The Oakwood School by G. H. Baber

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 15, 1906

The Oakwood School

By G. H. Baber

THE many readers of the REVIEW will no doubt be pleased to know how the Oakwood Manual Training-school, at Huntsville, Ala., is prospering. We are thankful to say that God has blessed us with excellent health, plenty to eat, and above all, a desire to do his will.

While our enrolment, only about fifty, has not been large, the Lord has not allowed any unruly nor wilfully disobedient students to come to our school. For this we thank him, and pray that he may continue to work for us. Since last September nineteen students have been baptized and received into the church, and I believe there is not one of this number who is not still striving to overcome, and to walk with the Lord daily.

Besides the enrolment already mentioned, we have a primary department of six, which we have placed in the hands of the students as a normal department in embryo; however, as we are not in a thickly settled community, we think this department will not take on large proportions.

We have just built, equipped, and have in successful operation a fine little greenhouse, where the plants are urgently pleading for an outside temperature suited to their requirements. We have great hopes of success in this undertaking.

A shoe-cobbling department has just been installed, where we give weekly lessons to the boys, nearly all of whom seem anxious to learn how to repair their own shoes. This will also be a saving to the institution of many dollars during the year.

Sewing classes for the boys as well as for the girls are in operation. The boys are learning how to repair their clothing and to make gloves, the girls how to make their own dresses and keep them in repair.

The mechanical department teaches the boys to sharpen and repair tools, and the use of plane, square, saw, and hammer. If we had money, this department could do much more than it is doing. We could build a much-needed laundry, a milk-house, poultry-houses, and cattle sheds, to say nothing of a bath house and treatment rooms.

No doubt many of the contributors to the October collection for the colored work in the South will wonder what has become of all that liberal donation of about nine thousand dollars. My brethren, I think it my duty to tell you that this institution did not receive one third of that donation, and half of what it did receive was used to reimburse the Southern Union Conference for salaries advanced to teachers of this institution, and the other half was used to pay for the erection of three cottages built last year; so you see that not one cent of that donation was made available for present requirements. We have now come to the time to put out another crop, without resources with which to purchase the different kinds of seeds, fertilizers, etc. Since the October collection our donations have been very small, which, however, is not to be wondered at when we consider your liberality in October; but as I have said, that portion of it which came to this institution was used in paying old debts.

At our last Southern Union Conference several of the brethren pledged to support one or more students in this school for a year, which will require an actual outlay of from sixty-five to seventy-five dollars. I am impressed that among the readers of the REVIEW there are other friends of the colored work here who would be pleased to thus help some poor worthy student.

The Lord has told us through the spirit of prophecy that not only those who were directly responsible for the oppression of this people, but the entire nation has become debtor to them. Surely, brethren, if the entire nation, as such, is debtor to them, we who have the saving truth of the three messages are doubly so.

We believe that when we get our farm up to a high state of cultivation,—and it is susceptible,—the institution can be made entirely self-supporting, yea, more—profitable. But until that time comes, we must rely on your generosity for the continuance of the work at this place. To avoid delay I would ask that any who may feel impressed to come to our help in this time of need will send donations directly to our treasurer, W. H. Williams, Box 414, Huntsville, Ala. G. H. BABER.