The Opening of Our Schools by H. R. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 20, 1910

The Opening of Our Schools

By H. R. S.

Still the good reports of the opening of our schools keep coming in from far and near. From no school have we received a word of discouragement. The first report to reach us this week was from the —

Walla Walla (Wash.) College

“Walla Walla College has opened very encouragingly. We had the best enrolment the opening day of any opening in its history, and the students are coming in right along from day to day. Our total enrolment this morning is 243. One hundred sixty-eight of these are in the college building, and seventy-five in the normal building. If we have the usual increase during the first semester, our enrolment will be larger than it was last year. The Lord is not only blessing us in numbers, but also in sending us an older class of students, a number of them of quite mature years. Also the larger part of the students thus far enrolled have come to the school with the fixed purpose of preparing for some definite work in connection with this great movement.

“We are trying so to arrange the work this year that no teacher will have to carry more than four classes and an industrial class. We desire to emphasize the industrial work more than ever before. We are also making a strong effort to weed out from our class work the non-essentials, and make prominent those things that will be of use in giving the third angel’s message. Our teachers are all of good courage, and we look forward to a prosperous year. I trust that the cause of Christian education everywhere will make rapid advancement during the year. According to the instruction received through the spirit of prophecy, we are far behind what we ought to be, and the Lord has long been waiting for the teachers to walk in the light he has given. When we walk in this light, a great change will come into our educational work. The Great Teacher has bidden us go forward; and with this command there is power to supply the much-needed wisdom and strength to do the work.”

From Texas comes a report which will gladden the hearts of all our people in the Southwestern Union. Prof. C. B. Hughes writes thus of the —

Keene Industrial Academy

“The seventeenth opening of the academy occurred on September 20. The Southwestern Union Conference committee being in session, the union president and the presidents of all the conferences of the union except New Mexico, were present to address the students, as were also Elders A. Nelson and W. W. Eastman. The writer first spoke briefly, referring to the experience of Robert and Thomas French from the time of their conversion till, having completed their schooldays, they became teachers in the academy, and later heeded the call of the Master to a foreign field, Thomas having gone to West Africa a few years ago, while Robert was, doubtless, nearing India about the time of our opening. The lives of these young men forcibly reminded the large company present of the work to be accomplished by the academy.

“The weather was unusually dry in a large part of our union conference last year; and the same is true of much of the territory this year, so we feared that our attendance would be small. Imagine our surprise to find a larger number of students in our dormitories before the close of the first week than at any time during last year. In fact, the boys’ dormitory is insufficient to accommodate all who have come, and we are now buying furniture and renting more room for the overflow. One very encouraging feature is that so many of these students are in the advanced grades, there being 123 enrolled in grades nine to thirteen, and ninety in the first eight grades.

“A new room has been made in the academy basement for the beginning grades. Much papering and painting has been done. Heating plants are ordered for the boys’ dormitory and the academy, the girls’ dormitory being already provided with a plant. The workmen are now busy laying cement walks on our grounds.

“We praise our Father for his prospering hand, and trust that an inward work of grace is being wrought in the hearts of teachers and students that will result in sending forth many to assist in gathering earth’s ripened harvest.”

One interesting feature, which those who read last week’s report noticed, and which also appears in the report of this week, was the presence of the Spirit of God in the opening sessions, bringing great encouragement to instructors, and strength to the students, as illustrated in the following report from —

Clearwater Lake (Wis.) Industrial School

“One special feature connected with our opening was a great spiritual revival among the people of the neighborhood. Ten young people signified their willingness to follow the Lord in baptism. It was most inspiring to see the young who had already found Christ labor for their young friends, and bring them to the Redeemer. Our school is filled to its fullest capacity. We hope God will water the good seed sown daily.”

Prof. C. C. Lewis writes concerning the opening of the —

Pacific Union College

“The Pacific Union College [at Angwin, Cal.] began its work last Tuesday, with an enrolment of one hundred students, and we are finding it difficult to care for them all. The new dormitory will not be ready for several weeks, if not months, and the cottages which were used for the boys last year are now occupied by the families of teachers. We have had to plan every way to accommodate the young men. Two or three rooms have been fitted up in one of the barns, and four rooms have been partitioned off with rough-hewn lumber, under the west wing of the hall now used for recitation purposes. Four or five tents have also been pitched, and probably more will have to be pitched soon. For the present these tents are the most desirable rooms of all, being light and airy, and having good board floors. I think we shall get along for two or three months, until the new building is ready for use. As soon as the roof and siding are on, the boys will move in; for they can finish up the rooms during the rainy season.

“We all regard the opening of the school as very favorable. We have a fine class of students. Quite a number of these, perhaps a dozen or more, are in the college grades. A number of young men are here to prepare for the ministry, and we all feel greatly encouraged.”

Prof. J. G. Lamson says of the opening of —

Stuart (Iowa) Academy

“Stuart Academy opened for class work, September 13. We have forty-eight students enrolled, the girls numbering about twice as many as the boys. After being in school a week, it became necessary, on account of the rapid ripening of the tomatoes, to close school for four days. We have about nine thousand cans of tomatoes, nearly five hundred cans of beets, with a large quantity of grape juice, and some other fruit.

“The potatoes are turning out about 125 bushels to the acre. We have harvested the oats from eight acres, and thrashed 344 bushels. Our corn is an excellent crop. The poultry has not done so well, but on the whole the season has been prosperous.

“For the first time in the history of the school, we have all grades, from the eighth to the twelfth, inclusive, filled with students. Next year we shall have a graduating class of about five from the twelfth grade, and five more from the commercial department, including shorthand. We were much surprised this year in having enrolled with us only two who desired seventh-grade work. We arranged for these by doing some tutor work.

“At the first Friday-night meeting, all but two took part in the exercises. Since then others have come in who make no profession of religion, but we are expecting that the Lord will work for them during the months to come.”

Miss Lotta E. Bell writes as follows concerning the —

Lodi (Cal.) Normal Academy

“At ten o’clock on Tuesday morning, September 20, over one hundred pupils, together with a number of visitors, gathered in the various assembly-rooms at the normal building in Lodi, for the opening of the third year of school. Good general work is being done, with the normal training department as a strong leading feature. A good music course, both vocal and instrumental, is offered; and a commercial department, consisting of bookkeeping, shorthand, and typewriting, and other subjects making for a strong course, is being opened. The European plan of serving is being introduced in the dining-room this year, and it is believed that it will meet with the hearty approval of all. We have a good class of students, and all have settled down to hard work. We are also fortunate in securing a faculty of thoroughly consecrated teachers. We are all working hard, and leaning upon the unfailing arm of God.”

Principal Kenneth R. Haughey reports of the —

Manson (B. C.) Industrial Academy

“It is a pleasure to me to be able to report encouragingly concerning our work here. We were a little late in starting, owing to uncompleted repairs on our main building; but we are now under way very satisfactorily. Our attendance is not large yet, but much larger than at the corresponding time last year, and we expect enough more students within the next ten days to fill our school. Indeed, the matter of home accommodation will be a serious one with us. But a fact of still greater encouragement to us than numbers is the energetic way in which our students are taking up their work. A spirit of earnest endeavor and consecration pervades the school, which gives evidence of both scholastic success and spiritual growth.

“Our school has done but little in the practical industries in years past, but we are laying plans to introduce regular class work in two or three industries this year; and as we follow the instruction that has been given us in regard to this work, we expect to grow and prosper still more.”

Brother B. L. Howe, the principal, says of the —

Central California Intermediate School

“September 26 was our opening day. Nine o’clock found eighty-six in line, ready to march at the given signal. An excellent spirit is manifest on the part of all. Our school has never opened with so bright a prospect of success.

“We are raising money to put up a building in which to carry some branches of industrial work. The teachers come to their work with a confidence that insures success.”

Brother Clifford A. Russell reports for the —

Battle Creek (Mich.) Industrial Academy

that their present enrolment is 110, with several more prospective students to enter soon.

We have also heard good reports from the Cumberland Industrial School, at Daylight, Tenn., and from the Shenandoah Valley Training Academy, at New Market, Va., where Brother H. M. Forshee has just gone to take up the work as principal.

We trust these inspiring reports in this and the previous number of the REVIEW will awaken a desire in the hearts of those who have not thought it possible to attend school this year to put forth renewed efforts to enter. We also hope that they may be the means of turning some who have entered the schools of the world back to our schools, even though they have already entered. Every school seems confident that the coming year is to be the best in its history. Let all those who love the work of Christian education pray that this may be so, and may we not be satisfied until we have turned all our young men and women who should be getting an education, toward our own schools, that they may receive that Christian training which will enable them to stand amid the perils of the last days, and to take their place in the ranks of the soldiers of the cross.

H. R. S.