p. 29 | A Visit to Our European Schools by Frederick Griggs

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 4, 1907

A Visit to Our European Schools

By Frederick Griggs

Our schools should be centers of a mighty work in each country; to them should come great numbers of consecrated young men and women; in them should be found a most ardent missionary spirit and a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; from these schools there should go out each year large companies of zealous, devoted gospel workers. Our schools in Europe are certainly attaining to this enviable and important position in the finishing of this work.

There are now in Europe four schools in which advanced students are taken and educated for service in the cause. These schools are located at London, England; Nyhyttan, Sweden; Friedensau, Germany; and Gland, Switzerland. The schools at London and Friedensau are thoroughly organized and equipped for work, while the schools in Sweden and Switzerland are just coming into existence.

The school in Sweden is the property of the Scandinavian Union Conference. This school is being placed on a thoroughly organized basis, is adopting a good course of instruction for gospel workers, and is taking steps to locate in a more suitable place than Nyhyttan. They have had about thirty students this past year.

The school at Gland is located in the territory of the Latin Union Mission, and is designed for the young people of this territory. It is located in connection with the sanitarium at Gland, and the students have helped to meet the expenses of their educational training by working at the sanitarium. As yet, this school has no buildings, its work being carried on in the sanitarium. They have had only fifteen or twenty students the past year. It is the purpose thoroughly to organize and equip it as quickly as possible for doing a good grade of work. Both this school and the school at Nyhyttan had closed for the summer before we arrived in Europe.

The schools at London and Friedensau were established about seven years ago. The school at London is for the British Union Conference, and the one at Friedensau is for the German Union. That they are doing a most excellent work is witnessed by the fact that in both schools together there is only one student who is not preparing directly for a place in gospel work. The brethren from America had the privilege of talking to the students in these schools. From these institutions there have already gone out into the local conferences of their respective unions and into the mission fields a large force of workers, and both are aiming most directly at the preparation of a good company each year. This year there will leave the London school about twenty, and the Friedensau about twenty-five, who go into the work to remain. This does not include scores who are going out to canvass and to work in other departments during the summer vacation, and who will return again next year.

The school at London has been very favorably situated in the matter of territory in which the students could canvass. They are able to sell papers and books on Sundays to good advantage. As high as two hundred and fifty copies of the Present Truth have been sold by one student on one Sunday. They have, however, disadvantages in being situated in the heart of the metropolis of the world, which has led the union to take steps to secure a location in the country. This has been done, and the school will conduct its next year's work in its own permanent home. The new location is the country seat of a rich gentleman, and is a very pretty, retired place, most admirably adapted for a school. Prof. H. R. Salisbury, who has been with the school since its beginning, is leaving now to take up duties as superintendent of the Levant Union Mission, and Prof. H. C. Lacy has been chosen to act as principal in his stead. Professor Salisbury, having had a long experience in the school, will be greatly missed. However, we believe that Professor Lacy will carry on the work of the school in excellent form, as his qualifications and experience are such as to admirably qualify him for this position.

The visiting brethren were most hospitably entertained at both these schools, both teachers and students exerting themselves to the utmost to provide for the comfort and pleasure of their guests. This hospitable spirit was greatly appreciated, and I may add that it was manifested everywhere we went among our people in Europe. At Friedensau the students rendered a most enjoyable musical program on the Friday afternoon we were there. The music work of the school is under the direction of Brother Glenn Wakeham, the son of Elder W. H. Wakeham, who was in Egypt, but who is now connected with the London school as instructor in Bible. The students have a strong chorus of about fifty voices and an orchestra of about ten pieces. The program consisted of two parts,—the first by the chorus, assisted by the orchestra, and the second by the orchestra alone. I have never heard better musical programs in any of our schools. It was not only a credit to the students, for indeed some of them were quite artists, but it was a great credit to the school, and was most thoroughly appreciated by the visitors.

No features of our visit to Europe were more thoroughly enjoyed than our stay at these two schools. We regretted that the two other schools of which I have spoken had closed. From what we could learn of them we are sure we should have found the same earnest and God-fearing spirit in their work; and the same cordial spirit which we met in the other schools. We look for great prosperity to attend these schools in their future work. FREDERICK GRIGGS.