Fireside Correspondence School by W. E. Howell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 14, 1909

Fireside Correspondence School

By W. E. Howell

The first and last session of the Fireside Correspondence School opened Monday, October 4. Its opening exercises were simple and unostentatious, partaking of the same practical, businesslike nature that characterizes, at least in purpose, all the work of this school. They were held in the principal’s office on the third floor of the General Conference Office building, and consisted in the enclosing and mailing in the city of Washington, D. C., by the principal of the school and his office assistant, of the first lessons to the charter members of the Fireside Correspondence School. There were no instrumental or vocal solos, duets, or quartets, and no congregational hymns, but there was the music in the soul that comes from something attempted, something done. There was no assigned “invocation,” and no one was called upon to lead in prayer, but there accompanied these exercises a fervent prayer in the heart that the work of this school may turn out to mean much more to its students, its promoters, and the cause with which it is connected, than any of us have been able to foresee.

The Correspondence School family is steadily increasing in number and growing more cosmopolitan as the days roll by. Every State in the Union has its representatives; and as we enrolled recently two young men in the Emerald Isle, one young woman in Argentina, South America, one believer in Costa Rica, Central America, and one laborer in Syria, on almost the same day; and as we think of the applications that have come in from several countries in Europe, Africa, and the islands of the sea,—none of these foreign countries having had any advertising matter to interest them except these articles in the REVIEW,—we seem justified in concluding that the work of the Correspondence School will follow the message wherever it and the English language may penetrate. And not only this, but the school is enjoying the rather unusual favor of having some honor in its own country, if indeed it may be said to have a country; for the General Conference Office and the Review and Herald Office are not without their membership in our family.

The reason we have not been talking much the last two or three weeks, is that we have had to work. We have hardly dared to know whether it was hot or cold, day or night, dinner time or bedtime; just one thing have we had to know,—that everything must be ready to open the doors of the Fireside Correspondence School bright and early Monday, October 4. And they opened. We now have more sympathy with the correspondence students, many of whom are very busy people, yet who have, like us, set some definite point or standard before them to work to. During the past few weeks we have been obliged to put the principles we have been setting forth in these columns, severely to the test. Our work upon lessons and other preliminaries has had to be as portable as the work upon the lessons in the hands of the correspondence students will often have to be. To this truth the street-cars, waiting stations, shops, and sidewalks in and around Takoma Park, will bear witness. We recognize that this is the best preparation we could have for this new enterprise. No teacher can successfully impart what he has not himself experienced, and the best preparation for aiding and sympathizing with others is to pass through the fire before them. We thank God for timing and doing all things well.

The work of the Correspondence School is beginning at a highly favorable season of the year. The pure, bracing air of autumn exhilarates the spirits and stimulates to greater activity the ambition we already have to be something better than we are and to know something more than we know. The evenings are growing longer, and fires are beginning to be lighted on the hearthstone. The most attractive spot in the home is now coming to be the family circle around the fireside. It is the sacred spot where many a long and useful career had its small but substantial beginnings. Young man, young woman, are you going to permit the precious hours of these winter evenings to be whiled away aimlessly? Grown-up brother and sister, you who had to leave school young in order to help at home or for any other reason, do you realize that “it’s never too late to mend,” that in the prime of your natural strength you can, with a little patience and resolution, set your mind at work to redeem lost opportunities? Father and mother, do you know that among our applicants for correspondence study are numbered several from forty to fifty-five years of age, two who are sixty, and one who is seventy? While time is rapidly passing into eternity, will you not all, youth, grown-ups, and parents, resolve this day to admit the Fireside Correspondence School into your family circle?

Let it be clearly understood by all that the doors of the Fireside Correspondence School are not to be closed for sunshine or for frost. Students will be admitted any day in the year, and for any number of studies they can pursue with thoroughness. Announcements and registration blanks can be procured from any State young people’s or educational secretary. After filling out the blanks send them direct to Fireside Correspondence School, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. Do not remit with a personal check unless you add ten cents for collection. All currency is sent at the remitter’s risk. In remitting, send both the tuition and the matriculation fee of one dollar. The postage may be paid by enclosing a two-cent stamp with each lesson sent in.

Be very explicit in naming the particular subject you want, using the terms employed in the announcement. If you do not find in our list exactly the subject wanted, select some other to begin with, then write and tell us what you want that is not listed. All such requests we are placing on file to serve as a basis for developing new courses. We already have on file a large number of such requests, and hope to have some new courses ready to announce early in 1910. Meanwhile, make sure that your preparatory work for a given subject is strong. It would be far better to take a thorough review of a preparatory subject by our method, than to try your hand on some advanced study for which you have not an adequate preparation. Be strong in fundamentals, is a principle that can not be emphasized too much.

We have arranged with the Review and Herald Publishing Association, 32 Union Square, New York City, to act as our supply house. All books and supplies should be ordered direct from there. We now have ready a complete printed list of text-books and supplies needed for all our courses. A copy will be supplied to prospective students.

W. E. HOWELL.