Training-School Finance
By H. G. Lucas
THE highest hope of a nation centers in the young men and women in its colleges and universities. The man of to-morrow, the one who must bear the heaviest responsibilities in state and national affairs, is the young man of to-day pursuing his studies in the highest institutions of learning in the nation. Much of the instruction given is unprofitable, and many of the students graduated are unfitted for the practical duties of life; nevertheless the wealth of the rich, in the form of gifts and endowments, flows into the treasuries of these educational institutions for the purpose of defraying the deficit incurred in their running expenses, to increase their efficiency by providing new buildings and modern apparatus, and to secure the world's most competent instructors at enormous salaries. It is universally recognized that a school of this character can not maintain itself within itself, and out of its earnings provide improved facilities, pay interest on its heavy indebtedness, and then pay the debt in addition. It is not expected that it can maintain itself, but men of wealth interested in its work give of their millions to pay the deficit, debt, and interest. Seventh-day Adventist Schools
What about the prospects of operating the training-schools of Seventh-day Adventists without incurring debt? Count the cost in starting, and start without indebtedness. If a new school is about to be opened, it is best to find out the cost of the buildings, land, furnishings, etc., in advance, and to raise the amount necessary among those immediately interested and benefited, before the purchase is made. There are now so many training-schools among Seventh-day Adventists, representing investments of hundreds of thousands of dollars, that all, especially the young people in the United States, may be accommodated in the schools already in operation, and it appears to be poor policy to open new training-schools if they must be started under heavy burdens of debt. The new school has a chance to do good, earnest work in educational and spiritual lines, and to plan to provide for its running expenses, if it has no initial debt, with its added weight of interest, to consume its time and energy. Practically all our older schools were started on borrowed capital, and it was better to start them in this way in order to train the great army of workers that have gone out from these schools to all parts of the earth, than not to have started them at all. These should never, never close, but the time has come when no new schools should be started on this basis. Usually the heaviest burdens on the managers of the school come from these old debts and their accumulated interest. The friends of the older schools should give of their means to help cancel the debts quickly, and ask the managers to report to them quarterly, so they may be intelligent upon the status of this matter of debt lifting. Carefully Guard Every Expense
Make up your minds that where there is no debt, the school can be run within its income, even though it be a new thing under the sun. The leaks must be found and stopped; and it has been found possible to stop the leaks just where they are. Take, for instance, the culinary department. The table that can be provided depends upon the amount received. When school begins, take an inventory of the food on hand; to this add all money paid for additional food, labor, water, fuel, and other expenses charged to the culinary department for the first month; then, at the close of the month, take an inventory, which you add to the total receipts for the month. The difference shows a gain or loss. This should be repeated month by month, and the service carefully guarded. The result should show a substantial gain each month; if there is a loss at any time, plan your table accordingly; stop every possible leak, but never make the mistake of supplying poor food. Please the students just as far as possible. Take them into your confidence. They are your best advertisers for patronage for your school. Charge enough to be able to provide an abundance of good, nourishing food.