How to Interest Our Young People in Education—3
By M. E. Kern
I HAVE been interested in the efforts of some successful business firms in pushing their business. Having obtained the names of people, and learning by ingenious methods of their interest in the wares to be sold, they will write a letter in the most courteous way, calling attention to the merits of the thing for sale. The failure to receive a reply does not seem to discourage them; for they are educating men for the visit of their agent. The agent comes, and, of course, gives a much better idea of the article than could be obtained from the letters. Perhaps he makes several visits, and keeps in daily correspondence with the office concerning the prospective purchaser, with whom the office may correspond further, and perhaps direct its agent to make another visit. If such painstaking and persistent effort in following up an interest purely for gain is successful, can we afford to be less diligent, less interested and persistent, in fishing for the souls of our boys and girls? Brethren and sisters, we need to make a vigorous and determined effort for our young people, and not relax our efforts nor let go of the arm of the Lord too soon. I sought an interview with a Seventh-day Adventist young lady at one of our camp-meetings, with respect to entering our training-school, and found that she was in attendance at a Presbyterian college. I was interested to know how she came to go to this school. “Well,” she said, “Dr. Brown came to our place and talked with papa, and he finally said that if I wanted to go, I might. I thought it was not so far as to our training-school, and not knowing any one there anyway, I decided to go to the Presbyterian college.” “And how far is it from your place?” I inquired. “One hundred miles,” she replied. That was a lesson to me. If such men consider our dear young people worth searching out in order to influence them to attend their schools, they are worth as much to us. The world is bidding for our young people, and holding out inducements to them, the thing we have been told to do. A third way in which our young people can be helped through our teachers is by the maintenance of an excellent character of work in the school. There are altogether too many young people who come for one or two years and drop out. And in some cases it is because they did not get what they wanted or needed. They were not inspired to press on to greater heights and further attainments for the purpose of doing others good. This new life will come into the work of our teachers when they realize the sacredness of their work, and that the progress, and even the salvation, of many of these youth is largely in their hands. So ardent was Queen Mary’s love for her French possessions which were lost during her reign, that she is said to have remarked, “When I die, you will find Calais written on my heart.” Our names are graven on the palms of the Saviour’s hands, and I feel sure that the pupils of the God-fearing teacher are a constant burden upon his heart. After all, love is the great drawing power, and it is love that will draw our young people to God and into our schools, and into the sacred work of God. To recapitulate: We can interest our young people in education by— 1. The creation of a deeper interest in education among our people and workers generally. (a) By the agitation of educational questions through our periodicals, and the creation of an educational literature. (b) By the vigorous circulation of the book “Education,” and “Testimonies,” Volume VI. 2. A vigorous educational effort— (a) Through the Young People’s work. (b) Through the school faculties by— (2) Field work during vacations. 3. The excellent character of the work done in our schools. M. E. KERN.