Our Educational and Missionary Volunteer Council and Conventions
By I. H. Evans
At the fall council of the executive committee of the North American Division Conference, held in the autumn of 1914, the following actions were taken:—
1. That a council of the Educational and Missionary Volunteer Departments be held this winter at some central location, the place and time to be determined by the departments.
2. That in general the delegation be made up of two from each union conference having no training school of its own, and three from each union conference having a training school of its own. This list includes all members of the department and a few others.
3. That the traveling expenses of the delegates be pooled.
4. That a convention of ten days’ duration, conducted by the secretaries of the Educational and Missionary Volunteer Departments of the Division Conference, be held in connection with the summer school of each of the five colleges in the United States, and that an effort be made to bring together at these conventions all the educators and the Missionary Volunteer secretaries in the territory tributary to each college. This council and the conventions which will follow, are of great importance to our educational and young people’s work. It has been a number of years since such a council was held in this country, and it is hoped that these meetings will be appreciated and bring a blessing to both educational and Missionary Volunteer workers. Plans, textbooks, curriculums, and policies which will have a molding influence on these departments of the work must be discussed and adopted. These plans will shape the work in the years to come. The programs for this council and the conventions to follow are in the hands of the departmental secretaries of the Division Conference. These secretaries have tried to make such a program that both the council and the conventions shall produce the best possible results. It will be seen that the delegation to the council is limited, but includes representatives of the two departments, whether union or local conference, academy, or college; while at the conventions to follow there is to be a full delegation. These conventions are to be held in connection with the summer school in each college territory. This will minimize the traveling expense, and the benefits received will be in proportion to the attendance and interest. It is very important that the conventions be well attended. Of course this will incur some expense, but it is believed that the blessings and strength to the work, to be derived from these conventions, will more than compensate the monetary outlay. All who attend either the council or the conventions should be present from the first day until the close. It means much to the future of these departments that those who are to lead in and be responsible for these departments, attend the council, and that all workers in both departments, whether conference or school, attend the convention in their territory. We bespeak for the educational and Missionary Volunteer council and conventions the prayers of God’s people, and the same hearty sympathy and cooperation that has been given to the publishing and medical conventions. We expect that great good will come to those who attend these meetings, and that the work in the field will be much strengthened thereby.
I. H. EVANS.