p. 9 | Thirty-Fifth Meeting

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 17, 1909

Thirty-Fifth Meeting

June 2, 5:30 A. M.

O. A. Olsen occupied the chair, E. W. Farnsworth offering prayer.

On motion of F. Griggs, Resolution 28 (on normal diplomas), which had been tabled the day before, was brought forward for discussion.

On motion of F. Griggs it was amended to read:—

RECOGNITION OF ADVANCED NORMAL DIPLOMAS

28. Resolved, That the diplomas reaching at least to the fourteenth grade from the advanced normal courses of our union conference training-schools which have model practise schools connected with them, be considered equivalent to first-grade teacher’s certificates, and good for three years following their issuance; and that upon the completion of three years of successful teaching out of the first five years following graduation, the Department of Education of the General Conference shall, upon the recommendation of the school issuing the diploma, grant a seal to the diploma, which shall be valid anywhere in the denomination as a teacher’s certificate, so long as the holder is in good and regular standing in church-membership in this denomination.

The chairman directed attention to the further resolutions which were under consideration at the time of last adjournment.

Resolution 32 was read, as follows:—

LABORERS FOR THE FOREIGN POPULATION OF AMERICA

Whereas, There is in America a very large foreign population, consisting of many nationalities, each with its own language; and,—

Whereas, There are now engaged in the English work many laborers of foreign parentage who can fluently speak one of these foreign languages; therefore,—

32. Resolved, That we recommend such laborers to work for the people of their own nationality as far as the way is open for them so to do.

Elder O. A. Olsen: There is much meaning in this recommendation. As we have now taken a forward move in the effort to spread the truth among all the foreign peoples in the United States, I think that special attention should be given to this matter, so that laborers speaking various tongues should work among their own people just as far as possible.

L. R. Conradi: I simply wish to add

that in our country we see great need of using any one who speaks a foreign language, especially if that language has an affinity to some other. We have taken a number of people from this country who could not even speak German fluently; but after they acquire German, they can soon reach the Bohemians, Hungarians, and Dutch; for these languages are so similar that it takes only a short time to learn them after the German has been mastered. We have a number who can labor with any of these nationalities.

G. F. Haffner: I am heartily in favor of the recommendation; but I would like to call the attention of our conference officers especially to the fact that they ought to encourage our foreign laborers to work among their own people, even if they are not very successful. The principal reason they are not successful in making many converts is because it is difficult to get a good congregation on account of the foreign-speaking people being so scattered, with only a few in a village or neighborhood. I am especially interested in the Germans, of course, and I have met some of our workers who have told me they had begun to work for the English-speaking people because they did not receive encouragement from the conference to work for the Germans; that the conference looked down upon them because they did not have good success among the Germans. For this reason they went out among the English, where they were more successful. One brother told me that he meant to work for the English until the conference men regarded him as a successful laborer. I would like to call the attention of those who are officers of conferences to this matter, so that they will encourage these men, even if they are not so successful, to work among their own nationality. Nevertheless, we find that our German workers have had success, though not quite as much as if they were among the English. I am highly in favor of this recommendation.

R. A. Underwood: The last speaker suggested that the foreign laborers seemed not to have so much success in their own tongue, and so labored among the English. Now, I have noticed some, at least, who, I believe, would have made excellent laborers among their own people if they had stayed with them, but they drifted into the English work, and made poor laborers. I shall be glad to encourage the carrying out of this resolution.

F. C. Gilbert: Though perhaps an American, I shall speak as a foreigner, and especially in behalf of the Jewish people. You will remember that on one occasion, while Paul was holding an open-air meeting, the record says that when they heard him speak in the Hebrew tongue, they gave all the more silence; and it seems to me it is very suggestive as showing the advantage of talking to the people in their own language. I believe that this resolution is a good one, and I hope, when it is passed, it will be carried out.

The resolution was adopted.

Resolution 33 (on Spanish health paper) and Resolution 34 (on a sanitarium magazine quarterly) were adopted.

Resolution 35 (on lengthened nurses’ courses) was read. On motion of E. E. Andross, consideration and action were deferred until Friday morning.

Resolution 36 was read, as follows:—

QUALIFIED WORKERS

Whereas, Our field is the world, and the legal requirements for medical qualification in many countries demand a literary and scientific knowledge of a high order, and necessitate a thorough mastery of the medical curriculum; therefore,—

36. We recommend, That those qualifying for medical practise secure such preliminary and medical education as is accepted in this country and abroad.

W. A. Ruble: You will notice that this resolution states, “Whereas, Our field is the world, and the legal requirements for medical qualification in many countries demand a literary and scientific knowledge of a high order,” etc. Many of our young people desire to take the medical course. But in planning for that, they often forget to plan with a view to the possibility of taking up work in a country outside the United States. Some are so anxious to secure a medical degree that they are taking some shorter courses, of possibly two or three years, or, in some instances, of even only a few months, so as to get some kind of a degree. I think this to be deplored, because it is depriving all such of the opportunity of going to some foreign field at some future time. Such persons will find it impossible to practise in any country outside of the United States.

The requirements of medical examiners in foreign lands are such as necessitate the most thorough preparation. For this reason, those students who anticipate being called to practise in any other land, must necessarily take their work in the best of our American universities, in order to meet, in some instances, even the entrance requirements of universities abroad. In these foreign countries, the physician must have legal recognition. When we recommend young men and young women to qualify in a British medical school, and inquire into their preliminary training, we find that usually not one in twenty is prepared to meet the requirements necessary. It is necessary, also, that our medical students take their studies in some school that is recognized by the universities abroad. In view of all these circumstances, I hope that we will not plan to limit the usefulness of those who expect to qualify as physicians, but that we shall raise our sight, in this respect, and aim higher in the medical work.

J. A. Burden: I would like to ask the literal meaning of the phrase, “those qualifying for medical practise.”

W. A. Ruble: It means those who shall receive legal permission to practise medicine in these countries.

J. A. Burden: It seems to me that there will be some confusion unless there is something clearer on that point. If we give much heed to what was said yesterday morning from the desk, it seems to me it is going to cause considerable confusion for us to pass this resolution just as it reads. It was stated yesterday that the worldly medical education is to be esteemed less and less by those who are seeking for efficiency in carrying the medical work—whatever that may be. And now if we, by the passing of this resolution, turn the minds of all our young people who are interested in medical work to the thought of securing worldly recognition, it seems to me it will result in confusion. I recognize the point in the resolution, and certainly there seems need for counsel; but I can not see the harmony between the resolution and the counsel that was given yesterday morning; and I fear there are many others who will find difficulty in harmonizing the resolution with the counsel given.

R. S. Owen: I believe that the Testimonies are calling for something entirely different from that which is outlined in this resolution. I believe they are calling upon us to institute some school that will finally be recognized. This patched-up course of medical instruction—part in our own schools, and part in the schools of the world—will not, I fear, meet the mind of the Lord.

L. R. Conradi: I believe that the Lord wants us to do that which is best for the upbuilding of the work in every country. We are not of the world, but we still live in the world; and we have to reckon with the conditions existing in the world. I have heard some statements made on the floor of the General Conference, intimating that if any young man or woman should visit any outside school, it would be almost as much as heresy. I wish that some of these people could live across the waters—for example, in Germany. We can have no church-schools whatever. The government does not permit it. We have a fine school at Friedensau, and we have in attendance about 160 young people. We are enlarging it, but the government binds us that no person of common school age is allowed to attend. What will we do with such conditions? I remember well that when Sister White was in Europe, we talked with her about this difficulty. She said, “You will have to do the best you can under the circumstances.”

Now to-day we have something like 15,000 Sabbath-keepers over there who can not send their children to church-schools. But I am thankful to God that the Lord is powerful enough to keep our youth even there. I am thankful to the Lord that hundreds of these young people are going into the work, and some of them are making good missionaries everywhere. For some lines of work we are compelled to send our young people to the universities there. But while attending these universities, some of our young people have had the greatest influence for good on the teachers in bringing before them the truth, their influence in some cases even leading to the conversion of other students.

I think there is another side to that principle, and that is the experience of the Waldensian youth, of whom “Great Controversy” speaks. As they were sent to the schools, they held up the light, thus bringing the truth to others. So I think we must do the best we can under the circumstances.

R. S. Owen: When we come up to a hard place, it is easy to explain away what God has said. I have not lived in the old country, but God lives there, and he can clear away all the difficulties that confront medical students. I do recognize that the Testimonies state that certain young men who are well grounded in the truth should be recommended to go to these higher schools; and that in these places they will exert a good influence, and may lead others into the truth. But they are to be carefully selected. They should be those who we know are well grounded in the truth. But the majority of those who take up these courses are not well grounded.

D. H. Kress: I think that this recommendation may be misunderstood. We may encourage a great many to go to these worldly medical schools, when the Testimonies state that fewer should be encouraged to take up the study of medicine, while the many should be encouraged to take up medical missionary study as it is taught among our own people.

W. A. Spicer: As the brethren have been discussing this resolution, I have been reading it to see wherein they find the suggestion which they have been discussing. There is nothing said of worldly schools. It simply says that young people should have a thorough training, a good preliminary training, if they intend to take medical work. Why should they not get that training in our schools? The whole resolution might be carried out within our own ranks, if we had a medical school. The whole training may be taken in our own schools, save perhaps the final graduation in medicine. I see no suggestion whatever that leads toward what the brethren have been discussing.

Resolution 36, by vote of the Conference, was adopted.

Resolution 37 (on short missionary course) was read and adopted.

Resolution 38 was read, as follows:—

FIELD WORK FOR NURSES

Whereas, The medical missionary nurses’ training course embraces more than routine nursing; therefore,—

38. We recommend, That in each sanitarium the work be so organized that the nurses may have an equivalent to three months’ field work a year in the sale of our health literature, visiting the sick, and in giving Bible readings; and that the union and State conferences co-operate in this work, so that at the completion of the nurses’ course, these laborers may be employed in regular conference work.

C. McReynolds: I think it well to speak to this just a moment. We passed a recommendation similar to this at our last annual conference meeting (Wisconsin), and have tried it to quite an extent since that time, and we find it very beneficial indeed to the members of our nurses’ training-class. We find these workers very excellent help in our mission work and in our meetings.

C. D. M. Williams (Hawaii): I do not think that we can say too much about our nurses taking a Bible course. I have had a little experience in that line out in Honolulu. I find that many come there, and simply go into commercial work. I do not believe that we can afford to train nurses to go into commercial work. They should all be sent out as missionaries.

The question was called, and Resolution 38 was adopted.

VISIT TO PRESIDENT

S. B. Horton: If it is in order, I would like to offer this resolution in reference to the visit to the President that the delegation will make to-day:—

“Resolved, That a deputation be appointed from this Conference to call upon the President of the United States, and to extend the greetings of our people.”

The resolution was carried.

ADDRESS TO CZAR OF RUSSIA

J. T. Boettcher (Russia): I would like to offer this resolution, and move its adoption:—

“Resolved, That we express our appreciation of the steps already taken by the government of his majesty, the czar of Russia, in behalf of religious freedom within his realm, and that we request the chairman to appoint a committee from this body to communicate our sentiments to the Russian ambassador at Washington.”

This resolution was adopted. Reports were then presented from the Foreign Department of the General Conference, also from the North Pacific Union Conference.

[We have not space for these reports in this number.]

Meeting adjourned.