Twenty-Eighth Meeting

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jun 10, 1909

Twenty-Eighth Meeting

May 30, 10:45 A. M.

Elder L. R. Conradi in the chair. Prayer by W. J. Fitzgerald. New delegates seated: E. A. Sutherland, of the Southern Union, delegate at large, who had been present for some time, but had overlooked responding at call for delegates; C. T. Everson, of the Latin Union.

The chairman called attention to the partial reports of the committee on plans (resolutions 16 to 27) now before the Conference as unfinished business.

On motion to adopt by considering and acting upon each resolution separately, the reports were taken up.

Resolution 16 (on equipment of schools) was read and adopted without discussion.

Resolution 17 (on school buildings and gardens) was then read.

C. McReynolds: Is it recommended that this shall be a work undertaken by the conference from a financial standpoint? or must it be by the church itself, or by the advice of the conference?

Frederick Griggs: The purpose of the resolution is simply to enable the conference to advise in this matter. It is not that they should go into the expenses of erecting the buildings. There is room for improvement in the church-school facilities. Our schools in many instances are conducted in illy ventilated, poorly lighted, and entirely inadequate quarters. By this resolution we place ourselves on record in favor of proper quarters for our church-schools, and the only reference to the conferences is that they shall advise and encourage such work.

Resolution 18 (on school buildings) was read.

Frederick Griggs: There is no question but school buildings are often erected with a poor style of architecture at about as great cost as they would be if a good style of architecture were selected. It seems as if it were properly the work of the department of education (I am not speaking alone of the General Conference Department, but of the departments of education, local as well as general) to have suggestions at hand, and encourage the erection of buildings suited to the purpose in mind, and well designed architecturally.

A. O. Tait: I would like to suggest that in carrying out this resolution the department could get out good pictures or illustrations of various schools, together with the cost of the same, with some specifications for their building, and have them printed in such a way that they could be distributed quite generally. In this way, plans that ordinarily might cost from twenty-five to fifty dollars could be distributed so that they would cost only a few cents.

Resolution 19 (on correspondence schools) was read.

Frederick Griggs: Perhaps a word of explanation is necessary. We have among our young people many whose circumstances are such as to make it impossible for them to attend our schools. We have ministers whose duties are such that while they desire further study, it is impossible for them to leave their work,—teachers, and other workers who desire to pursue studies further along general lines. Not only so, but men and women are continually coming into the truth who would avail themselves of courses of Bible study, history study, and other lines of work, and that to great advantage. Now correspondence schools, as stated here, have been shown to be successful. Some of these schools are independent. Others are connected with other schools, such as the University of Wisconsin, the University of Chicago, etc. It appears to us that there is a broad field of usefulness for such a school, particularly in view of the work which our Missionary Volunteer Department is carrying forward. In certain sections of the country this department has asked for something of this sort; and we believe that there is a great field for such a school.

R. S. Owen: I am sure there is a demand for such a school along Bible lines. For 18 years I have been teaching Bible in our schools. Many persons have sent to me for lessons, and I have sent them out, but have not been able to answer the letters. I have attempted it, but my time was so occupied with my classes that it was impossible for me to give the work the attention that it demanded. No one should attempt this work who already has all he ought to do.

Resolution No. 20 (on educational journal) was read.

Professor Griggs: I simply wish to offer a word of explanation. For a number of years there has been a demand for an educational journal, and for educational matter, in addition to that which we have had in the REVIEW. We have a health journal to promulgate our health principles to the world. There is a great educational movement of progress in this and other countries, and God has given to us advanced light in this direction, and it seems as if we should endeavor to disseminate this light. We have the book “Education.” Reference may be made to that later as a means which we may employ in that direction. But I think we can use a proper educational journal, not only for our own teachers, but for the educational world at large. This is one reason why we think we should have such an educational journal, and we believe it should contain matter of vital importance to all our people. I do not want, however, that there should be no representation of our school work in the REVIEW. I believe it should contain matter on our educational work just the same as it contains matter on religious liberty, Missionary Volunteer, and other phases of our work.

W. W. Prescott, editor of the REVIEW, inquired if this action would make it necessary to maintain the special educational department now published each month. On learning the object of the resolution, he moved that the resolution be amended by striking out that portion of it which says, “In addition to the educational matter that may appear in the REVIEW AND HERALD,” making it read, “That the Executive Committee of the General Conference arrange for the publication of,” etc.

The question was put, and the amendment was carried.

Resolution 20, as amended, was voted upon, and accepted.

The Chairman: The secretary will read the next resolution.

The Secretary [reading]:

RELATION AND SCOPE OF DIFFERENT

CLASSES OF SCHOOLS

Whereas, Experience has shown that the schools conducted by local conferences should seldom carry work beyond the tenth grade; and,— Whereas, Several of these local schools are now called academies, though not doing, or equipped to do, full academic work, for lack of libraries, laboratories, and sufficient teaching force; and,— Whereas, We have the following instruction from the spirit of prophecy: “It is not wise for a new school to lift its banner, and promise a high grade of work, before it has proved that it is fully able to do preparatory work as it should be done. It should be the great aim of every intermediate school to do most thorough work in the common branches. . . . It would be a sad mistake for us to fail to consider thoroughly the purpose for which each of our schools is established. This is a matter that should be faithfully considered by our responsible men in each union conference. All the different educational interests should be given careful consideration, and then each school should place its work on a proper basis;” therefore,—

21. We recommend, (a) That the local conferences, in counsel with their union conference committee, adapt the name and grade of work of these local schools to the intermediate school standard, except in those special cases where circumstances make this step inadvisable. (b) That the union conference training-schools do not draw intermediate students from the territory within the jurisdiction of the intermediate schools without previous arrangement with the local conference president. (c) That in each union conference there be created a committee of inspection, consisting of the union conference president, the union conference educational secretary, and one member of the training-school faculty to be appointed by the faculty, to counsel with the individual conferences or schools, in order to unify and grade the work of the intermediate schools and academies of the union conference.

The Chairman: This resolution is open for remarks.

Morris Lukens: We have, in our conference, 18 church-schools. They run to the eighth grade. We would not care to see those reduced any, because to do so would mean to send our children away from home before they were old enough to go away to some other school. Then, if we keep them in the church-school until the eighth grade, we have only two grades for our conference school. It will mean to shut up many of our conference schools, if this is carried out. I recognize the fact that this is only a suggestion, but I notice that it is placed in the hands of three men,—the union conference president, the union conference educational secretary, and one of the faculty. While they are to consult with the members of the board, and counsel with the members of the board, yet it seems to me that it places out of the hands of the conference committee final decision as to just what grade that school should carry—just what grade it should go to. I am not going to offer an amendment just now, but I should like to see that first “whereas” cut out entirely, and not mention the tenth grade; for it seems to me I can see trouble for our conference schools, if this is left in.

F. Griggs: The Testimonies make provision for intermediate schools. They call for intermediate schools, and they call for them in localities where a number of churches can unite. There is no provision made in the Testimonies for a conference school. There is no such suggestion. In fact, there is a strict statement that they should not exist. The Testimonies indicate three grades of schools, the church, the intermediate, and the advanced schools. Some of this instruction that occurs in the second preamble, was given to a school that was endeavoring to lift its grade of work above the tenth grade. Now there are localities, and there are schools, that seem to make it necessary for a school to do work above the tenth grade. Take the Northern Union, for instance. They have no advanced school in that union, and there is some occasion for that to be done. This resolution is introduced for two or three reasons. One is the matter of expense. In order to maintain the eleventh and twelfth grades in addition to

tenth-grade work, there must necessarily be an increase of the teaching force, and laboratory and library facilities which are not required in work up to that grade. Zoology is almost always taught, and advanced lines of history; other scientific studies are taught in the eleventh and twelfth grades, and these require quite an increase of facilities. Furthermore, the teaching force in our intermediate schools is not so large as it is in our advanced schools, and the teachers are required to do the work of those schools in less time. The recitation periods are shorter; each one is obliged to cover more subjects. Now the grade of work which a pupil gets in these eleventh and twelfth grades in connection with the intermediate schools is not equal to that which they get in the advanced schools.

I would further call attention to the fact that the committee that is appointed by the third clause in the recommendation is not a committee to say whether a school shall carry its grades beyond the tenth or not. This is not the purpose of the committee. It is to examine the work of these schools and see that the standard of work is what it should be. The object is not to tell the schools that they shall do this or that, but to suggest how they can improve their work.

E. E. Andross: In Southern California we have one of the best schools in the United States for the training of laborers, and that school is an academy. I believe that it is possible for an academy to do just as good work as any other school, as far as it goes. I would hate to see anything pass this Conference that would in any way militate against the work of the academy. Of course I recognize the fact that we ought to take more counsel in the starting of schools. I do not believe we ought to undertake schools when we are not prepared to carry them through. But I would be glad if we could arrange this resolution in some way so that it would place the academy, which is doing such magnificent work, in a little more prominent position. That exemption clause may be stricken out, or withdrawn at the next meeting of our Conference. It is simply toleration, and I do not believe it ought to be put on that basis; for I do know that the academies are doing some excellent work for the young people of our denomination.

H. R. Salisbury: It seems to me that this resolution is brought in to protect just such schools as Elder Andross is speaking of. There are certain schools going by the name of academies, or training-schools, or institutes, or seminaries, or schools for Christian workers, that are doing training-school work, and they should be protected. There is another class that is trying to imitate them, drawing our students away from our training-schools, and still are not doing the grade of work that should be done. I understand the school in question is a training-school; and if so, this resolution is for the purpose of protecting it, in order that some little school will not start up, call itself an academy, imitate its work, and draw away its students. South Lancaster Academy is an academy, but we consider it a splendid training-school. This resolution is not to stop the academies, but to stop the schools that are trying to do the work of an academy and are failing. If there is any fault with this resolution, it is that it is too weak instead of too strong.

F. Griggs: There is another phase that this resolution aims at. This year we have graduated thirteen young men and young women in our degree courses, and thirteen only. We are called upon to equip new schools. Now it is a fair proposition that a teacher ought to be educated at least a year or so ahead of those he is to teach. That is, if his pupils are doing tenth-grade work, he ought to have had as high as the twelfth; if they are doing twelfth-grade work, he ought to have gone two or three grades higher. The trouble is, we are not graduating enough young people from the higher grades; we are not getting men and women who can edit our papers, who can man our advanced schools, who can go out into the hard places. I do not believe every boy and girl should take a college course; but I do believe that our boys and girls should be educated to the place for which they are qualified in this great work. We have the greatest work, the mightiest work, that is going on in this earth, and we need strong, well-educated men and women to carry it on. I believe that this very resolution, in its practical working out, will tend toward that result.

C. Thompson: It seems to me that that committee ought to be raised to five members, including the local conference president and the secretary of the local conference in which the school is located.

C. C. Lewis: I believe that this resolution as it stands is worthy of our consideration, and ought to be adopted by this Conference. I think that the delegate from Kansas made a suggestion that is worthy of our consideration,—that upon this committee of inspection which has to do with the grading of the schools in the conference, the conference itself ought to be represented. I therefore move an amendment, that the president of the local conference, and the educational secretary of that local conference, be added to this committee called for in Section (c), making a committee of five.

R. A. Underwood: I wish to second that motion.

W. W. Prescott: It seems to me that the very purpose of this committee is misapprehended. May I suggest first, as a mere verbal change, that instead of calling this a committee of inspection, it be called a board of visitors? It seems to me that would be a more proper name. Now, Mr. Chairman, as to this motion to make an amendment, let me call your attention to the fact that the very purpose of such a board of visitors is to include those who are not conducting the school. You do not want a board of visitors composed of those who are closely associated with the school. That would be contrary to the very purpose of this section, which is to give help from the outside, not from the inside. Now I understand that the purpose of this action is to endeavor, in a proper way,—not by arbitrary legislation, not by setting arbitrary rules,—to provide a way that this can be done without this arbitrary method. This board of visitors is to visit the schools, not with authority to say what they shall do, but to say, If you wish to be in harmony with the general plan of the work, you should conform your work to that plan. The board of visitors are to advise whether the work is in harmony with that plan or not, leaving it to the local management to decide whether they are willing to come into harmony with the plan. Such counsel as this could best be given by men who are not closely associated with the school, or prejudiced in its favor. Therefore I think the provision made in this resolution appointing general men as the board of visitors to give counsel and advice, is wise. I hope that the amendment will not prevail, and that the resolution will be adopted.

Secretary: Shall we substitute “board of visitors” for “committee of inspection”? It was so agreed.

C. Thompson: This committee would not be as large as the last speaker seems to indicate. There would be the three provided for in the resolution, and associated with them the local conference president and the local educational secretary, in the conference in which the school itself may be established.

The question was called on the amendment. A vote was taken, and the amendment was lost.

R. A. Underwood: In our union we have no advanced training-school. Our students are attending College View and our academies. We have been advised to secure certain property and establish a union conference training-school. When this action was under consideration by our local conferences, one conference, perhaps the largest in the union, Iowa, was conducting an academy and also one intermediate school. That conference decided that it would be a matter of policy and blessing to drop their work above the tenth grade and conform to the tenth-grade plan, if a union training-school were established. Now if an advanced training-school is maintained in a union conference, the local conferences must maintain that school. That school is a part of their work just as much as the intermediate school or the academy. The question is simply whether the local conferences can to advantage carry double work in three or four schools, or whether it can be done better in one advanced school. I am in harmony with the resolution.

B. G. Wilkinson: Our colleges desire not to take students from these schools of lower grades; but when these schools reach out into the schools of higher grades, sometimes the training-schools, the higher schools, feel compelled to reach down and take students from the lower grades. I wish to say that a large number of the chiefs of our training-schools were visited when this resolution was under consideration, and they felt very willing to stick to their grades if the schools under them would stick to their grades. Therefore I believe the resolution ought to be passed.

H. M. Hiatt: We have one intermediate school and one academy in our conference [Kansas], and I would hate to see this resolution prevent us from going any higher than the tenth grade; for the reason that many times the children are not able to go to the higher schools,—the training-schools.

B. A. Wolcott: The vast number of our young people can never go through our colleges. There are some who will, but the great majority can never hope to go through our higher schools. Now are we going to pull down our standard of education for the vast majority of our young people by saying we can go in our schools only through ten grades? I say, No.

The question was called, and the original motion carried.

Resolution 22 (in regard to patronizing our school industries) was then read.

The resolution carried.

The secretary then read Resolution 23 (on Foreign Mission Seminary).

W. W. Prescott: I would be sorry to see this resolution passed without some statement before this body of delegates concerning the work of this institution. It is since the last session of this Conference that this institution has been established as the Foreign Mission Seminary. It was done by vote of the Conference Committee in its large council in Switzerland two years ago. We have had two years’ of experience in conducting this school; we have had two years’ demonstration as to the field which it is designed to fill; and it seems to me that it would be very profitable if we should have a statement from the principal of the Seminary concerning some of the experiences of the last two years,—a statement of the work already done by the Seminary in supplying the demands for the fields, as a basis upon which these brethren are to intelligently indorse such a resolution as this. I would like to suggest, in the absence of the chairman of the board, that the president of the Seminary be asked to make a statement concerning the experiences of the school from this standpoint.

H. R. Salisbury: In the financial report of the Seminary that is to be called at the legal meeting, I was going to give a summarized report, but if the delegates would wish to hear something, I could give it off-hand. Otherwise I would rather leave it until I give my treasurer’s report.

Question was called, and the resolution carried.

Resolution 24 (on the preparation of our publications) was read, and, pending action, the meeting adjourned.