Williamsdale Academy by William Guthrie

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 15, 1906

Williamsdale Academy

By William Guthrie

As but little has ever been said of this school, it may be of interest to the readers of the REVIEW AND HERALD to read a short history of its purpose and work. No other field has been worked so long without the advantage of “home institutions” as has eastern Canada. As the result of this neglect, her progress has been very slow, and to some a little discouraging.

For the past four years we have sensed keenly the great need of a good school where our young people could be trained for service in the home land. All who have labored in Canada know full well that we have as good talent as the world possesses. All that is needed to man this field with home talent, and have a supply for other parts of the great wide world, is to provide facilities for the training of our young people. Accordingly, in the spring of 1903, a farm with some timber was donated by Brother D. W. Dimock, and a school was started on a small scale, and continued so for two years. This experience taught us that we must make the school larger if we were to receive the benefits we had expected. We must have more land in order to supply our own milk and raise our own vegetables. The land was soon secured on our present beautiful site. We began at once to erect a building twenty-six by fifty-one feet, to consist of sixteen rooms, a bath-room, and furnace room.

School was opened in this building Nov. 15, 1905, with an enrolment of nineteen students. These, for the most part, were earnest, and devoted to their work. At the close of the year it was evident that we must have more room in order to accommodate those who would want to attend the coming year, and also to insure us sufficient income to operate without loss at our low rate of tuition. A root cellar and a laundry were also found to be among the necessary conveniences. These have been supplied, and an addition, twenty-six by forty-eight feet, has been made to the main building. We are now prepared to take care of from thirty to thirty-five students in the home.

Our present outlook is encouraging indeed. We opened school for the second year October 3, and at this writing, November 1, we have twenty-four students, twenty-two of whom are in the home. Others are to come within a few days. All our rooms bid fair to be occupied by the first of December.

Our aim is to prepare our students for service in the Master's cause. In this matter the Lord is greatly blessing our work. Two of our young ladies were out in the Bible work during the vacation, and did well. Some of the young men are preparing for the ministry, while others are fitting themselves for positions in different departments of the work.

We now have our buildings nearly finished, and our farm implements have been purchased, also some cattle and horses, at a cost, in all, of about sixty-five hundred dollars, thirty-five hundred dollars of which has been paid, and three thousand dollars yet remains to be paid. One thousand dollars of this latter amount is current accounts, and must be met very soon. We are unable to make plain to you how difficult it is in this field to raise such a sum of money, either as a loan or in donations; but we feel sure that the Master will touch your hearts with our great need, so that our needs may be supplied. Are there not somewhere three families whom the Lord has blessed who would count it a pleasure to assist a weak conference and set free from debt the only institution it has? It will cost you only one thousand dollars each to do this kindness. You who have been blessed of God, pray; and while you pray, think of the young people now in this school, training for service. Think of those whom they will lead to the Master; think of the price paid for their salvation; think of the dark years of waiting and praying for this blessed truth, while we have lived in the very sunlight of God's presence; think of the many and well-equipped schools in the home land, and the great help they have been in preparing your sons and daughters to fill places of trust and usefulness. Then think of this great Canadian field with but three small and poorly equipped schools in which to train the youth of all this country. I am sure your hearts are too full of this truth to allow this condition to continue longer.

The school is our greatest factor to give permanency to the work in this field. We can not bear to think of closing its doors, and yet we shall be forced to do so unless we can get at least one thousand dollars. We do not ask for help on our running expenses, merely help to meet the cost of construction.

Send your offerings to I. H. Evans, Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C., with the instruction that they are for the Williamsdale Academy, and they will be sent to us promptly, and your State will be given credit to that amount on the $150,000 fund. Such is our arrangement with the General Conference.

WILLIAM GUTHRIE, President Maritime Conference.