vernon in 1907, there was a striking increase in the 
 attendance of our schools for a year or two. In fact, they nearly 
 doubled in attendance. It is evident that we on our part must keep 
 step with them in helping them ’to develop t he work which they are 
 endeavoring to do. 
 
 I am frank to confess that our step has been shorter than our neigh¬ 
 bors’. We have not been giving heed to the lessons; neither to the 
 Standard of Attainment, which this Department has prepared; nor 
 have we been giving heed to the Morning Watch,— three great ed¬ 
 ucational features. And if they have more educational features, 
 I fear we have not been giving heed to them. 
 
 I believe our schools can and should be made the strongest work¬ 
 ing factor of the Young People’s Department in all these phases. 
 And we can do it. We have the pupils where we can teach them to 
 
 20 
 
306 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 study these lessons, where we can hold before them the Morning 
 Watch. 
 
 Also I believe we can wheel into line in the matter of the Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer lessons. We have been losing a great deal that will 
 help us very much. There is a difference' manifested with refer¬ 
 ence to these lessons in our schools. In one way this is natural. 
 Many of our schools are so located that our leading speakers visit 
 them frequently, and it is a very natural thing that the young people 
 should ask these men to speak to them, and I think perhaps it is 
 right they should. But, on the other hand, I do believe that the 
 programs should be so arranged that the time for using these lessons 
 may be held to religiously. I think that we lose more by failing to 
 have the lessons at the regular time, thus placing our students out of 
 sympathy with the thousands of young people all over the world 
 who are having the lesson at that time, than we gain by having the 
 leading men speak to the company. And to a large extent we are 
 responsible, in that we have left the young people in this matter of 
 programs to shift largely for themselves. Now let us give it proper 
 attention. 
 
 I have wondered whether it would be out of place to arrange 
 the program of the week so that the young people can have an hour 
 right in the heart of the week, perhaps, or at some time that will not 
 conflict with the Friday evening meeting or with the Sabbath school. 
 In some places it is arranged for the chapel hour to be occupied at 
 that time. 
 
 O. J. Graf: I come forward in all humility to make my con¬ 
 fession. But I wonder if it would do violence to the subject to change 
 it just a little, and have it read like this for a few minutes, “The 
 Colleges and Academies in the Missionary Volunteer Work.” 
 
 I believe that not only should our programs and our general 
 work tend to bring students into our schools, but that the Missionary 
 Volunteer secretary should consider it a definite and specific part of 
 his or her business to recruit students for our schools. 
 
 I think there can be no contradiction to this, that the chances 
 are a hundred to one that these young men will become workers if 
 they go to school, as against the proposition if they do not go to 
 school. We have very few going into the work excepting from our 
 schools. If that is true, I believe that a secretary should set the min¬ 
 imum goal for at least a dozen students to be sent to the school, 
 either academy or college, each year. I likewise agree that we should 
 conduct a model society, so that the young people, as they go out, 
 will at least know what the Standard of Attainment is, ^nd not be 
 like the person Professor Stone told about, who did not know the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 307 
 
 difference between the Standard of Attainment and the Reading 
 Course. Our young people when they leave us as graduates, after 
 having been with us a year or more, ought to know all about the 
 Missionary Volunteer work; they ought to be able to lift in any 
 capacity wherever they go. 
 
 I may differ from you on the subject of programs, as I have a few 
 convictions that I cannot overcome in connection with this plan for 
 programs. 
 
 I hold that the Missionary Volunteer lessons are not like the 
 Sabbath school lessons. I do not think they ought to be given every 
 week, like the Sabbath school lesson. In fact, if it is a repetition of 
 the Sabbath school proposition, the very purpose of the society to 
 develop initiative is being lost sight of, for somebody somewhere 
 else is doing the thinking for our young people, and they lose some¬ 
 thing that they could gain by getting under the burden more com¬ 
 pletely than they do. I believe some provision is made, however, for 
 this originality. But isn’t it true that these lessons are now being pre¬ 
 pared by the Department, not for the young people in large centers, 
 but for our young people outside of our centers? At our school 
 centers the young people want to do something, and if they develop 
 the things themselves, they take more interest in getting up their 
 programs. 
 
 Yet we must be loyal; we must be willing to sacrifice. But to 
 us, though we may be wrong, it seems that our best interests lie in 
 diverting from the program occasionally; and yet we must not send 
 students out who are not in touch with the Missionary Volunteer 
 work and programs. 1 believe, taking everything into account, 
 that we ought to keep our eyes on those lessons, we ought to remind 
 our young people that they should heed the lessons, and yet I do 
 not believe it is our duty to hold to them absolutely. 
 
 It is our custom, at our first young people’s meeting, Sabbath 
 afternoon, to have the canvassers take up the time. They have just 
 come in from the field, and are boiling over with their subject. Right 
 then and there young people who have never been in our school 
 before have made their decision that they would canvass the next 
 year. The canvassers do not get through the first Sabbath, and so 
 we give them the next also; and the next week somebody else decides 
 to go into the canvassing field the next summer. That spirit goes 
 right through the school year. I think we ought to be given just a 
 little latitude, if we will promise, on the other hand, to keep on the 
 main line most of the time. 
 
 We can do more than this for the Missionary Volunteer work. 
 For seven years in our school we have conducted a Missionary Volun- 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ;*08 
 
 teer Band. This band the past year was combined with the Sabbath 
 School Band. They hold their meetings Tuesday morning, at the 
 chapel hour. We come into the chapel and have a part of our open¬ 
 ing exercises, and then the whole school divides into these different 
 bands,— the Foreign Mission Band, which studies the foreign fields; 
 the Ministerial or Evangelical Band, which combines the ministerial 
 and the Bible workers’ bands; the Canvassers’ Band, which includes 
 all who are planning to canvass the next year; and I might say right 
 here that the work in this band, running all through the year, adds 
 from ten to fifty per cent to the efficiency of our canvassers. 
 
 Thus the Sabbath School and Missionary Volunteer Bands com¬ 
 bine, one having the meeting one week and the other the next, each 
 having a leader. They study what the Standard of Attainment means, 
 what the Reading Course is, they organize a society; and when the 
 year is over they have had eighteen meetings, more or less, during 
 which time they have learned a great deal about the work; and some of 
 those who have attended that series of band meetings are now in¬ 
 terested in taking up the Missionary Volunteer work. I believe that 
 we can do this to the benefit of the school and the benefit of the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer work. 
 
 Professor Machlan: I am intensely interested in the young 
 people’s work. I am glad that we have fallen into line more this 
 year than we have ever done before. But we have not been as in¬ 
 terested in our Young People’s Society at South Lancaster as we 
 should have been, due largely to the fact that we have allowed the 
 young people to look after this matter themselves, and it developed 
 more into entertainment than anything else — a program for enter¬ 
 tainment, music, and other things. But this year we resolved in 
 our hearts that we would follow the plan outlined by the Department. 
 We began to use the programs, and we organized bands,— the Chris¬ 
 tian Help Band, the Prison and Hospital Band, and other bands that 
 are recommended. These bands occupied the chapel and drill period 
 on Wednesday; and we felt greatly repaid for the time given to the 
 young people. 
 
 In the first place the report of the bands brought great inspi¬ 
 ration into the hearts of the teachers. One instance I will relate: 
 A young lady from the Christian Help Band told of going to a home 
 with the one with whom she was asked to work. They found the 
 house in very bad disorder, and they cleaned the house up, washed 
 the dishes, and cleaned up the children; and in washing the dishes 
 they found that the family had no more than half enough dishes for 
 use, so the next week they took some dishes. The next week they 
 found that the family was in very poor circumstances, and so they took 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 1509 
 
 along some food. “And now,” she said, “we are ready for a visit 
 from some one in the Bible Workers’ Band." I mention this to show 
 that the work spread from one band to the other. They were begin¬ 
 ning to see what they could do. We have felt that great good was 
 being done in this wav. 
 
 I remember, that after the first meeting, three young people 
 came to me and said, “We believe we should like to join the Young 
 People’s Society. What shall we do?" They had begun to think 
 it was a part of the school: but I referred them to the proper author¬ 
 ities, so they could unite with the society. 
 
 This plan of working has resulted in building up the society to a 
 better standard than we have ever seen before in South Lancaster. We 
 believe that the Lord will bless that kind of work. 
 
 In regard to the Reading Course, we hope next year to be able 
 to help our young people along this line more than we have, and with 
 the Morning Watch. 
 
 Bessie Acton : When 1 received the program and saw the names 
 that were on for this discussion, I was, with the rest of our Bible 
 Band, reading in the book of Job, chapter 32. I thought the words 
 that Elihu spoke could be applied here, with some variations: — 
 
 “I am a conference secretary and ye are school men: wherefore I 
 was afraid, and durst not show you mine opinion. I said, Days should 
 speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is 
 a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them under¬ 
 standing. 
 
 “Great men are not always wise: neither do the school men al¬ 
 ways understand the Missionary Volunteer work. Therefore I said, 
 Hearken unto me; I also will show mine opinion." 
 
 God is calling the youth for service today. We know that with 
 our army of youth rightly trained the gospel would go quickly to 
 every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 
 
 Our boys and girls volunteer quickly, as they hear the needs of 
 the field; but too often they have not received the training that is 
 necessary for effective service. Earnest, capable leaders are needed 
 to take charge of these little companies, that their efforts may not be 
 unavailing and they become discouraged. Is it not natural that we 
 should turn to our schools to find these leaders that we so much need? 
 Here is where a dark cloud has hung over the experience of many of us. 
 
 When I first took up the Missionary Volunteer work, I expected to 
 find just the leaders I needed from those who had left our school; but 
 to my sorrow and disappointment I found that when these young peo¬ 
 ple returned to their homes, although they had been full of enthusiasm 
 at school and had done good work, they regarded the little company 
 
310 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 at home as too insignificant to receive their attention. They were 
 too tired to assist, or too busy to attend the meetings. They had 
 higher aspirations, or felt that they could work Up better programs 
 of their own. This meant failure. 
 
 But there is a silver lining to this cloud. Our school has changed 
 during the past year. The students are aiming at the goal that the 
 organization has set before them. When I talked the matter over 
 with our young people, they began to plan what they would do in 
 one line and then in another. I have many names on my list of 
 students who are reading their Bible through this year. Just before 
 the holidays one of the teachers said to me, “Don’t let the girls know * 
 when the Morning Watch Calendars come. I am going to give each 
 one of them a Calendar for Christmas.” We had a fine class taking the 
 Standard of Attainment studies this year, and they were certainly 
 proud of their certificates. 
 
 Our Reading Course has not developed as much as we hope it 
 will in the future, although a few are reading these books. But I 
 know that we can do it if we will. I feel that it is just a lack of under¬ 
 standing on the part of our school men; and as soon as they under¬ 
 stand more fully the importance of thorough organization that we 
 may go forward to the end together, I believe we are going to have 
 trained leaders that we can trust, no matter in what society they are 
 found. 
 
 M. E. Kern: We are anxious to cooperate. I am sorry we have 
 failed in the Department to do as much for the schools as we ought 
 to do, but I must say that coming out of the school into this work, 
 it has been my ideal from the first that one of the first aims of the 
 young people’s work should be that of a recruiting officer for the 
 school. I think we are understanding each other’s work better, 
 and I believe that this meeting will mean a great uplift for the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer work, which is synonymous in my mind with the 
 salvation of the young people. 
 
 I am very much interested in the suggestion that has been made 
 concerning the silent hour in the morning. We tried that at Wash¬ 
 ington, and if I were in a school, I should not think of going back to 
 the evening hour. I believe the first hour in the morning is the 
 Lord’s time for this work, and it does not take any more time than 
 the other way. I do not believe the students are any more rushed 
 then. I think they observe it better than during the evening hour. 
 
 Some of our schools have done remarkably well in this Reading 
 Course work. It was the plan of Miss Graf, who was preceptress 
 at Emmanuel Missionary College, as well as the present arrangement, 
 that three of the worship hours in the week be given to the Reading 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 311 
 
 Course. And my observation is that it has not lessened the spirit¬ 
 ual atmosphere of the school one whit, because I have not been in 
 a home where things were in better shape. And Miss Graf says it 
 really works very well, and gives a chance for some of the girls to 
 express themselves, to have a little part in leadership, that she would 
 not feel free to put in a distinctively religious exercise. 
 
 Almetta B. Garrett: We have nineteen societies that hold 
 their exercises every Wednesday morning, according to the plan of 
 the Missionary Volunteer Department. Not only this, but the 
 Reading Course work has been brought before the students especially 
 in the intermediate schools. I think it was planned that the teachers 
 should read in the morning from the Reading Course books. 
 
 The majority of our schools observe the Morning Watch every 
 morning in their schools. In some of the intermediate schools I go 
 to help give the examinations at the close of the year. I take the 
 Standard of Attainment questions with me, and give both examinations 
 at the same time. 
 
 I would not for anything take away from our schools the experience 
 they have had in the Wednesday morning meetings. I believe 
 many of the conversions have come directly from the work of the 
 Missionary Volunteer Department. 
 
 C. A. Russell: In the Lake Union Conference we have just 
 one hundred schools, and I think I am correct in stating that we have 
 one hundred Junior societies. 
 
 One of our teachers wrote me some time ago: “I do not see how 
 it would be possible to organize a Junior society in my school. The 
 children are so irresponsive, and I cannot bring myself to the point 
 of doing it.” 
 
 Finally she decided to make the effort. She now says that she 
 would not think of going back to the old plan. Then she told how 
 one after another those children’s hearts had been touched, how they 
 had been led to the Master, and how a different spirit and atmosphere 
 had come over the entire school. She is one of the most enthusi¬ 
 astic supporters of the Junior work. 
 
 I hope the Department will have some more definite information 
 concerning just how this work should be planned and carried out. 
 It will be helpful, I am sure. 
 
 W. E. Howell: There are a few suggestions that have occurred to 
 me in regard to the schools’ following the lessons planned by the 
 General Department. I was out in the field four months last summer, 
 and was asked to talk at nearly every place I went. I made it a 
 rule, when asked to speak to Young People’s Societies, to ask, “What 
 do you want me to talk about?” “What is your theme for today?” 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 312 
 
 I find it is just as easy, though I am not especially versatile, to adapt 
 my talk for the most part to the theme of the lesson for the day, as 
 to choose a topic of my own. You know you can turn such a theme 
 in almost any direction you want to. 
 
 I do think that the maintaining of the connection between the 
 topic for the hour and the lessons that have been provided, is worth 
 a great deal. I do believe that it is necessary to provide for proper 
 initiative in our young people, for that is indispensable to the kind 
 of leadership we want to see them develop. I am not disposed to 
 develop the kind of initiative that puffs up. We have had one or 
 two instances of that kind given here today,— the kind of initiative 
 that leads one a little too far astray from the main line. If we are 
 going to travel on the main line, we cannot suffer many shuntings 
 by the way. 
 
 It appeals to me this way, that if a school can maintain a connection 
 with the outline of the lessons, there is still large room for initiative 
 in dealing with the theme of the lesson that has been appointed for 
 the hour. When I am asked to speak on any occasion among the 
 churches, I like to have them suggest a theme, so as to get in touch 
 with what is going on there. I believe that, if we would conduct 
 these societies in our schools on that principle, when the young people 
 have spent a year in school and go home, you would hear them re¬ 
 marking more often, "We develop the lesson in this way,” rather 
 than, “Some other subject is more important than this one on the 
 program.” 
 
 W. L. Adams: I have always believed in perfect organization, 
 and if things are not organized according to my plan, I will follow 
 the way of the other leaders for a while. I have always tried to 
 work on that plan. I believe this is where a great many of our young 
 people fail. 
 
 Then again, wherever our schools are located, they should work 
 in perfect harmony with the church. The church is the first great 
 unit of organization, and everything else — schools and Sabbath 
 schools — centers around our church. Even in our large schools 
 we should seek for perfect* cooperation with the local church in this 
 matter. Otherwise, when the school is out, you will have no local 
 young people’s organization, and the young people will be left without 
 a support, so to speak. Plans ought to be laid in such a way that 
 the work will not be crippled when the school closes. 
 
 C. L. Stone: It occurred to me that there are other reasons 
 far more serious than those mentioned by Professor Graf, why our 
 young people do not carry out the programs. I felt, when he said 
 that he omitted the program in order to give an opportunity for those 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 818 
 
 who had gone out and earned scholarships to speak while they were 
 bubbling over with enthusiasm, that that was pretty good. However, 
 I have seen a number of institutions where the social spirit had grown 
 up to such an extent that it needed something spicy to bring the 
 crowd, and unless they had a program that was somewhat along the 
 line of entertainment, there was only a very small attendance. I 
 thought that Professor Graf was not so very far out of the way if 
 that is the only reason he has for not following the programs. 
 
 H. S. Olson: Last fall we fell in line on all except one point. I 
 find the students are very ready to follow out suggestions made by 
 the teachers, and as teachers I believe we are ready to follow out 
 suggestions made by the secretaries. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I hope that our teachers will all feel that they are 
 a part of this society. As a matter of fact, in most of our schools 
 there is no other missionary society, and I think it is a poor plan for 
 the young people to be organized for missionary work and the teach¬ 
 ers to be outside of the society. That is discouraging to many of the 
 young people. I think, too, that the school should have a strong 
 hand in controlling the society. 
 
 B. B. Davis: I believe there are great possibilities of a closer 
 connection between the working bands of the Senior and Junior 
 Missionary Volunteer Societies. Last year we had a very pleasant 
 experience. We had four rooms in our training school; each room 
 was organized, and we had our regular meetings. At Thanksgiving 
 and Christmas time we joined with the Christian Help Band of the 
 Senior Society, and they directed the work. They went out and found 
 poor families. We took the work in our own village first, and then 
 we went into the city of Walla Walla, where we found ten or fifteen 
 families. 
 
 I wish you could have seen our schoolrooms on the day before 
 Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas. We had a large amount 
 of canned fruit, and eatables of all kinds. We had tried to awaken 
 a spirit of real sacrifice, and the children responded. They brought 
 their own toys, that they had really enjoyed, the things that were 
 dear to their hearts, and gave them for the sake of the boys and girls 
 who did not have such things. It took about six wagons to distribute 
 the gifts that the children had brought, and it was an experience 
 that I hope we may repeat every year. 
 
 I believe we are just beginning on this work. It has helped to 
 interest the children in other lines of Missionary Volunteer work. 
 I suppose fifty per cent of the older boys and girls are reading their 
 Bibles through this year. 
 
314 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 O. J. Graf: I should like to ask Professor Kern if he really be¬ 
 lieves that we should follow the iron-clad rule of never varying from 
 the lessons. If that is what is expected of us, we had better know it. 
 
 M. E. Kern: We have tried to be flexible, and at the beginning 
 of our work we did not say anything if our schools varied from the 
 lesson program considerably; but we have been forced to change our 
 plan as the result of scores of experiences. It is actually a fact that 
 when the students get out of school, they cut the cord between the 
 young people and us. I am just as anxious as you are to have the 
 schools develop initiative, but I am also anxious that the Department 
 shall be allowed to do its work. 
 
 I have not felt, personally, that this was an iron-clad rule, which 
 would brand a school president with heresy if he missed a single pro¬ 
 gram; but I do think these programs are very effective. And aside 
 from a number of special programs, such as a Temperance Instructor 
 program, in the fall a Standard of Attainment program, a Reading 
 Course program, programs for Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Educa¬ 
 tional Day, and Missionary Volunteer Day, and two week of prayer 
 Sabbaths dropped out, and a few other occasions,— aside from these, 
 we have seven Sabbaths this year for which no program has been 
 prepared. We thought that this would give opportunity for your 
 young people who wish to get up an original program to do so, and 
 still be in harmony with the Missionary Volunteer work. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: I think we should do it in this way,— by their 
 facing our problem, and our facing their problem. 
 
 At the Pacific Union College we have given the chapel hour on 
 Wednesday, every week throughout the whole history of our school, 
 to this line of work. We step down gracefully from the platform, 
 and the Missionary Volunteer Society comes on with its work, an hour 
 every week. 
 
 We have been using the Morning Watch texts for our Scripture 
 lesson in the opening exercises, and I think this plan has also been 
 followed in the homes. 
 
 The program seems to be the bone of contention between us. 
 During the past year we have had in our school about one hundred 
 and fifty students, I think, who had had, or were taking, denomi¬ 
 national history and Bible doctrines. We decided that we would carry 
 out those programs, and I sat down here and watched that thing. 
 I simply listened for several weeks, while it was being tried out. 
 We had very enthusiastic leadership in our society, but I noticed 
 there was less interest than there should have been. Finally the 
 students began coming to me and saying, “This is too much; we do 
 not feel that we can stand it much longer. We like a good, live 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 315 
 
 program, in which the students can take part and have something 
 active going on.” 
 
 So I say, I would like to have you look at our problem, and then 
 we will try to look at your situation. When we had a temperance 
 campaign, the regular lessons were not timed to meet the situation 
 out here. You could not know it. We knew, and so we had to set 
 aside the lessons for that time, and prepare a live temperance program. 
 Later on, there was a religious liberty issue on here in this State. 
 We had one week set apart for that, and we had a live meeting on 
 religious liberty. 
 
 It does seem to me that there should be some latitude in this 
 matter. If you can grant some latitude, then we on the other side 
 should train our students to carry out the plan of the Department. 
 
 M. E. Kern: I think we ought to remember that our Department 
 can contribute above all other things to the school work the idea of 
 self-expression. I know that we sometimes feel, “I must'conduct 
 this meeting myself. I can do it better than the young people.” 
 While we have a good time doing that, it does not follow that the 
 students have a better time, even though what they do is not well 
 arranged — though they stammer. They learn by their own efforts 
 to do things. 
 
 HOW TO SECURE EFFICIENT MISSIONARY 
 VOLUNTEER SECRETARIES 
 
 MEADE MAC GUIRE 
 
 In discussing this question, it is my purpose to suggest a few 
 facts, which are really self-evident, but which greatly simplify this 
 problem, that has seemed almost as perplexing as it is important; 
 and then to suggest what it seems to me is a most important and 
 practicable plan for supplying efficient secretaries. 
 
 First, the needs of the young people should determine the require¬ 
 ments of the secretary. 
 
 This may sound very simple, yet it is a principle which is often 
 ignored. A secretary may be chosen because he is the "only one 
 available,” or because he “likes the young people,” or is “already on 
 the pay roll,” or “to give him a trial,” or a score of other reasons 
 which have been given here and there. We would not think of de¬ 
 ciding in such an inconsistent way the question of a suitable person 
 to care for our live stock or our fruit orchard. If the correct prin¬ 
 ciple were followed, it might mean that a conference would go without 
 a secretary for a time, until a thoroughly competent one could be found, 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 316 
 
 rather than make a hasty choice; it would certainly be far pref¬ 
 erable in the end. As a rule, I believe our work would suffer less 
 with no secretary at all than with one who draws pay for services 
 never rendered or wholly unsatisfactory. 
 
 Since the needs of our young people vary in importance, the 
 first question is, What is their supreme need? Is it preaching, or 
 education, or 'culture, or organization? T think we will agree that 
 there is one thing paramount to all of these in importance. The 
 supreme need of our young people is — 
 
 Spirituality 
 
 Nothing else can take its place. It is positively dangerous to enter 
 this sacred work without it. No true success can be expected with¬ 
 out it. The young people can never resist the current of the world, 
 or cope with the powerful adversaries arrayed against them, without 
 it. In the personal life, in preparation and in service, the key to suc¬ 
 cess is a constantly deepening spirituality. 
 
 I should like to know whether you agree with me in this. Is 
 spirituality the supreme consideration? Is a personal acquaintance 
 with Jesus Christ as a living reality, a most intimate friend, a might}' 
 answerer of prayer—-is this paramount? If so, then the first ques¬ 
 tions to be asked in choosing a secretary will be, Is he deeply spiritual? 
 Does he know God? Can he remove mountains? Does his very 
 presence awaken a longing in the hearts of others for a deeper Chris¬ 
 tian experience? Is he an evangelist? Would he rather win souls 
 than be president of a conference. Is he filled with the Holy Ghost? 
 Has he a sympathetic, winning personality? All this is embraced in 
 spirituality, and without this supreme qualification, how can he meet 
 the supreme need? 
 
 Proceeding to the second great need of our young people, I should 
 say it is — 
 
 Training for Service 
 
 It seems to me a most significant fact that we are drawing our 
 recruits today almost exclusively from our schools. It is also signifi¬ 
 cant that less than fifty per cent of our young people are in our 
 schools. Therefore we are utilizing much less than fifty per cent of 
 our recruiting resources. The remedy is not to begin recruiting from 
 the ranks of the uneducated and untrained, but to bring the other 
 fifty to seventy per cent of our young people into our schools, and 
 quickly prepare them for service. 
 
 I believe that we have viewed this matter with too complacent an 
 attitude. We may feel that where the percentage falls below twenty 
 or twenty-five, it is too low, and we must put forth earnest efforts to 
 
COUNCIL PKOCEEDINGS 
 
 317 
 
 raise it; and where it rises to forty or forty-five, we may commend 
 ourselves and fee! that we have achieved success. But I believe we 
 should never rest satisfied a moment until one hundred per cent of 
 our young people of suitable age and capacity are receiving adequate 
 perparation for service in this cause. 
 
 If this is to be accomplished, our Missionary Volunteer secretaries 
 must certainly be trained men. They must be specialists , with all 
 the significance we can give the word. One who alternates between 
 tent master, school-teacher, office secretary, farmer, and Missionary 
 Volunteer secretary, can never satisfactorily meet the requirements. 
 He must give his life to the young people with all the abandon of 
 self-renunciation and passionate devotion that characterized Liv¬ 
 ingstone’s gift to Africa or Judson’s gift to Burma. He should know 
 that he has a call from God, and should see in the great host of young 
 people one of the mightiest resources for finishing the work and bring¬ 
 ing glory to God. 
 
 The third great need is — 
 
 Organization 
 
 Next to conversion and training comes organization, in the broad 
 sense. It is not enough for a secretary to go about giving interesting 
 talks and presenting pleasing theories. He must be a practical 
 organizer, a leader after that excellent definition,— One who knows 
 the way, who goes ahead, and who causes others to follow. Over 
 and over again I have visited churches where the young people were 
 half organized and in confusion. They said the Missionary Volunteer 
 secretary had visited them several times, but had said nothing about 
 the details of the society work. After following him about for a time, 
 I concluded that he did not know much about these details himself. 
 He seemed to be interested in other things, or to be too indefinite in 
 what he said to give any practical help to society officers. 
 
 To recapitulate in a few sentences: — 
 
 The needs of the young people should determine the requirements 
 of the secretaries. 
 
 The supreme need of the young people is spirituality; therefore we 
 must look for a deeply spiritual man, an evangelist, an- untiring soul 
 winner, or at least one who we have reason to believe is rapidly de¬ 
 veloping that way. 
 
 The second great need is education; therefore the secretary should 
 have an education and a vision that will make his life a mighty in¬ 
 spiration to all young people to seek a training for the Lord’s work. 
 
 The third need is organization; therefore the secretary should be 
 a leader, an enthusiastic organizer, a zealous missionary. 
 
318 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Now where are wo to look for strong young men .and women, who 
 have spirituality, education, and executive ability? Naturally we 
 turn to our schools. Our colleges and academies must furnish these 
 most important and valuable workers, to gather into the fold and 
 train and organize our great youthful forces. I will make a few 
 suggestions about how I believe this may be accomplished. 
 
 First, we must secure the cooperation of our college faculties. 
 Judging from a very limited experience, I believe this will not be 
 difficult. The college president can readily see that when the most 
 spiritual and capable young men who graduate from his school are 
 placed in charge of the Missionary Volunteer work in the conferences 
 comprising its constituency, strong influences will be set to work to 
 fill up his school and keep it full. Furthermore, the best ideals of 
 the college will be held up before the people, young and old, in the 
 person of the secretary. He will be able to give the practical in¬ 
 formation regarding the school, courses of study, rules of conduct, 
 expenses, etc., which are desired by parents and students. His life 
 will exert a most salutary influence as the young people see what may 
 be accomplished by consecrated education. 
 
 Second, we must make frequent visits to our colleges and acade : 
 rnies, to hold before the students a vision of the importance and possi¬ 
 bilities of the Missionary Volunteer secretaryship. We must lay 
 broad plans for the future; for the strength of an army is measured 
 largely by the ability and efficiency of its officers. We have a great 
 number of young people out in the world today who would have made 
 real generals in our work had their talents and ambitions been directed ^ 
 to this splendid field of service. I do not know of any line of work in 
 this cause which holds out a more unlimited field for consecrated 
 ambition than the Missionary Volunteer secretaryship. 
 
 Third, we must maintain strong Missionary Volunteer Societies 
 in these schools. In many of our schools in the past the society has 
 been organized only partially in harmony with our general plans. 
 
 If our work as now planned cannot be carried out successfully in our 
 training schools, let us make such alterations in our plans and methods 
 that the strongest, most aggressive, most successful societies may be 
 found where the largest bodies of our students are gathered together. 
 The Testimonies have spoken of the great service the Missionary 
 Volunteer organization can render our educational institutions, and 
 I am sure much more can be done by hearty and active cooperation. 
 
 Fourth, we must have a course of lessons and maintain a Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer training class in each of our colleges for the benefit of 
 those young people who give their lives to the work and wish to secure 
 all the preparation possible, while in school. Surely, if a church- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 319 
 
 school teacher, with from six to twenty pupils, needs two years of 
 special normal training, which we all admit, then one who may have 
 from three hundred to eight hundred young people under his care, 
 the majority of whom are not in Christian schools, and many not 
 even in Christian homes, needs some special preparation and help. 
 When all realize as they should that the Missionary Volunteer secre¬ 
 taryship is a profession of vast responsibility and unlimited possi¬ 
 bilities for success or failure, we shall make more rapid progress. If 
 the young people in these classes do vigorous, aggressive work in con¬ 
 nection with the Missionary Volunteer Society in the school, it should 
 make them practical workers, ready to assume responsibilities in the 
 field as soon as school closes. 
 
 A fifth essential remains to be mentioned, which is, that in order 
 to carry out this policy we must secure the active cooperation of local 
 and union conference administrations. Under the pressure and 
 strain of their manifold duties, it is not to be wondered at if some 
 conference officers appear to forget the importance of this position 
 and the ideals we are seeking to attain; but we must pray and work 
 and persevere until secretaries are trained who know the way, wdio will 
 go ahead, and who will cause others to follow. And when we provide 
 the right kind of material, I believe we shall find the administrative 
 officers glad enough to accept them, and give them every possible 
 advantage and encouragement. 
 
 HOW TO MAKE OUR MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 ORGANIZATION MORE EFFECTIVE 
 IN THE FIELD 
 
 M. E. KERN 
 
 To make our Missionary Volunteer organization more effective 
 in the field, we, as secretaries, must be more efficient workers. Sec¬ 
 retaries, to be efficient, must have a large and true conception of 
 their work, and a preparation for it. They must believe that in 
 the Missionary Volunteer secretaryship there is room for a career 
 of surpassing usefulness, and apply themselves to their preparation 
 and to their work in harmony with this belief. It seems to me that 
 there is no limit to the possibilities before a godly, conscientious, 
 well-trained secretary. I remember in the early days of this work 
 we sometimes- had to plead with conferences to elect a secretary. 
 The question was often asked, “What will the young people’s sec¬ 
 retary do?’’ But the question now is rather, “What is it that an 
 efficient Missionary Volunteer secretary cannot do?” 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ;',2o 
 
 The Young Men’s Christian Association has this to say about 
 the qualifications of secretaries for its work: “It demands the best 
 young men that business life 'and the colleges of this country can 
 produce. It offers opportunities for the religious zeal of the minis¬ 
 try, the enterprise of the business man, and the administrative quali¬ 
 ties and versatility of the college president. No man has yet appeared 
 too good or great for this office.” Every word of That can be applied 
 to the Missionary Volunteer secretaryship. I can go farther, and say 
 that no man has yet appeared in our ranks good enough for the office. 
 
 On the question of training, this writer goes on to say: “The 
 chief reason for the failure of so many men who have entered Asso¬ 
 ciation work in the past has been from a lack of proper preparation 
 and training. The experience of the Association in this respect is 
 not unique. President Eliot has said: ‘As a people, we do not apply 
 to mental activities the principle of the division of labor, and we 
 have but a halting faith in special training for high professional 
 employments. The vulgar conceit that a Yankee can turn his hand 
 to anything, we insensibly try to carry into high places, where it 
 is preposterous and criminal. What amount of knowledge or ex¬ 
 perience do we habitually demand of our legislators or diplomatists? 
 Only after years of bitterest experience did we come to believe the 
 professional training of a soldier to be of value in war. This lack 
 of faith in the value of a discipline concentrated upon a single object 
 amounts to a national danger.’ ” 
 
 If that can be truthfully said of the world in general, it seems to me • 
 it can be more truthfully said of us, for we are almost afraid of the word 
 “specialization.” I have been thankful to hear Elder Evans express 
 his conviction that a man ought to find his place and stay by it. 
 Not that there should never be changes in our work, for surely the 
 Lord calls individuals from one work to another. We should, how¬ 
 ever, recognize thorough preparation and continuity of service as 
 requisites to efficiency. 
 
 “For many years, in the ministry, in medicine, and in law, 
 young men preparing for these callings studied with individual pastors, 
 physicians, or lawyers. The young divinity student made calls 
 with his pastor, worked in his study, and helped in the public service 
 of the parish. The medical student accompanied his master as he 
 visited patients, and the young law student attended court with 
 his instructor. This method gave practical experience, but the 
 student was limited to the direction of one leader, and it was found 
 that men engaged in the active practice of their profession could 
 give but scant time to the instruction of students. So it came about 
 gradually in law, in theology, in medicine, and later in teaching, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 321 
 
 that schools were established for . the training of men for these im¬ 
 portant callings. It has been found that preparation for a life work 
 is of such vital moment that it cannot be left to the casual hours of 
 men who give their chief thought and energy elsewhere.” 
 
 I was interested in a few statistics given by this Association 
 writer: — 
 
 “A commission of Association secretaries, after a year’s study on 
 the subject of vocational training, reported at the employed officers’ 
 conference held at Columbus in June, 1911, that college graduates 
 were twice as likely to succeed as Association officers if they secured 
 a technical training. Only one college graduate in four who enters 
 Association service without a technical training remains five years. 
 Graduates of Springfield College [a school for the training of Y. M. 
 C. A. secretaries] remain in three times as long, on the average, as men 
 entering Association service from other spheres in life.” So I believe 
 that we ought to have as our ideal the special training of our secre¬ 
 taries for their work. 
 
 Perhaps the next element of success after thorough preparation 
 is definite planning for the work. Some one has said: — 
 
 “Do not falter or shirk, 
 
 Do not loiter or shrink; 
 
 But think out your work, 
 
 Then work out your think.” 
 
 That is good advice for Missionary Volunteer secretaries. Every 
 one should have a definite policy to work to. Do you not find that 
 you can accomplish more in a day if you outline what you plan to 
 do, and work to that program? 
 
 I was interested the other day in reading an article by Amos R. 
 Wells on “How to Keep on Top of Your Work.” It is an excellent 
 article by an exceedingly busy man, who has the reputation of keep¬ 
 ing on top of his work, and pushing his work, instead of having his 
 work push him. One suggestion that appealed to me was that, 
 aside from having a program of the day’s work, one should keep a 
 record of what was actually accomplished. Doubtless the stimu¬ 
 lating effect of such a record would be very helpful. We do our best 
 work under pressure. As secretaries who very largely have the 
 management of our own work, we ought to apply the pressure to 
 ourselves. We ought to have a time to do things, and do them at 
 that time. Unless we plan carefully, we sometimes find our work 
 congested, with many things demanding attention which cannot 
 be accomplished. 
 
 21 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 322 
 
 We need to study the question of efficiency. The efficiency 
 movement, which is so prominent just now, has developed some very 
 good literature along this line, which is well worth reading. 
 
 In order to get good results in the field, we must, of course, 
 have the privilege of doing field work. I do not discredit in the 
 least the value of correspondence work. But our Missionary Volun¬ 
 teer work is a personal, heart-to-heart, soul-winning effort, and our 
 secretaries cannot do effective work unless they have the privilege 
 of meeting the young people in the field where they are. 1 believe 
 that we ought to have a wholesome combination of office and field 
 work. Both are essential. 
 
 I think that every Missionary Volunteer secretary should, as 
 rapidly as possible, get a complete census of the young people of his 
 field. We have general and individual blanks for that purpose. 
 If you work at it long enough, you can get a list of nearly all the 
 young people in your conference. And having obtained such a list, 
 I think we should make it the basis of vigorous work for the young 
 people. 
 
 A few years ago I gathered a list of about three thousand young 
 people in the Central Union Conference. 1 did not have time to 
 write to them all personally, so I divided the list into classes,— 
 those over sixteen, and those under sixteen,— and wrote circular 
 letters to these classes. I, of course, wrote personally to certain 
 ones, also. It was really gratifying to me to see the results that 
 came from those circular letters. I remember once when walking 
 down the aisle of the big tent on the Kansas camp ground, I spoke 
 to two young girls who looked rather bashful. T asked them their 
 names, and told them mine. They said,— 
 
 “O, we have heard from you, but we are very sorry to say that 
 we did not answer your letters.” 
 
 “That’s all right,” I said, “I send out many more letters than 
 I receive.” 
 
 “But,” said they, “your letters did us good anyway. We were 
 just getting into the habit of reading novels from the public library 
 when you sent us a letter on the value of good reading, and we quit 
 reading the novels.” 
 
 Many instances like this could be given, where, even by cor¬ 
 respondence, excellent results have been obtained. 
 
 I have often thought of how a young man who is now one of our 
 teachers was first brought into touch with our work. He lived on 
 the frontier in one of our Central Western conferences. The young 
 people’s secretary of that conference had individual information 
 blanks put up in tablet form, asking for the names of young people 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 323 
 
 and certain other information. He gave one of these tablets to each 
 conference worker. He talked with these workers, and requested 
 them to send him information regarding any young people they thought 
 he could help. A minister found this young man I have referred to, 
 and sent in his name. Correspondence was begun, the young man 
 came to college, and has been in the Lord’s work ever since he left 
 the school. I have often thought of this as an illustration of the 
 cooperation that should exist between the conference ministers and 
 the Missionary Volunteer secretary. 
 
 At the time the list of names referred to above was gathered. 
 Mrs. Kern was registrar at Union College. She began a plan of 
 systematic correspondence with the young people whose names were 
 on that list. I remember she was especially impressed with the name 
 of one young woman who was about to finish the high school course, 
 and felt that she should get that young woman into the college. 
 She wrote her, but did not receive an answer. Shortly afterward, 
 she wrote her again. In fact, she wrote several letters. Some time 
 later that young woman came to the college. She said she would 
 never have been there had it not been for Mrs. Kern’s persistent 
 efforts in keeping up that correspondence. This young woman and 
 her husband have for several years been doing efficient service in 
 our educational work. 
 
 Such a list is of value in the field work also. You can record 
 the lists from the different churches in the loose-leaf book prepared 
 by the Department, or something like it. You should carefully 
 restudy the list from a church before visiting that church, noting 
 carefully the record of your correspondence, etc. Such preparation 
 forms the basis for a good week’s work in a church where there are 
 a number of young people. 
 
 Be thorough in your work. Do not miss a single young person. 
 I wonder sometimes if Samuel would ever have found David if the 
 Lord had not interposed. Jesse, when asked whether all his children 
 were present, said, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, 
 he keepeth the sheep.” I do not think we ought to omit even the 
 little fellows who may be tending the sheep. We ought in some way 
 to get to the homes of all these young people. It does a world ot 
 good for us to get into the homes. We ought to meet the parents, 
 for they frequently need spiritual help, and their attitude and ex¬ 
 perience usually determine the future of their children. If you 
 find that your list is not complete, be sure to secure the missing names 
 and information about them. Your work for the young people of 
 that church is only well begun. The young people of your conference 
 constitute your field for continuous and intensive cultivation. 
 
324 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The first church that I ever visited in the interests of young 
 people, was in central Kansas, where the view out over the country 
 as far as you could see was unobstructed. There had never been 
 a young person from that church in Union College. I held meetings 
 in the evenings, and during the day went from home to home over 
 those great prairies. I tried to visit all the young people in their 
 homes. I think there were seven who came from that church to 
 Union College the next fall, and up to a few years ago there had not 
 been a year since that time that there had not been some represent¬ 
 ative of that church in L T nion College. There were also several 
 who went to the school in Keene. 
 
 To make our Missionary Volunteer work effective in the field, 
 let us be thorough, combining earnest personal work with public 
 evangelistic efforts. Our Missionary Volunteer secretaries ought to 
 study the problems of the home. We need, of course, to exercise 
 great care lest we give a wrong impression; but there are many ways 
 that we can help if we know how, and if we have tact and wisdom. 
 A great many of our young people are like the boy who went down the 
 river on a raft with his father. Some one asked him where he was 
 brought up. He replied, “I wasn’t brought up at all; I just came 
 down the river with dad on a raft.” There are a great many boys 
 and girls who are just drifting along with a careless father or a heed¬ 
 less mother. 
 
 This home problem, dear friends, lies at the very foundation of our 
 work, and we must prepare ourselves to do effective work along this 
 line. We can do it, if we realize its importance. I see before me 
 some whom I have known in school. I dare say that most of your 
 education was obtained after you left school. If we find ourselves 
 unprepared to help the parents with their problems or to give the 
 young people the real uplift which they need, let us bestir ourselves, 
 and get some more education. We ought to study to show ourselves 
 approved unto God. We ought not to allow ourselves to go along 
 in a slipshod way, for we shall have to give account for the things we 
 might have done as well as for the things we have done. 
 
 I have come to believe that there is no question in which our 
 people are more interested than in their home life, and how to really 
 bring up their children. And while most of us do not want to go 
 around giving lectures on child training as such, we can help in many 
 ways, if we know how. 
 
 There was a noble Christian woman who had reared seven stal¬ 
 wart Christian young men. Being asked how she did it, she replied, 
 “I did it with much prayer and a good hickory.” Many of our par¬ 
 ents are devoted, but they lack firmness of purpose. They do not 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 325 
 
 understand the proper relation between mercy and justice. Many 
 parents have very few well-defined ideas on the subject of child cul¬ 
 ture. The Missionary Volunteer secretary should be a student of 
 child and adolescent life, and should understand parents’ problems. 
 
 Perhaps our greatest need in the field is that of efficient society 
 officers. As we visit the churches, we must study the young people 
 to know who will make the best officers, exercising great care not 
 to look on the outward appearances merely. We should also take 
 great pains in instructing the officers. I hope the time will come 
 when we can have little schools of Missionary Volunteer methods. 
 The Epworth League is doing it. Every summer there is an increasing 
 number of these institutes held in different parts of the country, 
 and they are doing much to build up the Methodist young people. 
 The weakest place in our church organization, I believe, is in the 
 local church. I hope the time will soon come when we can do some¬ 
 thing more definite than we are now doing in the training of our local 
 leaders. 
 
 I want to say a word about the work of the union secretary. 
 When this Department was organized, we took the work over from the 
 Sabbath School Department. That department has no union con¬ 
 ference secretaries, so of course we had none. But from time to time, 
 union secretaries have been elected. Sometimes that was all there 
 was to it,— they were just elected, and we seldom heard from them. 
 They were loaded down with other work, or for some reason were 
 not very active. From the beginning until now, we have dealt with 
 the local conference Missionary Volunteer secretary. We have con¬ 
 sidered the union secretaries as field men. All the general instruc¬ 
 tions which we have sent out in the way of circular letters have been 
 sent also to the union secretaries, and we have urged the local con¬ 
 ference secretaries to send a copy of the quarterly reports to the 
 union secretary, so that he might keep in touch with them. We 
 have considered the union secretary to be the special representative 
 of the Department in his union conference, to do evangelistic work 
 in the field and to render special help to the conference Missionary 
 Volunteer secretaries. These union secretaries, where they have 
 been active, have done excellent work. 
 
 We in the general office have felt that inasmuch as every union 
 conference has a union secretary, it is time to put more responsibility 
 into the hands of this officer. We feel that some of the details of 
 the work that we are carrying in the Washington office can be done 
 by the union Missionary Volunteer secretaries. 1 will not take 
 time to outline the plan. Of course, it would involve this to begin 
 with,— that we should look to the union secretary for our quarterly 
 
326 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 reports, rather than to the local secretary. When we apportion the 
 goal, we should apportion it to the union conference, rather than to 
 the local conferences, and there it would be divided and apportioned 
 to the local conferences. 
 
 I think that the placing of more responsibility on the union secre¬ 
 tary in this definite way will result in the development of better and 
 more active union secretaries. It seems to me that the time has 
 come for this change in our plan of organization. I believe that it 
 will result in bringing about a better and more efficient organization 
 in the field. 
 
 POSSIBILITIES OF THE MORNING WATCH 
 
 MATILDA ERICKSON 
 
 The Supreme Privilege 
 
 The possibilities of the Morning Watch! But how can we measure 
 them? The Morning Watch is prayer under the most favorable cir¬ 
 cumstances and at the most opportune time; and as long as all things 
 are possible with God, all things are possible through prayer. “One 
 of the world’s renowned scientists has recently declared that prayer is 
 the mightiest power in the universe, and that the Christian world is 
 blind to this fact.” One thing is sure; No Christian can make the 
 most of life unless he makes the most of prayer. For while life is 
 measured by the service put into it, genuine Christian service can 
 proceed only from the life that has unbroken communion with heaven. 
 The wire that makes the connection is prayer. Therefore the morn¬ 
 ing watch must be one of the Christian’s supreme privileges; but he 
 can never realize its full possibilities until he looks upon that morning 
 appointment with God as an absolute necessity. 
 
 Prayer and Service 
 
 We make much of service, and it is right that we should. Christ 
 said, “I am among you as he that serveth.” We should copy this 
 aspect of his life. 
 
 We are saved to serve, but only the service that is saturated with 
 prayer counts; for, after all, “God’s greatest agency for winning men 
 back to himself is the prayers of other men.” Luther, when exceed¬ 
 ingly busy, spent more hours than usual in prayer; Whitefield and 
 Livingstone died upon their knees; Baxter tinted the walls of his 
 study with the breath of prayer. And all these workers arose from 
 their knees, and wrought miracles on the hearts of their fellow men. 
 R. F. Horton, in “Victory in Christ,” says; “I think all the victors 
 who have overcome, whose bright names star the heavens and will 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 327 
 
 shine forever and ever, made and kept their hours of prayer. If 
 these souls had not insisted on being alone in deep mid-silence be¬ 
 tween themselves and God, their great deeds might never have been 
 attempted, and it is sure that they could never have been done.” 
 
 The Life That Wins 
 
 However, the Christian’s first duty is not serving but living; for 
 back of all service must be the life that wins. As Bishop Hannington 
 purchased the way into Uganda with his life, so every Christian 
 must purchase a way to successful Christian service with the life that 
 wins. He who would be a Henry Martyn in service must live Henry 
 Martyn’s life. He who would be a successful soul-winner must live 
 the life of a successful soul-winner — must live the life that wins. 
 
 But “there is only one life that wins; and that is the life of Jesus 
 Christ. Every man may have that life; every man may live that life.” 
 To live that life means to get rid of sin, and sin is the greatest power in 
 the world except God; but as surely as the telescope can find a star in 
 the heavens, so surely can a soul find its God. Keeping in touch with 
 God is the secret of this life. “Prayer is the unseen wire stretched 
 from the very heart of God to the heart of man. It is just as real and 
 certain as electricity and gravitation. It is no more mysterious; it is 
 no less practical. It is just as reasonable to expect to accomplish 
 something by this means as by any other law or invention.” 
 
 Test the Connection 
 
 Prayer is the great reality of life. The Christian is a diver; every 
 day he is plunged into conditions that tend to crush out his spiritual 
 life. His safety depends upon his connection with heaven. Every 
 day he should test this connection, and make sure that it is safe 
 for him to drop into the day with its problems and perplexities. 
 You must not “face the day until you have faced God, nor look into 
 the face of others until you have looked into his. You cannot expect 
 to be victorious if the day begins only in your own strength,” says one 
 writer; and Rev. T. L. Cuvier says: “The true Christian goes to his 
 closet both for his panoply and his ‘rations’ for the day’s march and 
 its inevitable conflicts.” 
 
 A Christian who must have learned from experience the value of 
 the morning watch, once said: “If the quiet hour does not prelude 
 the day of activity, we shall grow fussy and fevered in our service to 
 men. Our vitality will be exhausted, and some of our power will be 
 coarsened. We shall lose our faith, and with our faith, we shall lose 
 our strength.” “ Extreme busy-ness,” says R. L. Stevenson, “whether 
 at kirk or in the market, is a symptom of deficient vitality.” 
 
328 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Morning Watch Observed 
 
 The experience of Christians in all ages emphasizes the importance 
 of keeping the Morning Watch faithfully. God said to Moses: “Be 
 ready in the morning, and come up in the morning into Mount Sinai, 
 and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man 
 shall come up with thee.” Ex. 34:2, 3. He was to meet God alone in 
 the mount. He did, and when he returned, his face shone. David 
 says, “In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look 
 up” (Ps. 5:3); and again, “Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness 
 in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way 
 wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” 
 
 Isaiah had his morning appointments with God; for he tells us, 
 “He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as 
 the learned.” Isa. 50:4. To Daniel the morning prayer was so im¬ 
 portant an appointment that he would rather be cast into the lions’ den 
 than fail to observe it. Of our Saviour, the maker of heaven and earth, 
 it is recorded that “in the morning, rising up a great while before day, 
 he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” 
 Mark 1: 35. 
 
 It is said that during the last forty years of his life Wesley rose at 
 four o’clock, and spent from one to two hours in devotional Bible 
 study and prayer. John Quincy Adams, who studied his Bible in the 
 morning, said of this custom: “ It seems to me the most suitable manner 
 of beginning the day.” Some one has said that for sixty years Glad¬ 
 stone went every morning to the nearest chapel or church for his 
 morning prayer. J. Hudson Taylor would not let the duties that well- 
 nigh crushed him crowd out his morning watch. To him it was an 
 absolute necessity. During most busy seasons he was known to rise 
 at three o’clock for an hour of Bible study and prayer. 
 
 Revolutionizes Life 
 
 It is possible for the Morning Watch — for Christ through the 
 Morning Watch — to revolutionize our lives at their weakest points. 
 “In the Morning Watch appointment, faithfully kept,” as Gordon 
 says, “lies the great secret of riding masterfully upon the tide that 
 surges around us so fiercely, instead of being sucked under by it. And 
 between the two tide alternatives every one must choose.” It is too 
 late for the soldier to buckle on his armor and hunt up his equipment 
 when the enemy is upon him. He must be prepared. So must the 
 Christian. And prayer is the best preparation he can make for meet¬ 
 ing the events of the day. Prayer will help him to do his work, bear 
 his burdens, solve his problems, and sweeten his pleasures. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 ;^29 
 
 Then, too, the morning hour seems especially fitted for prayer. 
 It is the quiet part of the day. The toil and disappointments of 
 yesterday lie hidden behind the curtain of night, and the cares of today 
 have not yet overtaken us. All about us seems to say, “Be still, 
 and know that I am God.” 
 
 Getting the Most Out of Prayer 
 
 Yes, it is possible for Christ through the Morning Watch to rev¬ 
 olutionize the lives of our young people; but to get the most out of 
 the Morning Watch we must enter that chamber of secret prayer in 
 faith; for prayer needs faith for its answer. Mere words do not con¬ 
 stitute genuine prayer. A picture of a fire is not a fire. A description 
 of Niagara is not the falls. It takes faith to form words into the Morn¬ 
 ing Watch that changes lives and things. For the prayer of faith is in 
 the hands of the humble petitioner a check with the signature of Jesus 
 at the bottom, and is good for any amount when presented at the 
 bank of heaven. 
 
 The Morning Watch must be observed in a fixed spirit to obey the 
 counsel jeceived. For while faith may make the requests, obedience 
 must serve him with the blessings sent. “The name of Jesus must 
 be the ruling power in life, in order to be the ruling power in prayer.” 
 
 Prayer must be definite. Think of the wonderful answers to 
 prayer on record in the Bible and elsewhere. Those requests were all 
 definite. D. L. Moody said: “Our prayers go all around the world 
 without anything definite being asked. We do not expect anything. 
 Many people would be surprised if God should answer their prayers.” 
 Not all definite prayers are answered, but all answered prayers on 
 record have been definite. 
 
 There must be perseverance. We must “pray without ceasing.” 
 “Over one hundred years ago a number of students of Yale University 
 rose up each morning before daybreak, and through the long winter 
 months pleaded with God for a revival. The revival came, and it is 
 said that every student in the university surrendered to Christ.” 
 “That is the sublimest moment in human life,” says C. Meyers, 
 “which holds on by faith to God’s promises with a deathless grip.” 
 
 In order to have the best results from the Morning Watch, the 
 young Christian should be provided with helps for Bible study and 
 prayer. The Bible should be given first place in the hour of secret 
 prayer. 
 
 The Morning Watch Calendar is excellent help in systematic 
 Bible study. It is a constant reminder of things for which all should 
 pray, and leads all who use it to pray for the same things at the same 
 time. Then, too, the calendar, with its page for reporting daily mis- 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 330 
 
 sionary work, is a call to “help somebody today. ” It is well to keep 
 a written list of the persons and things one is praying for. Gordon 
 in his little book, “Keeping Tryst,” gives a few helpful suggestions. 
 Among them are these: (a) Guard jealously the quiet, unhurried 
 spirit; (b) remember you have come to meet the Master — come to 
 know him better, to hear his voice, to realize his presence, to look into 
 his face; (c) your chief business is listening; (d) be frank and honest 
 with the Master as his Book points out sin. 
 
 When Prayer Fails 
 
 While thinking about the boundless possibilities of prayer in the 
 Morning Watch, we must come face to face with the fact that prayer 
 often fails. The Missionary Review of the World , in the January, 
 1910, issue, after fifty years of study of prayer and missions, challenged 
 any one to bring to its notice one spiritual awakening in any land 
 which was not begun in prayer and not proportionate to the main¬ 
 tenance of intercession. When Haydn, the great musical composer, 
 was asked how he most quickly regained his strength, his answer was, 
 “Prayer.” The Idaho railway engineer who never lost a life, attrib¬ 
 uted his success to prayer. Prayer has divided seas, caused the water 
 to gush out of flinty rock, rolled up rivers, muzzled the mouths of 
 lions, fed multitudes, healed the sick, and raised the dead. It has 
 bridled human passions, converted men and women, comforted break¬ 
 ing hearts, and inspired fainting, despairing disciples with new hope. 
 
 All this, prayer has done, and much more. But still, as one 
 writer says, “most prayers are not answered, and yet God fulfils his 
 promises.” The same writer continues: “The stigma upon Christian 
 life is the unholy content without any distinct experience of answers 
 to prayer.” Prayer is the telegraph wire that connects the heart of 
 man with the heart of God, but to harbor known sin in the heart is 
 to cut this wire. The machine may click, but no message reaches 
 the other end. Sin breaks the connection. When prayer fails, it is 
 time to repair the machinery at our end of the line; and the quickest 
 way to do it is to send up the distress signal: “Create in me a clean 
 heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” 
 
 If prayer fails, it is our fault, for prayer need never fail. It never 
 does fail when we give it its proper place in our lives — when it is to 
 us as truly a necessity as the food we eat and the air we breathe. It is 
 when prayer becomes a secondary matter with us, when we use it as a 
 sort of top dressing, when we turn to it as a last resort after we have 
 tried everything else and failed,— it is when prayer is used in this way 
 that it fails. “When every drop of blood that courses through the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 331 
 
 veins is touched by the Holy Spirit, the man on his knees has a leverage 
 underneath the mountain which can cast it into the sea if necessary, 
 and force all earth and heaven to recognize his power in His name.” 
 
 No Time to Pray 
 
 Yet in the face of this and innumerable other facts showing plainly 
 that “prayer is the greatest force in God’s great world,” men and 
 women, Christian men and women, men and women who declare 
 stoutly that they believe these facts, say they have not time to pray. 
 “The great people of the earth today are the people who pray,— the 
 people who take time to pray. They have not time? It must be 
 taken from something else. That something else is important, very 
 important and pressing; still it is less important and pressing than 
 prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other 
 items in life’s schedule around and after prayer. These are the people 
 who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving prob¬ 
 lems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for 
 mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong the lives far off in sacri¬ 
 ficial service in foreign fields, where the thickest fighting is going on, 
 in keeping the world sweet a little longer.” 
 
 Take time to pray! Nothing will give us such clear visions of 
 ourselves or of Christ as will secret prayer; and more than that, the 
 chamber of secret prayer is the station where we connect with the great 
 dynamo of heaven, and receive power to live the life that wins. From 
 every viewpoint prayer is the Christian’s greatest privilege. 
 
 Our Chief Duty 
 
 To my mind no duty before us as workers is more important than 
 to teach our young people to pray. We must know for ourselves the 
 value of the Morning Watch if we are going to show our young people 
 its value. The saddest sight of earth is not that of a young Christian 
 laid away to rest beneath the turf when others are entering their 
 careers. The greatest of all tragedies is the tragedy of the young 
 person who fails to remember his Creator in the days of his youth, 
 and fails to make Jesus Christ his personal friend. And I believe the 
 place in which to learn to know him whom to know is life eternal, is 
 the chamber of secret prayer. 
 
 In a certain Roman Catholic chapel hangs a picture of Jesus. 
 Before it is a stool. To those who remain standing, the picture holds 
 no attraction. One must kneel to see the beauty and glory of the 
 countenance. So it is by kneeling before the open Bible that we learn 
 to know the Saviour as he is. And to know him means to love him, 
 to serve him, to follow him. 
 
332 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 We should meet him in the chamber of secret prayer regularly 
 each day; we should meet him there regularly every morning; for the 
 Christian who learns the joy and comfort and help of beginning the day 
 with God, will pray more through the day, and will have an evening 
 appointment with the same unchanging Friend, that the hand that 
 unlocks the door in the morning may bolt it again at night. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CIRCULATION OF 
 
 THE CALENDAR 
 
 I believe the following suggestions, if carried out, will greatly 
 promote the observance of the Morning Watch among our young 
 people: — 
 
 1. That we all contribute helpful suggestions to produce the best 
 possible Morning Watch Calendar. 
 
 2. That we use it faithfully, as a help to ourselves and as an en¬ 
 couragement to our young people. 
 
 3. That we urge our ministers and workers to use it. 
 
 4. That we urge all our schools to give the Morning Watch first 
 place on the daily program (written or printed). 
 
 5. That the Morning Watch be given first place on the daily 
 Missionary Volunteer camp meeting program. 
 
 6. That through such means as may be devised by those finan¬ 
 cially concerned, the following be provided with copies of the Morning 
 Watch Calendar: — 
 
 (a) The young people in our churches. 
 
 (b) The young people who are isolated. 
 
 (c) The young people in our academies and colleges. 
 
 (d) The children in our church schools. 
 
 7. That we urge conferences to provide ministers with copies of 
 the calendar to pass out to new converts. 
 
 8. That our young people be encouraged to use the Morning 
 Watch Calendar for holiday gifts. 
 
 Is it too much for us to do these things to help our young people 
 to become observers of the Morning Watch, when we think of its 
 limitless possibilities? Is it too much when we know that prayer is 
 the Christian’s greatest need and his supreme privilege? Is it too 
 much when we realize, as J. R. Mott said, that “the only thing that 
 will enable Christians to conquer this world for Christ is prayer”? 
 
THE ORGANIZATION AND WORK OF THE 
 
 LOCAL SOCIETY 
 
 C. A. RUSSELL 
 
 It would seem an almost unnecessary expenditure of valuable 
 time for me to attempt to place before this gathering of representative 
 young people’s workers the necessity and form of organization and 
 the plans of work most effective in the local society, since many have 
 had a larger and more intimate connection with the movement than 
 have I, and all are familiar with our present efficient form of organiza¬ 
 tion and plans of work. If the thought be simply to introduce the 
 subject for general discussion, I gladly acquiesce. 
 
 The Demand 
 
 For years before definite steps were taken looking toward the 
 organization of the splendid heritage God has given us, the demand 
 for such an organization was felt by some among us. The pioneers 
 in this work dug down far beneath the surface, and laid broad and 
 deep the foundations upon which has been reared the superstructure 
 of the message. We, their children, might have gone on, reaping the 
 benefits of their early research and adding strength to strength, 
 but — we did not. Instead there sprang a leak, an appalling leak, 
 through which we were rapidly losing our young people. 
 
 The Call 
 
 Messages then began to come. “Will the young men and young 
 women who really love Jesus organize themselves as workers, not 
 only for those who profess to be Sabbath keepers, but for those who 
 are not of our faith?” “Let there be a company formed somewhat 
 after the order of the Christian Endeavor Society” to do this work. 
 
 Leadership 
 
 The demand was felt. The call was made. Who would heed? 
 Who would lead? No movement can succeed without competent 
 leadership. Whenever God has called for a definite work to be done, 
 he has invariably raised up some one whom he has clothed with his 
 Spirit to lead out in this work. This movement proved no exception. 
 Men and women with largeness of heart and singleness of purpose 
 began to plan, to organize, to execute. 
 
 Obstacles 
 
 The work moved slowly at first, some fearing that its prosecution 
 would have the effect of building up a wall of partition in the church, 
 
 333 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 •) 
 * > 
 
 34 
 
 between young and old. These fears have long since proved to be 
 groundless, and a hearty spirit of cooperation has come in, resulting 
 in great encouragement to the workers and marked advancement 
 in the work. 
 
 Mount Vernon Convention 
 
 A great impetus was given to the movement through the holding 
 of a representative convention at Mount Vernon, Ohio, in 1907. Plans 
 of organization were here discussed and definite lines of work outlined. 
 It was here that this youngest child of the denomination received its 
 name. I was present at the naming. It was an interesting occasion. 
 After many suggestions our present name was adopted. It was 
 spread out upon the blackboard and extended entirely across the 
 chapel at Mount Vernon Academy — 
 
 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST YOUNG PEOPLE’S SOCIETY 
 
 OF MISSIONARY VOLUNTEERS. 
 
 I like it. I like the missionary part. I like the volunteer part. 
 Christ calls for volunteers; he never drafts. 
 
 Membership 
 
 After much discussion it was voted that the basis of membership 
 in the society should be church membership. This decision has 
 since been confirmed, and is still the basis in the Senior Society. It 
 is pointed out that “those who really love Jesus” and are old enough 
 to join the Senior society, should be united with the church. Prayer 
 should be offered and personal work done for the unconverted, and 
 they should be encouraged to attend the society meetings and in 
 some instances, perhaps, to participate in the programs; but, of course, 
 they cannot consistently sign the membership card and thus become 
 members. 
 
 Organization 
 
 Where there is a sufficient number of young people, a society 
 should be organized. This organization should usually be effected 
 by the conference Missionary Volunteer secretary. It is, however, 
 both a duty and a privilege for our regular conference laborers to 
 become so conversant with our form of organization and general 
 Missionary Volunteer plans, that they can step into a church, rally 
 the young people, and organize a society. In conferences with a 
 large constituency it is too much to expect the Missionary Volunteer 
 secretary, who in many cases is also educational superintendent, to 
 be able to organize a society in every church where such an organiza¬ 
 tion is needed. The elders, and other officers in the church and Sab- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 bath school, should be enlisted in hearty sympathy and cooperation. 
 This is very essential, else the newborn child may suffer strangulation. 
 
 Small Churches 
 
 In churches where there are but very few young people, the latter 
 should be encouraged to form themselves into a prayer and personal 
 workers’ band. They should meet regularly for Bible study, prayer, 
 and planning of the work. All such should sign membership cards, 
 uniting with the conference society. 
 
 Officers 
 
 The officers of a society consist of a leader, an assistant leader, a 
 secretary-treasurer, an educational secretary, and a chorister. These 
 are elected by the church for a term of six months. The young people 
 should have at least one representative upon the church nominating 
 committee. None but church members are permitted to vote. It 
 goes without saying that none but church members are permitted to 
 fill any of these offices. 
 
 Executive Committee and Bands 
 
 The executive committee consists of these officers, together with 
 the elder of the church or the superintendent of the Sabbath school, 
 and the leaders of such bands as may be formed. This committee 
 lays plans for the general welfare of the society, and acts in the capac¬ 
 ity of a program committee to plan for the society meetings. This 
 committee should meet frequently, weekly if possible. The forming 
 of working bands is of vital importance. The number and size of 
 these bands must depend upon conditions. In a society of ordinary 
 size, there should be a Personal Workers’ or Christian Help Band and 
 a Literature and Correspondence Band. These should be prayer 
 bands, having definite lists of those for whom they are working and 
 praying. Where conditions will permit, the band meetings should be 
 held at a different time from the .society meeting. The life of the 
 society'depends upon the activity of the working bands. 
 
 Meetings 
 
 There should be regular weekly meetings where conditions make 
 this possible. Very strongly do we urge the use of the programs 
 prepared by the Department. Earnest prayer and painstaking 
 effort have been placed upon the preparation of these programs. The 
 leader at least should receive regularly the Church Officers' Gazette. 
 All the officers and as many of the members as possible should take 
 the Youth's Instructor. The leader will see that all material needed 
 
336 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 is placed in the hands of those who are to participate in rendering the 
 program, at least one week before it is to be given. The articles and 
 items of interest found in the Gazette and Instructor are not simply 
 to be read, but are to be told or written, and given in a way to arouse 
 and hold the attention. 
 
 Special Features 
 
 The special features of our organized work are to be given careful 
 attention. These include the Morning Watch, Standard of Attain¬ 
 ment, Reading Course, King’s Pocket League, Financial Missionary 
 Goal, and Bible Reading Course. By precept and example the officers 
 should encourage all in the observance of the Morning Watch. The 
 texts for the week should be carefully reviewed at each meeting. 
 Frequent reference should be made to the Bible Reading Course, all 
 being encouraged to keep up with the requirements in reading the 
 Bible through this year. Every member of the society should also 
 be a member of the King’s Pocket League. Frequent reference to 
 the work of the league and interesting reports of work done will do 
 much toward arousing an interest in the scattering of pamphlets and 
 tracts. 
 
 The educational features of our society work are to be especially 
 fostered by the educational secretary. He might well take the lead 
 in organizing a Standard of Attainment class. This should meet 
 weekly for study, and the recitation of definite lesson assignments. 
 In this age, when the infection of intoxicating reading is poisoning 
 the mind and corrupting the morals, too much emphasis cannot be 
 placed upon our reading courses. Every member should be following 
 one or the other of these courses. Such should be urged to write out 
 their book reviews, and send them to the conference secretary. The 
 financial Goal must not be overlooked. Each member should be 
 made to feel his duty in contributing his share toward reaching the 
 Goal placed before the society. Often devices help in this matter. 
 
 Conference Society 
 
 Every young person in the conference who is not a member of 
 a local society, should be invited to join the conference society. The 
 names of such isolated young people may be secured by means of the 
 information blanks; by soliciting the cooperation of conference work¬ 
 ers as they travel among the churches; and at camp meetings, con¬ 
 ventions, and general meetings. These should be made intelligent 
 concerning all phases of society work, and encouraged by frequent 
 personal letters. Not only should the conference secretary, who is 
 ex-officio leader of the society, write frequently to these scattered 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 387 
 
 members, but names may be furnished leaders of correspondence 
 bands in local societies. Great care should be exercised in this fea¬ 
 ture of letter writing. 
 
 Junior Society 
 
 Wherever there is a . church school, a Junior Society should be 
 organized under the direct supervision of the teacher. At first she 
 may be obliged to act as leader. Soon, however, one of the most 
 consecrated of the children may be selected for this work. Meetings 
 in connection with the school should be held once each week. In¬ 
 valuable material is found in the Gazette which each teacher must 
 receive. In some cases, where suitable leadership can be secured, 
 Junior Societies should be carried on where there are no church 
 schools. This Junior work is in its infancy, and should come in for 
 a large share of time at this Council. 
 
 This Council may see light in altering some features of our pres¬ 
 ent form of organization, or of changing some of our plans of work. 
 But in any case let us be thankful for what has already been accom¬ 
 plished in the saving of our children and youth, and pledge anew our 
 loyalty to the Seventh-day Adventist Young People’s Society of 
 Missionary Volunteers. 
 
 ORGANIZATION OF THE SENIOR SOCIETY 
 
 VARNER JOHNS 
 
 The local society as the unit of organization determines either 
 the success or the failure in all Missionary Volunteer work. I con¬ 
 sider the local society problem the greatest one we have to deal with. 
 
 In the first organization of the society it is absolutely essential 
 to study the local conditions in order to find out the special needs of 
 the young people, the problems of leadership, etc. In organizing a 
 new society I emphasize the important points in our organization, 
 the necessity for consecrated service in the society, and the necessity 
 of willingness to live out the membership pledge on uniting with the 
 society. To have on the roll, members who never respond in conse¬ 
 cration meeting, who show no signs of interest, demoralizes the whole 
 society and lowers its tone. If possible it is best to arrange a prayer 
 band among the converted young people, and make that the back¬ 
 bone of the working force, the power behind the society. The Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer Society should center about the prayer bands; all 
 idea of entertainment^should be subordinated. The prayer meeting 
 is the thermometer and register of the church, and the prayer band, 
 
 22 
 
338 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 1 feel sure, is the register of the society. Practice and inspiration 
 more than instruction should characterize the society. A prayer 
 society and service society combined is the ideal. 
 
 The past failures in our Colorado societies were due to lack of 
 efficient leadership. I like to talk beforehand with the elder of the 
 church and the young people themselves concerning prospective 
 leaders, especially with respect to their spirituality rather than their 
 talent, and also concerning the one in whom the young people have 
 confidence. The enthusiastic, live leader is the successful one. 
 I once visited one of our local societies where an ordained elder was 
 the leader. During the meeting he was the only one who took any 
 part. Three solemn songs, a long prayer, and a long-drawn-out 
 Bible study occupied the full time of the meeting. That is a per¬ 
 version of the name Missionary Volunteer Society. If officers cannot 
 make, they can certainly mar a society. 
 
 There are three divisions to the work of the regular society,— 
 the devotional, the educational, and the practical. The devotional ser¬ 
 vices include the testimony meeting, the prayer service, and the re¬ 
 vival and consecration service. The educational part consists in the 
 Bible and missions study, Standard of Attainment, preparation, etc. 
 The practical work has to do with the plans for, and the carrying out 
 of, active missionary experience. Any effective society must use all 
 three of these activities. 
 
 Real success in Missionary Volunteer Societies is not the moving 
 of the young people with a flight of feeling at an occasional service, 
 but it depends, first, on educating them in the truths of the Bible, 
 and in the history and the records of development in mission lands; 
 secondly, on giving them practical training for service, developing in 
 them a love for active work in soul saving; and thirdly, and most 
 important of all, on getting them to accept Jesus as their Saviour, 
 and becoming truly converted, with that power in their lives which 
 comes only from above. The good is always the enemy of the best 
 in society work. Our societies are not efficient enough. The name is 
 too often retained wdiile the society has switched off on some side 
 track, and has become a musical or literary club, or worse still, a 
 place where some poor leader can practice preaching on the young 
 people. 
 
 I have often wished that the Missionary Volunteer Department 
 had more instructions to local leaders in some permanent form. So 
 many times a change is made at election time, and some one takes the 
 lead who knows nothing of the different plans and methods, and has 
 received none of the numerous letters of instruction sent out to leaders. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 339 
 
 I should like to see the object of the Missionary Volunteer Society 
 briefly mentioned, the method of organization and requirements of 
 membership outlined, the necessity of training the young people 
 and how to do it, a statement of how to use the prepared lessons, 
 and how to give live programs, and something on each of our de¬ 
 votional, educational, and practical plans, giving suggestions on how 
 to develop them in the society. This would be a wonderful help to 
 the leader, and at the same time would save the conference secretary 
 a lot of worry. 
 
 The Missionary Volunteer Society is in the church, of the church, 
 and for the church, a peculiarly and essentially church organization. 
 Many a society has dragged out a feeble and precarious existence 
 because the elder and the church people were indifferent toward it. 
 A deeper interest on the part of the church would insure a more ener¬ 
 getic and successful society. Our older people need help and in¬ 
 struction as well as young people, because they can greatly help the 
 young people’s work, or hinder it by pessimistic criticism, nagging, 
 scolding, or interfering. We must educate the older people to our 
 society plans as well as the young people, if we would be successful. 
 
 THE LOCAL JUNIOR MISSIONARY 
 VOLUNTEER SOCIETY 
 
 ESTHER FRANCIS 
 
 I hardly know whether this paper should treat on the Junior 
 Society outside of the church school, or that of the church school, 
 but I do know this, that when the societies of our schools really do 
 the work of training our boys and girls to act their part as Missionary 
 Volunteers in the finishing of this work, there will be little need for 
 Junior Societies outside of the school. Parents will see that our schools 
 are more than mere day schools, where the children are taught the 
 Bible in addition to the common branches; but that the great aim 
 of every lesson is the training of our boys and girls for service, and 
 they will wish their children to have these opportunities. 
 
 The Junior work of our school is not simply a little meeting held 
 on Wednesday afternoon as a part of the school course. In reality 
 it is the great object and only excuse our schools have for existence; 
 because we believe that these are the children of whom we are told by 
 the spirit of prophecy, “When heavenly intelligences see that men are 
 no longer permitted to present the truth, the Spirit of God will come 
 upon the children, and they will do a work in the proclamation of the. 
 truth which the older ones cannot do, because their way will be 
 hedged up.” 
 
840 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 * ’ ' *. • ~ " • " ■ ;* • ..•*.* * ' *v . *»> 
 
 It is the work of the Christian teacher, besides giving definite and 
 thorough instruction in what we term the common branches, to help 
 every child under her charge to realize God’s claims upon his life in 
 the light of this prophecy, and to inspire in him, by an example of 
 complete consecration, a desire to be used by God in the finishing of 
 his work. 
 
 This cannot be accomplished by mere class work, however effi¬ 
 cient the teacher may be, but every day all her plans must be laid 
 before the Master teacher, and his wisdom sought, that for each 
 child in particular she may know just how to strengthen his faith in 
 God. And then at the close of the day, again she lingers to present 
 before him its record, and to plead the special need of each little one 
 and the blessing of his Spirit to attend her humble efforts. Nor do 
 her prayers for them cease at the close of nine months, but she still 
 carries them on her prayer list, and some day she will see that God 
 answers prayer. The children, too, should be made to feel that 
 the work is sacred, as well as the place dedicated to God for a church 
 school. 
 
 Upon coming to school in the morning, it is understood that the 
 children are to come directly and quietly into the schoolroom and 
 take their own seats. Permission for necessary communication may 
 be granted by the teacher until three minutes of nine. Then one tap 
 of the bell announces that the quiet hour has begun, and each child 
 takes out his Bible and looks up the Morning Watch verse for the day, 
 which the teacher has placed upon a blackboard calendar. It has 
 been interesting to note the effect of this quiet Bible study, for very 
 few of the children ever ask for permission to whisper after coming 
 in, even though they may be ten or fifteen minutes early. They take 
 out their Bibles at once, look up the verse, and spend the rest of the 
 time in Bible reading. Especially has this been true since January i, 
 when several began to read the Bible through. 
 
 At nine o’clock nearly every child is ready to repeat the verse, 
 and is eager to do so. These verses do not always follow the regular 
 calendar. One period we learned a verse each day beginning with the 
 different letters of the alphabet, and the children enjoyed repeating 
 their A B C’s of promises. We also memorized this year the twenty- 
 third, ninety-first, one hundredth, one hundred and third, and the 
 one hundred and twenty-first psalms during the morning exercises. 
 After the verse has been repeated several times, some child chooses a 
 hymn, and very often the thought of the song is closely connected 
 ^with that of the verse, showing that they see the relation between 
 God’s promises and our beautiful hymns. Then all kneel in prayer 
 while the teacher or some pupil asks God’s blessing on the work; 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 341 
 
 then comes a moment’s quiet waiting on their knees for God to whis¬ 
 per softly some promise for the day. 
 
 During the remaining five or ten minutes of the opening exercises 
 the teacher may read to them from the Junior Volunteer reading books. 
 Upon completing a book, the children are encouraged to write a 
 review, the teacher perhaps exempting those who wish to do so, 
 from the regular written language lesson of the day. 
 
 Once a week, on Wednesday afternoon, comes our regular society 
 meeting. The officers are elected by the children for a term of three 
 months, and consist of leader, secretary, treasurer, and organist. 
 The Church Officers' Gazette contains a suggestive program for the 
 month, which is a great help to the teacher, who is chairman of the 
 program committee. Every child is a member of the society, and to 
 the roll call of the secretary he is supposed to answer with some item 
 of missionary work done during the week. The Scripture lesson is 
 often the review of the Morning Watch verses for the week or month, 
 given by one of the children with some interesting device such as the 
 letters of the alphabet held up while the children repeat the verses. 
 Encourage the children to offer prayer by calling on two or more, but 
 be sure you tell them beforehand. 
 
 Very often the program calls for a Bible story to be told on the 
 life of some Old Testament character, and some member of the fourth 
 or fifth grade usually gives it, as this is along the line of their Bible 
 study. Once three children gave the study of Moses, each covering a 
 forty-year period of his life. When we hear as it were our own words 
 coming back to us from these human phonographs, we are made to 
 feel how important it is that our words be well chosen. It is not only 
 the program which benefits them, but the experience of standing 
 before the school and reciting these stories will give them a training 
 that will enable them to stand perhaps before the great men of this 
 earth and witness for God’s truth. 
 
 Our eighth-grade class was studying Bible doctrines, and some¬ 
 times some of them gave a Bible reading or a Standard of Attainment 
 quiz. We found the mission studies very interesting, especially 
 after we secured the ten outline maps from our General Department. 
 The sixth and seventh grades usually took this part of the program, 
 as they were having geography study. Thus you see the work of the 
 programs required but little outside preparation on their part, and 
 yet no one ever seemed to tire of hearing the stories or exercises. 
 Somehow the program seemed to be a summing up of the essentials, 
 and a conception of their relation to our work and practice in giving 
 these before others. 
 
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 342 
 
 Even the very little children had their part in choosing the songs 
 and taking the offering. The success lies in causing the children to 
 feel that this is their society, and each one is a part of it, and thus a 
 part of the great world-wide Missionary Volunteer movement. 
 
 Our society had two committees and two bands. The duty of 
 the Christian help committee was to find those in need and report 
 to the school, and the literature committee were to gather papers 
 for distribution or mailing. 
 
 But the strength of the society and the school was in its two prayer 
 bands. The girls’ prayer band met just after school on Friday after¬ 
 noon. The last half hour of the day was given to our little social 
 meeting, and I know of no better tonic of inspiration to the teacher, 
 after the week of toil, than the earnest testimonies of those boys 
 and girls, telling of their desires to live for Jesus and to have a home in 
 heaven. Somehow it seemed to cast a brighter look on the occasional 
 darker side of teaching, to know that at heart they purposed to do 
 right in spite of their seeming waywardness. At first it may be 
 difficult to get all to take part in these meetings, and here the teacher 
 must use the utmost care and patience, remembering, perhaps years 
 ago, how fast her own heart beat at her first attempt to witness for 
 Him. 
 
 All our girls remained for the prayer band, and all but one took 
 part, she being one of the older girls. At the close of one band meet¬ 
 ing I detained the girl most closely associated with her, and we had 
 a long talk about it. Her associate promised to join with me in spe¬ 
 cial prayer for the week to come, that we might know how to win her. 
 The next Friday, after all had prayed except her, and we were about 
 to rise, she offered a prayer and a victory was gained in her life. And 
 not only in hers, but afterward her associate, in speaking to me about 
 it, said, “Why, 1 was just sure she would pray.” If more of this 
 childlike confidence in God accompanied our prayers, what victories 
 would be gained for him! We have much to learn from the simplicity 
 and trust of children. The youngest pupil of only seven years 
 always offered an earnest prayer, which closed with these words, 
 “ For dear Jesus’ sake. Amen.” 
 
 It is usually more difficult to get boys to take an interest in these 
 things than girls, but four of our boys met for their prayer band 
 Wednesday after school, and precious were our seasons together, 
 yet we always felt sad to see the other three boys pass out apparently 
 indifferent. I talked to them, prayed for them for weeks, but still 
 they seemed not to care. One meeting shortly after the Sabbath 
 school lesson of the healing of the palsied man, I just told the boys I 
 had done all I knew how to do. and I believed God was waiting for 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 343 
 
 them, like the four men, to bring these boys to him, and as in the 
 lesson when he saw their faith he healed their friends, so God would 
 not disappoint their efforts. 
 
 They chose the youngest of the three, and decided to work and 
 pray for him during the week. On Sabbath one boy invited him over 
 in the afternoon, and I found them guessing Bible names together. 
 On Tuesday another invited him home for lunch, and afterward he 
 said, “I’m almost sure he’ll stay tomorrow night.” Just before the 
 meeting, the youngest of our band went with him for a pail of water, 
 and I wish you might have seen the look of earnestness on his face 
 as they talked together, or the seven pairs of shining eyes of the little 
 girls as they passed out that night, for they too had been praying 
 that God would save him. 
 
 The boys were so happy to see the answer to their prayers and 
 efforts that week that they wanted to take both the others for the 
 next week. During the week one of the boys spoke to me nearly 
 every day of his confidence that God would surely answer their prayers. 
 On the next Wednesday afternoon this little boy of ten years raised 
 his hand for permission to whisper, and then stepped quietly back to 
 the older boy, and putting his arm around his shoulder with that 
 irresistible winsomeness of childhood simplicity invited him to stay. 
 That night and during the rest of the school year they all stayed. 
 
 It was not only for each other that they prayed, but for definite 
 victories in their own lives, to overcome anger, whispering, and for 
 help in their lessons. One boy said to me, “You know in our exam¬ 
 ination, when I thought I just couldn’t get that problem in long divi¬ 
 sion, I prayed, and I got it right away.” 
 
 While we teach the children to have confidence in a prayer-hearing 
 God, we must as faithfully instruct them in the conditions upon 
 which God hears prayer, so that they will not be confused, disap¬ 
 pointed, and discouraged. We should be careful, too, not to hold 
 these meetings too long after school, for our pupils are only children 
 yet. An inspiring talk, or best of all a personal experience related 
 in five minutes or less, and then five or ten minutes in prayer will be 
 sufficient. The meeting should not exceed fifteen minutes. But 
 while the teacher should avoid detaining them, she should not be too 
 hurried to catch that wistful look that bespeaks a troubled heart. 
 This is her greatest work, the personal heart-to-heart talks with 
 her children. 
 
 After one meeting a little fellow pressed near, and asked if I were 
 to be busy. I told him no, and when the others had gone he said, 
 “You know ever since you told us about taking that apple and then 
 afterward paying for it, T have been thinking about three walnuts that 
 
344 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 I stole from a basket in a grocery store; and when I pray, something 
 always tells me to pay for them till sometimes I can’t sleep at night.” 
 He said he had ten cents, so we kneeled down and prayed for courage, 
 and he went over there and made it right. It certainly made an im¬ 
 pression on the grocer, who for some time had been drifting from the 
 truth; and on the life of the child, too, for his mother took my hand in 
 hers and said, “I tell you your boys’ prayer band pays.” Another, 
 a little girl, stood near me at the noon hour as I corrected spelling 
 work. Finally I asked, “Did you wish to tell me something?” 
 Then between broken sobs she told how, a few days before, she had 
 been unfair in spelling, and was so sorry for it. 
 
 We should be very careful not to work merely upon the emotions 
 of the children, we should help them to see that no sin is small in 
 God’s sight. If they can be taught carefully about the little things 
 of honesty and truthfulness now, they will not be so apt to be led 
 into greater mistakes in after-life, and Jesus and his help will come to 
 be very real to them. 
 
 In the review of a primary Bible lesson after the story of the 
 signs preceding the coming of Christ, I asked a little boy, “What 
 would you say if some one should tell you that Jesus was in San 
 Francisco?” lie thought an instant, and then replied, with a look 
 and tone of assurance, “Well, I would tell him it wasn’t my Jesus.” 
 
 And even so it is, dear teachers, unless Jesus Christ is real to us 
 as a personal companion, we cannot make him real to our children. 
 And unless they know from their own experience that he is their 
 Jesus, they will be deceived with the artful deceptions of the enemy. 
 
 These, then, are the aims of our Junior Society work, to help our 
 children to gain this experience for themselves, to feel their depen¬ 
 dence upon God, to become real soul winners and true volunteers to 
 help finish this work. And when it is all finished, just to feel that 
 we have had some humble part in saving others and training them 
 for service, and to see them enter those pearly gates, will be an event 
 of a lifetime — one worthy of a lifetime of consecrated, untiring 
 efforts for our boys and girls. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 Mrs. H. E. Osborne: We have in our whole union conference 
 only twenty-six church schools, which is not more than you have in 
 some of your State conferences. I have here a number of letters 
 from our workers in New England, telling of the work of different 
 Junior Societies. I notice that they do not all seem to be using the 
 lessons in the Gazette. I thought I ought to explain why. For va- 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 345 
 
 rious reasons they have not known the lessons were in the Gazette. 
 I did not know it myself until recently, and I doubt if some of them 
 have access to the paper. 
 
 First I might mention the society at Worcester. Besides all the 
 papers, tracts, etc., that the children have sold, they have raised 
 $50 by making and selling things. 
 
 We do quite a little in trying to unite the manual training work 
 in the school with the raising of funds for the Missionary Volunteer 
 work. The children make things in school, and these are sold. At 
 Worcester they hired a hall and invited people, the children giving a 
 short program on missionary subjects, after which they sold the things 
 which they had made. When all expenses were paid, they had $38 
 left. This year they have made $20. They have a visiting day 
 once every two weeks, visiting the blind and poor, and taking them 
 food and flowers. The people are anxious for them to come, and in 
 this way they are doing much good. 
 
 Our society at Athol has a different plan. They have no oppor¬ 
 tunity to make and sell things, for they are in a country district, so 
 they have what they call “mailing day ” when they wrap, fold, and 
 mail papers and tracts collected during the month. These are sent 
 to interested persons whom they found when out with the Harvest In¬ 
 gathering Review. They have sent away five hundred papers, besides 
 many tracts. They raise their money by canvassing, selling maga¬ 
 zines, and “The World’s Crisis.” They have earned #20.30 in this 
 way. 
 
 Our South Lancaster societies, due to local conditions, have given 
 more attention to developing programs. In this way we have done 
 excellent work in developing leadership. We have followed the pro¬ 
 grams in the Gazette. We found the Junior lessons difficult, however, 
 for the smaller children. So the teacher arranged simple lessons for 
 them, on such subjects as “Love for the Birds,” “Care for the Un¬ 
 fortunate,” etc. It was interesting to hear them. 
 
 In the intermediate department we do follow the lessons in the 
 Gazette, as they seem exactly adapted to the intermediate grades. 
 Our grammar department felt that the Junior programs were too 
 simple for them, so they used the Senior lessons, adapted. This 
 resulted in some very interesting work by the pupils of the grammar 
 grades. 
 
 Our offerings have been very large in our South Lancaster societies. 
 They are supporting a missionary, and are keeping up a regular fund. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER WORK 
 
 IN AMERICA 
 
 J. J. REIS WIG 
 
 The workers for the young people almost tremble when they read 
 the following statements from the Testimonies: “Very much has been 
 lost to the cause of God by lack of attention to the young.” Again: 
 “We have an army of youth today who can do much if they are 
 properly directed and encouraged. We want our children to believe 
 the truth; we want them to be blessed of God; we want them to act 
 a part in well-organized plans for helping other youth.” “There has 
 been altogether too little attention paid to our children and youth. 
 . . . God requires that the church arouse from her lethargy, and see 
 what is the manner of service demanded of her at this time of peril.” 
 
 If this is applicable to the English work, it is even more so to the 
 German. That the Missionary Volunteer work can be made a suc¬ 
 cess has been proved by the work of the societies in our English 
 churches. So the present question is, Will it pay to put forth the same 
 effort for our foreign young people that we are putting forth in behalf 
 of our English youth? 
 
 The question is often raised, “Why cannot our German young 
 people organize into English Missionary Volunteer Societies?” 
 
 First, I wish to state that most of the parents of these young 
 people came to this country when they were mature and developed 
 in character, so that it is not easy for them to change. Second, most 
 of them are unable to read English, and understand very little when 
 a Biblical subject is presented. They would understand very little of 
 what an English Missionary Volunteer Society was doing should they 
 visit such a society. Although the young people themselves may be 
 able to speak English quite fluently, yet when it is necessary to use 
 Biblical terms, they are unable to do so. 
 
 I well remember the first prayer that I offered in the English 
 language. This was in a young men’s band in one of the classrooms 
 at Union College. I had attended the English public schools, and 
 was able to converse with an American enough so I could transact 
 any ordinary business; in fact, I had worked for business firms for a 
 number of years before I went to Union College. And yet it was a 
 great struggle for me to offer prayer in public in the English language. 
 So when we think of our German young people as being backward in 
 the English meetings, we must remember that although they can 
 speak the English language, perhaps, fluently outside of the meeting, 
 it is difficult for them to pray and testify in a foreign tongue. 
 
 340 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 347 
 
 I have heard it expressed by some of our English brethren that if 
 they were over in Germany they would want their children to learn to 
 speak German, and they cannot see why the German brethren want 
 the Missionary Volunteer meetings carried on in German here in 
 America; but it is easier for us in America to say what we would do 
 were we in Germany, than it would be for us to do it were we sur¬ 
 rounded by the same circumstances. 
 
 I believe that our English Missionary Volunteer workers have 
 not yet forgotten the opposition they met from some of the German 
 parents, because these parents felt that this Missionary Volunteer 
 movement would separate the young people from them, and this 
 objection was made when the parents understood every word that 
 was said in the meetings. Now try to imagine a Missionary Vol¬ 
 unteer Society carried on in German by young people whose parents 
 are English and cannot understand what is going on. Would such 
 a society exist long ? 
 
 I am sure that we are all agreed, if we want to work for the young 
 people, we must get the cooperation of the parents first; for there is 
 no worker, however competent he may be, that can do more for the 
 ' young people than the parents can. 
 
 Some of the Needs 
 
 One of our greatest needs is literature. When we want to pre¬ 
 sent anything along Missionary Volunteer lines before our German 
 brethren, we are obliged to translate it. After this special campaign 
 is over and another comes on, and we wish to do anything for our 
 German young people, again we ask, What shall we send them? We 
 have no literature. I believe the only tract in the Missionary Vol¬ 
 unteer Series that has been printed in the German language is a 
 portion of “ Organization, ” which was translated by Prof. A. F. 
 Schmidt, and the printing was paid for by the German young people 
 in North Dakota. We did this because we felt that something ought 
 to be done to present to our German brethren the plan upon which 
 the Missionary Volunteer Societies are organized; because we felt 
 that something must be done to withstand the opposition that we 
 had to meet from the parents. The parents are afraid that these 
 organizations are contrary to the plan of church organization, and 
 that nothing good will result. We believe that this little tract has 
 done some good, but it does not meet all the needs, any more than the 
 English tract on organization can meet all the needs of the English 
 people. 
 
 I will give a concrete illustration of what we have to meet in the 
 German young people’s work. When the Missionary Volunteer 
 
348 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Day was set apart by the North American Conference Committee 
 for May I, we were very anxious to give our people the benefit of 
 those good articles, but as there was no one especially responsible for 
 the translating and publishing of this material, and as every one in 
 the Missionary Volunteer work was already overloaded with work, 
 there was nothing prepared in German for this special day. The 
 only thing we could now do would be to translate it from the Review. 
 
 First, I want to ask the Missionary Volunteer workers if they 
 believe that a conference Missionary Volunteer secretary, carrying 
 both the educational and the Missionary Volunteer work, with a 
 list of young people numbering about one thousand, and having to 
 translate all the other matter that is to go to the societies and churches, 
 can find enough time to translate all these articles for these special 
 days? Now remember that I am not finding fault with any one in 
 the office, but my argument is simply this: That a worker, whether 
 he is employed in a local conference or in the General Conference, 
 has enough work placed before him to keep him busy without trans¬ 
 lating these articles into the foreign languages and circulating them. 
 
 What we have at present for our German young people, which is 
 very little, we have worked up ourselves. We did this with heavy 
 burdens already resting upon us, but we did the best we could under 
 the circumstances. 
 
 One fall, while Professor Schmidt and I were out visiting some 
 churches, we talked to them about the Missionary Volunteer 
 work, and urged them to take the Reading Course. Both parents 
 and young people came to us and asked, “Have you the Reading 
 Course in German? and what books do you read?” We told them 
 that we had no Reading Course in German, but after we went to our 
 room, we decided to have a German Reading Course in North Dakota, 
 if we had to run the questions ourselves on the typewriter. And so 
 we selected the books, and wrote to Sister Erickson for permission to 
 conduct a German Reading Course. She* told us to go ahead, and 
 this we did. We tried to get the help questions into the Jugendbote, 
 but it was almost impossible at first to do anything. We finally got 
 them to print the help questions, and later the review questions. 
 
 The Reading Course needs to be improved. First, there is no 
 one especially responsible for selecting the books. Thus far Professor 
 Schmidt and I have taken the responsibility upon ourselves to 
 choose some books and recommend them to the General Department, 
 but being crowded with other work, it is left until quite late, and 
 this makes it inconvenient and unsatisfactory. This of course can 
 scarcely be helped. 
 
349 
 
 COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 We ought to have more leaflets on different subjects for our Ger¬ 
 man young people. There are, for instance, such leaflets as “Charac¬ 
 ter Building,” “Our Influence,” “The Importance of the Missionary 
 Volunteer Movement,” “Marrying Unbelievers,” and others that 
 should be printed in the German society lessons. 
 
 In order to make our German young people’s work a success, 
 it appears to me that we should have some one who could give this 
 phase of the work special study, and could see that these articles 
 for special occasions, and such other articles as are helpful to our 
 parents and young people, are translated into the German. Then it 
 should be his duty to see that the leaflets and other publications on 
 the Missionary Volunteer work are placed in the hands of the State 
 secretaries. You might call him a German corresponding secretary. 
 He would correspond with the State secretaries, and work under the 
 direction of the general secretary, in harmony with the general plan 
 of organization. I believe our State secretary in every State where 
 we have German young people, would welcome such a person and be 
 willing to cooperate, if this help were offered him. He should be a 
 person who could be called upon to help in the institute work among 
 our German churches. For instance, in a conference where they 
 have a large enough German constituency to warrant it, they could 
 let him know beforehand, and he could go out and visit the churches 
 and learn the situation, get acquainted with the young people and 
 parents, and then stay to help in the institute work. It seems to 
 me that this would not cause a great deal of expense, but it would 
 be a great help to the Missionary Volunteer work in the different 
 conferences. 
 
 I do not wish to place a proposition before this Council which 
 will cause an outlay of money without any returns, but I am confi¬ 
 dent of this one thing, that if we expect to carry on the Missionary 
 Volunteer work among our German young people and make it a success, 
 some one must be responsible for this work that has been mentioned 
 above. Much more even might be mentioned which should be done. 
 As to the financial outlay, I know that it will be money expended, 
 but I do believe that it will bring returns tenfold in the salvation of 
 souls and in dollars and cents to missions. . . . 
 
 I believe I can call on such men as Elder MacGuire, Professor. 
 Ruble, and others who have visited our State and been among our 
 German churches in the interest of the Missionary Volunteer work, 
 to testify that the young people’s work among our German young 
 people is not an unfruitful field. The young people are respon¬ 
 sive. Most of them are eager to learn, but they must have some help. 
 
 I believe that much more might have been accomplished in our con- 
 
350 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 ference if we had had the help in literature that we needed, and some 
 experienced German person who understood the nature of the German 
 people and the difficulties that come to us in these churches. 
 
 In order that the members of the Council may see for themselves 
 the desire among our churches throughout the whole United States, 
 I wish to quote a few statements that have been received lately from 
 different ones. A brother from Spokane, Wash., says: “ I have noticed 
 for .some time that we were neglecting our German young people, and 
 many are going out into the world because we lack the proper material 
 on which to set them to work.” Another brother from Saskatchewan 
 writes: “ May the Lord bless us as a people and grant that something 
 may be done to help our German young people, so that they may yet 
 be saved.” Another one writes: “ I am glad to learn that something is 
 to be done for the German young people. This branch surely needs 
 some definite help.” Brother B. E. Miller, superintendent of the 
 German work in the East, says: “It is true that this question is com¬ 
 ing up again and again. The great number of German young people 
 without any particular help is causing a revival of this question, and 
 it seems that we have waited long enough, and that now something 
 should be done for them.” He says further: “The German young 
 people’s work is more than just a common side issue, to be placed on 
 a man who is already loaded down w r ith work. 1 can see but very 
 little light in such an arrangement. However, I believe that some 
 good arrangement could be made if some one could spend his entire 
 time in behalf of the German young people.” Elder R. A. Underwood 
 says: “I am heartily in sympathy with the suggestion, and I hope 
 that the movement may take definite shape and form.” 
 
 So we might go on indefinitely, but it is not necessary. In clos¬ 
 ing, I wish only to state that I do hope that this Council will look 
 favorably upon the selection of some one who will take the respon¬ 
 sibility and help us to make the German Missionary Volunteer work 
 what the Lord desires it to be. 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 M. L. Andreasen: There is danger that our foreign young 
 people will drift off and not be in harmony with the organization. 
 It appears almost essential that some one from each of these nation¬ 
 alities be selected to spend at least a part of his time looking after 
 this work. Our young people know not what is going on, because 
 they are not in touch with the general work. 
 
 We have tried to do what we could at Hutchinson among the 
 Norwegians and Danes. We have tried to keep on the main track, 
 as far as possible. And yet it is not an easy matter, for all the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 . 351 
 
 material has to be translated. I might say that there is danger of 
 our having too much translating to do. There are hundreds, and 
 even thousands, of these foreign young people who need help, and who 
 can receive help only in their own language. They love God and love 
 this truth, and we must do something to help them. 
 
 The work in our school has been a wonderful blessing to us. Our 
 students are required to attend both the Sabbath school and the 
 meeting; but we made a rule that the Missionary Volunteer meeting 
 in the afternoon should be voluntary; and on account of the perver¬ 
 sity of human nature, everybody came, and continued to come. We 
 have seen the power of God in that school because of the Young 
 People’s Missionary Volunteer work. Souls have been converted, 
 and wonderful things have been done. 
 
 J. H. Schilling: \ am in full sympathy with the paper that has 
 been read. And when 1 say that some one should be appointed to 
 do this Missionary Volunteer work for the German young people, 
 I not only voice my own opinion, but I voice the opinion of all our 
 German people, as well as the opinion of our two leaders in the Ger¬ 
 man work, Elder Miller in the East and Elder Haffner in the West. 
 
 VVe have at least five thousand German believers in this denomina¬ 
 tion. Most of them are in Canada, in North and South Dakota, 
 Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and north Texas, and some are in the 
 East. That is stretching over quite a territory, but, as I said, most 
 of them are in the States that I especially mentioned. 
 
 Among these five thousand German believers in North America 
 we have at least 2,500 young people, 1,800 from twelve to twenty- 
 five years of age, and 700 ranging from six to twelve years of age, 
 altogether 2,500. Of these only 1,000 are converted, leaving 1,500 
 to be labored for and brought to Christ. It seems to me that these 
 facts should appeal forcibly to our hearts for special work to be 
 done for these dear German young people. The German work is 
 growing quite rapidly in these States, so that in a year or two we may 
 be able to count nearly 3,000 young people. 
 
 Now in dealing with these youth, it is with our German minis¬ 
 ters just the same as it is with our English ministers: they have 
 ’their work to do in their territory, and they have no time to give 
 special attention to the young people. A great deal more might be 
 done by the German ministry than is being done; but they feel that 
 they have so much to do that they cannot devote much time to the 
 young people’s work, and so it is neglected. We really feel an urgent 
 and pressing need for some one to take this up as an exclusive work, 
 just the same as the secretary of the young people does in his State. 
 Such a person would certainly have enough to do to keep him more 
 than busy. 
 
352 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The paper emphasizes the need of literature. It is true that all 
 the literature for the young people’s work is published in the English 
 language, and whenever a young people’s meeting is to be held,— 
 a Missionary Volunteer Day or some other special meeting where 
 there is a program to be rendered,— all those programs and the 
 articles and everything must be translated into the German. This 
 makes it extremely hard. 
 
 Our English secretaries have been working hard for the German 
 young people, but still, since no German literature has been placed 
 in their hands, they have not been able to do what they should have 
 done. 
 
 We definitely need to have some one placed in charge of this work 
 who can look after the special literature of the society, some one to 
 whom the articles and programs may be sent early enough, before the 
 Missionary Volunteer Day, or the Educational Day, etc., so that 
 the literature can be translated into the German, for the use of our 
 German young people. The one in charge should be a man under 
 the General Conference organization of the Missionary Volunteer 
 work, so that he could carry out the plans of the leading men, and 
 apply them to the German societies. 
 
 II. O. Olson: The remarks made by the two former speakers 
 apply as well to our young people’s work among the Swedish people. 
 Our first society was formed at the school. We did not organize 
 societies in our Swedish churches until later in the year. We ap¬ 
 pointed our stenographer as secretary of the society, because he did 
 our correspondence. He planned to visit one church during the year, 
 and the results were remarkable. Ten sets of books were ordered 
 at once. 
 
 The society at the school was very active, and we had a number 
 of remarkable evidences of success, conversion, not among students 
 alone,— those who had not been converted before were all converted 
 before the school year was ended,— but people in near-by villages for 
 whom they worked. 
 
 The separate Reading Courses create a desire for Swedish reading, 
 and make a field for our school. We need to interest our young 
 people in working for those of their own nationality, because there 
 are thousands of our Swedish people in the various cities who do not 
 understand English sufficiently to comprehend a sermon. For these 
 we have to carry on efforts in Swedish. 
 
 M. E. Kern: This question has been one of great perplexity to 
 me. I feel personally that it would be an excellent thing if some one 
 could be appointed as assistant Missionary Volunteer secretary for 
 each of those languages that have been spoken of, especially if these 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 353 
 
 persons could live near the schools of these foreign departments; 
 for I am sure that the German, Danish-Norwegian, and Swedish 
 societies would prove to be great factories for furnishing recruits for 
 the schools. If some one could be connected with each school who 
 would do this translating, and really assist us in our efforts for the 
 foreign young people by translating and by helping in institutes 
 where it seems possible to do that, I believe the work for these na¬ 
 tionalities would receive a great uplift. I hope that something 
 can be brought about that will not be too expensive, but at the same 
 time will be efficient. I should be glad to hear from others who 
 know about the situation. 
 
 C. L. Benson: I feel very sympathetic toward these brethren, 
 with their thousands of young people. I wish that our English sec¬ 
 retaries would look after these foreign young people; and as you take 
 the names of the English young people, and send them to the different 
 principals of the English schools, I wish you would also secure the 
 names of young people of foreign parentage, and send them to the 
 principals of the foreign schools. 
 
 I think that the foreign young people ought to be encouraged to 
 take the Reading Course for their own language. We ought to be 
 just as loyal to our foreign as to our English schools. That is one of 
 the best means of getting into the hearts of these fathers and mothers. 
 Many have said with sorrow, “Our boys and girls are growing away 
 from our mother tongue.” I wish we could help them to save their 
 boys and girls, and help them to keep their language. That does not 
 mean to separate them from our other societies, but to encourage them 
 to keep in touch with their mother tongue. And then if we can get 
 them to attend the Danish school at Hutchinson, or our Swedish 
 school near Chicago, or our German school, let us do it. 
 
 Miss Erickson: When I was in the office, letters would come, 
 saying, “Can’t you give us help for our German young people?” 
 I had to say, “ I do not know anything to tell you, but I will give you 
 Brother Reiswig’s address.” 
 
 G. E. Nord: Elder Loughborough once made this remark: 
 “This is an age of blowdng horns. If you do not blow your own 
 horn, nobody else will blow it for you.” I was interested in the 
 paper which blew the horn for the Germans, the Swedes, and the Dan- 
 ish-Norw ? egians. I was thinking that among the 35,000,000 or more 
 foreigners in America, perhaps more than half are of other nation¬ 
 alities than German, Danish-Norwegian, and Swedish. There is 
 no one here to blow the horn for them. Among the 10,000 foreign 
 Sabbath keepers in America, 9,000 are Germans, Danish-Norw r egians, 
 and Swedes. The other 1.000 have no representative here. 
 
 23 
 
354 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 I was thinking of the duty of our young people’s societies in all 
 the States toward these foreigners. Of all the foreigners in America, 
 more than three fourths, perhaps, live in the cities. It is estimated 
 that seventy per cent of the population of Chicago is foreign. We 
 have several Missionary Volunteer Societies organized there. It 
 seems to me that we are putting forth a strong effort through our 
 young people’s societies in raising money and continually calling 
 their attention to foreign lands, while we are shamefully neglecting 
 the thousands and millions of foreigners who come into the territory 
 of our conferences every year. I have not found that our missionary 
 societies are inspired to do much for the foreigners in the large cities 
 in the way of distributing literature. 
 
 In the case that Brother Olson has mentioned, the church vis¬ 
 ited by one of the members of our Missionary Volunteer Society at 
 the school,— that was a Swedish family (and by the way, that was 
 the only Swedish family in that whole village of about 2,000). Since 
 accepting the truth, this sister has given hundreds of dollars to the 
 cause. She has interested her whole family in the truth, and I think 
 that upwards of a hundred families have become interested through 
 her distribution of Swedish literature. That is partly the result of 
 the organized efforts in Missionary Volunteer work of our Swedish 
 seminary. 
 
 I know of only four Swedish Missionary Volunteer Societies in 
 the East. In New York City we organized a young people’s society. 
 One Sabbath we took up a collection for literature for other foreigners, 
 and we interested ourselves especially in the Finnish and Italian 
 people. That Sabbath we received larger collections than on any 
 other Sabbath or for any other purpose. Through these means there 
 are several Finns and Italians in the truth, and they have the same 
 burden on their hearts that the Germans, Danish-Norwegians, and 
 Swedes have for their people. 
 
 I was also thinking of the advantage it would be to our work if we 
 could have some help along the line that has been suggested in the 
 paper; and I have thought at times, with the heavy work our super¬ 
 intendents have in these foreign departments, that if they could have 
 as secretary a person who could use the typewriter, and translate, 
 and visit the churches occasionally, and organize societies, it would 
 be a great help. 
 
 There are about 200,000 Swedes in Chicago, and most of those 
 who are native born came to this country after they were twenty-one 
 years of age. While they learn to read the newspapers here, they 
 cling to their Swedish Bible and they read Swedish books. We have 
 good authors and good translators, and they want these books in their 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 355 
 
 own language. I trust that something may be done in the near future 
 to reach the foreigners, more than has been done in the past. 
 
 \V. W. Ruble: One needs to be in the field in order to appreciate 
 these conditions. There are large German churches where the young 
 people can scarcely understand what you say to them in English. 
 I do not think that this prevails quite so largely among the Scandi¬ 
 navians. There are 2,500 German young people that need help. It 
 does seem to me that we ought to do something definite. 
 
 N. W. Lawrence: The suggestion made in regard to the other 
 nationalities was a good one. We have a great many Italians, Jap¬ 
 anese, and Chinese in this Northwest territory, for whom we are 
 doing very little. 
 
 Some of our young people’s societies in localities where these 
 nationalities prevail, are making a very earnest effort to reach them 
 with our literature. In some places, where the English can be under¬ 
 stood, we are doing a definite work. We have many Italians near 
 College Place, and quite a number are interested in the truth, 
 some of whom are almost persuaded to become members of the de¬ 
 nomination. The leader of one of our societies in Portland, Ore., 
 says that they are handling fifty of the Chinese Signs of the Times 
 each month, and have been doing it for four years. They also handle 
 twenty-five copies of the Japanese paper. They go out on the eve¬ 
 ning after the Sabbath and sell these papers, and send the returns to 
 the mission fields. 
 
 DEVELOPMENT AND DIRECTION OF SOCIAL 
 INSTINCTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 M. E. KERN 
 
 Man a Social Being 
 
 Man is social. In the plan of God we are dependent upon one 
 another in every way. “Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he 
 was to be a .social being .”—“Patriarchs and Prophets ,” page 46. 
 
 Having created our social instinct, God provides for its gratification. 
 Of the training of Israel we read in “Education:” “The author of 
 all beauty, himself a lover of the beautiful, God provided to gratify 
 in his children the love of beauty. He made provision also for their 
 social needs, for the kindly and helpful associations that do so much 
 to cultivate sympathy and to brighten and sweeten life. 
 
 “As a means of education, an important place was filled by the 
 feasts of Israel. In ordinary life the family was both a school and a 
 
356 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 church, the parents being the instructors in secular and religious lines. 
 But three times a year seasons were appointed for social intercourse 
 and worship. . . . 
 
 “The experiences of the past, the stories that both old and young 
 still love so well, were recounted to the Hebrew children. . . . God’s 
 commandments were chanted, and, bound up with the blessed in¬ 
 fluences of nature and of kindly human association, they were forever 
 fixed in the memory of many a child and youth.” — Pages 41, 42. 
 
 Social Instincts of Children and Youth 
 
 In the beginning the infant plays alone, by creeping, shaking, 
 fondling, etc., developing the simpler instincts through curiosity and 
 experiment. Later the child begins to imagine and personify in 
 play, and manifests a desire to play with others. The social instinct 
 is beginning to develop. It is very incomplete at first, as is shown 
 by the lack of team work in play which is developed so well later. 
 
 In early adolescence comes the desire for comradeship, and the 
 expression of social cooperation, which is manifested, especially 
 among boys, in the formation of gangs and other spontaneous organ¬ 
 izations. There is a longing for friendship. In the latter part of 
 adolescence these social instincts are more fully developed as the 
 individual experiences the complete change to manhood or woman¬ 
 hood, and realizes more and more the responsibilities and issues of 
 life. There is a great development of ideals and the fixing of purposes 
 to do things in life. There comes a longing for companionship and 
 sympathy. During this period the mating call is heard, and love 
 for the opposite sex springs up, and a desire for social gatherings 
 manifests itself. 
 
 The Need of Development and Direction of Social Instincts 
 
 These social instincts in the lives of our boys and girls are from 
 God, not the devil. They are woven into the very fabric of human 
 life by an all-wise Creator, and are not the result of transgression. 
 They form the basis for the very highest development of the moral 
 and spiritual life of man. 
 
 The boy or girl who habitually seeks solitude is ill, physically, 
 mentally, or spiritually, and needs tender sympathy and nurture, 
 that the normal life may be restored. We are told in the Testimonies 
 (Vol. VI, page 172), that “those who shut themselves up within them¬ 
 selves, who are unwilling to be drawn upon to bless others by friendly 
 associations, lose many blessings; for by mutual contact minds re¬ 
 ceive polish and refinement; by social intercourse, acquaintances are 
 formed and friendships contracted which result in a unity of heart 
 and an atmosphere of love which is pleasing in the sight of heaven.” 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 357 
 
 Social contact is necessary to the proper development of the mind. 
 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his 
 friend.” Prov. 27: 17. It is a noticeable fact that communal ani¬ 
 mals are more intelligent than those with solitary habits. 
 
 The social touch is also necessary to a proper religious life. “As 
 in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” Prov. 
 27: 19. Joyless theology results in fanaticism. 
 
 Not only is the development of the social life necessary for the 
 success and happiness of the individual, but it furnishes the principal 
 means for making our lives helpful to others. “Social to Save” is 
 the happy title of one of Amos R. Wells’s little books. The idea is 
 right. In Volume VI of the Testimonies (page 172) we read, “Espe¬ 
 cially should those who have tasted the love of Christ develop their 
 social powers, for in this way they may win souls to the Saviour.” 
 It has been truly said that sociability and spirituality are twin broth¬ 
 ers. “The friend maker is the disciple winner.” To learn how to 
 
 win friends is to equip ourselves to win souls. 
 
 » 
 
 The Object of Satan’s Special Attacks 
 
 It is not at all surprising that an element of human life which is 
 so pregnant with possibilities for individual happiness and blessing 
 to others, should be the special object of Satan’s attacks. Satan well 
 knows that the perversion of the best is the worst. He understands, 
 too, that it is the mistakes of youth that most effectually mar the 
 whole life, and that it is on the restless sea of adolescence that he can 
 most successfully make his attacks. Just as in the development of 
 the reasoning powers during this period there is great danger of skep¬ 
 ticism and doubt, so with the awakening of the social instincts comes 
 the danger of their perversion into the desire for mere selfish gratifi¬ 
 cation. Instead of finding joy and true happiness in useful work and 
 helpful ministry, he leads the youth to seek for it in frivolity and sen¬ 
 sual indulgence. Instead of considering pleasure a by-product of 
 useful work, it is sought for as an end in itself. 
 
 Geikie says: “The craving for pleasure, at once so natural and so 
 dangerous, is another opening to weakness. Youth, sunny, golden¬ 
 haired youth, ought to be happy, and is made to be so, but its very 
 ethereal temper is its peril. It can find delight in anything, for it 
 carries it in its own bosom. Dull, pleasureless youth is another name 
 for disease or oppression. The merry laugh, the bright smile, the 
 rejoicing spirits, are gifts of God, to be used, not repressed and for¬ 
 bidden. Seriousness does not mean solemnity, and is all the truer 
 and deeper as the counterpart of a natural gladness. God made joy, 
 and the devil sorrow. 
 
358 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 “But we are not to abuse our blessings, or surfeit ourselves with 
 a gluttony of either one kind or another. Pleasure worth the name 
 must be innocent, and must come only as a relaxation from work. 
 To give oneself up to it is to miss it in any true sense .”—“Entering on 
 Life,” pages 17, 18. 
 
 If there ever was a time when the individual needs strong and 
 sympathetic friendship, it is now. Some one has said, perhaps truly, 
 that the strongest influence in life is the first fast friend of the ado¬ 
 lescent period,— some one who has been over the road before, and has 
 not forgotten it, some one who has love, sympathy, tact, and wisdom. 
 I recently heard Secretary of the Navy Daniels say that if he ever 
 was tempted to doubt the wisdom of God, it was because young men 
 in immaturity are required to make decisions which affect their whole 
 lives for weal or woe. And I thought, Well might we question the 
 wisdom of such an arrangement were it not for the fact that God 
 provided for us mothers and fathers, and friends and teachers, in this 
 period of our lives. 
 
 Social Life in the Home 
 
 The first responsibility for the social training rests upon the home. 
 If the child lives in a happy Christian home, one of culture and re¬ 
 finement, where both the play and the work instincts are recognized 
 and utilized in the educational process, a home that becomes its own 
 social center as the social instincts are developed, that child stands 
 on vantage ground in the fight for character. But so often our homes 
 are like old wine skins with the new wine — they are not able to expand 
 with the ferment and activity of youth. Fathers and mothers lose 
 their elasticity, and often do not understand their changing offspring, 
 and do not know what to do; with the result that the home walls of 
 restraint are broken down, and the young people are left to the mercy 
 of the elements outside. Well has this serious problem been set forth 
 in the following lines: — 
 
 “And what if their feet, 
 
 Sent out of our houses, sent into the street, 
 
 Should step round the corner and pause at the door 
 Where other boys’ feet have pausecf often before; 
 
 Should pass through the gateway of glittering light, 
 
 Where jokes that are merry and songs that are bright 
 Ring out a warm welcome with flattering voice, 
 
 And temptingly say, ‘Here’s a place for the boys.’ 
 
 Ah! what if they should ? What if your boy or mine 
 Should cross o’er the threshold which marks out the line 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 359 
 
 ’Twixt virtue and vice, ’twixt pureness and sin, 
 
 And leave all his innocent boyhood within? 
 
 Oh, what if they should, because you and I, 
 
 While the days and the months and the years hurry by, 
 
 Are too busy with cares and with life’s fleeting joys, 
 
 To make round our hearthstone a place for the boys?” 
 
 — Mrs . Bertha Me Cullop 
 
 There is great danger of too little restraint, and there is also danger 
 of too much restraint. Parents are prone to treat the adolescent 
 as a child. This is fatal to good discipline. The reins are tightened 
 when they should be loosened. “If the training of earlier years has 
 been good, guidance by command may now safely give way to that 
 by ideals, which are sure to be heroic.”—“ Youth," by G. Stanley Hall, 
 page 208. 
 
 Forbush says, “It is the evening lamp that is home’s lighthouse. 
 A home without a good eventime is a home without hope, and the way 
 a boy’s day ends at home is a prophecy of the way his life will end. 
 The hour after sunset is the sabbath of the day. It seems, too, as 
 if the very years of crisis were those most neglected. Many parents 
 today are like cuckoos, willing to leave their young in anybody else’s 
 nest.”—“ The Boy Problem," page 132. 
 
 Duty of Teachers and Missionary Volunteer Workers 
 
 We are here to consider-this great problem in all its bearings, and 
 especially our duty as teachers and Missionary Volunteer workers. 
 Those of us who deal with young people are practically unanimous in 
 the belief that we have here an ever-present, perplexing, yet unsolved 
 problem. We ought to approach the study with unbiased minds and 
 a desire to know the truth. Too long we have hesitated to deal with 
 it, except as it has been forced upon us. But while we have done 
 little in a positive way, the young people have been active, without 
 guidance, working out the problem — in the majority of cases to their 
 own hurt. It is a problem that concerns the teachers, not merely 
 that order and proper conduct may be observed in the school, but that 
 the young people may receive a proper social training to enable them 
 to win people to the truth and to mold the sentiment of our churches 
 and other young people in the right way. And while it is a great 
 problem in our schools, it is still more perplexing to our Missionary 
 Volunteer workers, who deal with young people at longer range and 
 without the help furnished by the social and spiritual atmosphere of 
 a school. 
 
 I trust that we shall give earnest and prayerful consideration to 
 this important question, from the standpoint of God’s revelation in 
 
360 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 the nature of children and young people, from the standpoint of 
 principles laid down in the Bible and in “Testimonies for the Church,” 
 and from the standpoint of the times in which we live. I hope that 
 as a result of this study we shall see more nearly alike on the question. 
 
 There is one thing I feel very clear about, and that is that we are 
 only beginning to realize God’s great ideal for us in Christian educa¬ 
 tion. I am inclined to think that messages and statements in the 
 “Testimonies for the Church” which seem inexplicable to us, because 
 we are wedded to precedent and the ways in which we were taught, 
 have a deeper and more far-reaching meaning than most of us realize. 
 I feel that if God’s ideals are worked out, we shall have an altogether 
 different system of schools and different methods of dealing with our 
 young people than the world has, and probably quite different from 
 what we now have. 
 
 Recreation 
 
 It has been said that “when the Almighty made the first man, he 
 made the world significant; but when he made the first boy, he made 
 it interesting;” and that “if God made man out of dust, he surely 
 made boys out of dust and electricity.” It seems to be the electricity 
 that constitutes the boy problem. 
 
 The play instinct in children has been mentioned. “This trait,” 
 said one of our conference presidents, “is manifested in all the ani¬ 
 mal creation, and how we enjoy it in them! How we like to see the 
 little lambs skip and play!” * All are agreed, I think, that this play 
 instinct in children is a part of their true nature. It is the attitude 
 that the youth assume toward these matters that constitutes the 
 difficulty. 
 
 When properly trained, the developing child will have a growing 
 sense of responsibility and a decreasing interest in amusement for its 
 own sake. The adolescent budding into young manhood or woman¬ 
 hood will feel a new sense of individual responsibility. Life purposes 
 will be formed and plans laid for the future. Realizing the serious¬ 
 ness of life, the young people will plan for a proper use of their time. 
 
 How sad and disappointing it would be to see a child of ten still 
 finding its chief delight in the rattle box, and taking no intelligent 
 interest in what goes on about it, as long as its physical wants are 
 supplied! But this would be no more disappointing than to see a 
 young person of twenty neglecting to assume the responsibilities that 
 developing manhood or womanhood brings, but taking life as one 
 round of personal pleasure, satisfying the demands of appetite and 
 passion, with little or no regard for future consequences to himself or 
 others. How sad to see youth in whom is developing the God-given 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 361 
 
 passion of love, playing at love. Amos R. Wells has truly said that 
 “ flirting is the devil’s counterfeit of love,” “a travesty on the most 
 sacred thing in all the universe .”—“How to Play” pages 72, 74. 
 
 It is, however, just these wrong things that are developed in the 
 youth. They are the special objects of Satan’s attack. Like the reck¬ 
 less boy with a new gun, the youth are led to use their newly devel¬ 
 oped powers of reason, initiative, and love, to their own and others’ 
 destruction. “The natural mind leans toward pleasure and self¬ 
 gratification. It is Satan’s policy to fill the mind with a desire for 
 worldly amusement, that there may be no time for the question, 
 How is it with my soul ?”—“Counsels to Teachers” page 325. 
 
 In speaking of recreations at school, the book “Education” says: — 
 
 “Teachers are troubled as they consider the influence of these 
 sports both on the student’s progress in school and on his success in 
 after-life. The games that occupy so much of his time are diverting 
 the mind from study. They are not helping to prepare the youth 
 for practical, earnest work in life. Their influence does not tend to¬ 
 ward refinement, generosity, or real manliness. 
 
 “Some of the most popular amusements, such as football and box¬ 
 ing, have become schools of brutality. They are developing the same 
 characteristics as did the games of ancient Rome. The love of dom¬ 
 ination, the pride in mere brute force, the reckless disregard of life, 
 are exerting upon the youth a power to demoralize that is appalling. 
 
 “Other athletic games, though not so brutalizing, are scarcely less 
 objectionable, because of the excess to which they are carried. They 
 stimulate the love of pleasure and excitement, thus fostering a dis¬ 
 taste for useful labor, a disposition to shun practical duties and re¬ 
 sponsibilities. They tend to destroy a relish for life’s sober realities 
 and its tranquil enjoyments. Thus the door is opened to dissipation 
 and lawlessness, with their terrible results .”—Pages 210, 211. 
 
 Is it therefore wrong for those who have passed the period of child¬ 
 hood to engage in any games or sports? Should all play be abandoned 
 by the young people? 
 
 Before pursuing this subject farther, it may be well to distinguish 
 between recreation and amusement. The word “amusement,” in 
 the popular sense, is not a very worthy word. Mrs. E. G. White 
 makes this distinction. In “Education,” page 207, she says: — 
 
 “There is a distinction between recreation and amusement. Rec¬ 
 reation, when true to its name, re-creation, tends to strengthen and 
 build up. Calling us aside from our ordinary cares and occupations, it 
 affords refreshment for mind and body, and thus enables us to return 
 with new vigor to the earnest work of life. Amusement, on the other 
 hand, is sought for the sake of pleasure, and is often carried to ex- 
 
362 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 cess; it absorbs the energies that are required for useful work, and 
 thus proves a hindrance to life’s true success.” 
 
 The word “amusement” is not always used by her in the bad 
 sense, however. Personally I much prefer to use the word “recrea¬ 
 tion” in speaking of wholesome diversion in which it is proper and 
 indeed quite necessary for all to engage. 
 
 But what forms of recreation, then, are proper for Christian young 
 people? In what games or sports may they engage? This is a very 
 difficult question to answer specifically, and yet the principles, I think, 
 are quite clear. 
 
 In the first place, if our children and young people can receive 
 proper industrial training, and thorough instruction in the responsi¬ 
 bilities of life and their duty to God, that will go a long way toward 
 supplying the need for recreation and lessening the demand for sports 
 and games. However, I do not believe that labor can fully meet 
 the need for recreation. Young and old need sometimes to lay aside 
 the more serious duties of life for a brief time, that they may take 
 them up later with new vigor; as has been said, “to make a truce 
 with toil and care, that we may return to the battle with stouter 
 hearts and keener weapons.” The young people, especially, naturally 
 desire change and relaxation; and we should be careful not to look at 
 their desires in an unsympathetic way, or merely from the standpoint 
 of adults. 
 
 In studying what has been written by Mrs. E. G. White on the 
 subject of games, it seems to me that what is condemned is the undue 
 excitement and rivalry in sports, and the making of play an end in 
 itself. It is said that “Christians have many sources of happiness at 
 their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleas¬ 
 ures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations as will 
 not dissipate the mind or debase the soul, such as will not disappoint, 
 and leave a sad after-influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way 
 to usefulness.”—“ Counsels to Teachers ,” page 342. 
 
 It is when sports or games come to be the principal business, an 
 end in themselves, that these evils are seen. Amos R. Wells has 
 rightly said, “Sport is at an end when sport is made the end of sport. 
 You have no business to make a business of playing.” And further, 
 “The heart of the game is not the score, but the merriment; not to 
 be victorious, but to be vivacious; not to beat, but to romp .”—“How 
 to Play,” pages 34, 39. 
 
 In harmony with these principles, I believe it is the duty of our 
 schools to rule out all sports that are dangerous to the body; all games, 
 such as cards, that have been made wrong by their association with 
 evil; and to prohibit regular team organizations and the playing of 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 363 
 
 match games either in or out of school. This is the general though 
 perhaps not the universal rule. I do not see how we can obviate the 
 evils mentioned above unless we take our stand on this platform. I 
 have known Christian young men to become so infatuated and ex¬ 
 cited over a match game of ball, that they spent time on the Sabbath 
 discussing the merits of the game and how their side could win next 
 time. 
 
 “The desire for excitement and pleasing entertainment is a temp¬ 
 tation and a snare to God’s people, and especially to the young. 
 Satan is constantly preparing inducements to attract minds from the 
 solemn work of preparation for scenes just in the future. Through 
 the agency of worldlings he keeps up a continual excitement to induce 
 the unwary to join in worldly pleasures .”—“Counsels to Teachers 
 page 325. 
 
 If our schools and Missionarv Volunteer workers in the field stand 
 
 ml 
 
 together on this question and teach the same thing, we may hope 
 to save many of our young people from the evils of this amusement- 
 mad age. 
 
 It does not seem best to me to endeavor to give a list of games 
 to be condemned and another list to be approved, further than is 
 stated above. A game that many would condemn may be played by 
 a company of Christian people as a relaxation from toil, with no harm¬ 
 ful results whatever. On the other hand, what are called innocent 
 games may be played in a very unchristian way and with harmful 
 results, just as we may overeat of wholesome food. It is in connec¬ 
 tion with such excesses. I believe, that so many games are mentioned 
 in the “Testimonies for the Church;” for it seems to me that every 
 class of game I have ever known is mentioned. 
 
 If our Missionary Volunteer Department can succeed in its heaven- 
 appointed task of enlisting the youth of the church in the various 
 lines of Christian activity, and inspiring in their lives a passion for 
 souls and. an earnest longing for the coming of Jesus, I believe that 
 there will be no more feverish desire for sports and games for their own 
 sake. 
 
 Social Gatherings 
 
 The laudable desire for social intercourse and its great benefit have 
 been mentioned. The first miracle of Jesus’ ministry was performed 
 at a wedding feast, which is always one of the happiest occasions of 
 human life. “That opening,” says one, “should never be forgotten, 
 for it spreads its glad and tender coloring over all the rest. We are 
 told that He who came to heal all sorrows introduced himself with 
 the sunny gladness of one who could enter into all pure joys.”— 
 “Social Plans,” by Reisner, Pages 6, 7. In “Counsels to Teachers,'* 
 
364 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 (pages 338, 339) we read: “Gatheringsjfor social intercourse may be 
 made in the highest degree profitable and instructive when those who 
 meet together have the love of God glowing in their hearts, when 
 they meet to exchange thoughts in regard to the Word of God, or to 
 consider methods for advancing his work and doing good to their 
 fellow men. When nothing is said or done to grieve the Holy Spirit 
 of God, but it is regarded as a welcome guest, then God is honored, 
 and those who meet together will be refreshed and strengthened.” 
 
 How different the possibilities here suggested, from the following, 
 in the same chapter (page 340): “Many . . . gatherings have been 
 presented to me. I have seen the gayety, the display in dress, the 
 personal adornment. All want to be thought brilliant, and give 
 themselves up to hilarity, foolish jesting, cheap, coarse flattery, and 
 uproarious laughter. The eyes sparkle, the cheek is flushed, conscience 
 sleeps.” 
 
 I believe that our schools have a special duty to perform in setting 
 a standard for proper social gatherings, and in giving proper instruc¬ 
 tion to our young people along these lines. Too long have we taken 
 a negative attitude in regard to this question, with the result, I fear, 
 that many young people have received a wrong impression of our re¬ 
 ligion and have been lost. Such is the general negative attitude that 
 we often fear the criticism that might come from our doing something 
 in a positive way. But we have been told that “something perfectly 
 harmless should be substituted” for the harmful pleasures of the world. 
 
 Who will lead out in setting a standard of proper social life for the 
 Adventist youth, if not our Christian teachers? Here, it seems to 
 me, the schools and Missionary Volunteer Department might well 
 cooperate, to the eternal good of our youth. 
 
 In all these matters we need to be very careful not to frown upon 
 the natural buoyancy of youth. There is danger that those who have 
 constantly to deal with the perversity of youth shall become unsym¬ 
 pathetic. In the Testimonies, Vol. I, p. 565, we read of “persons 
 with a diseased imagination, to whom religion is a tyrant, ruling them 
 as with a rod of iron. ... A frown is ever upon their countenances. 
 . . . They consider all recreation or amusement a sin, and think that 
 the mind must be constantly wrought up to just such a stern, severe 
 pitch.” This attitude is condemned. How can we ever be like the 
 little children whom Jesus presented to us as models, if we lose out 
 of our lives that joyous light-heartedness which is their preeminent 
 charm? No, as workers for young people, we must keep young. If 
 we do, we shall live longer, and be able to do more good. 
 
 May the Lord help us as laborers for the young to train the whole 
 being, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 365 
 
 DISCUSSION 
 
 H. A. Morrison: It seems to me that we ordinarily look at a 
 subject to a large degree through our own experience. Two or three 
 years ago I felt very bad physically when I started to the school. 
 I had scarcely enough energy to get there. As I went along and saw 
 some young people playing games, games that I regarded as innocent, 
 I did not condemn them, yet there was a feeling that came to me, 
 “How can they spend their valuable efforts in doing that kind of 
 thing?” I seemed to be shutting myself up to the work I had to do. 
 Now, it did not change in the least my opinion as to whether it was 
 right or wrong for those individuals to play, yet my mind was bestirred 
 every time I saw them. I mention this because there is a tendency for 
 us who have grown older and have borne certain responsibilities and 
 had certain work to do, to measure others entirely by our own ex¬ 
 perience. 
 
 I also desire to mention another point. There is an obligation 
 resting upon teachers and parents so to enter into play that our 
 children and young people can feel that we are their companions, 
 that we can enter in with them and act. It is an easy thing to say 
 that this is wrong and that is wrong, and then leave it. But that 
 does not lead anywhere, as far as helping the children is concerned. 
 The thing for us to do is to get right down and solve this problem 
 with the youth. They are willing to follow us if we will lead the 
 way. 
 
 Of course anything that brings in what we call the sporting spirit 
 should be entirely dropped out of our work, even if it is necessary to 
 stop sport that might otherwise be all right. I think it is possible for 
 that spirit to come in with some things which might be carried on 
 without it. 
 
 It is of great importance for men and women in their youth to 
 learn how to take recreation. Likewise it is also of great impor¬ 
 tance for them after they have grown older. One of our principal 
 difficulties is that many of us, as we have grown older, have not known 
 how to stop and take some kind of recreation that would make us 
 stronger men and women in working for God. It is also true that 
 those who have learned how to take this recreation in youth and carry 
 it on in their later years, are the men and women who have the greater 
 power with these young people. They are the men and women who 
 can enter in and lead them and become one of them. So I think that 
 this question should be studied and spoken to from this point of view. 
 
 I have studied the Testimonies respecting these games which have 
 been mentioned, and I find that they are nearly always mentioned 
 
366 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 in a manner that would apparently seem to condemn them. Yet in 
 nearly all of these it appears that the author is mentioning the excess, 
 as it were. It is the excess and the undue rivalry that seem to be 
 alluded to. It is true, however, that all of these games are somewhat 
 dangerous, because of the evils that may come into them. But we 
 ought not to say we will not have anything because there is danger. 
 I tell you there is danger in living in this world. But Christ says, 
 I would not take them out of the world, but leave them in the world 
 and keep them from the world. 
 
 F. Griggs: I wish to make one or two practical suggestions. 
 Froebel says, “Come and let us live with our children.” I think we 
 might on all occasions — and I do not know but that it involves the 
 same idea — say, “Come and let us play with our children.” Neither 
 should it be confined to the little children. One way to solve this 
 question is to engage in and help to direct the games that come into 
 our schools. I think that this supervision will do away to a great 
 extent with this spirit that is so detrimental. 
 
 Another thing: 1 think giving the exact length of time that the 
 game may be played will go a long way toward controlling the situa¬ 
 tion. 
 
 I also wish that every one of our schools had a good swimming 
 pool, such as you have here. It is a splendid recreation,— re-creation, 
 — and it is sometimes exceedingly handy to know how to swim. 
 
 Voice: It ought to be part of the college course, 
 
 F. Griggs: It is a part of the course in many schools. I think it 
 would be a good thing if our schools, before they graduate a class, 
 would require the boys to learn to swim and the girls to bake bread. 
 I might suggest an idea that has come to me from the Boy Scout 
 movement,—a lively, vigorous “hike” across country. This would 
 take the place of some games, and give the exercise that is needed. 
 We shall find many things, as we study the principles, that will enable 
 us to solve the question in a very helpful way. 
 
 I. H. Evans: I believe that it is just as much the duty of a college 
 or a training school to train our children physically as it is to train 
 them mentally; and when we get the idea that physical life and activ¬ 
 ity in a boy are just as valuable as mentality in a man, then we shall 
 not have so much trouble about crying “Don’t” for everything the 
 child wants to do. 
 
 Most colleges and universities are developing the physical side 
 of their students. They are providing gymnasiums, and they pro¬ 
 vide physical culture teachers. They are teaching boys and girls 
 how to walk, how to stand, and how to use their physical ability; 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 367 
 
 and they take as much pride and satisfaction in this as in mental 
 progress, and even give grades in physical standing, the same as they 
 do in intellectual standing. 
 
 Now, if a man could have a strong body and a weak mind, or a 
 strong mind and a sickly body, most of us would take the strong body 
 So it seems to me we shall have to change our viewpoint of life some¬ 
 what before we can develop our children aright. We must regard 
 physical power and physical strength as a gift of God, as well as 
 mentality and mental advance. When we do, our children will have 
 less difficulty in getting along with the discipline. 
 
 How can a boy whose every muscle aches to do something, be shut 
 up in a schoolroom day after day with every wall and every teacher's 
 eye saying, “Don’t do this; don’t do that; just walk steadily to your 
 room; and the more sober you look and the less smiles you have, the 
 better off you will be, and the less trouble you will give us.” 
 
 On my way out here I visited a friend who has a little boy. After 
 breakfast the lad came to me and wanted to know if I did not want to 
 see his garden. Of course that would please his mother, and I said, 
 “Yes.” When I got to the door, he pulled a ball out of his pocket, 
 and tossed it to me. We threw that ball until I was tired. Then he 
 said, “Do you want to see me jump? I can jump three level.” 
 
 “Oh, no, you can’t, that is almost as high as your head!” 
 
 “I can jump as high as my head.” 
 
 He brought out his standards, and went to jumping and jumping, 
 and jumped until I thought he would kill himself. 
 
 Then he said, “Come out and see my chickens.” 
 
 I went out to see his chickens, and there was a ditch back of the 
 hencoop about twelve feet wide, with a wall on the other side. 
 
 He said, “Uncle, will you give me a nickel if I jump that ditch?” 
 
 I said, “Don’t try it, you will hurt yourself.” But before I had 
 protested with enough “don’ts,” he jumped. 
 
 “Will you dare me to jump off the barn and clear across that 
 ditch?” 
 
 “For pity’s sake, no!” 
 
 “I am going to do it.” 
 
 Now what would you do with such a boy in the schoolroom? 
 He would tear the schoolhouse down if you didn’t let him do something. 
 
 I think it is the duty of professors and teachers, and men who 
 love boys and girls, to teach them how to use that physical strength, 
 how to develop it, and how to be strong physically as well as mentally. 
 When we do that, we shall not have nearly so much trouble with the 
 boys and girls that are strong physically K and who have to find some 
 vent to let off their strength or else explode. 
 
THE NATURE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AND HOW 
 
 TO V/IN THEM 
 
 MEADE MAC GUIRE 
 
 “Behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good 
 thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto 
 him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that 
 is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 
 . . .The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from 
 my youth up: what lack I yet?” “Then Jesus beholding him loved 
 him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell 
 whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treas¬ 
 ure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he 
 was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great 
 possessions.” 
 
 Jesus loved him, and spoke to him, but it was too late. His ideals 
 of life had been fixed, his habits formed, his profession and his asso¬ 
 ciates chosen, and he had not the courage to break with them all and 
 follow Jesus. So inexorably do the training and environment and 
 habits of early life mold and hold within their grasp all the years of 
 maturity. 
 
 In the morning we mix our cement, and it is so soft and yielding 
 that it can be molded by the hand of a child. A little later it re¬ 
 quires a hard wooden wedge; at noon, an iron chisel and a hammer; 
 and at night even these are broken against the flinty rock. We are 
 dealing with the tender minds in the morning of life, when they are 
 as plastic as wax; and the impressions we make, whether uncon¬ 
 sciously or carelessly, or with a deep sense of our responsibility and 
 privilege, may go on exerting a profound influence to the end of time, 
 and into the great beyond, for “what we put into the first of life, we 
 put into all of life.” 
 
 This is preeminently an age of investigation and analysis. Men 
 are not only giving their attention to the study of natural law in the 
 material world, but they have turned at last to a study of infinitely 
 greater importance and more absorbing interest. And they have been 
 rewarded by awakening the world to the fact that there is no more fas¬ 
 cinating or remunerative study in all the range of human knowledge 
 than the natural laws operating in the mental and spiritual realm of 
 childhood. 
 
 Nor are we circumscribed by extreme limits of time or obscurity 
 of transition from stage to stage of development. It is interesting 
 to compare the preparatory period of life in the child and in the lower 
 368 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 369 
 
 animals. A cat is a kitten for about one twelfth of its life; a dog is a 
 puppy about one tenth of its life; and it takes a horse about one sev¬ 
 enth of its life to come to full growth; but it takes a human being about 
 one fourth of the whole span of life to come to maturity. 
 
 This period of preparation has been divided into various stages 
 more or less clearly indicated by the development of the primary 
 instincts and impulses. And it is in this development that we see 
 distinctly the operation of natural laws. These laws any intelligent 
 person can observe, and surely any person who works in harmony 
 with the laws ordained of God, may hope for greater success than one 
 who is purposely and willfully ignorant of them. 
 
 We have heard people exercise their wit at the expense of others 
 who, though they had no children of their own, had seen the impor¬ 
 tance and possibilities of observation and child study, and were de¬ 
 sirous of enlightening and helping others. Perhaps criticism was 
 justifiable in some cases, but we have seen the same critic violating 
 a natural law in dealing with his children, which is as simple and as 
 inexorable in its operation as the first commandment of the decalogue. 
 He was alienating his child’s affections, hardening its sensitive moral 
 and spiritual nature, and priding himself on the fact that the older 
 he was and the more children he had, the less he knew about child 
 training. 
 
 The wise man said, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but 
 grievous words stir up anger.” To state the law in three words, 
 Like excites like. Anger excites anger; fear excites fear; selfishness 
 excites selfishness; while on the other hand, patience excites patience; 
 meekness excites meekness; and love begets love. It may be that 
 many parents understand this law; but if so, what a pity that they do 
 not live in harmony with it! 
 
 In studying child nature, or human nature, it is not difficult to 
 discover at least some of these elementary laws which are so helpful, 
 and which may contribute .so much to the success of parent and 
 teacher. 
 
 For convenience we might divide the period of early life as fol¬ 
 
 lows: — 
 
 YEARS 
 
 Infancy or early childhood. i to 6 
 
 Childhood. 6 to 9 
 
 Junior age. 9 to 12 
 
 Early adolescence.12 to 16 
 
 Adolescence.17 to 23 
 
 In this paper we shall treat only of the last two periods. Even here 
 we are handicapped by the fact that upon certain points the nature of 
 
 24 
 
370 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 the two sexes is so radically different that our remarks must necessarily 
 be quite general. 
 
 Early Adolescence 
 
 An important fact constantly disregarded is that the puberal 
 change leaves the child a wholly different being, different mentally, 
 physically, morally, and ethically from the children in the stage just 
 left behind. 
 
 At this age a boy is not a larger child, nor is he a “little man;” 
 he is a youth in the transition from childhood to manhood. His 
 nature is unlike what has preceded or what is to follow, and so is his 
 religion. Therefore all our efforts and our methods and our very 
 personality must be adapted to the singular and extraordinary needs 
 of this time. “The changes which come with the soul’s awakening 
 are so great that often a youth becomes a stranger to those who have 
 known him best.” 
 
 Not only professional psychologists, but other thoughtful students 
 of child life, and even we ourselves with a little introspective study, 
 will agree that this is the life crisis — the time of the new birth, 
 physical, mental, and spiritual. 
 
 Physical Development 
 
 While we have all observed the rapid physical development at 
 this age, we are surprised when this growth is reduced to figures. For 
 example, while the heart of a child of ten weighs about 115 grams, 
 at the age of seventeen it weighs 230 grams. Heart, lungs, stomach, 
 and other organs about double in size during the months of early 
 adolescence. A boy may grow so rapidly that an inch in height and 
 twenty pounds in weight are added in a single month. 
 
 At this point lies a cause of much misunderstanding, and often 
 mental suffering on the part of the youth. This extraordinary growth 
 is necessarily attended with a decrease of vigor and endurance in 
 proportion to size, since the vital forces are so fully occupied with 
 the task of building up the body. This leads to the accusation that 
 big, awkward John, who was such a splendid worker as a little boy, 
 has developed an unaccountable lazy streak. Children at this age 
 should be allowed plenty of sleep, plenty of nourishing food, plenty 
 of outdoor exercise, and plenty of patience. 
 
 This is a time when hereditary traits are strongly marked, and 
 the loving, discerning parent or teacher may often discover an ex¬ 
 tremely helpful avenue to the child’s heart. If we are ever to help 
 him overcome unfortunate hereditary tendencies, now is the time to 
 exert all our efforts, and secure his cooperation. 
 
 U 
 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 371 
 
 Mental Development 
 
 The mind of the youth at this time is very active. It is the golden 
 age of memory. The reasoning faculties are developing, and if 
 rightly directed, may greatly strengthen the moral and religious 
 convictions which are beginning to take shape in the mind. But 
 care should be taken not to overtax the mental powers, for it must 
 not be forgotten that the vital forces are being taxed to the utmost 
 with the physical growth. 
 
 Among the characteristics attributed to this age, we are told by 
 one writer, is “rebellion against authority;” while another equally 
 well-known author asserts that the boy in early adolescence has a 
 “supreme regard for authority.” Doubtless both are right. The 
 boy reveres military or civil authority; the leader of the gang must be 
 obeyed, whether he poses as a good-natured and indulgent chieftain, 
 or a haughty and tyrannical autocrat. 
 
 On the other hand, parental authority is often irksome, partly 
 because of the developing self-consciousness and sense of respon¬ 
 sibility to take command of his own life, and partly from a lack of 
 understanding of his nature by his parents. Few seem to realize 
 what an extremely critical time this is for the training of the will. 
 How many young men and women we have with no backbone! They 
 go out to live negative lives, which one of our university presidents 
 says actually do more harm than positively bad lives. What they 
 need is not to have the will broken or overridden, but so patiently 
 and kindly directed that they will go out with strong, well-balanced 
 convictions to live lives positive for good. 
 
 Another prominent characteristic of youth is fickleness, vacil¬ 
 lation, and a lack of continuous interest. Parents are sorely per¬ 
 plexed to see the youth turn today from some enterprise in which 
 enthusiasm ran high yesterday. They fear he will never amount to 
 anything, and too often they tell him so. Seeing his abounding 
 energy and enthusiasm for play or amusement, they do not realize 
 that he never before has run and never again will run on so narrow a 
 margin of reserve vitality. Nature is using it in his rapid growth, 
 and that is why he so quickly tires of what he undertakes. Here the 
 mental equilibrium is so delicately balanced that the youth fluctuates 
 from the heights of unconquerable purpose and enthusiasm, to the 
 depth of discouragement and hopeless lack of interest. Oh, how often 
 he is hurt by discouragement at this point! And what is the result? 
 Statistics show that this is the time of the largest number of com¬ 
 mitments for crime. A boy who is discouraged may be more reck¬ 
 less than a man, because he has a much more limited conception of 
 
372 
 
 EDUCxYTIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 the consequences of wrong-doing. While many go wrong because of 
 a lack of discipline and training to obedience in early life, there are 
 others who might be saved at this critical point by a judicious relax¬ 
 ation of parental authority. 
 
 The youth is also extremely susceptible to the influences which 
 come into his life from a new-found friend or a fascinating book. 
 A sermon or a picture or a passing word of condemnation or of ap¬ 
 proval may profoundly influence the whole after-life. “He hears 
 the siren voices of passion, society, wealth, and fame, and the clear 
 call of self-sacrifice and duty, and the soul is bewildered, not knowing 
 which to heed.” He has the temptations of a man, with the knowl¬ 
 edge and judgment of a child. His very instability as he drifts 
 about in doubt as to the best place to cast his anchor, without settled 
 ambitions or fixed ideals or chosen career, should be the strongest 
 appeal to us to surround him with helpful influences. 
 
 And one of the most effective ways of helping him to develop 
 noble and manly principles, and to assert the courage of his convic¬ 
 tions, is to show confidence in him and in his purpose to do right. 
 More than at any other time in life he appreciates being consulted 
 and treated as an equal, and being placed on his honor and trusted. 
 O for more parents and teachers who have a deep appreciation of the 
 privilege of understanding the youth and wanning their confidence! 
 Who would not rather be the hero of a child of twelve, than the might¬ 
 iest monarch on an earthly throne? 
 
 Another very apparent characteristic of youth ’ is their extremes 
 of experience, with emotional activity given expression in slang, and 
 bywords, and the extravagant use of adjectives. This is sometimes 
 very trying to the teacher (unless she still indulges in it herself), but 
 patience and love will invent some other emotional safety-valve 
 which will be innocent and harmless, and wall tend upward toward 
 refinement and nobility. 
 
 Still another characteristic is the strong social instinct developing 
 at this time. There is a longing for friendship and sympathy — 
 the boy worships his hero, and the girl adores her heroine. With 
 the combined pressure of developing physical powers, self-conscious¬ 
 ness, altruism, and emotional activity, the youth long for comrade¬ 
 ship among their fellows, and also for a friend higher up who has 
 crossed the stormy straits of early adolescence and is safe on terra 
 firma again. Those noble men and women, who, wdth a delicate 
 sense of discernment of the significance of this craving, respond to 
 the lavish devotion of these youth, may exert a profound and whole¬ 
 some influence upon their whole after-life. Lest some one should 
 fail to understand the terms used in the last sentence, I may say that, 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 373 
 
 however eager we may be for the appearance of manly refinement 
 and womanly dignity, we might make a longer stride toward a boy’s 
 heart by slapping him on the back and calling him Bill than by all 
 manner of affectionate expressions; and the beautiful devotion of the 
 girl, which sounds so well on paper, might be termed by a less loving 
 and appreciative friend, silly sentimentalism. 
 
 Religious Awakening 
 
 The period marked by so striking a development, physical and 
 mental, is also characterized by a corresponding moral awakening. 
 This is evidenced by the fact that more than three fourths of all the 
 conversions take place during this time. It is said that from seventy- 
 five to ninety per cent of the members of the Protestant churches of 
 America were converted before they were twenty-three. Of the 
 seventy-seven young people here at Pacific Union College who told 
 me the age of their conversion, the average was sixteen and one-half 
 years. This is therefore the time when we are to be especially alert 
 to cooperate with God, as he operates through natural laws to bring 
 about the moral awakening and sense of responsibility which precedes 
 the miracle of conversion, or the new birth. 
 
 This moral awakening, like the physical and mental development, 
 is characterized by the storm and stress of conflicting emotions and 
 developing faculties. Joy and enthusiasm alternate with doubt and 
 discouragement, while a constant struggle goes on between hope in 
 God and consciousness of failure to reach the soul’s high ideal. 
 
 The other day a girl in early adolescence said to me, “I have not 
 the slightest care for religion or God. I am having a good time in 
 the world, and am happy, and satisfied to live a day at a time.” 
 After talking pleasantly a few moments, she said, “I am the most 
 wretched girl in the world. I know the things of this world are shallow 
 and do not satisfy, and I often wish I had never been born. If I 
 were not such a coward I would kill myself.” A little later she said, 
 “Of course I want to be a Christian, everybody does who has any 
 sense; but I just cannot be a good Christian, and I won’t be a hypo¬ 
 crite.” 
 
 A boy of about the same age said, “Aw, I don’t want to hear 
 anything about religion; that’s all I’ve heard since I was a little kid. 
 I intend to get out in the world and have a good time.” But a few 
 hours later he was back, humble and conscience-stricken, saying, 
 “ I am sorry for what I said. I know I ought to be a Christian, and 
 sometimes I try the very best I know how, but it seems as though I 
 fail worse each time.” 
 
374 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The fact is, these children have high ideals, and they are not 
 content, as many of us older ones are, to profess to be disciples of 
 Christ, and live so far beneath our Example. 
 
 It is very important at this time that we should present Jesus to 
 these young idealists as a positive character. The fact that he never 
 did anything wrong does not appeal to them, but they may be deeply 
 impressed by his mighty achievements. Teach Jesus as the noblest, 
 bravest, and truest hero who ever lived; the one who faced the hatred 
 of men, as well as mighty invisible foes, fighting on day by day, 
 calmly and unflinchingly; one who could never endure to see women 
 abused or children treated unkindly; and above all, one who has 
 w'rought a mighty miracle in thousands of the most wicked and hope¬ 
 less men and women, and made them pure and beautiful like himself. 
 
 Then we must not forget that a youth’s religion must fit his nature 
 and meet his needs. The things which appeal to and satisfy adult 
 saints, will not be the best for boy saints — and the boys are none 
 the less saints because of this. 
 
 It is encouraging to know that we do not have to spend much 
 time persuading young people that they ought to do the right things, 
 or getting up their enthusiasm for it. God and nature have done 
 that. We have to hold up the right ideal, and the whole impulse of 
 their better nature will drive them toward it, for they are essentially 
 idealists. The more exacting our standards, the more heroic our 
 appeal, the more response we are likely to awaken in their eager souls. 
 
 There is likely to come a time in the young person’s experience when 
 doubts and questions arise. Not all cases can be treated alike, but 
 all must be treated with perfect frankness and candor. Scoffing or 
 ridicule may seal their lips, but it does not dispel their doubts. If 
 they are made to understand that such an experience is common to 
 the developing reasoning faculties, and that this question and the 
 desire to be certain of every step does not necessarily indicate a des¬ 
 perate case, they may more easily get their feet on the solid rock of 
 faith. 
 
 Probably one of the greatest, most persistent, most perplexing of 
 all the problems the youth have to meet in this generation is that of 
 social purity. Wherever he goes, in private or in public, in the school, 
 on the streets, in solitude and in society, practically every youth is 
 confronted and assailed by temptation to physical or social or mental 
 impurity. 
 
 Some way it does seem pathetic to me, that on the very point 
 which, above all others, wflth the exception of religion, he needs wise, 
 kind, sensible help, we are all dumb. Every one seems to be fright¬ 
 ened or ignorant or indifferent. We seem to be afraid even to talk 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 375 
 
 the matter over among ourselves, and to study and pray for help 
 from above to stem the tide and to protect our young people from the 
 evil suggestions which they see on the billboards, the post cards, in 
 the papers, on the walls of public buildings, and which they hear from 
 the lips of their playmates, of laborers, and of men and women in the 
 streets, and with which the very air seems tainted. And yet I know 
 that this is a very real problem with the teachers before me. 
 
 Later Adolescence 
 
 Then there is another question which has grown to mighty propor¬ 
 tions in the minds of the older young men and women, and which it is 
 our duty to take up in a discreet, sensible way. That is the question 
 of love, courtship, and marriage. We need not think for a moment 
 that if we carefully avoid or ignore this question, they will follow our 
 example. Since it is a great reality to them, and has much to do with 
 their salvation and future usefulness, we need to consider it and talk 
 it over with them kindly and wisely. As a rule, I believe they would 
 rather talk these things over with some one of experience, for they 
 sense its seriousness, but they are too shrewd to take any chances of 
 ridicule or betrayed confidence; and so they go ahead and aften make 
 sad mistakes, which might have been avoided if we had proved our 
 sympathy with them. 
 
 How many of our dear young people are spoiling their lives be¬ 
 cause of ignorance and folly on this point! We meet them at the age 
 of fifteen or sixteen talking of their betrothal, or perhaps already 
 married. Had they been rightly trained, they might have had a 
 chance in life. A physician said to a young girl who was talking of 
 matrimony: “You have not yet got your growth. Your muscles are 
 soft, your bones are soft, and your brain is soft. Wait awhile, till 
 your mind becomes mature and your judgment developed, and you 
 will never regret it.” 
 
 Quiet, heart-to-heart talks at this time are of inestimable value. 
 Every encouragement should be given them to talk freely, especially 
 concerning their spiritual experiences. It is quite characteristic of 
 this age, and especially perhaps in this generation, to express great 
 disdain for any religious exercises which appeal to the emotions. This 
 may be due to the reaction from the emotional stress of early adoles¬ 
 cence. But we must show them the difference between intellectual 
 assent, or head religion, and the religion of the heart,— the seat of 
 the emotions. 
 
 Oh, how we need trained workers,— young men and women who 
 appreciate God’s estimate of these precious souls; men and women 
 who will count no effort too great, no sacrifice too dear, to become 
 
376 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 expert in this great work which is so simple, yet so difficult, so in¬ 
 tensely interesting, yet so taxing to the patience, but which brings so 
 great reward! “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” “Feed my 
 lambs.” This is the great Master’s test ot genuine love for himself. 
 
 And how the young people love the one who gives himself for 
 them and to them, and goes to them in a straightforward manner to 
 talk on the greatest of all themes! A young boy was standing before 
 the casket at a funeral where he appeared to be a stranger. At the 
 close of the service the pastor touched him on the shoulder with the 
 word, “He was a good friend, wasn’t he?” “Oh, yes, sir,” replied 
 the boy, “he was the best friend I had. He brought me to Jesus.” 
 
 God grant it may be our highest ambition to have many give this 
 testimony to our faithfulness when our work is done. 
 
 WORK YOUNG PEOPLE CAN DO 
 
 M. E. ELLIS 
 
 Fundamental Factors 
 
 Could we harness to the work of God even that portion of the 
 energy, the strength, the talent, and the enthusiasm of our professed 
 Christian young people, which is now being wasted, there is no one 
 present with imagination vivid enough to forecast what would be the 
 full result in blessings received and bestowed, in spiritual life deep¬ 
 ened, and in souls won to Christ. On one side we have all the latent 
 talent needed to move the world; on the other side we have the great 
 throng of sin-burdened souls; between the two we have the chasm of 
 listlessness, daily widening because of spiritual inertia, and from 
 which rise the obscuring fogs of ignorance of the need, and indifference 
 as to results of neglecting it. 
 
 Among other determining factors, three stand out with prominence, 
 that, if made the most of, will relieve the situation and bring results. 
 They are: trained leadership for our young people, team work by soci¬ 
 eties, and personal consecration to the work by the individual. Each 
 of the three is so dependent on the other two for the largest success 
 that to consider each by itself is only to get a partial view of the 
 situation. 
 
 To get our feet on solid rock in the consideration of this question 
 as to the work young people can do, let me quote three brief sentences 
 from the spirit of prophecy that will give us at once our need, our 
 privilege, and our prospects. 
 
 “The greatest want of the world is the want of men,— men who 
 will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 377 
 
 honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose 
 conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will 
 stand for the right though the heavens fall.”—“ Education ,” page 57. 
 
 That kind of men and women are scarce in the world, and scarce 
 in the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists. This scarcity constitutes 
 the reason for this being the greatest want of the world. 
 
 The second quotation is: “To every one who offers himself to the 
 Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attain¬ 
 ment of measureless results.”—“ Ministry of Healing ,” page 160. To 
 offer ourselves in that way is the privilege of every Seventh-day Ad¬ 
 ventist young man and woman. 
 
 The third quotation: “There is no limit to the usefulness of the 
 one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy 
 Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.”— 
 “ Testimonies for the Church , ” Vol. VIII, page iq. That is the pros¬ 
 pect before the consecrated worker. 
 
 Let us focus our attention for a few minutes on specific branches 
 of work, considering the three factors first mentioned,— trained 
 leadership, team work by societies, and personal consecration. 
 
 Literature and Correspondence 
 
 Literature and correspondence work opens up a field for the ef¬ 
 forts of young people peculiarly suited to their temperament and 
 ability, and a good leader can plan for and secure team work in his 
 society in this line of activity to a greater extent than in perhaps 
 anything else. Under this head comes work in special campaigns, 
 and also regular, systematic, week-by-week work with our papers and 
 magazines, broadcast seed-sowing, and careful hand-planting of the 
 seed; and if, back of it all, is the prayerful, earnest desire to see souls 
 saved through the ministry of the printed word, we can confidently 
 look to God for his blessing on it all. 
 
 Special efforts with our literature should be carefully planned 
 for and worked out in detail, before being presented to the society. 
 A clear, definite plan will secure the team work of the members with¬ 
 out question. Here is the advantage of having trained leaders and 
 officers in the society. 
 
 A concrete example may be of interest. Last fall our society at 
 College View conceived the idea of placing an envelope containing 
 literature on the Eastern Question and war situation in every house 
 in Lincoln and its suburbs. This was while the talk of Turkey’s 
 entering the great war was the chief topic of discussion with every 
 one. We found the approximate number of homes, wrote asking for 
 best terms- on the tracts needed for the campaign. When we had our 
 
378 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 facts and figures together, we had an enthusiastic meeting, and raised 
 the money to pay for the tracts, and enlisted seventy-five volunteers 
 to distribute them. The following Sunday we met, assigned territory 
 to each one by means of cards written out beforehand, and after a 
 word of prayer the workers went to their assignments. Some sections 
 were not covered that day, but the work was finished the next Sunday. 
 
 The immediate results that we could see were, first, an increased 
 interest on the part of our own young people in the society work; 
 second, nearly a quarter of a million pages of tracts were distributed 
 in 7,000 homes on those two afternoons; third, the ammunition 
 used in the effort was paid for in cash when the bill was presented, 
 leaving no bad taste in the mouth from a lingering account. 
 
 The results that were not at once 'apparent have been cropping 
 out in various ways ever since. In the packages were slips offering to 
 send more literature. Several requests came in, and were followed up, 
 resulting in three-month subscriptions to the Signs weekly, and corre¬ 
 spondence. One Lincoln daily printed a long editorial in regard to our 
 “flooding Lincoln with literature.” So in various ways we have rea¬ 
 son to believe that this work accomplished much good, and turned 
 people’s minds to sober subjects. 
 
 Campaigns of this nature can be carried on as occasions arise, 
 by any society or any individual, suiting the size of the campaign 
 rather to the individuals carrying it forward than to the greatness of 
 the need. But definite and thorough work, and a careful counting 
 of the cost, and also some way of following up any interest created, 
 should be component parts of every such effort. 
 
 Next year will be the greatest year for the agitation of the tem¬ 
 perance question that this country has ever seen. We have the best 
 temperance document ever issued, in the Youth's Instructor Temperance 
 Annual , and it is none too early now to lay plans for a broadcast sowing 
 of that paper from one end of the country to the other. Many plans 
 will suggest themselves to the live leader. One plan which met with 
 excellent success in the Nebraska Conference one year was the securing 
 of lists of the public school teachers by counties. Then the churches, 
 Missionary Volunteer Societies, and individuals, as many as could be 
 enlisted in the work, became financially responsible for a certain county 
 or counties, and every teacher in that county was sent a copy of the 
 Temperance Annual, with a letter emphasizing its purpose. Between 
 4,000 and 6,ooo papers were used in this way, and many warm-hearted 
 responses came from the county superintendents in regard to the work, 
 and their appreciation of our efforts in behalf of their teachers and 
 the scholars under them. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 379 
 
 Conventions, rallies of one kind or another, and all large gather¬ 
 ings offer excellent opportunities for the use of literature, and indi¬ 
 viduals and societies, with cooperation from the conference, if the 
 proposition is too large to be handled alone, can give an entirely new 
 trend of thought to hundreds on the vital questions of the day, as 
 our literature is placed in their hands. 
 
 The possibilities of missionary correspondence are well known to 
 all of us. There is one branch of this correspondence work, however, 
 that I should like to see emphasized, for I believe that in it is great 
 possibility for good. We have hundreds of isolated young people, 
 who just by reason of their being Seventh-day Adventists, if for no 
 other cause, are deprived of the association with other young people 
 of their age; and if, through the medium of the State secretary, earnest, 
 zealous Missionary Volunteers could be placed in touch with these 
 isolated ones, a friendship might ensue, and a bond of fellowship be 
 woven, that would be the means of helping many of our young people 
 over dangerous places, and holding them in the way of truth. I do 
 not mean in any sense that the State secretary should conduct a mat¬ 
 rimonial bureau, but that young men, perhaps in some of our schools, 
 or in the canvassing field, or situated where they see the work advanc¬ 
 ing and are a part of it, be placed in touch with young men not so 
 highly favored; that young women similarly be brought into contact 
 by correspondence with young women perhaps just on the point of 
 deciding to go to the world instead of throwing their lives and talents 
 into the cause of Christ. I know personally of scores in this confer¬ 
 ence who, I am sure, would appreciate this kind of missionary cor¬ 
 respondence. 
 
 Christian Stewardship 
 
 In regard to the matter of stewardship, the accomplishments of 
 our young people, while increasing yearly, are still far, far below 
 what they should be, and the amount spent for chocolates, gum, and 
 ice cream is still far beyond that which goes into the Lord’s treasury. 
 This is due largely to the fact that the rapidly growing work in all 
 fields has called so insistently for money that we have put forth 
 great efforts to get our young people to “give,” instead of taking the 
 time and thought to teach and carefully emphasize the principles of 
 Christian stewardship. 
 
 “By forcing the plant we may gather the fruit the sooner and in 
 large quantities, but the forced plant will never do so well again. 
 What we need to do is to carefully cultivate the roots, giving time to 
 the process, so that the plant shall be constantly and richly nourished, 
 and then the fruit will not only be abundant, but there will be a 
 
380 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 never-failing supply. By pressing the question of giving, and placing 
 all the emphasis there, without teaching the fundamental principles of 
 Christian stewardship, we force the plant. By going back to the prin¬ 
 ciples, and rooting and grounding the young people in them, we culti¬ 
 vate the roots and secure permanent and adequate results.” 
 
 On the leaders of our Volunteer Societies lies a heavy responsi¬ 
 bility in this line, because in no other way, perhaps, can our young 
 people render more valuable and efficient service, both at home and 
 abroad, than by understanding and appreciating and living up to 
 the principles of Christian stewardship. 
 
 Christian Help Work 
 
 A hint dropped by J. Hudson Taylor in “A Retrospect,” brought 
 me to realize in a new way how much might be done in the line of 
 Christian help work if we were awake to its possibilities. He said 
 that he and his wife would frequently look over their little stock of 
 worldly goods to see if there was anything in it that they had ceased 
 to need, which would be of benefit to some one else, feeling that they 
 would not want the Lord to come and find them in possession of a 
 lot of things that might have been used to relieve some one’s need. 
 
 There are many places, especially in the South, and in our city 
 missions, where good reading, cast-off garments, bedding, and other 
 things of that nature will prove a great blessing and help to the workers. 
 Our young people with their strength and activity, can do a large work 
 in supplying these places with these articles. From one call made in 
 one of our society meetings last winter, we received 189 garments, 
 and over 5,000 pages of tracts to be sent to one of the mission schools 
 in the South. At the least valuation placed on the clothing sent, 
 we had over $75 worth. A cash collection of $4.50 paid the freight 
 on the box, which weighed over 3,000 pounds. The letter of thanks 
 which we received was ample pay for what little trouble it took to get 
 the things together. 
 
 Junior Work 
 
 In the Junior work is another great opportunity for our Senior 
 young people. It is a well-known fact that between the place where 
 the Sabbath school loses its strongest grip on the child, and the place 
 where the young people’s society lays hold of him, is a space of several 
 years, the most important character-forming years of his life, when 
 there is practically no special religious influence thrown around him 
 by our religious organization. If our Missionary Volunteers would 
 step into this breach, and each one become the older friend of one 
 child, if no more, the problem of letting our children and young people 
 drift out into the world would in a very few years be solved. 
 
COUNCIL PEOCEEDINGS 
 
 381 
 
 Personal Work 
 
 But the great work for young people, the work wherein is bound 
 up the success of the young people’s movement, the work which 
 to a large extent includes all other lines, is what we know as personal 
 work. This is the greatest work, for the whole is greater than any of 
 its parts, and in it is bound up the success of the young people’s 
 movement, because that is the young people’s movement, and the call 
 to young people to band together for a special line of work still comes 
 to us in the clear, simple, absolutely plain words of the spirit of proph¬ 
 ecy, which admit of no double meaning, “Will the young men and 
 women who really love Jesus organize themselves as workers, not only 
 for those who profess to be Sabbath keepers, but for those not of our 
 faith?” 
 
 Yet, getting results in this line of work is the hardest thing a leader 
 has to grapple with, and the reason is not far to seek. You can conduct 
 a Sabbath literary society, and exercise but little spirituality; you 
 can get people to take part on a program if they have any talent at 
 all; you can easily secure volunteers for any ordinary or extraordinary 
 effort you wish to put forth in the society. But you cannot enlist re¬ 
 cruits and hold them month in and month out in a real personal-work 
 band and see them bringing one soul after another to Christ, unless they 
 really have the spirit of Christ in their hearts, unless they “really love 
 Jesus” in the full meaning of those words, unless their hearts really 
 ache to help those around them; for real personal workers realize 
 that they must be before they can do; that they themselves must be 
 what they want others to become. This class of young people is 
 comparatively small. 
 
 Nine years ago, on taking a religious census of the young people 
 of College View, we were appalled to find that less than twenty per 
 cent of the children between the ages of twelve and thirty years, of 
 Sabbath keeping parents, had ever made a profession of Christianity, 
 and less than thirteen per cent were enjoying anything like a respect¬ 
 able Christian experience. Conditions there are no'better today; and 
 yet from what experience I have had, I do not believe College View 
 is very different from other places in this respect. We certainly need 
 personal workers, and I feel sure that if the resolution in regard to 
 personal-work bands, passed at the St. Helena convention, is empha¬ 
 sized and carried out, it will mean a great uplift to the Missionary 
 Volunteer work. 
 
 The development of personal workers is not as spectacular as some 
 other phases of the young people’s movement, neither are the deep, 
 strong foundations of the skyscraper as plainly visible as the facade 
 
382 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 and the ornamental flagpole at the top, but the foundations are ab¬ 
 solutely essential to a stable structure. The development of Chris¬ 
 tian character is an impossibility without personal work, for personal 
 work is Christianity, and Christ came for no other purpose than to 
 seek and to save that which was lost. 
 
 It is not more Missionary Volunteers that we need so much as a 
 better brand of Missionary Volunteers; and the development of the 
 personal-work idea will make the brand better, and also increase the 
 efficiency and quality of every line of work attempted. 
 
 So in closing I would say that every line of Christian effort makes 
 a bid for the strength, the activity, and the talent of the young people. 
 They can do anything, under the blessing of God, to which they set 
 their hand. In order that our young people may become an irre¬ 
 sistible force, let us keep our standards high, and continue to set 
 higher and still higher standards of Christian attainment before them, 
 and do our utmost to cause them to realize that nothing short of their 
 very best effort will be acceptable to the King. 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS ON MISSIONARY 
 VOLUNTEER WORK 
 
 Organization 
 
 Whereas, The Lord is greatly blessing the work of the recently 
 organized Home Missionary Department, in organizing for active 
 work the adult membership of our churches, making it necessary 
 that all should understand the details of our plans for operating the 
 home missionary work and the Missionary Volunteer Society in 
 the local church,:— 
 
 1. We recommend the following plans for the local Missionary 
 Volunteer Society: — 
 
 (a) No definite age limit can be drawn between old and young. 
 Those who are considered and who count themselves as belonging 
 to the young people may unite with the Missionary Volunteer Society, 
 also persons who may be no longer young, but who are chosen to 
 lead. In general, we think of twenty-five to thirty as the approx¬ 
 imate dividing line, but local conditions and individual feelings 
 should determine this matter. 
 
 (b) As there are many advantages in having the Missionary 
 Volunteer leader and secretary as the assistant leader and assistant 
 secretary, respectively, of the home missionary society, consideration 
 should be given to this in the selection of these officers. 
 
 (c) There is a great advantage in having young people meet to¬ 
 gether if they have good leadership, even though the number may be 
 small. Where it is impossible to have a separate meeting, let old 
 and young meet together, in which case the young people should 
 still have a leader, or both leader and secretary, who shall report the 
 work of the young people to the conference Missionary Volunteer 
 secretary. In arranging for the meetings, the following plans may 
 be used: (i) The program of the combined meeting to be arranged 
 so as to include some features of the Missionary Volunteer programs. 
 (2) If the majority in the combined society are young people, the 
 society may be a regular Missionary Volunteeer Society, and the 
 adult members report to the church missionary secretary. (3) It 
 may be arranged for each society to have ch rge of the meeting on 
 alternate weeks. 
 
 (d) The young people should always be encouraged to remember 
 that, as church members, they have a responsibility to help make 
 the general church missionary meetings and the church prayer meet¬ 
 ings a success. 
 
 2. Resolved , That a simple card be provided by the Department 
 for the transfer of members from one society to another. 
 
 383 
 
384 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 Whereas , The Lord has greatly blessed the efforts which have 
 been put forth for our Junior young people, and the great importance 
 of this work is more and more apparent,— 
 
 3. Resolved, That we give greater emphasis to*the Junior work,— 
 
 (a) By arranging a separate Goal for them; 
 
 (b) By arranging for a Standard of Attainment adapted to the 
 capacity of the Juniors; and, 
 
 (c) By providing a Junior leaflet series with matter giving in¬ 
 struction to workers for Juniors, also matter of an inspirational char¬ 
 acter to be put into the hands of Juniors. 
 
 4. Resolved, That in general we consider eight to fourteen the 
 Junior age, but that in elementary schools all scholars be included 
 in the society, regardless of age, care being taken not to duplicate 
 membership or reports when the same persons attend both societies. 
 
 5. We recommend, That in conferences where the church school 
 superintendent and the Missionary Volunteer secretary are not 
 the same person, the Missionary Volunteer secretary and the church 
 school superintendent plan together for the Junior work in the church 
 schools. The society reports will of course be sent to the conference 
 Missionary Volunteer secretary. A duplicate report will be sent to 
 the educational superintendent. 
 
 Whereas , We believe that because of the growth of the Missionary 
 Volunteer work, efficient work and steady development demand 
 certain changes in the present plan of organization; and,— 
 
 Whereas, Our union conferences now have active Missionary 
 Volunteer secretaries,— 
 
 6. We recommend, (a) That while the Standard of Attainment 
 and Reading Course certificates continue to be provided by the 
 General Conference Missionary Volunteer Department and signed 
 by the secretary of that department, these certificates hereafter be 
 issued by the union conference Missionary Volunteer secretary, and 
 be sent to the conference Missionary Volunteer secretary for his 
 signature. 
 
 (b) That the Missionary Volunteer Goal be apportioned to the 
 union conferences by the North American Division Department, 
 and to the local conferences by the union departments. 
 
 (c) That the union conference Missionary Volunteer secretary 
 be responsible to the Missionary Volunteer Department of the North 
 American Division for the reports of the conferences in his union. 
 This plan goes into effect January 1, 1916. 
 
 Whereas, There is an ever-increasing demand for work in behalf 
 of our foreign young people in America,— 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 385 
 
 7. We recommend, That the Danish-Norwegian and the Swed¬ 
 ish Seminaries work in harmony with the Department in fostering 
 this work among the young people of these nationalities, especially 
 in the matter of translating lessons, programs, and Missionary Volun¬ 
 teer leaflets, and arranging Reading Courses in those languages. 
 
 Whereas, The large number of German young people seems to 
 demand the time of one individual to labor under the direction of 
 the Department; we respectfully — 
 
 8. Recommend, That this matter be referred to the North American 
 Division Conference Committee at the autumn council for favorable 
 action. 
 
 Educational Features 
 
 _ • , . 
 
 9. We recommend, That brief, pointed matter be added to our 
 
 leaflet series for the use of local society members in their work for the 
 unconverted, both in and out of our churches. 
 
 10. We recommend, (a) That the General Conference Missionary 
 Volunteer Department, in council with the presidents of our colleges, 
 prepare a special series of society lessons for use in the college Mission¬ 
 ary Volunteer Societies. 
 
 (b) That these lessons be briefly outlined and printed in the 
 Gazette for the nine school months of the year. 
 
 11. We recommend, (a) That a simple outline of Standard of At¬ 
 tainment requirements for both Seniors and Juniors be prepared 
 as a number of our leaflet series; and,— 
 
 (b) That the Department take steps toward the preparation 
 of inexpensive booklets on Bible Doctrines and Denominational 
 History for the use of our young people in qualifying for the Standard 
 of Attainment. 
 
 Evangelistic Efforts 
 
 In order that we may accomplish as much as possible for our 
 young people at camp meeting and may avail ourselves of the benefit 
 of past experience,— 
 
 12. We recommend, (a) That the conference committee leave the 
 Missionary Volunteer secretary free from other responsibilities on 
 the camp ground, allowing him to give his whole time to the interests 
 of the young people. 
 
 (b) That the young people’s work on the camp ground be left 
 in charge of the conference Missionary Volunteer secretary, who may 
 associate with him or her the union conference secretary and other 
 suitable helpers; and that those who have the responsibility of the 
 work remain through the meeting, and enter earnestly into the daily 
 services and organized plans for prayer and personal work. 
 
 25 
 
386 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 (c) That in planning for lessons for the morning devotional meet¬ 
 ings, provision be made for brief, practical talks that will help in the 
 daily Christian life, and that have some continuity of thought from 
 day to day; and that the afternoon lessons be devoted generally to the 
 leading lines of Missionary Volunteer and educational work. 
 
 (d) That a suitable place under proper supervision, be arranged 
 where our young people rpay have access to our Missionary Volunteer 
 literature. 
 
 13. We recommend, That earnest efforts be made to increase 
 the efficiency of our young people in personal work,— 
 
 (a) By placing the leaflet, “Personal Work,” in the hands of 
 every active missionary volunteer. 
 
 (b) By making the personal workers’ band in the local society, 
 school, and camp meeting of major importance, giving special at¬ 
 tention to the selection of its leaders and members, and arranging 
 time for band meetings for prayer and the study of methods. 
 
 (c) By the selection by secretaries of personal experiences which 
 may be published by the Department in some form for general en¬ 
 couragement and instruction. 
 
 (d) By recommending a choice list of books on personal evan¬ 
 gelism for the instruction of those who desire to learn how to win 
 souls. 
 
 Whereas, The spiritual life of the Missionary Volunteer Society 
 depends a great deal upon the missionary activity of its members,— 
 
 14. We recommend , (a) That a systematic campaign be under¬ 
 taken for the extension of the King’s Pocket League plan, and to 
 increase the circulation of our literature through the mails, reading 
 racks, circulating libraries, and other means which have proved 
 successful. 
 
 (b) That we encourage more frequent observance of missionary 
 field days, in which a church, the employees of an institution, or 
 students of a school shall go out in a body to circulate special issues 
 of our papers or other missionary literature. 
 
 Whereas, The spiritual life of our young people is dependent upon 
 their knowledge of God and personal acquaintance with him, and 
 the observance of the Morning Watch is very effective in bringing 
 them spiritual help,— 
 
 15. We recommend, (a) That our Missionary Volunteer workers, 
 parents, and school faculties see to it that all our young people are 
 provided with the Morning Watch calendar. 
 
 (b) That our schools use the calendar in their devotional services. 
 
 (c) That each conference worker be urged to observe the Morni ng 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 387 
 
 Watch, and to use the calendar for distribution among new converts 
 and others. 
 
 (d) That parents encourage the observance of the Morning 
 Watch among the children in the home by reviewing the daily texts 
 in family worship. 
 
 Recognizing the need for a revival of earnest and positive teaching 
 on the social purity question,— 
 
 16. We recommend , (a) That the Missionary Volunteer Depart¬ 
 ment prepare and circulate purity literature. 
 
 (b) That the Department of Education, through the Fireside 
 Correspondence School, offer a brief course of lessons to prepare 
 parents and teachers for giving instruction on purity subjects. 
 
 (c) That a purity pledge be printed on a card suitable for circu¬ 
 lation, and that our secretaries use it in beginning a quiet, earnest 
 campaign to inculcate true principles of social purity. 
 
 Whereas, It seems important that we give more attention to 
 the need of physical and mental recreation by our young people, 
 and that we recognize the social instinct, which may, by proper 
 direction, bring increased efficiency in soul-winning,— 
 
 17. We recommend, (a) That our secretaries and educational 
 workers make a careful study of the instruction given through the 
 spirit of prophecy on the subject of recreation and social life, so that 
 we may avoid the dangers from following worldly practices. 
 
 (b) That we plan for and encourage such social gatherings and 
 recreation as shall have a helpful purpose in view in harmony with 
 this instruction, and shall meet the needs of our youth. 
 
 (c) That workers who conduct successful social gatherings be 
 requested to forward programs and suggestions and other information 
 to the Department, so that they may be passed on to others. 
 
JOINT CLOSING MEETING 
 
 LED BY I. H. EVANS 
 
 This is the closing meeting of the Council. I am sure that if we 
 could all have time to tell our feelings, we should say that God has 
 been with us in a very definite way. As we were closing the business 
 this afternoon under such intense pressure, I thought, Who is able to 
 go back to his field, and without God’s help, take up all this great work 
 and carry it through? 
 
 A tremendous task is committed to our workers assembled here. 
 Lord Kitchener has had a mighty task on his hands in Great Britain. 
 He sent what men he could spare from his trained forces to the front, 
 and yet there were calls for millions more. Then he gathered re¬ 
 cruits from every village and city and hamlet and rural district in 
 Great Britain, and took upon himself the great task of training these 
 men speedily, not taking years, but only six months, to get them in a 
 fit condition to go to the front to take the places of the men who had 
 fallen. 
 
 Lord Kitchener did a mighty work in the preparation of that million 
 men; but I regard our schools in this land, and these men who are 
 staying at home for the training of workers, as a very important part • 
 of the mighty campaign that we are waging throughout the world. 
 Your loyalty, your faith, your visions imparted to the boys and girls 
 sent to you for training, will shape and mold their lives more than 
 anything else. We must have, not simply a few, but a great and 
 mighty force of men and women to carry this work to a successful 
 finish. It is only begun; it is not yet finished. 
 
 We are living in the most important and interesting time in the 
 whole history of this world, when the last battles are being fought. 
 
 I like to think of being in the work when it is finished, when it triumphs, 
 when it is going through the greatest strain and stress that it has ever 
 experienced. 
 
 You cannot all go to the front, but some of you will go gladly, I 
 am sure, if that be your place. And we can all be true to the trust 
 that God has given us. We can draft men and qualify them, which is 
 indeed a very great responsibility. 
 
 The Lord said to Zerubbabel, “Not by might, nor by power, but 
 by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” You will never be able, my 
 friends, to do the work committed to you without the full inflow of 
 the Holy Spirit in your lives. Otherwise, the boys and girls that go 
 out from you will look upon matters in a cold, matter-of-fact way. 
 We must today have men of faith. Men who come out of our schools 
 
 388 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 389 
 
 must have been trained under the tutorship of teachers of large vision 
 and faith, men who can go to the front and take the places of those that 
 have fallen, to fill up the depleted ranks, and carry the standard to 
 the regions that have- not yet been entered. Let us never forget 
 that it is not by resolution, nor determination, nor planning, but by 
 having the Spirit of God in our hearts, that we succeed. 
 
 I know every one here wants to bear testimony tonight. I would 
 that every one in this room might speak freely of his hopes, his ex¬ 
 pectations, his determinations. You have the confidence, dear 
 friends, of all our leading brethren. I am glad that I have had the 
 privilege of attending this Council. I was not sure that I ought to 
 come, but it has given me more confidence in our school men than I 
 have ever had before. We see eye to eye. We understand one an¬ 
 other better. I believe that you have the right aim and the right 
 purpose. 
 
 For many years I have been very much troubled because we could 
 not get a well-trained ministry from our schools. I believe, brethren, 
 that this condition is changing. I want you to go back to your 
 respective fields with the fullest conviction that your brethren have 
 confidence in you. We are praying for you; you have our sympathy, 
 and you will have our cooperation. I hope that with this larger vision, 
 and this new resolve that we have all made here, to bring the strongest 
 influences that we can to bear upon the lives and hearts of our young 
 people, there will be a greatly increased number from our schools 
 fitted to enter the Lord’s work. 
 
 I want to assure you that you have the prayers of our people 
 everywhere, that the great work which you have presented here may 
 be blessed of God, and that you may be Spirit-filled men, ready 
 and prepared to do the work that God has committed to you. 
 
 F. Griggs: I am very thankful, as we come to this closing hour, 
 for the manifest presence of God that has been with us during our 
 Council. We have felt it from the very first moment. The spirit 
 of unity, the spirit of cooperation, seemed to be manifested in every¬ 
 thing that has been said. Our hearts are certainly united in the desire 
 for a better fitting up for, and appreciation of, the work that God has 
 for us to do in this closing time. 
 
 I am thankful for the earnest spirit of my associates,— Professor 
 Kern, Professor Howell, Professor Benson, Elder MacGuire. It has 
 been a very delightful association to me. 
 
 We know it was just as the children of Israel were going into the 
 land of Canaan that the Lord sent them this message: “Be strong 
 and of a good courage.” “Have not I commanded thee?” he again 
 
390 
 
 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 said, ‘‘have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage.” 
 Let me commend to you the first nine verses of the book of Joshua. 
 
 There is no question about the position which the Missionary 
 Volunteer and Educational Departments occupy in this great cause. 
 I think we appreciate it, in a degree, at least. And now, as leaders, 
 we must have this courage and this consecration, if we would have the 
 efficiency necessary to do our work. 
 
 Again I want to express my sincere gratitude for all God’s mercies 
 to us during this Convention, and my hope and courage for the future. 
 
 W. E. Howell: The work of the Council has been one of the 
 greatest object lessons of my life. I feel that I have learned better 
 than I ever knew before, the lesson of how to lay my burdens at the 
 feet of Jesus, and at the same time work strenuously for the success 
 of his work. 
 
 Knowing, as I did, that there were some conflicts of views, I felt 
 some anxiety about the Council. Now I rejoice that I have learned 
 personally how to lay some of these things in the hands of Jesus; 
 and I have learned a degree of confidence and real Christian love 
 for my fellow associates that I have never before gained. To me it 
 means similar success in the series of conventions that are to follow, 
 and in the general uplift of our work all the way along. I thank 
 God for the lesson. 
 
 Meade MacGuire: I can say, with Professor Howell, that 
 at the beginning of this Council there came to me a new vision of an 
 intimacy with Jesus that I had long desired and had not obtained. 
 It seems to me that I have learned through the week, from the happi¬ 
 ness or joy of personal contact with these earnest workers, that there 
 should come into our lives day by day and moment by moment a 
 still more intense joy from personal contact with Jesus. Why should 
 we find strength and courage and uplift in personal contact with one 
 another, and not find a much more intense and mighty and delightful 
 power in personal contact with Jesus? It has seemed to me so many 
 times this week that Jesus has actually placed his arm through mine, 
 and we have walked together and talked together. I feel that I can 
 go out from this Council with new power to help win souls to Christ. 
 
 J. L. Shaw: It was with considerable reluctance, at the last 
 General Conference, that I gave up the idea, for a time, of going back 
 to the mission field, and turned into the educational line of work, 
 after being out of this work for so many years; but I am thankful for 
 the experience which I have had in connection with those who are in 
 the educational work, and I want to say, with others here, that my 
 vision of this work has been enlarged. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 391 
 
 I believe that this educational work is the home end of the foreign 
 mission work. Here we are preparing the recruits for the regions 
 beyond. I am glad for the fellowship, for the association, for the 
 meetings which we have had here together; and I want to pledge, 
 with you, my desire to go forward and carry out the work which we 
 have laid out here, in that way which will be acceptable to God. 
 
 E. C. Kellogg: I appreciate more than I can tell the oppor¬ 
 tunity of associating with these many workers from all over our coun¬ 
 try. I am sure that the plans that have been laid are those that will 
 mean the advancement of the work. Above all, I believe the good 
 Spirit of the Lord has been with us, and the very strong and manifest 
 spirit of unity which we have all recognized, will mean very much 
 for the advancement of God’s work. As we go home, we must have 
 the encouragement that comes from this spirit of unity. 
 
 C. L. Benson: I have a new conception, personally, of the last 
 prayer that Jesus made when he prayed that his disciples might be 
 one. We came here with many perplexities, each with his local situa¬ 
 tion strongly in the foreground; and yet, as we consider these great 
 denominational problems, how quickly our own local views vanish! 
 
 I have a new conception of the text that says one should chase a 
 thousand, and two should put ten thousand to flight. I believe that 
 we are going to chase the ten thousand, to press closer together. I, 
 with you, consecrate my life to the finishing of God’s work. 
 
 M. E. Kern: This Council has been a great uplift to me; and 
 I am sure it has been, and will be, for many days to come, to the 
 Missionary Volunteer work. 
 
 I share in the feeling that has been expressed, — that of great 
 appreciation of the harmony and love and fellowship which we have 
 enjoyed here together. While the burden of the great army of young 
 people that seemed to be unreached, so many of them, sometimes 
 weighs so heavily upon my heart, I shall feel hereafter, more than I 
 have ever felt before, that there is a great body of earnest men and 
 women who are bearing this burden with me. I believe that our 
 work for the young people in the churches, the boys and girls who 
 are surrounded by the influences of the world, is going to receive 
 your prayers and your help as never before. 
 
 I also earnestly request that you who are leaving this place at this 
 time should earnestly pray that the spirit and uplift of this Council 
 may be carried to the six conventions which are to follow, that we 
 who have this burden especially upon our hearts may be channels 
 through which God can give his blessings to these large groups of 
 our young people’s and educational workers in these different centers. 
 
392 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 The message that comes to my heart tonight is this: “Saith the 
 Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.” There are not 
 many of us very wise; but even if we were, there would be no reasofi 
 for us to glory in our own wisdom, p. b ■ .:: 
 
 It seems to me that the great desire of my heart tonight is to 
 understand and to know God, to know him and to represent him so 
 well that those who know me but do not know him may wish to know 
 him because they know me. 
 
 C. W. Irwin: There are two features of this Council which 
 stand out prominently in my mind tonight. The first one that I 
 shall mention is what I shall call a closer cementing together of these 
 two important departments. I think that perhaps we, as educators, 
 have not appreciated the work that the Missionary Volunteer De¬ 
 partment is doing. I know that I have not appreciated it before, 
 and I am very glad that I have had this opportunity of associating 
 with these brethren who have been leading out in this work. I feel 
 that they are, indeed, doing a very important work, and one in which 
 we who have been especially connected with the educational work 
 should be interested. I believe their problems are our problems, 
 and their success our success, and that hereafter we should work very 
 closely together. 
 
 Another thing that has been a source of pleasure to me is the 
 fact that all, so far as I can see, have had a real determination to 
 follow the light that God has given us. I do not know when I have 
 heard the Testimonies referred to so often. I believe that this is a 
 good omen. I know that in my own case, in so far as I have followed 
 the light that God has given us, to that extent have I had success; 
 and when I have neglected that light, there has come failure. I 
 believe that our success lies in following the light that God has given 
 us, and in walking in the ways of his guidance. 
 
 O. J. Graf: This Council has brought great joy, inspiration, 
 and courage to my heart. My confidence in my brethren and my 
 love for them have been greatly increased. My confidence that God 
 is leading in this work has also been greatly increased. I believe 
 that we can all agree that first things have been placed first in this 
 Convention. I expect to go home and live closer to my students, 
 and work more for them in a personal way, that I, in my school work, 
 may be a personal evangelist. 
 
 B. F. Machlan: It has indeed been a great pleasure to pass the 
 last week here. I am sure I needed what I have received here, and 
 am glad to know that the Lord gives us only one burden at a time. 
 Now that the burden of the Council is rolling off, there comes the 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 393 
 
 burden of the work of vacation; but I can go back to it with renewed 
 courage, with a new vision, and with a greater determination to live 
 and work for God, and with a greater love for the boys and girls than 
 I have ever had. I thought I loved them truly, and I thought 
 I knew what they needed; but I have received a new vision here 
 during this Council. 
 
 Not the least of my pleasure here has been that of association 
 with my brethren. I remember that scripture, “We know we have 
 passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.’’ I do 
 love my brethren. 
 
 M. E. Cady: I certainly feel that as a result of this council a 
 great work has been accomplished in a short time. I have been im¬ 
 pressed that we have not very many years left in which to finish this 
 work. When I think of this company here, who have large responsi¬ 
 bilities, and then think of the six conventions that are to follow, when 
 all our educators and many of our young people will be together, it 
 seems to me that a mighty change will certainly come over the work 
 in this North American Division. 
 
 As I think of what has been said here, the good instruction we 
 have had, the plans that have been laid, it seems to me it has all 
 been to this one end, that we might go to our respective fields and 
 work as never before for the finishing of this work. I realize, as 
 was read tonight, that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the 
 Spirit of God that this work is to be accomplished. I want to be 
 found at the feet of the Master teacher, and have him teach me day 
 by day how to do the work he has assigned to me. 
 
 C. J. Boyd: To all of us the work of this Convention has been 
 highly educational. Some of us have increased our knowledge of 
 geography in a practical way by coming here; but best of all, God 
 has been with us. I have ijew courage tonight. I have made up 
 my mind to live nearer my boys and girls. I want to live nearer 
 to my work, and tonight I surrender my talents, weak as they are, 
 to be used in this great work. 
 
 H. G. Lucas: I feel that the Lord has been with us in this Con¬ 
 vention; and as I look forward to my next year’s work, I am deter¬ 
 mined to put forth greater efforts to have success in my work. 
 
 H. A. Washburn: I feel deep gratitude tonight that the Lord 
 has answered our prayers in the last ten days. I have prayed very 
 earnestly, especially before the Council and in the early days of the 
 Council, that we all might hear his voice. As I look back over these 
 days, I can see very definitely where the Lord has spoken to me in 
 avrious ways. 
 
394 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 I rejoice tonight that we are engaged in such a work, that we 
 can look back and see that God has spoken to us through our own 
 brethren, human beings that he is using; yet it is a clear voice that 
 points the way, and the future looks very, very bright 
 
 O. R. Cooper: I am thankful for the opportunities that I have 
 enjoyed during this Convention. It is my desire that the inspiration 
 that I have received here may continue with me. 
 
 Brother Rockwell: I rejoice in the inspiration that I have 
 received here, and it is my determiriation that my life shall be con¬ 
 secrated to service in the cause of God. 
 
 C. A. Russell: These have surely been strenuous days; but 
 they have been days full of joy and happiness and peace. I am so 
 thankful for the privilege of being here and sharing this work with 
 these dear brethren and sisters. I, too, love the brethren. My con¬ 
 fidence in the message and in those who are sustaining this work 
 has been greatly increased, and I think, as so many have said, of 
 the joy of working together as fellow laborers; but oh, what will it 
 be by and by when we are so happy as to go through the gates of the 
 Holy City, and have no more separation! 
 
 My determination is to go back to my field of labor and put forth 
 a very earnest effort to get just as many as possible of our dear loyal 
 young people to come to the Convention at Berrien Springs, that 
 they may enjoy the inspiration that has been ours. 
 
 I think now of the keynote that was sounded at the very begin¬ 
 ning of this meeting, “Consecration and Efficiency,” and I do recon¬ 
 secrate and rededicate myself to God tonight. 
 
 C. C. Lewis: The dear friends and fellow teachers whom I have 
 met so many times in conventions like this, never seemed so dear, so 
 precious to me, as they have at this time. I have been greatly com¬ 
 forted and encouraged by these associations here together. It seems 
 as though the Lord has been very near to us all. I return to my work 
 with my heart full of joy and courage, trusting in the Lord. 
 
 J. H. Paap: I believe that the Spirit of God has been in the plans 
 that have been laid here at this Council for the advancement of the 
 work in our educational and Missionary Volunteer lines. I can see 
 hope for the advancement of our work. As I go back to my field, 
 it will be with a determination to do more for the patrons of the school 
 in the way of cooperation for the training and salvation of their 
 young people. 
 
 A. W. Russell: I am glad I am here. It has given me in¬ 
 creased confidence in this message. 
 
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 
 
 395 
 
 J. W. Rich: I am glad tonight that 1 have had the privilege 
 of being a spectator during this Council. I, with the rest of you, 
 have received a new vision. With this new awakening there comes 
 a new sense of responsibility. I ask an interest in your prayers, 
 that I may not disappoint my Creator. 
 
 G. M. Price: I have been looking backward about two thousand 
 years; and I trust that it is not with any spirit of irreverence that 
 I would make a comparison between this meeting here and that little 
 meeting that meant so much for the infant Christian church. That 
 outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was for an emer¬ 
 gency work; it was adapted to the circumstances and the times; 
 it started from one small center, and the inspiration of that out¬ 
 pouring of God’s Spirit spread out over all the earth. Today, when 
 God is undertaking to do a similar work, the preparation that he 
 gives his workers must be adapted to the times and circumstances 
 of the occasion. And so, while the circumstances are somewhat 
 different from those back there, I believe that God has his hand on 
 his work at the present time, and that he is fitting up his people to 
 share in the last work that is to go forth with mighty power through¬ 
 out the whole world. 
 
 I want ever to bear in mind the inspiration that has come to 
 me from the associations of this Convention. I want to receive 
 from this meeting new power to be true and steadfast in the work to 
 which God has called me, and to go forward with you in this work 
 and see it carried to a triumphant conclusion. 
 
 M. P. Robison: I wish to express my gratitude for having this 
 blessed privilege. It has given me new ideals, and new courage to 
 press on with my work. I have been especially impressed with the 
 fact that we as teachers and workers in our schools are realizing the 
 demand for our product. The missionary phase that has been em¬ 
 phasized in this meeting has given me a new zeal. 
 
 C. B. Hughes: I am very glad for the privilege I have had of 
 attending this Convention. These are momentous days. God is 
 calling upon his people, and especially the young people, to follow him. 
 I am very glad for the plans that have been laid, both for the educa¬ 
 tional work and the young people’s work, and I want so to relate 
 myself to both Departments that God may accomplish the work which 
 he wishes to do through me. 
 
 G. W. Rine: While I personally have not been able to be present 
 at very many of the meetings of the Council, I want to assure you 
 that my heart and my sympathies were with you. I know that the 
 Holy Spirit has been here, from what you have said and what I have 
 
396 EDUCATIONAL AND MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER 
 
 observed. I want to assure you tonight that the Holy Spirit has 
 striven with me, and I think I have given myself to him as I never 
 did before. 
 
 Matilda Erickson: My heart is full of gratitude for the privi¬ 
 lege of attending this convention. I feel so happy to think of the 
 better acquaintance and the stronger friendship that exists between 
 the two Departments. I am glad for the privilege of meeting with 
 these friends again, and that I can take the influence and inspiration 
 of this Convention back with me. With you, I want to reconsecrate 
 my life for full and complete service for the Master. 
 
 Jennie Bates: The thought has come to me that I can best 
 show my appreciation of all the blessings which the Lord has given 
 to me during this time, by hastening back to my field of labor and 
 doing better work than ever before. I do thank the Lord for these 
 precious privileges, and I rededicate my life to him for this work in 
 all the days that shall come. 
 
 L. B. Ragsdale: I am thankful for this privilege of meeting 
 those of the brethren whom I had never met before. I have a broader 
 vision of what the Lord expects of me. 
 
 I. H. Evans: This is our closing meeting, and it will be long re¬ 
 membered by all who are here. I am sure that this will be a bright 
 spot in the lives of those who have been privileged to attend. I 
 hope that the request made by one of the brethren — that we pray 
 for these brethren who are to hold these conventions — may be in 
 our memory continually. They have a hard task before them, with¬ 
 out much rest. They will have six conventions to go through, run¬ 
 ning into the middle of August, and they will perhaps have a larger 
 attendance of delegates than we have had here. The responsibilities 
 are heavy, the weather will be hot, and of course they must work 
 very intensely. I do hope you will pray for these brethren; remember 
 them daily at the throne of grace, and pray that the wisdom of God 
 may be given to them, and that they may speak with the anointing 
 of the Holy Spirit upon them, because we do desire that they shall 
 accomplish a great work in these conventions that are to follow. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Academic Course . 245 
 
 Standards .237-240 
 
 Academies, Recommendations . . 
 
 . 203, 204 
 
 Semester Plan . 245 
 
 Accepted Credits, Teachers’ Cer¬ 
 tificates . 232 
 
 Accredited Schools .206, 207 
 
 Adolescent Life and Methods of 
 Winning Young People, by C. 
 
 L. Benson . 262 
 
 Andekson, J. N. 
 
 Report of Committee on Li¬ 
 brary . 226 
 
 Andkeasen, M. L. 
 
 The Place of Our American 
 Foreign Seminaries in Our 
 
 Educational System . 165 
 
 Attendance in Our Schools, How 
 Shall We Increase the, by W. 
 
 W. Ruble . 49 
 
 Auxiliary Organizations, Report 
 of Committee on, M. E. Kern, 
 Chairman . 223 
 
 Benson, C. L. 
 
 Characteristics of Adolescent 
 Life and Methods of Win¬ 
 ning Young People. 262 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Work in 
 Our Colleges and Academies 299 
 Blanks. Report of Committee on, 
 
 W. W. Ruble, Chairman, ..224-226 
 
 Business Combined with Short¬ 
 hand Course . 248 
 
 Business Course . 249 
 
 Business Efficiency, Principles 
 of, and the Proper Financing 
 of Our Schools, by H. A. Mor¬ 
 rison . 64 
 
 Cady M. E. 
 
 The Next Step in Textbook 
 
 Making . 115 
 
 Camp Meeting Work, by Meade 
 
 MacGuire . 276 
 
 Certificates, Teachers’ .229-232 
 
 Certification, Report of Commit¬ 
 tee on, IT. G. Lucas, Chair¬ 
 man .229-232 
 
 Circulation of the Morning 
 Watch Calendar, by Matilda 
 
 Erickson . 332 
 
 Closing Meeting, Joint . 388 
 
 College and Its Affiliated Acade¬ 
 mies, Working Relations Be¬ 
 tween the, by O. J. Graf .... 56 
 
 College Course . 246 
 
 College Standards, Supplemen¬ 
 tary Report. 240 
 
 Colleges and Academies, Mission¬ 
 ary Y T olunteer W T ork in Our, by 
 
 C. L. Benson. 299 
 
 Colleges, Recommendations .... 204 
 
 Committee Reports .216-249 
 
 Condolences . 201 
 
 Constituency, The Relation of 
 Our Schools to Their, by B. G. 
 
 Wilkinson . 42 
 
 Courses of Study. 
 
 Academic . 245 
 
 Business . 249 
 
 College . 246 
 
 Combined Business and Short¬ 
 hand . 248 
 
 Elementary . 242 
 
 Ministerial College. 247 
 
 Normal . 247 
 
 Shorthand .. 248 
 
 Courses, Report of Committee on, 
 
 J. L. Shaw, Chairman .... 240-249 
 Credit for Home Work, Report of 
 Committee on, M. P. Robi¬ 
 son, Chairman . 224 
 
 Credits . 205 
 
 206, 207, 211, 224, 237, 246, 248 
 
 Cultural Education in School 
 
 Homes, by E. C. Kellogg .... 176 
 
 Daniells, A. G. 
 
 Our Schools Hold the Key ... 83 
 
 Davis, B. B. 
 
 How Can We Strengthen Our 
 
 Normal Work . 134 
 
 Division Department of Educa¬ 
 tion, Recommendations . . 206, 207 
 Dress of Girls, Uniform . . . .203, 204 
 
 Educating Our Boys and Girls, 
 
 The High Calling of, by W. E. 
 
 Howell . 93 
 
 Education, Manumental, by C. C. 
 
 Lewis . Ill 
 
 Education, Sex, by C. C. Lewis . 179 
 Educational Features of the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer Work, How* 
 Shall We Promote the, by N. 
 
 W. Lawrence . 285 
 
 Educational Movement, An .... 208 
 
 Educational Organization, How 
 to Make It More Effective in 
 
 the Field, by F. Griggs. 153 
 
 Educational Problems and Poli¬ 
 cies. by F. Griggs . . . .. 9 
 
 Educational Recommendations. . 
 
 . 201-215 
 
 Efficient Missionary Volunteer 
 Secretaries, How to Secure, by 
 
 Meade MacGuire .. 315 
 
 Elementary Schools, Name .... 202 
 
 Elementary Schools, Financial 
 
 Policy .. 203 
 
 Elementary Schools, Recommen¬ 
 dations .202-204 
 
 Elementary Standards, Report of 
 Committee on, C. A. Russell. 
 
 Chairman .235-237 
 
 Ellis, M. E. 
 
 Work Young People Can Do . 376 
 
 397 
 
398 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Enrollment, Increase of. 209 
 
 Erickson, Matilda. 
 
 Circulation of the Morning 
 
 Watch Calendar . 332 
 
 Possibilities of the Morning 
 Watch . 326 
 
 Evangelistic Efforts of the Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer Society . .. 385 
 Evans, I. H. 
 
 The Call to Teaching. 22 
 
 Extending the Influence of Our 
 
 Schools . 192 
 
 The Personal Touch in Teach¬ 
 ing . 169 
 
 The Purpose in Teaching .... 103 
 The Responsibility of Our 
 Schools in Relation to Mis¬ 
 sionary Advance . 28 
 
 The Sacredness of Teaching . 75 
 
 Spiritual Life of the Teacher 155 
 
 Examinations, Final .206, 207 
 
 Examinations, Teachers’ . 207 
 
 Financial Measures, Recommen¬ 
 dations .212.213 
 
 Financial Policy, Elementary 
 
 Schools . 203 
 
 Financing of Our Schools, the 
 Proper, and Principles of Busi¬ 
 ness Efficiency, by H. A. Mor¬ 
 rison . 64 
 
 Fireside Correspondence School 205 
 First Grade Teachers’ Certificate 230 
 Foreign Seminaries, Our Amer¬ 
 ican, The Place of, in Our 
 Educational System, by M. L. 
 
 Andreasen . 165 
 
 Foreign Missionary Volunteer 
 Work in America, by J. .T. 
 
 Reiswig .*. 346 
 
 Foreign Seminaries .165.204 
 
 Foreword . 3 
 
 Francis, Esther. 
 
 The Local Junior Missionary 
 Volunteer Society.'. 339 
 
 Garrett, Almetta. 
 
 Magnifying the Office of Su¬ 
 perintendent . 98 
 
 Graduation, a Goal . 211 
 
 Graduation, Standards of Classi¬ 
 fication and, by M. E. Olsen . . 127 
 
 Graduation, Units Required for 245 
 Graf, O. J. 
 
 The Working Relations Be¬ 
 tween the College and Its 
 
 Affiliated Academies . 56 
 
 Greetings . 201 
 
 Griggs, F. 
 
 Educational Problems and Pol¬ 
 icies . 9 
 
 How to Make Our Educational 
 Organization More Effective 
 
 in the Field . 153 
 
 Report of Committee on Text¬ 
 books . 217 
 
 The Question of Teacher Effi¬ 
 ciency . .34 
 
 Grouping Plan . 246 
 
 IIale, Katherine B. 
 
 Characteristics of Juniors, and 
 
 How to Win Them . 268 
 
 High Calling of Educating Our 
 Boys and Girls, The, by W. E. 
 
 Howell . 93 
 
 Home Work, School Credit for, 
 
 Report of Committee. 224 
 
 Howell, W. E. 
 
 How to Develop Efficient Su¬ 
 perintendents . 149 
 
 The High Calling of Educating 
 
 Our Boys and Girls . 93 
 
 Report of Committees on 
 Standards .233-240 
 
 Influence of Our Schools, Ex¬ 
 tending the, by I. H. Evans . . 192 
 
 Johns, Varner. 
 
 The Organization of the Senior 
 
 Society . 337 
 
 Junior Missionary Volunteer So¬ 
 ciety, The Local, bv Esther 
 
 Francis . 339 
 
 Juniors, Characteristics of. and 
 How to Win Them, by Kather¬ 
 ine B. Hale. 268 
 
 Kellogg, E. C. 
 
 Cultural Education in School 
 
 Homes . 176 
 
 Kern, M. E. 
 
 Development and Direction of 
 
 Social Instincts . 355 
 
 How to Make the Missionary 
 Volunteer Organization More 
 
 Effective in the Field. 319 
 
 Progress and Problems of the 
 Missionary Volunteer Move¬ 
 ment . 251 
 
 Report of Committee on Aux¬ 
 iliary Organizations . 223 
 
 Library, Report of Committee 
 on, J. N. Anderson, Chair¬ 
 man .226-228 
 
 Life Certificates .231,232 
 
 Liquor Traffic . 202 
 
 Local Society, Organization and 
 Work of, by C. A. Russell . .. 333 
 Lawrence, N. W. 
 
 How Shall We Promote the 
 
 Educational Features of the 
 Missionary Volunteer Work 285 
 Lewis, C. C. 
 
 Manumental Education. Ill 
 
 Sex Education . 179 
 
 Loma Linda College of Medical 
 
 Evangelists . 205 
 
 Lucas, H. G. 
 
 Report of Committee on Certi¬ 
 fication . 229 
 
 MacGuire, Meade. 
 
 Camp Meeting W T ork . 276 
 
 How to Secure Efficient Mis¬ 
 sionary Volunteer Secreta¬ 
 ries . 315 
 
 The Nature of Young People 
 and How to Win Them . . , 368 
 
INDEX 
 
 399 
 
 Magnifying the Office of Superin¬ 
 
 tendent, by Almetta Garrett . 98 
 
 Manumental Education, by C. C. 
 
 Lewis . Ill 
 
 Medical Evangelists, Loma Linda 
 
 College of . 205 
 
 Ministerial Courses in the Col¬ 
 leges . 204 
 
 Reading Courses . 209 
 
 Training in the Academies . . 204 
 Ministry, The Development of a 
 
 Strong, by J. L. Shaw .... 84 
 
 Training for the . 209 
 
 Miscellaneous Recommendations 
 
 . 214, 215 
 
 Missionary Advance, The Re¬ 
 sponsibility of Our Schools in 
 Relation to, by I. H. Evans . . 28 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Depart¬ 
 ment .251-387 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Movement, 
 Progress and Problems of the, 
 
 by M. E. Kern. 251 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Organiza¬ 
 tion, How to Make It More 
 Effective in the Field, by M. E. 
 
 Kern . 319 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Secreta¬ 
 ries, How to Secure Efficient, 
 
 by Meade MacGuire . 315 
 
 Missionary Volunteer Society, 
 
 Educational Features of . . . 385 
 
 Evangelistic Efforts in. 385 
 
 Organization and Work of the 
 Local, by C. A. Russell . .. 333 
 Missionary Volunteer Work, How 
 Shall We Promote the Edu¬ 
 cational Features of, by N. 
 
 W. Lawrence . 285 
 
 Recommendations on .383-387 
 
 In Our Colleges and Acade¬ 
 mies, by C. L. Benson. 299 
 
 Morning Watch Calendar, Sug¬ 
 gestions for the Circulation of, 
 
 by Matilda Erickson . 332 
 
 Morning Watch, Possibilities of 
 the, by Matilda Erickson .... 326 
 Morrison, H. A. 
 
 The Principles of Business 
 Efficiency and the Proper 
 Financing of Our Schools . 64 
 
 Nature of Young People, and 
 How to Win Them, by Meade 
 
 MacGuire . 
 
 New Schools, Opening of. 
 
 Normal Training Work, How Can 
 We Strengthen Our, by B. B. 
 Davis . 
 
 368 
 
 209 
 
 134 
 
 Olsen, M. E. 
 
 Standards of Classification 
 
 and Graduation . 127 
 
 Opening Meeting, Joint . 5 
 
 Organization and Work of the 
 Local Society, by C. A. Russell 333 
 Organization, Educational. How 
 to Make It More Effective 
 in the Field, by F. Griggs . 153 
 
 Of the Missionary Volunteer 
 Society .383-385 
 
 Of the Senior Society, by Var¬ 
 ner Johns . 337 
 
 Union Conference Educational 206 
 
 Palmer’s Penmanship Offer .... 212 
 
 Permit, Teachers’ Special . 229 
 
 Personal Touch in Teaching, 
 
 The, by I. H. Evans. 169 
 
 Pledges . 202 
 
 Prayer, The Week of, in Spring 210 
 Problems and Policies, Educa¬ 
 tional, by F. Griggs. 9 
 
 Professional Certificate . 231 
 
 Progress and Problems of the 
 Missionary Volunteer Move¬ 
 ment, by M. E. Kern. 251 
 
 Promotion . 237 
 
 Publications ...209,210 
 
 Purpose in Teaching, The, by I. 
 
 H. Evans. 103 
 
 Qualifications of Teachers .... 204 
 Question of Teacher Efficiency . 34 
 
 Recommendations, Educational. . 
 
 . 201-215 
 
 Recommendations, Missionary 
 
 Volunteer .383-387 
 
 Recreation, Recommendation . . . 214 
 
 Reiswig, J. J. 
 
 Foreign Missionary Volunteer 
 
 Work in America. 346 
 
 Renewals of Certificates 212, 229, 231 
 
 Resolution of Thanks . 215 
 
 Robison., M. P. 
 
 Strengthening Our Summer 
 
 Schools . 142 
 
 Reports of Committees .216-249 
 
 Ruble, W. W. 
 
 How Shall We Increase the 
 Attendance at Our Schools 
 
 of All Grades? . 49 
 
 Russell, C. A. 
 
 The Organization and Work 
 of the Local Society. 333 
 
 Sacredness of Teaching, The, by 
 
 I. II. Evans. 75 
 
 Scholarships and Aid . 213 
 
 School Credit for Home Work, 
 Report of Committee on, M. P. 
 
 Robison, Chairman . 224 
 
 School Homes, Cultural Educa¬ 
 tion in, by E. C. Kellogg .... 176 
 School Year, Elementary . . . 245, 246 
 
 Schools, Elementary .202,203 
 
 Schools, Extending the Influence 
 
 of Our, by I. H. Evans. 192 
 
 Schools, Our, Hold the Key, by 
 
 A. G. Daniells . 83 
 
 Science Equipment, Report of 
 Committee, L. H. Wood, 
 
 Chairman . 216 
 
 Sections, Educational, Division 
 
 Department . 208 
 
 Second Grade Teachers’ Certifi¬ 
 cates . 229 
 
 Semester .206,211,246 
 
 Seminaries, Foreign .165, 204 
 
 Senior Society, Organization of, 
 by Varner Johns . 337 
 
400 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Sex Education, by C. C. Lewis 179 
 Shaw, ,T. L. 
 
 The Development of a Strong 
 
 ' Ministry . 84 
 
 Report o f Committee on 
 
 Courses .240-249 
 
 Social Instincts of Young People, 
 Development and Direction of, 
 
 by M E. Kern. 355 
 
 Special Schools, Recommenda¬ 
 tions . 204 
 
 Spiritual Basis of Academic 
 
 Standards . 237 
 
 Standards, Academic, Report of 
 Committee on, W. E. How¬ 
 ell, Chairman.237-240 
 
 College . 240 
 
 Elementary, Report of Commit¬ 
 tee on, C. A. Russell, Chair¬ 
 man .235-237 
 
 Report of Committee on, W. E. 
 
 Howell, Chairman .233, 234 
 
 Standards of Classification and 
 Graduation, by M. E. Olsen . . 127 
 Summary of Missionary Volun¬ 
 teer Work . 254 
 
 Summer Schools, Strengthening 
 
 Our, by M. P. Robison . 142 
 
 Superintendent, Magnifying the 
 Office of, by Almetta Garrett 98 
 Superintendents. How to Develop 
 Efficient, by W. E. Howell ... 149 
 
 Teacher Efficiency, The Question 
 
 of, by F. Griggs. 34 
 
 Teacher. Spiritual Life of the, 
 
 by I. H. Evans. 155 
 
 Tenure and Exchange of .... 212 
 Teachers . 204 
 
 Qualifications of in Academies 204 
 
 Qualifications of in Colleges . 204 
 Qualifications of in Elemen¬ 
 tary Schools . 235 
 
 Tenure and Exchange of .... 212 
 Teachers’ Certificates, 212, 229-232 
 
 Examinations . 212 
 
 Teaching, The Call to, by I. H. 
 
 Evans . 22 
 
 The Personal Touch in, by 
 
 I. H. Evans . 169 
 
 The Purpose in, by I. H. 
 
 Evans . 103 
 
 The Sacredness of, by I. H. 
 
 Evans. 75 
 
 Technical Standards in the Acad¬ 
 emies .238, 239 
 
 Textbook Making, The Next Step 
 
 in, by M. E. Cady . 115 
 
 Textbooks, Report of Committee 
 on, F. Griggs, Chairman . .217-222 
 
 Thanks, Resolution of . 215 
 
 Third-Grade Certificates . 229 
 
 Uniform Dress of Girls.203, 204 
 
 Units .238,239 
 
 Week of Prayer, in the Spring . 210 
 Wilkinson, B. G. 
 
 The Relation of Our Schools 
 to Their Constituency .... 42 
 
 Wood, L. LI. 
 
 The Report of Committee on 
 
 Science Equipment . 216 
 
 Work Young People Can Do, by 
 M. E. Ellis . 376 
 
 Young People, The Nature of, 
 and How to Win Them, by 
 
 Meade MacGuire . 368 
 
 Young People, Work They Can 
 Do, by M. E. Ellis. 376 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 5416114