FINANCIALLY the last year has been one of the hardest that the academy has ever passed through. The severe drought last summer made it impossible for many to attend who had planned to do so, and some who are attending will not be able to pay their tuition before fall. The attendance is about the same as it has been for the past two or three years, though there are not so many students in the home.
This is due to the drought, and to the large number of church schools that have been established in the territory. The total enrollment is two hundred and twenty-five, with ninety-four in the Model Church School, covering grades one to six.
In all other respects the past year has been one of the most successful in the history of the school. Nearly all the students have an earnest desire to do good, faithful work, and a large proportion are preparing to labor in some department of the cause. In matters of discipline, we have had a quiet year. Not a student has been dismissed, and only a few cases have arisen where anything more than private admonition has been needed.
Every student has taken one industrial study. Classes have been maintained in carpentry, blacksmithing, cooking, sewing, dressmaking, typewriting, printing, broom making, gardening, and floriculture; and the interest in all these studies has been good.
Another new feature of the school is the canvassers' course, which began January 1 and continued three months, ending in an institute of about two weeks. Twenty-five students were enrolled in this course. Aside from the book studies, the pupils joined regular classes in Bible, language, accounts, etc., according to their individual needs. Nearly all these students have entered the canvassing work, and others from the academy will do so as soon as school closes. All are agreed that the canvassing course was a success, and the Southwestern Union Conference has recommended that it become a permanent feature of the work.
The last three days of the school year were devoted to a canvassers' institute and a Sabbath-school convention, and more canvassers entered the work at the close of this institute than at the close of the regular canvassers' school.
Brother J. B. Fitch, of El Paso, was secured to take charge of the printing office, and to teach the Spanish language. Three classes in Spanish have been maintained, and over thirty pupils have been enrolled. This department is to be continued the coming year.
Spiritually, the school is accomplishing a good work. Quite a number of the students have been converted the past year, and many more are growing in grace. For five years every Wednesday evening at six o'clock a young men's prayer meeting has been held in the chapel, and a young women's prayer meeting in the home. These are conducted entirely by the students themselves,—the teachers holding a meeting in another place at the same time. These meetings are regarded by the students as among the most helpful means of grace. Every Wednesday at the time of chapel exercises a full hour is given to the students' missionary meeting, with all the students present. Officers for this society are elected monthly from the students, who take entire charge of the exercises. These consist of readings, addresses, and hymns upon missionary subjects. The students are deeply interested in them. One important and interesting feature of these meetings is the frequent reading of letters from former students who are now missionaries in different parts of the world. During the past year nine of our students have gone to foreign fields: Brother and Sister A. G. Bodwell to Mexico; Brother and Sister L. O. Corwin to the Bay Islands; Brother and Sister G. F. Jones and Brother and Sister Geo. Beckner to the Society Islands; and Brother Ernest Taylor to England.
The work of training teachers, which has been carried forward by the Normal department for the past three or four years is beginning to show good results. Nearly all the schools in the academy territory are now taught by teachers who have had training in this department; and it is worthy of notice that the few schools that have not been successful were taught by teachers who had received no special training for the work. Thus far the academy has met15every call that has been made upon it for church-school teachers, and it hopes to be able to meet all future demands in this direction.
A year ago the academy graduated the largest class in the history of the school; it consisted of about thirty members, including six or eight music pupils. The present class numbers nine members, exclusive of the music graduates. Two of these expect to enter the ministry, one the Bible work, one editorial work, and five church-school teaching. During the past five years about seventy graduates have gone forth from the school, the larger number of them into various departments of the work of the Lord.
The exercises of commencement week, which have just closed, showed thorough preparation, good natural talent, and consecration to the cause of the third angel's message.
The prospect for the future of Keene Academy is excellent. The board of trustees by a unanimous vote, has just called to its principalship Prof. Alvin Covert, of Patterson, La. Brother Covert is the son of Elder Wm. Covert. He studied in Battle Creek College, was graduated from the Peabody Normal College, of the University of Nashville, and has been teaching nine years in the schools of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Louisiana. During all these years he has held himself in readiness to respond quickly to any call from the Lord. He will attend the summer school at Berrien Springs to acquaint himself better with the educational plans and methods of our people.
One important plan for the future of Keene Academy should not be overlooked—the opening of a German department next fall, under the direction of Prof. August Kunze, whose long experience in this message, as translator, editor, and teacher, has qualified him to render this department excellent service.
Closing now six years of labor for the Keene Industrial Academy, I desire, in this my last official utterance for the institution, to say that from the results already apparent, with a good prospect for speedy release from the bondage of debt, with a corps of able and faithful teachers in charge, with a large body of vigorous young people as material with which to work, and with a compact and loyal union conference at its back, there seems to be every reasonable expectation, under the blessing of Heaven, for Keene Academy to enter the coming year upon a new era of successful effort in the fulfillment of the purpose of God in its foundation.
