The Educational Council by Frederick Griggs

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 6, 1915

The Educational Council

By Frederick Griggs

The final preparations for our educational council and the conventions to follow it are being made. It is generally understood that these meetings are to be held as follows:—

General educational and Missionary Volunteer council, Pacific Union College, St. Helena, Cal., June 4-14.

Convention for the Pacific Union Conference, St. Helena, Cal., June 18-26.

Convention for the North Pacific Union Conference, College Place, Wash., June 29 to July 6.

Convention for the Northern, Central, and Southwestern Union Conferences, College View, Nebr., July 9-17.

Convention for the Lake Union Conference, Berrien Springs, Mich., July 19-26.

Convention for the Columbia and Atlantic Union Conferences, Takoma Park, D. C., July 29 to August 4.

Convention for the Southern and Southeastern Union Conferences, Graysville, Tenn., August 6-14.

An important feature of the council will be to receive and act upon the reports of thirteen standing committees. Thinking it may be of benefit to those of our educators who may be interested in the work of these various committees, I give herewith the list of the committees, with their chairmen:—

Elementary standards, C. A. Russell, Berrien Springs, Mich.

Science equipment, L. H. Wood, Graysville, Tenn.

Library, J. N. Anderson, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Standardization of our academies, W. E. Howell, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Bible courses, C. Sorenson, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Courses of study, J. L. Shaw, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Textbooks, Frederick Griggs, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Certification, H. G. Lucas, San Fernando, Cal.

Industrial work, C. W. Irwin, St. Helena, Cal.

School auxiliary organizations, M. E. Kern, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

Blank forms, W. W. Ruble, College View, Nebr.

Normal library, Myrta E. Kellogg, Berrien Springs, Mich.

Normal equipment, B. B. Davis, College Place, Wash.

We trust that those who are interested in the work of any of these committees will be free to correspond with its chairman, and make any inquiries or offer any suggestions with reference to the work. This will be of assistance in bringing in valuable reports. And we further trust that all members of committees will work energetically in an immediate preparation of their reports, that they may be in the hands of the department before the council begins.

Those who are at all acquainted with our educational work can most readily appreciate the importance of these gatherings. Five years have elapsed since the meeting of the department at Berrien Springs, and in this time there has been rapid growth in our educational work. This rapid growth demands many adjustments. Our educational work must keep pace with the advance strides of our message. It must be strengthened in all its features. And it is impossible to accomplish this without such gatherings. There is need of unifying many phases of our work. Each school, and the work in each territory, has made progress; and it will be to the advantage of our work as a whole to compare these notes of progress, and to adapt to all our institutions these individual features of advancement.

All the conventions save one are to be held in connection with the college in the territory from which the delegates to the convention will come. This will tend to bind into one unit the educational work of the territory tributary to the college, and will admit of those local adaptations which could not be made so easily if there were but one large convention. A limited number of delegates have been planned for the council in order that there may be the fullest delegations in attendance at the conventions. That the conventions may accomplish the most good, it is imperative that every educational worker in the territory of each convention be present.

Another valuable feature of our plans for the council and these conventions is the cooperation of the educational and Missionary Volunteer workers in attendance. Plans will naturally be laid for more effective work, these two departments being very closely related in many phases of their work. We look for great good to come from these meetings, and we sincerely expect to receive the hearty cooperation of our conference, Missionary Volunteer, and educational workers.

FREDERICK GRIGGS.