p. 20 | Spirit of Cooperation in the Rural Schools

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 18, 1916

Spirit of Cooperation in the Rural Schools

By W. E. Howell

It is quite well known to our readers that for a number of years there have been carried on in different sections of the South various school enterprises not connected with our organized work. They have generally been started by the investment of private means, and carried on by their own earnings and by funds solicited or donated by friends interested in their work. These schools have been spoken of as independent or self-supporting enterprises, preferably the latter by their promoters. Their aim is to bring Christian school privileges within reach of the more needy and neglected people of the highland districts, and establish permanent centers of influence for the truth.

As the work of these schools grew, it became evident that there ought to be some plan of cooperation with the organized work. Each school was a unit by itself, carried on with little reference to any other, without any general supervision, and crossing at various points the work of the conference in which it was, as well as drawing funds from various sections of the United States without accounting for their disbursement in any regular way. Accordingly about a year ago a committee was appointed by the North American Division Conference to visit these various schools to become acquainted with their work and draw up a plan of cooperation and supervision to be submitted to the autumn council at Loma Linda.

An institute of self-supporting workers was held at the Baker Mountain school, near Hildebran, N. C., Dec. 24-28, 1915, with delegates from several States in the South. This gave the first opportunity for presenting the recommendations of the autumn council to representatives of the self-supporting schools.

The result of presenting and considering these recommendations was their unanimous acceptance, in the most hearty spirit, and with mutual pledges of cooperation and loyal support of the terms of the recommendations as fast as they can be worked out in detail. It was generally agreed that the self-supporting schools should hereafter be known as “rural schools,” their work being exclusively in the country. The recommendations from the autumn council have been presented in a previous number of the REVIEW.

In response to these recommendations, the North Carolina institute passed the following actions:—

“1. We recommend, That as self-supporting workers we acknowledge our appreciation of the actions taken by the North American Division Conference Committee at Loma Linda in reference to the rural schools, and that we manifest our appreciation of the interest and good will expressed in their action by doing all we can to cooperate with our brethren in both the local and union conferences in building up a stronger and more useful work which we hope will be a credit to our people and a glory to God.

“2. We recommend, That as speedily as possible the proper officials of the union conference and representatives of the rural schools devise plans for arousing the interest in proper persons in the Northern States to enter this field as self-supporting missionaries, and that ways be devised so that these persons can be established in a manner that will bring the greatest results to all concerned.

“3. We recommend, That the Union Conference select a competent person from one of the rural schools to act in conjunction with the Union Conference educational secretary in strengthening and developing the self-supporting rural schools.”

The effect of this institute upon those present was to inspire new hope and courage for the future welfare of the work in the South, and to gain a clearer insight into how the work of the rural schools may become a strong factor in the winning of souls.

W. E. Howell.