Skodsborg (Denmark) School by Erik Arnesen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Apr 1, 1909

Skodsborg (Denmark) School

By Erik Arnesen

We opened our school Oct. 14, 1908, with an enrolment of about twenty. The number soon increased to thirty-five, two of whom have recently left, one of them to take a position at our conference depository in Copenhagen, so that our number now is thirty-three. Eight of these are from Norway, two from Iceland, the others from Denmark. Not less than eight or ten among the students made no profession of religion when they came here. But an excellent spirit has prevailed; God has greatly blessed our meetings and our religious gatherings, especially during the week of prayer; and now nearly all of those who were unconverted at the beginning of the school year seem to have made the firm decision to serve the Lord by accepting the present truth.

This year we have our school in rented rooms, but next year we expect to have it in a large house now in the course of erection on the sanitarium grounds. This will be a great help to us, and far more comfortable. This building will contain rooms for the students, recitation rooms, etc., and in connection with it will be a chapel, something that has been greatly needed all these years at the sanitarium. The building will belong to the sanitarium, but we intend to rent what we need of it during the school year, while the sanitarium will occupy it the rest of the time.

We have four regular teachers, but all have other work besides. The writer, who has charge of the school, is also carrying editorial work and a considerable amount of secretary work. Elder L. Muderspach gives instruction in Bible, history, etc., and is holding a course of public lectures in Copenhagen, and another in a small town near this place. The two other teachers are Miss Anna Moller, who is our matron, and C. C. Hansen, Jr., Dr. N. P. Nelson and Brother R. J. Aagaard, of the sanitarium, also give some instruction every week.

Our chief studies are Bible, history (ancient and modern), languages (Danish, Norwegian, English, and German), arithmetic, geography, physics, botany, zoology, general health principles, etc., all based upon a three years' course of study, in harmony with the general outline which was agreed upon at the meeting at Gland two years ago next May.

Nearly all our students intend to enter the work sooner or later. A large number will enter the canvassing work this spring. Several of them had been engaged in that work before they came to school. On account of the comparatively large number who wish to canvass after school, the last week or two of the present school year will be devoted wholly to instructing them for this work. Our state agent for Denmark and our conference president have promised to spend that time with us, and their assistance will be highly appreciated. Our school year will close April 14. ERIK ARNESEN.