General Conference Proceedings

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 27, 1909

General Conference Proceedings

Eleventh Meeting

May 19, 10:30 A. M.

ELDER DANIELLS in the chair. Elder J. W. Westphal, of South America, offered prayer. New delegate seated: Dr. J. H. Neall, Southeastern Union.

The previously appointed meeting of the Washington Training College was called by A. G. Daniells, president of the board. The meeting was adjourned for one week, or until May 26, at 10:30 A. M.

The report of the Department of Education was then rendered by the chairman of the department, Frederick Griggs. [This report appeared in the last number of the REVIEW.]

The Avondale School

The Chairman: We have fifty minutes left of this meeting, to hear from others who have been out at work in the fields. There are ten leaders in the school work who have come forward, and we will let them take such time as they think best. We are all very glad, I know, to hear from Professor Irwin, who hails from Avondale, Australia.

Professor Irwin said in part:—

The educational work in Australasia was started in the city of Melbourne, under the name of the Australasian Bible School. After a time it became necessary to seek permanent quarters for the school; and in harmony with the light that had been given through Sister White, it was planned to find a country location. In this step the brethren sought God most earnestly; and, with the counsel and direction of Sister White, a location was obtained about seventy-five miles northeast of Sydney, in New South Wales.

The appearance of the place to any one who might come to it not understanding all the circumstances, would doubtless be somewhat forbidding; and I believe that at that time there was a question in the minds of some as to the propriety of locating there. But it would appear that the providences of God were especially directing in this work, and it became clear to Sister White that this place, above all others, should be selected as the site for the school for the Australasian field.

I became connected with the school eight years ago; the brethren, in counsel with Sister White, had made such broad and liberal plans for the school, that throughout my eight years' connection with it I have never yet needed to change a single plan they had laid down. God guided in the establishment of the work there, and all we have endeavored to do during these eight years, has simply been to develop more fully the plans already made. I believe the working out of this has proved that God's instruction was true.

During the past year we have erected a large, three-story building for the accommodation of our ladies, with a good parlor; we have made an addition to our dining-room; and we have put up a good-sized printing-office, 40 x 80 feet. These improvements, including an electric-light plant, have all been made from the earnings of the school. Since the inauguration of the “Christ's Object Lessons” work, we have never called for a penny of donations from the field. We believe that when the Lord says that an industrial school can be conducted successfully, financially as well as otherwise, the only thing for us to do is to take hold and prove that what he has said is true.

In reference to the industries in our school: A farm of 1,500 acres was purchased at first, and later other land was secured. Some of this land has been sold, but at the present we have about 1,100 acres. About 100 acres of this land is under cultivation, and the rest is what is known in Australia as “bush land,” or forest. Farming is one of our principal industries. In fact, we raise all the fruit, vegetables, etc., used on our school table. Every month in the year we get something from the farm for use on our table. We have found out one thing about our location; and that is that while Australia is a drought-stricken country, this particular place seems to have quite a uniform rainfall. There is better land in some other parts of Australia, some that will produce as high as fifty bushels of wheat to the acre; but we have found that it is better to be where there is rain; for without that, the better land is of little value.

There was started in connection with this school a small printing plant, and also a food factory. However, these were not very closely associated with the school. In fact, for the first two or three years, we had very little to do with the food factory, except to cart the foods to the station and provide their fuel. The printing plant was also run, to some extent, as a separate concern. However, as time went on, it was made clear to the brethren that these ought to be under one management.

Our three principal industrial departments at the present time are the farm, the printing-office, and the food factory. In all our industrial work we have endeavored to introduce and to continue only those departments which relate to

the message. In our health food work we believe we are making something that pertains to that which has been termed the “right arm of the message;” in our printing-office we do no commercial work, printing only truth-laden literature. Thus our students are working directly on the message while gaining a valuable experience in manual labor, and earning part or all of their expenses in the school. We do not expect to introduce any department which will not work directly for the message itself. Of course we have a number of small departments, such as the blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, paint shop, etc., which contribute to keeping the buildings and machinery in repair.

A. G. Daniells: We would like to hear from Professor Lacey, who is in charge of the school at Watford, England.

Prof. H. C. Lacey: I am very glad to be connected with our English school. I can say to you this morning that it is a good school. I have been connected with several of our institutions,— two years in Battle Creek, six years in Healdsburg, three years in Cooranbong, and five years in England,— and I am not exaggerating when I say that there is quite as good a class of young people in attendance, looked at in every way, in our English school, as there has been at other schools with which I have been connected.

We have no buildings as yet, and very little equipment. At present we occupy the residence upon the estate which was purchased for our general institutions. The health food factory and the printing-office are housed in comfortable buildings, but the school has not been erected. We are therefore somewhat cramped in our facilities for the conduct of our educational work. Our chapel is the dining-room of the house; our class rooms are the servants' bedrooms (small rooms in the rear of the building); and last year we had to meet in the hall, and bring chairs into the front hall for a class room.

Our students are interested in the foreign field. There are 23 of our present students who have expressed their determination to give themselves to the foreign field if called of God. Our enrolment has been 83 the past year, but the attendance has been 68 or 70. We have 45 in the homes.

There is a misapprehension on the part of some of my fellow teachers as to the character of the work we are doing. It is not a primary school; it is perhaps an intermediate school and a college combined. We give considerable attention to the study of language, feeling that it is essential for those who are going out into fields where some linguistic attainment is necessary, to give earnest attention to this study.

I am of good courage in the work. I believe there is a good future before us. We have already matured plans for a fine building. We have a beautiful situation, and when the present building, now in hand, is completed, we shall be well equipped with the material facilities for carrying forward our work. I anticipate that God will give us his rich blessing, and that this department of our work will be successful and will further the interests of this great message.

The Friedensau School

A. G. Daniells: We will now call upon Prof. O. Luepke to address us. He has charge of the Friedensau School, in Germany.

O. Luepke [Elder Boettcher interpreting]: Although I rendered my report a few days ago, I thought I would simply mention at this time the condition of our school with reference to what Professor Griggs has said. He remarked that it was necessary for the missionary field and school to co-operate. I am glad to say that we are working to this end in Germany. I can only say that the success of our school has largely been the result of the missionary work in the field, and it has been our aim to strengthen the school from year to year, in discipline, missionary efforts, and otherwise. The different conferences and missionary fields send the best students to our school. As soon as they finish their course of study, they are ready to go into the field as missionaries. We have no difficulty in finding places of labor for them. When the students have completed their course, our conferences have always been ready to employ them. To my knowledge, not one has returned to us after he has begun to labor, but has gone on in the missionary work. Out of 650 students we have sent out 350 as missionaries, and to-day our enrolment is 140.