A Personal Statement in Regard to the Home and Church School Manual.
By C. C. Lewis
I DESIRE to make a statement with reference to the “Manual for Home and Church Schools,” which was described in connection with my report of labor in the REVIEW of September 10. My first thought was for an outline of study and a few pages of instruction, making a pamphlet of thirty or forty pages, designed for the territory in which I was laboring in the interests of the church-school work. As the summer advanced, and I attended different camp-meetings, the work grew, in response to questions and suggestions from teachers and people, until I had matter for quite a large pamphlet, and felt the need of spending a few days at College View before the Nebraska camp-meeting in order to put it in form for publication. At the camp-meeting I was advised to lay the matter before the Educational Committee of the General Conference, secure such revision and additions as would make the matter suitable for general use, and if it was thought best, publish the Manual for the entire field. Accordingly, I went to Berrien Springs, and spent two days with Professor Sutherland. We read the manuscript together and revised the courses of study. This was a great privilege to us both. Although we had long known and esteemed each other at a distance, we had never before enjoyed the opportunity of sitting down together, even for an hour, to consider the needs of the church-school work. Each had worked upon courses of study for church schools for three or four years. Each represented the labors of other teachers in the same direction. Each had the results of this labor with him, and these results were surprisingly alike in details as well as in general principles, the differences being chiefly in form or arrangement. It was therefore comparatively easy to construct an outline of study embodying the best features of such outline, especially as both workers realized the necessity of, uniting upon some general plan for the entire field. We then secured a meeting of the members of the Educational Committee of the General Conference, who were in Battle Creek, and a committee was appointed to consider what was best to be done with the Manual. After a conference of several hours’ duration, this committee recommended its publication, as containing the best suggestions we now have upon the practical side of the church-school work, and as being calculated to aid our schools and teachers by presenting a generally accepted plan of organization and work. The Manual, therefore, will be published immediately under the auspices of the Educational Committee of the General Conference, and the announcement made in my article in the REVIEW of September 10, is hereby withdrawn as well as all other statements, by letter or otherwise, concerning the publication of the Manual, due notice of which will be given by the proper parties. The advance orders received at the camp-meetings this summer will be filled as per agreement. C. C. LEWIS,
Educational Secretary N. W., and S. W. U. C.