p. 28 | The Latin Union School Enrolment

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 7, 1908

The Latin Union School Enrolment

Our fourth school year began Oct. 1, 1907. We enrolled twenty-six students, representing the following countries: France, ten; Switzerland, nine; Spain, five; Italy, one; England, one; total, twenty-six.

We have two courses: the Bible course and the nurses’ course, the two uniting into one for such studies as the Bible, French, anatomy, vocal music, etc. It has been decided to extend both courses over two years of nine months each. To these, we have added a preparatory course embracing one year.

TEACHERS

Our teaching force is comparatively large; but none of the eight teachers devote their entire time to the school. This variety of teachers is due to the fact that Gland is the seat of three branches of our work in this Latin Union field,—the sanitarium, the school, and our editorial offices.

A methodic Bible study is given by the writer; Brother P. A. DeForest, our sanitarium physician, teaches anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Sister Eunice Nonaly, assistant editor on the Vulgarisateur, teaches French, hygiene, and laboratory work; Brother L. Benezet, a licentiate, teaches the book of Daniel and ancient history; Brother L. P. Tieche, our union president, teaches vocal music and bookkeeping; and our sanitarium head nurses, A. Hammerly and Martha Schlegel, teach massage and water treatments. Our preparatory department is in the hands of Sister Louise Berlie, a translator and copyist.

FINANCE

Our school is a workers’ training-school, exclusively, and has this peculiarity that it has to support its scholars through school, most of them being unable to pay. This brings before us a serious financial problem, which grows in proportion to the number of students. Last year, at the Gland meeting in May, it was decided to create a three-thousand-dollar fund with the agreement that the Latin Union should raise one thousand dollars and North America two thousand dollars. We hear with gratitude that gifts are coming in rapidly to make up both amounts.

Our students may be loaned money from this fund with the understanding that it is to be returned. They are enabled to pay back a portion of it while at school through their labor. The boys spend each morning and the whole day on Monday at work on the farm, and the girls in housework or in the food factory. A few students work in connection with the sanitarium bath-rooms.

FACILITIES

As our brethren may know, we have as yet no school buildings. Our students room in the sanitarium cottages and take their meals in a large kitchen. The classes are held in the chapel, writing being done on each one’s lap. This situation is attended with various difficulties which will disappear when we have proper facilities. This winter a large dark room in the Chalet cottage has been transformed into three sunny classrooms. They are now ready to be occupied, but seats are yet lacking. We hope to be fully equipped in that respect by Oct. 1, 1908.