Fireside Correspondence School by W. E. Howell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 11, 1909

Fireside Correspondence School

By W. E. Howell

If the students of the Fireside Correspondence School find as much pleasure in preparing their lessons as we at headquarters find in seeing their neatly written test papers coming to our desk, and in looking over their work, they count themselves happy that they have enrolled in the school. We feel compensated for undertaking the enterprise. The work is developing so far beyond our expectations in many important respects that we feel thrice repaid already for the travailings of mind and soul it has cost to start it in so short a time, and feel a growing confidence that we can do more for the correspondence student than we really dared hope in the beginning.

If anything can be judged from the quality of the written work sent in, (and really what better means of judging could one have?) there is no mean talent in the fireside circle of the Correspondence School. It is easy to discern in the lessons a pride in doing things well. We can feel an atmosphere of earnestness and determination that is one of the restful features of our otherwise arduous work.

There is noticeable in some of the students a growing ambition to push their work to a finish as early as consistent, and the grade of work they are sending in justifies their so doing. We place no hindrance to a student's advancing as rapidly as he wishes, except that of keeping his work up to a high standard of thoroughness. Our energetic students are finding this to be one of the most attractive features of study by correspondence. They are never held back by plodders or drones. Besides this, they are learning to appreciate the value of having the teacher's personal attention and assistance on every point in the lesson on which they need help, while, on the other hand, they are not obliged to sit and listen to the teacher explain over and over some simple thing the duller ones can not understand or remember.

Two other features of taking lessons by correspondence the student specially enjoys,—the privilege of studying at such time and place as are of the greatest advantage to him, and the gratification that comes from making definite progress in his education while still taking an active part in solving the practical problems of life.

We took a little inventory of our students and their studies the other day for the first time. Here are a few of the interesting results:—

Occupations

Total occupations represented, thirty-one. As to numbers these occupations appear in the following order: Farming, ministry, housekeeping, Bible work, teaching, canvassing, medical practise, stenography, nursing. Other interesting ones represented: grocery keeping, gardening, cooking, bookkeeping, ship carpentry, mining, principalship of school, plumbing, stock raising, night watching, office clerking.

Ages of Students

In their “teens,” 24 per cent; in the

twenties, 26 per cent; in the thirties, 20 per cent; in the forties, 8 per cent; in the fifties, 8 per cent; in the sixties, 1 per cent.

Studies Taken

Every one offered. Leaders: Bible doctrines, grammar, elementary rhetoric, arithmetic, New Testament Greek. Second in number: Advanced rhetoric, journalism, bookkeeping, general history, church history. Applied for but not yet offered: Not counted, but a large number.

Foreign Countries Represented

Canada, Canal Zone, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Jamaica, Cuba, Porto Rico, British Guiana, Argentina, Ireland, England, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, South Africa, Syria, India, China, New Zealand, Fiji Islands.

Let it be distinctly understood that it is never too late to enroll in the Fireside Correspondence School. The door is always ajar for any who wish to come in. We have no vacations, and have had our last opening day. Our commencement day is every day. We believe in continuous education, and our school is a “continuation school.” (See Christian Education, No. 2.)

Announcements and application blanks may be obtained of the Young People's and Educational secretaries, of the principals of resident schools, of conference presidents.

All books and supplies are obtained from the Review and Herald Publishing Association, 32 Union Square East, New York City.

All requests for special information and all correspondence lessons are mailed direct to Fireside Correspondence School, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.

W. E. HOWELL, Principal.