Notes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Dec 28, 1905

J. W. Christian, superintendent of schools in the South Dakota Conference, writes as follows of their school work: “Our work here in South Dakota is moving on nicely, and God is signally blessing our efforts. We have fourteen schools in operation at the present time—ten in the English and four in the German language. We have been very fortunate in securing well-qualified teachers from a literary standpoint, and fully consecrated to the work.”

The Central Union Conference Bulletin of October is devoted to the industries of Union College. The subjects considered are industrial education, general work for students of Union College, the poultry yards, the blacksmith shop, and a special kind of seed corn which the agricultural department is putting out. The special winter course at the college is also advertised. It is encouraging to see our institutions introducing into their industrial departments the most advanced ideas. There is certainly a great advance for our schools along the lines of industrial education.

We are in receipt of the “First Annual Announcement of the Primary Parochial Schools of the California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.” This is a very neat little brochure setting forth in a few words the principles underlying our church-school work. A list of the twenty schools in the conference, with their teachers, is given. Statements are made with reference to the standard of work to be done, the discipline to be maintained, the examinations required, the service given, and the religious privileges of the schools, manual training, who are admitted, the character of text-books. A detailed course of study covering ten years is outlined, and a list of regulations is given. The educational superintendent, Prof. E. D. Sharp, 1059 Castro St., Oakland, Cal., will be glad to correspond with any who are interested in Christian schools. This little announcement is certainly very suggestive, and it can but be of great help in binding together and unifying the educational work of the California Conference.

“It was a long struggle to find teachers, but what is worth getting is worth going for, and so we worked untiringly, and now we are rejoicing in the well-organized effort for the youth and children.

“Our teachers are using report cards which are sent to the parents every month, and the teachers also make out a monthly report which is sent to me and kept on record for future reference. We are still in the rough, but we hope to reach a degree of perfection that will at last give us a definite record.

“We held our examination this fall in September (the first ever held in South Dakota, although the school work has been recognized for six years), and required an average standing of ninety per cent for a two years’ certificate, and seventy per cent for a one year’s certificate. We have no one teaching on a lower standing.

“I submitted the questions to our county superintendent of public schools, and he said that they were fully as hard as any he would ask of his applicants.

“He met with us one day in institute work, and seemed highly pleased with our plans. I speak of this only that you may appreciate what grade of work we seek to do. We have some perplexing questions in this cold and sparsely settled country. Many of our brethren are anxious to send their children to a Christian school, but to drive four or five miles on these bleak prairies is impossible.

“We need a closer relation between the various conferences and mission fields in this union conference, and I sincerely hope we may see this supplied at our next conference in March.”